2019 Nissan Murano S

Description

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is a three-row crossover SUV with available all-wheel drive. It?s very good at hauling up to eight passengers and towing up to 6,000 lb in comfort.

For 2022 comes the fifth generation; it?s been redesigned, for the first time since 2013.

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder sports a new look inside and out, and comes loaded with the latest convenience and safety technology. The engine is the same 284-hp 3.5-liter V-6, but there?s a new transmission--a 9-speed automatic replaces the tired CVT. There?s also a new all-wheel-drive system, electric power steering, and seven drive modes for different conditions on or off road.

The new Pathfinder retains its high vertical face with short overhangs, while the three-slot grille bridges a flat hood with a broad face, similar to the original 1987 Pathfinder. The U-shaped grille flares out to thin daytime running lights like wispy eyebrows over the standard LED headlights.

Inside, the cabin space is optimized; the new Pathfinder is slightly shorter but far roomier. The cockpit features a large, truck-like center stack crowned by an 8.0-inch or available 9.0-inch touchscreen. It?s easier to get in and out of, with second-row seats that flip forward with the push of a button to access the third row, while the child safety seats can remain intact.

The EPA rates the front-drive Pathfinder at 21 mpg city, 26 highway, 23 combined, while all-wheel drive bumps up to 27 mpg highway. The heavier Platinum trim with all-wheel drive gets 20/25/22 mpg.

The new Pathfinder hasn?t been crash-tested yet. But standard safety equipment includes front and rear automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and automatic high beams. Options include a surround-view camera system, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control.
Model Lineup
Made in Tennessee, the Pathfinder comes in four trims: S, SV, SL, and Platinum. It?s front-wheel drive with all-wheel drive available on every model for $1,900.

The S with front-wheel drive costs $34,560. Standard features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, keyless start, satellite radio, and 18-inch alloy wheels. Options include a 9.0-inch touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay.

The SL for $40,740 adds that 9.0-inch touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay, also a heated steering wheel and a surround-view camera system that?s key for towing.

With all-wheel drive, the Pathfinder Premium costs $49,240, and comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.8-inch head-up display, navigation, tow hitch and harness, 20-inch dark alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, second-row captain?s chairs, heated and cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, and a Bose 13-speaker sound system.
Exterior
After the tall front end, familiar grille and new LED headlamps, the visual line runs down the body, over rounded wheel arches with black cladding, over standard 18-inch or available 20-inch wheels.

Since its beginning some 35 years ago, the Pathfinder has had a distinct triangular window at the back. In a nod to the iconic feature, Nissan cut a triangular shape in the pillar between the rear door and the back, and blacked out the roof, that design language of a ?floating? roof. Five two-tone color options complement or exaggerate the floating-roof look.

In back, horizontal LED taillights catch the line from the front, separated by a ?Pathfinder? stamped on the liftgate below the new Nissan badge. Rocker panels with available chrome inserts also broadcast the Pathfinder name.
Interior
The 2022 Pathfinder cabin is open and airy, with many storage compartments. Seats are shod in cloth, leather, or quilted semi-aniline leather on the Platinum model. The squat center stack uses a lot of glossy black trim, but the mix of metallic accents, contrast stitching, and tactile buttons and dials is well balanced. A standard 8.0-inch or available 9.0-inch touchscreen rules over a band of horizontal vents and a climate control bar.

It seats eight passengers, or seven with second-row captain?s chairs?a first for Pathfinder. Two adults can fit in the third row, and four sets of golf clubs can fit in the 16.6 cubic feet of space behind the third row.

The center console can be removed without tools, which opens up the seating in the first two rows. There is a storage compartment for that console under the floor at the back.

The rear doors open up wider to 72 degrees (from 68), so getting in and out is easier, whether it?s through the standard three-row bench seat or the available captain?s chairs. The second row flips forward with the push of a button to access the third row. Child safety seats can stay strapped in all three bench seats, but weight-based safety sensors immobilize the seat button if a child is strapped in.

There?s more hip room in the third row than before, but three adults back there is a squeeze. Two is good, though. We actually put a 6-foot-6 person back there; he tucked his head a bit but the rest of him fit fine.

Behind that third row is 16.6 cubic feet of space, only 0.6 cubic feet more than before, but the space is more usable because the wheel-well humps are gone.

With mid- and rear seats folded down, the cargo volume maxes out at 80.6 cubic feet. A 4x8 sheet of plywood can lay flat between the wheel wells.

With 16 cupholders, a storage console below the gear shifter up front, and other storage spots, it?s easier to keep the Pathfinder clean and organized.
Driving Impressions
The 2022 Pathfinder may use the same 284-hp 3.5-liter V-6 engine as before, but the delivery of its 259 lb-ft of torque to the wheels is much better, thanks to a new 9-speed automatic transmission?good riddance to the CVT. Towing up to 6,000 lb comes easy now.

The front strut with a multi-link rear suspension absorbs the bumps on our bad roads. It?s comfortable, like the powertrain.

Nissan calls its all-wheel-drive system Intelligent 4WD. It moves up to 50% of the power to the rear, where a differential can move it all to one wheel, if that?s where the traction is needed. Our seat time got us off road and up a muddy climb--we felt the rear axle dig in and drive the Pathfinder forward. It?s off-road capable, but it shouldn?t go too deep into the woods.

The driver can shift through seven terrain modes, ranging from Eco to Mud/Rut and Tow to optimize the gearing for the situation. In modes other than Mud/Rut and Tow, the system tweaks throttle response and steering weight, and defaults to front-wheel drive unless it detects wheel slip.

The V-6 barks a bit, unlike the turbo-4s that are replacing it in other SUVs. It gets the Pathfinder to 60 mph in the low seven-seconds, while the 9-speed transmission makes it more responsive.

In fifth gear and higher, the transmission defaults to efficiency. Under normal conditions, the shifts are nearly imperceptible. Cruising at 45 mph, the transmission will hover in ninth gear, so passing moves require several downshifts to get the right power. That?s where the paddle shifters come in.

The change from CVT to 9-speed automatic was to give the Pathfinder better towing, and it worked. We towed a 5,200-lb trailer with confidence. Brake control and trailer sway settings can be accessed through an app. The optional surround-view camera system really helps towing.

Without a trailer, the Pathfinder feels lighter than it is, which is 4,500 lb. It uses a twin-pinion electric power steering system that provides a relaxed feel when cruising, and more resistance in sport settings. Other three-row SUVS feel flabby compared to the Pathfinder, with its solid on-center feel.
Final Word
With a quiet and balanced ride, good cargo volume, and second-row seats that make life easier, the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is a contender. Pick the Pathfinder SL for the best value.

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Reviews (2)

Peter Smith

10 Jul, 2021

This is just a racing machine. Excellent accelaration.

Admin

21 Nov, 2024

I love all the variations of this car.

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