There is no better feeling than driving with your car full of food and gifts to see relatives over the holidays and knowing the trip will be safe thanks to an awesome car that is a gift to its drivers and passengers. That’s exactly the scene as we drove a Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD to St. Augustine, Fla., confident that the redesigned SUV would get us there safely, in style with nerves and temper still intact.
The 2022 Pathfinder, one of Nissan’s most popular vehicles since 1987, boasts an all-new design that — for the first time — provides seating for up to eight passengers. This SUV is obviously family-focused with captain chair options, and new EZ FLEX® one-touch release provides a motion-activated power lift gage that helps tremendously when your hands are full. The cargo area was expanded to 164.6 total interior volume (10.6 cubic feet more than the previous model). When we put the third row seats down, we had plenty of room for suitcases, bags of food and even the large paella pan — if we had remembered it and not left it at home.
The ride was enjoyable for several reasons. First off, the seat was plush, large and had fantastic lumbar support; we didn’t have to stretch and listen to knees crackle when we alighted. There were plenty of nooks and crannies for holding things. Underneath the console is a large bin that we used to bring home soup from Whole Foods and it didn’t spill at all, thanks to the independent strut front suspension with rebound springs and solid stabilizer bar. No matter the road conditions, we always had a smooth and bump- free ride.
Another benefit was the advanced, connected technology with all-new available 10.8-inch Head-up Display, 12.3-inch digital dashboard and ProPILOT Assist with Vani-link. However, to us, the real joy and — frankly relief— were the host of drive-assistance features including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, intelligent lane intervention and automated emergency braking. The fact that it beeped every time I wanted to pass someone and then let me know that I was cleared to go into the next lane brought a sense of relief and security that made the trip tension free. At one point I slowed down to see why the navigation suggested an alternative route (due to congestion) and the screen asked me if I was tired and perhaps could use a cup of coffee. How great is that?
Passing was a breeze thanks to the DOHC 24-valve V-6 aluminum block and heads, direct fuel interjection. The new 9-speed automatic engine boasts 284 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 in 6.6 seconds — perfect for going down I-95. The response is smooth performs better from a standing start, during re-acceleration and in off-road situations than in previous models. The Pathfinder’s fuel economy is pretty impressive for a vehicle of its size (4,638 pounds) and we averaged around 26 miles per gallon on the highway; it averages around 4.5 gallons per 100 mile.
The Pathfinder S WD starts at around $33,410 and the Pathfinder Platinum 4WD takes the cost up to around $48,000. Check it out; it’s worth it. www.nissanusa.com
