The Nissan Pathfinder is happy on the school run as it is on the back run on the bush. The interior offers refinement, while the handling is sharp and responsive.
Introduced in the 1980s the Pathfinder was first introduced as a two-door and looked like it was ready to jump off road and hit the trails. The later four-door version added more room in the rear. Each time the Pathfinder was re-designed improvements were made and the flexible SUV soon stretched into the luxury segment.
The mid-size SUV Pathfinder soon found itself surrounded by full-size sport pick-ups and trucks – as such the new Pathfinder shifted its focus once agin to its off-road capabilities and skim down the dimensions. The Pathfinder let the Pathfinder Armada focus on the bigger dimensions and massive power plants.
The new Pathfinder lost the car-sub-frame underpinnings and returns to the original spirit and uses a truck-based chassis – in fact utilizing the chassis from the Nissan Titan Pick-up. Although this new pathfinder is taller and wider, its overall length is reduced. A third-row seat is standard and puts the Pathfinder in par with its competitors.
The standard Pathfinder is powered by a 270 horsepower4.0-liter V6 engine, coupled to a five-speed automatic transmission, and comes in both two- and four-wheel-drive versions. The full-time all-wheel-drive mode features advanced traction systems like Hill Descent Control (HDC), Hill Start Assist (HSA) and electronic limited-slip control for enhanced off-pavement capability.
As Pathfinder engineers take the focus on the vehicle’s off-road capabilities the independent suspension attempts to balance the ride comfort and off-road drama, but in the end of the day the Pathfinder ride is balanced primarily for the harsher off-road experience.
Overall the ride is smooth but surges over the bumps in the asphalt. If you take the Pathfinder too hard into a corner or approach a sharp curve, you will experience body rolls and the tires will start to scream. The off-road models have a high ground clearance, which make it off-road friendly and more at home when the going gets tough.
