Like the Honda Pilot, the Nissan Pathfinder’s cabin is among the more open and airy ones in the class. We averaged 20.5 mpg over the course of 170 miles on a mix of city streets, country roads and highways, which was a little below the Pathfinder’s combined mpg estimate. The Pathfinder driving experience falls behind its three-row competitors in other ways: Its firm-riding suspension lacks the refinement of the Kia Sorento, GMC Acadia and Dodge Durango and doesn’t provide the sportiness of the Mazda CX-9.įront-wheel-drive Nissan Pathfinders get an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 20/27/23 mpg city/highway/combined all-wheel drive knocks 1 mpg from each of those fuel economy estimates, and the Platinum AWD model gets 21 mpg in combined driving. Still, other editors didn’t like the groaning sounds from the drivetrain and thought the V-6 would perform even better with a conventional automatic. The Nissan Pathfinder’s 284-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 minimizes the differences more than four-cylinder engines typically do acceleration is swift and the CVT quickly responds when passing and merging. The transmission is programmed to mimic the feel of gear changes, but the steady engine noise when accelerating is a little different at first. The CVT uses a belt-and-pulley system in place of conventional gears and doesn’t produce the familiar feel that accompanies the upshifts and downshifts of an automatic. The Nissan Pathfinder is the rare three-row SUV with a continuously variable automatic transmission instead of a step-gear automatic. In back, the biggest change is a switch to taillights with mostly red housings. While the design is more intricate and detailed than what was there previously, it’s also similar enough to the prior Pathfinder’s look that the changes could easily go unnoticed by casual observers. The most noticeable styling changes are clustered up front, where the Nissan Pathfinder gets new bumper styling, new headlights and a restyled grille that adopts a variation of the design on some Nissan cars, like the Maxima. (See their specs compared here.) Exterior and Styling Key competitors include the Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot and Hyundai Santa Fe. The Nissan Pathfinder is available in S, SV, SL and Platinum trim levels, and all trims are available in front-wheel or all-wheel drive. We tested an uplevel, all-wheel-drive SL trim with an as-tested price of $40,390. The 2017 Pathfinder base price starts at $30,930 (including a $940 destination charge) for a front-wheel-drive S trim level. For the 2017 model year, the Nissan Pathfinder gets styling updates, new features and a new direct-injection V-6 engine that makes more power. The three-row SUV has become the vehicle of choice for large families, and many models in the class have been redesigned or updated in the past few years. Its updated V-6 engine is a strong performer, but a dated interior and overly complex controls are sore spots. The Pathfinder is one of the roomier three-row SUVs available. The refreshed 2017 Nissan Pathfinder doesn't do enough to distinguish itself in the competitive three-row SUV class.
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