2022 Nissan Pathfinder

MARK TAKAHASHI: This is the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, a three-row, midsize SUV that just got a full redesign. As the newest entrant into this class, we thought we'd see how it stacks up against the top rated Kia Telluride, which would be lurking ominously over my shoulder. Over the course of this video, we'll go over everything you need to know about this new Pathfinder and which might be the right pick for you. Before we get into all of that, do us a favor, hit Like and Subscribe below to get all the latest Edmunds content. And head over to edmunds.com/sellmycar to get a cash offer on your vehicle. Pathfinder pricing starts just below $35,000 for the base front-wheel drive S trim. At the very top of the range is the Platinum all-wheel drive that maxes out at almost $50,000. All-wheel drive is available on all trims for $1,900. This is the upper mid-range Pathfinder SL all-wheel drive with the optional SL premium package that adds a bunch of the top platinum trims features for another $2,900. That sticker comes in just over $45,000. That Telluride right back there is the top SX trim. It has a few options to kick the price past $50,000. But for the sake of this comparison, we're going to ignore them. With this in mind, these SUVs are very close in terms of price and features. Both of them have a power liftgate, the usual raft of advanced safety features, premium audio, navigation, and heated second row captain's chairs. The Pathfinder gains a slight advantage with its wireless phone integration and tow hitch, while the Telluride gets power folding mirrors. It's almost as though Nissan used the Telluride as a target for all this stuff. In general, the Telluride is less expensive and has more features in lower trims. In higher trims like these, they're pretty much even. As far as styling goes, well, I've already been a fan of the Telluride. But I have to say, I'm a fan of this Pathfinder as well. I like where Nissan is going with these wraparound headlights that give it a futuristic look. And the Chrome V grille looks a lot better than previous Nissans. Around the back, there's this huge Pathfinder badge that reminds me of something you'd see on a Range Rover. I have to admit, I don't hate it. Up front, the Pathfinder has plenty to offer in terms of comfort and convenience. These seats are well-cushioned for hours of comfortable driving. And there's enough adjustments so that shorter and taller drivers will be able to find their optimal position no matter what. The infotainment system features this nice, big touch screen that's within easy reach. It could be a little bit higher, closer into the driver's sightlines. But as it is, it's actually pretty fine. Further down, we have easy to use and very intuitive climate controls. And they work really well. I haven't really needed to adjust them much. And we're in the middle of a pretty serious heat wave here in LA. Down here, we have this rubberized, wireless charging pad, which keeps your phone from knocking around, and some large cup holders. There's a nice, big bin here. That means you should have plenty of places to put all of your stuff on a long road trip. I also like this rubberized tray here in front of the passenger. It gives them extra storage for their phone and personal effects as well. One thing that I didn't quite see at first was this huge bin underneath the center console. It's a great place to keep things out of view from prying eyes, even though it is a little bit out of the way. I will say that I like the interior design a little bit more in the Telluride, but honestly, it's really close between the two. That also applies to materials quality. All my elbow touch points are adequately padded. And overall, they're using some really nice materials in here that we're not used to seeing from Nissan, to be frank. But there are a few nitpicks. And you know, when I'm nit picking, that's generally a good sign for the car. There are some mismatched materials. There's this kind of weird plastic, seems a little bit out of place, that surrounds the gear selector. And I'm not a big fan of this kind of diamond plate rubberized pattern here in the door. But it does match the other rubberized surfaces. Overall, you can consider me impressed by the front seats of this Pathfinder. But let's check out the back seats. To use a technical term, there is a metric crap-ton of space back here. Look at this. There's a ton of space between my knees and the back of the seat and tons of space for my feet underneath. But the seat is slid all the way back, which is its default position. More likely than not, I'll be up here, which is still just fine. And these seats, they recline way back, so you can probably catch a few Zs back here on a road trip. Like the front seats, there are these ripstop nylon inserts right where you'd normally see a lot of wear. So that should probably keep these looking pretty sharp for several years. One thing back here with these captain's chairs is the center console. Usually these might get in the way, and sometimes you want to keep that space open because it might be easier for smaller kids to go through here than pushing the seat forward. Nissan has a solution. It's removable, and you don't need tools to do it. Check it out. Pull off the panel, feel for the lever, look at that. It's just that easy. There you go. And now it's back. That's a pretty smart solution that gives owners a lot more flexibility than you'd see in a normal SUV. Normally, we'd see this in a minivan or something. Right in front, we also have a separate climate control for the middle row of seats as well as a USB-C and USB-A port. Of course, this is a three row SUV, so it's time to check out number three. Let's see how easy it is to get back there. Pathfinder has a one-button touch to release. And it gives a pretty decent opening. Whoo, I have to say, it's a little bit easier to get into the back seats than the Telluride. But here's the problem. The second row, it defaults to its furthest back position. So I am really pressed up against the back of this thing. You really want to have that memory like the Telluride has. [BEEP] SPEAKER: What's probably even more rare for this class is the comfort and access to the third row. Now, the third row in most midsize SUVs are normally reserved for kids or adults in a pinch. There are only a handful of competitors that have paid as much attention to the third row accommodations as Kia has. The release button for the seats is easy enough for kids to use. And the pass through is about as generous as it gets. MARK TAKAHASHI: When you get to the back seat of the Telluride, the middle's rows will remember where they were set before. They won't go all the way back into my knees like they are now. So this is a little bit of a nit pick, I must say. Plus there's a lot of metal stuff underneath