And now, just after we finished a stint behind the wheel in a 2016 Pathfinder Platinum, Nissan has announced a mild refresh for the 2017 model featuring a power bump for the 3.5-liter V-6, exterior styling tweaks, and more. With changes nigh, let’s take a moment to retrace the Pathfinder’s steps so far.
Launched overseas in 1985 and in the U.S. in 1987, the first-generation Pathfinder was a rugged, truck-based design that appealed to people who actually ventured off-road, but it also was tame enough to double as a daily driver. A redesign for 1995 brought unibody construction and more creature comforts, as the second-generation Pathfinder flipped the equation in favor of the daily-driver contingent. Nissan did another about-face with the third-generation, 2005 Pathfinder, reintroducing body-on-frame construction and moving assembly stateside, where, in truly American fashion, it grew significantly in both size and weight. Breaking its apparent ritual of introducing new Pathfinders in tidy, decade-long intervals, the new-for-2013 Pathfinder cemented the model’s status as a pavement-dwelling crossover. Entirely redesigned and based on the same platform as the Altima, it returned to unibody construction and featured rounded, soft-edged styling that moved it far away from the rugged SUV look.
Precious Metal
Aside from the addition of a hybrid version in 2014 and various trim and tech upgrades, the 2016 Pathfinder Platinum AWD tested here has changed little since its debut. The top-tier Platinum trim sits atop the S, SV, and SL trim levels (each available in front- or all-wheel drive) and brings a host of features large and small. Among them are two sunroofs: a slide-and-tilt unit for the driver and front passenger and an expansive fixed-glass unit—with individual power sunshades—for the second and third row. Leather covers the gearshift knob, the door-trim inserts, and the first- and second-row seating surfaces; the front chairs are heated and cooled, while the second-row seats are heated. Third-row passengers must suffer the indignity of ambient-temperature backsides.
Only a few changes were sprinkled across the Pathfinder lineup for 2016. These include a revised almond, black, and beige interior treatment; a new Cold Weather package for the SV with heated cloth seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated side-view mirrors; and a heated steering wheel that’s newly standard on the SL.
Driving It
It’s a good bet that sporty driving dynamics and blistering acceleration are not high on the list of priorities for Pathfinder shoppers. That’s good, as the naturally aspirated, 260-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) are best viewed simply as motivational tools. Although a tad coarse at higher rpm, the V-6 gets the job done, and the CVT’s simulated gearchanges bring a touch of familiarity to the proceedings. Although the combo is EPA rated at 19/26 mpg city/highway, we averaged 19 mpg overall. At the track, the Pathfinder managed the zero-to-60-mph run in 7.5 seconds, while the quarter-mile consumed 15.9 seconds, the big crossover clearing the traps at 90 mph. That’s adequate for a 4638-pound vehicle but more than a second slower in both measures versus the new 2016 Honda Pilot. (Our long-term Pilot knocked them off in 6.0 and 14.6.) Still, the Pathfinder is quick enough to keep you from becoming a moving target when merging onto the highway. Hook up a trailer (the Platinum trim level includes a Class III hitch and trailer-wiring harness as standard) approaching the maximum tow rating of 5000 pounds, however, and you’ll want to allow plenty of room to reach cruising velocity.
Vehicle dynamics are equally innocuous. Steering effort is light, and the electric-hydraulic setup is entirely synthetic in feel, although it will track straight on the highway with little driver correction. The suspension, struts in front and multilink with twin-tube dampers at the rear, delivers ride quality that’s plusher than any of the model’s forebears could offer. The Platinum trim’s standard 20-inch wheels (lesser models make do with 18-inchers) and 235/75 Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport AS tires smother all but the harshest impacts. We pushed the Pathfinder to 0.78 g on the skidpad, with mild understeer being the prevailing trait. Braking performance is similarly unremarkable. Requiring 178 feet to stop from 70 mph, it isn’t quite as good as the 172 feet required by the aforementioned Honda Pilot. Pedal action, however, remains aloof regardless of the situation; simulated panic stops elicited the same vague, mushy feel as slowing for a stop sign from 20 mph. Dull as it may be, we never encountered any behavior that might harsh its mellow deportment.
Seating for Seven
Given that the Pathfinder’s ostensible mission is the pleasant transportation of people and their things, it’s unfortunate that we found the seats to offer less than optimal comfort. Numerous staffers complained of the overly firm surface and the short lower cushions, with one remarking, “These simply cannot be the same NASA-inspired seats from the Altima”—referring to Nissan’s much ballyhooed Zero Gravity seats in that model plus the Maxima and the Murano. (For the record, Nissan confirmed that neither the 2016 nor the updated 2017 Pathfinder has the Zero Gravity seats.) Second- and third-row seats do their best to offer comfort and flexibility, the 60/40-split second row easily sliding out of the way to permit access to the third row without the need to remove a child seat. Front thrones aside, the rest of the interior lives up to its billing, cruising quietly at just 70 decibels at a steady 70 mph and, in this spec, offering overall material quality a notch above competitors such as the current Hyundai Santa Fe and Dodge Durango.
Only two options graced our Pathfinder Platinum test car: the $1700 Family Entertainment package (dual second-row video screens with headphones, a single remote control, and a video input jack) and $210 worth of carpeted floor mats. The bottom line read $46,110, a significant sum in a class that has no shortage of competitors. With fresh models—including the Mazda CX-9, GMC Acadia, and Honda Pilot—all vying for the same territory, it’s no wonder Nissan ordered a refresh for the 2017 Pathfinder. Armed with the knowledge that the updated 2017 Pathfinder’s showroom debut is just months away, shoppers in the market for the 2016 model might be able to leverage Nissan’s current situation into a significant discount. Just don’t tell them you heard it from us.
_ CarandDriver
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