2019 Nissan Pathfinder

Though the 2019 Pathfinder is good value for money, has decent ride quality, and is comfortable, it is plagued by below-average handling and outdated electronics. With the seven-seater crossover segment getting crowded with more futuristic competitors, the Nissan Pathfinder is facing a tough time. It rivals the likes of the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot and Chevrolet Traverse.

The Nissan Pathfinderis available in four trims – S, SV, SL, and Platinum. All trims come with a big 3.5 L V6 naturally aspirated engine. All trims are available in both 2WD and 4WD powertrains. There is a special Rock Creek Edition which is available only in the SV and SL trims. The Rock Creek edition gets an all-blacked out effect with a blackened front grille, side mirrors, and door handles along with 18” Dark finished alloy wheels. As far as higher trim is concerned, the Platinum gets a Panoramic Moonroof which can be soothing when alone in the landscape.

The safety features and tech-ends are quite interesting and trustworthy as it gets Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Warning advanced nudges right from the base trim. Not just that, the cabin safety is comforted with power-heated seats and Tri-Zone Auto Temperature Control. Apart from these, one can even experience the enriching 13-speaker Bose Audio System in the respective trims. Therefore, it is a package of some really inspiring charms that are worth giving a try.

Which Trim should you buy?

We will recommend buying the 2019 Nissan Pathfinder SL trim as it tends to offer the same performance as other trims in the lineup. Further adding to that, it has been armed with a little better interior comfort touches which may lack in the lower trims, and the Platinum might be too much to pay for them. Thus, it is reasonable to be cost-effective where you are bound to pay around $30,000 or more.

The 2019 Pathfinder comes with a 3.5L liter naturally aspirated V6 engine under the sculpted hood which produces 284 horses and 259 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is mated to a CVT which is pretty smooth in its gear upshifts and downshifts. This whole setup can be expected to be in compliance with either the FWD or 4x4. 

If it has to be put straightforwardly, the engine performance is not exciting, to say the least. The Pathfinder can reach 0-60 mph in 7.4 seconds, which is not the very best figure but not bad either. The same story can be replicated in the quarter-mile as well as it tends to take 15.7 seconds to achieve the feat. 

The competitors are neck to neck in power and torque figures, but the Chevy surprisingly makes around 20 horses more than the others from an almost comparable 3.6L engine. The Honda Pilot is the quickest off the line and reaches 60 mph from a standstill in only 6.2 seconds, which is respectable for a 7-seater SUV. It covers the quarter-mile in a meager 14.8 seconds which is yet again the segment leader. Hence, if it is solely about the powertrain, the Honda Pilot is the clear favorite. 

How well does the 2019 Nissan Pathfinder handle?

The Pathfinder has a softly tuned suspension setup, which helps it to glide through all the bumps and undulations without breaking a sweat. However, this suspension setup means that the Pathfinder has tremendous amounts of body roll, and cornering at speed can feel a bit unnerving too. Well, this is something that comes inherent in this type of body style.

The steering rack is very light too, which is a blessing in the city but becomes a tad scary on the highways. The AWD models come with a Full Lock Setting which offers incredible off-road performance. Thus, it is multi-facet machinery that serves different purposes at different time intervals. 

2019 Nissan Pathfinder Braking Performance

The Pathfinder gets good braking power with 12.6-inch front ventilated discs and 12.1 inch rear ventilated discs. There is a tremendous amount of nose dive on panic braking, which is simply because of the absolute huge mass of this SUV. When the brakes are slammed at 60mph, it stops in just 124 feet, which seems to be within the standard limit as set by others as well. Moreover, it gets 4-Wheel ABS and Forward Emergency Braking which together take care of uncertainties at their ends. 

The Pathfinder stops at a decent distance, despite getting the smallest brake discs amongst the competition. On the other hand, Ford covers the most distance at 127 feet as it is the heaviest amongst the competition. Honda Pilot seems to enjoy its reduced weight reduction in this specific criterion as it stops within the least travel of just 120 ft. The Traverse does have the same narration here in this department.

The 2019 Nissan Pathfinder offers best-in-class fuel economy figures. It delivers 20 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway which turns out to be around 23 mpg combined. The fuel economy figures are quite decent for a 7-seater SUV keeping their payload and utilitarianism in consideration. In addition to that, the Pathfinder gets a 19.5-gallon fuel tank, which means it gets a range of 390 miles in the city and 527 miles on the highway, and both are the leaders of the pack.

The Pathfinder and the Traverse get similar fuel economy figures on the highway, while the Ford and the Honda offer much lower ones. The Ford has the smallest fuel tank, and combining that with the lower efficiency figures means that it is quite low on range compared to the competition. Thus, the practicality and budget consciousness may give Pathfinder a path to have better shares of praise.

The interior of the 2019 Pathfinder is comfortable but could have been given a few more touch-ups to suit the ongoing transition in the market. Nice cushioning with proper seat height is among the normals that have been bestowed as a standard. The body style itself makes the ingress and egress easy without much hustle irrespective of the row. The capacity to seat in 7 in a go is another level-up for this SUV, which is the most welcomed as per the family perspective. The comfort is even enhanced with power-heating availability for the occupants.