the seat that has these symbols to say not to step on. So a little easier space wise, but it kind of evens out when you have that seat pushed all the way back on your knees. As far as space goes for the passenger though, well, there's not a lot of thigh support. But that's pretty typical for a third row. They're really not meant for adults. They're meant for occasional use by smaller passengers and kids. But I have plenty of headroom. And I don't feel that cramped. This window here helps open it up, doesn't make it feel constrained. And on the other side there, there is a USB-A port. Not bad. Now, getting out is easy too, because there's another single button release on the back of the second row. Behind the third row, you have 16.6 cubic feet of cargo space which is pretty good. But the Telluride does have more at 21 cubic feet. The kicker for the Pathfinder is, you have this huge bin underneath, and the lid stays open. You also have these sturdy dividers, so that means you can put your groceries back here, and when you get home, you're not going to have some messy salad back here. Folding the seats is pretty easy. Just flip the headrest forward, and hit that little latch. Pretty effortless. At its maximum, the Pathfinder can hold up to 80.5 cubic feet of cargo, and that's loaded to the top. Compared to the Telluride, it's pretty close, which holds 87 cubic feet. Nissan claims you can get a sheet of plywood back here, but my credit's not good enough to buy a whole sheet of plywood right now. But I do have a tape measure. Now, from edge to edge, we've got more than 48 inches. But going all the way to the top, it's not quite 96 inches. So you'll probably have to have the hatch slightly open and have some tie downs wrapped around that plywood. But that is a handy amount of space that I could have used when I had some cabinetry projects a few months ago. Under the hood of the Pathfinder is the same 3 and 1/2 liter V6 from last generation, it's good for 284 horsepower and 259 pound feet of torque. The difference this time around is there's no continuously variable transmission. Instead, we have a good old-fashioned 9-speed automatic, which should greatly improved driving dynamics. Almost compares really well against the Telluride's 291 horsepower out of its 3.8 liter V6. Fuel economy comes in an EPA estimated 23 MPG whether you go with front or all-wheel drive. The top platinum trim will drop that down by one MPG though. That's slightly better than the Telluride by about one or two miles, depending on which trim you go with. Towing is one of the Pathfinder's key strength. And this new one can pull up to 6,000 pounds. That's a full thousand pounds more than Telluride can. The thing is, neither of these offer an integrated brake controller. But the Pathfinder does have trailer sway control, while the Telluride has a self-leveling rear suspension. But enough of all these specs. Let's see how this drives. Acceleration is potent. You really only need about half the throttle to get up to highway speeds. And if you floor it, it really doesn't sound like you're beating up on the engine either. The Pathfinder's previous generation's CVT was better than most others. It kind of reduced the droning, but it was subject to some indecisiveness at higher engine speeds. This new transmission, it's a regular automatic. It has no such problem. None of that droning that sounds like a wounded cow. Like when you're getting on a freeway, sometimes that old Pathfinder was just kind of [MOOING]. It really wasn't good. When it comes to braking, there's not a whole lot to talk about here. And that's a good sign. It doesn't really poke out as being too jumpy or too soft. And it's easy to come to a nice, smooth, limo stop. When it comes to three-row midsize SUVs, you don't really go to these for sporty handling. And that's pretty evident with this Pathfinder. It feels heavy behind the wheel, even though it really isn't that much heavier than Telluride. But at the same time, it instills confidence. It doesn't feel out of sorts on a really tight and twisty road. And when you're on the highway, it's pleasantly quiet. There is some low frequency boominess. It's almost like you went swimming and you got some water stuck in your ear, that kind of muffled thud. But it's not a problem. It's not that prominent. You only hear when you turn the radio completely off. While we're out here driving, let's talk about all the advanced safety features and driver assistance. The adaptive cruise control, it's really good on the open highway, but when you're in traffic or in the city, not so much. The adaptive cruise control can be really, really slow off the line if you're stopped, so slow that cars might honk behind you or just go around you and cut you off. Also, when you're in denser traffic, it can be a little abrupt on the brakes, a little late on the brakes too. But again, this is made for the open highway, not so much for traffic or in the city. ProPILOT assist is kind of their very low level driver assistance that combines the adaptive cruise control with lane keep assist. And it reduces a lot of the burden of driving, especially in traffic, if you can get used to all that jerkiness. This Pathfinder is obviously tuned more for comfort. And that makes perfect sense for a three-row SUV. And even though it can tow more than the Telluride, you're not sacrificing ride quality because of that. It's nice and smooth over the rough stuff. And there's no real floatiness either. Visibility is always important to me. And there's not a whole lot to report there either. This roof pillar here is sensibly sized. I don't have to bob my head to get through a sharp left turn to see past it. Out the back, it's narrow, but this does have a surround view camera. It takes any guesswork out. And it's tech sharp too. On the whole, this is a huge improvement over the previous generation. I really, truly enjoyed driving this as much as I enjoyed driving the Telluride. I am duly impressed by this new 2022 Nissan Pathfinder. It's a huge step forward from its predecessor. And like the Rogue, it's a clear indication that Nissan is back. It has the kind of power, comfort, and capabilities that will give that top rated Telluride a run for its money. We'll be track testing it and putting it through our exhaustive evaluation process shortly. So keep checking back at edmunds.com to see where it places among other midsize three-row SUVs. And if towing were a priority for me, I would take it over the Telluride in a heartbeat. The complaints I have are really just minor nitpicks, because there's nothing significant for me to complain about. So there it is, the Pathfinder has found its way in a very competitive class. Thanks for watching. Don't forget the hit Subscribe and head over to edmunds.com for all the latest news, info, and specs on the Pathfinder and, well, any car out there.