The powertrain had no problem keeping up the very fast traffic on Interstate 5, with the car traveling between 75 and 80 miles an hour for two hours straight. Unlike the competition, the Pathfinder’s V-6 is pared to a CVT, which helps considerably with the fuel economy numbers. To move all 4,500 pounds of the car, Nissan equipped the Pathfinder with the 3.5-liter V-6 which makes 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque, which is right in line with the V-6 options of the Pilot, Highlander, Kia Sorento, and Santa Fe. The competition is now vehicles like the Pilot and Highlander rather than the 4Runner and Jeep Grand Cherokee. The transmission is continuously variable rather than having actual gears. The interior is a much nicer place to be and has more space to move around in. The exterior design is a lot cleaner and a lot more rounded. It handles better than the old truck-based Pathfinder and gets significantly better fuel economy largely due to its much lower weight. It’s based on the same platform as the Murano and Altima. The Pathfinder needed to be significantly updated for better fuel economy and better internal packaging for the needs of most families, many of whom didn’t need the extensive off-road and towing capabilities of the old Pathfinder.Īs a result, my 2015 Pathfinder 4×4 test car is completely different from the old Pathfinder. Other car platform-based seven-passenger family crossovers like the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Mazda CX-9 were taking away sales from truck-based SUVs like the Pathfinder. But it became difficult to market as a family vehicle due to its body-on-frame construction, which didn’t help its fuel economy and limited interior space. The last-generation Pathfinder was even available with a V-8. It eventually gained two extra doors as well as a third seat in later generations while retaining the off-road capability of the original. It was a very capable vehicle off-road and was built on a truck platform. In 1985, Nissan debuted the Pathfinder, which was intended to compete with the Jeep Cherokee and Toyota 4Runner, though it was only available with two doors at launch. Instead, the long trip consisted of tuning into Christian rock stations throughout the Central Valley while trying to find an alternative rock station, until I got to Pasadena, where I began loudly complaining to myself about traffic in Southern California.īut enough about Southern California traffic (and I could really go on), I must discuss the history Pathfinder nameplate. He probably even yelled at the back seat passengers to turn their music down.” Unfortunately, I never got my chance. “ Oh, he actually carted around 4 full-size adults for over 1,000 miles rather than using it alone on his daily commute,” they would think, “ This test really simulated family use. Such an experience was supposed to make up for the fact that actual, live families would potentially read this review of the Pathfinder and seriously regard what I, a childless, flip-flops-wearing, Gran Turismo-playing millennial, wrote about their possible next family car. It wasn’t meant to be, though, with all three bailing out with various reasons, from studying to the CPA exam (a very valid excuse) to needing to visit family (again, a valid excuse) to saying they would come if the destination was changed to Santa Barbara (not a valid excuse and grounds for a passive-aggressive e-mail). They were supposed to critique the car’s features, evaluate the interior comfort during the trip, and simulate the amount of stress that most families would put on a seven-passenger crossover. There was supposed to be a road trip from San Jose to Lake Arrowhead with at least three other people on board. Before you read this road test of the 2015 Nissan Pathfinder, I must write that it isn’t as comprehensive as I want it to be, even though I put well over 1,000 miles on it.
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