The competitors, especially the Ford, offer a much more premium, luxurious, and futuristic interior than the Nissan. The Chevy is spacious in the lot and also has the biggest trunk. The Pathfinderis unable to find its destiny in the space realm as others simply outclass the Nissan. When comparing the cargo capacity, Pathfinder offers the least at 16.2 cubic feet. Standout interior features include:

• Leather seats
• Tri-Zone automatic climate control
• Climate-Controlled Front row seats and Heated Second Row seats
• 10 Way Power Adjust driver seat with memory and 2-way power lumbar adjust
• 4 Way Power adjust passenger seats
• Panoramic sunroof

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The 2019 Pathfinder gets an 8.0-inch infotainment screen. It is standard right from the base model. If one has to gauge its capabilities, it will just take him/her a fraction of a second to understand that it lacks the basic amenities like the Apple CarPlay or Android Auto operational asset. The unit has an inbuilt navigation system but can’t be rated as something out of the box or exemplary. 

One of the highlights is the availability of the 13-speaker BOSE Audio System which can be availed of along with respective trims apart from the standard 6-speaker stereo. This truly magnifies the listening parabola for you. Despite having all these, the inbuilt system needs a revamp to catch up with others if it wishes to remain in the battle. Standout infotainment features include:

• NissanConnect interface
• six-speaker stereo
• SiriusXM satellite radio
• 8.0-inch infotainment system
• 13 speaker Bose surround system

The Nissan Pathfinder looks great, but it is not up to the mark. Somewhere in its sail of design, it lost the track. The Urban appeal is dominant in it but does not suffice the richness one would expect as per the presence perspective. The front has been tried to appear as sleek as it could be with a chrome accent grille with point-carved headlamps, but it simply misses out the expectations. The bulkiness takes away the sportiness which it has tried to restore in its silhouette with the lip spoiler in the rear. 

The Chevy is the big bully over here, being the longest, highest, and the widest one by a mile. It also has the maximum wheelbase, which provides improved legroom for the second and third rows, but this takes a toll on its road dynamics. Ford is the heaviest of the lot, while the Nissan has the lowest ground clearance, which is a bit of an issue. Both of these aforementioned make off-roading a challenge on many fronts along with the struggling cornering stability. Standout exterior features include:

• 20' Aluminum Alloy Wheels
• LED projector headlamps with LED DRLs (in SL and Platinum trims)
• Body-Colored Rear Spoiler and Roof Rails
• Dual Power Heated ORVM with LED Turn Signals
• Panoramic sunroof

The 2019 Nissan Pathfinder gets a 4-star rating from NHTSA in its structural integrity, which is acceptable in its segment. IIHS has given a Good rating to the Pathfinder in all the test segments. Thus, two such ratings cement the reliability and restore the trust of one in its ability to keep you safe and sound all around. The long front even takes on the crash energy with a maximum deflection at its disposal to avoid travel to the occupant cabin. 

The vehicle comes standard with safety tech like Blind Spot Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert which is in a way a very desirable asset. Not just that, it also gets Adaptive Cruise Control along with Automatic Emergency Braking. Thus this segment alone fills the void of many others and makes it investment-worthy. Standout safety features include:

• Forward collision warning
• Automatic emergency braking
• Rear parking sensors
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Surround-view parking camera system
• Adaptive cruise control

2019 Nissan Pathfinder vs 2019 Ford Explorer

The Ford Explorer is much better looking than the Nissan Pathfinder on the exterior. It is also more futuristic and advanced on the inside. The quality of materials used on the Ford is far better, and hence, the Ford feels a lot more premium than the Nissan. It is also much more off-road capable than the Nissan. It is also more robust and feels more durable in the long run. So, the Explorer is definitely a better choice than the Pathfinder.

2019 Nissan Pathfinder vs 2019 Honda Pilot

The Honda Pilot suffers from the same problems as the Nissan Pathfinder. It is a bit outdated on the inside, and the infotainment system is even worse than the Nissan. The Pilot is equally uninteresting to look at, but it has exciting performance, being much quicker in acceleration than the Nissan counterpart. So we would pick the Honda's pleasure over the Nissan's ruggedness.

2019 Nissan Pathfinder vs 2019 Chevrolet Traverse

The Chevy Traverse is longer, wider, and higher than the Nissan Pathfinder, and offers loads of space on the inside. It is the only car where the third row is actually comfortable for adults even on long journeys. It is loaded with tech on the inside, with a much more futuristic infotainment system that comes with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Traverse also has lots of road presence due to its unconventional looks. So the 2019 Traverse would be our pick here.

The 2019 Nissan Pathfinder is a value-for-money option, but it fails to live up to the expectations of the consumers in today's age. The 2019 Chevrolet Traverse would be our choice here because it is generously spacious on the inside, is the largest in terms of dimensions, has great off-road abilities, and comes with a much larger fuel tank, and hence has a better range than the Pathfinder.