These days, the market for mid-size, three-row, family haulin’ SUVs is as crowded as Mezzaro’s Italian Market in St. Pete on a Saturday morning. If you’ve been, you’ll know.
I stopped counting the possibles at 20. Big guns include the likes of Kia’s new Telluride, Hyundai’s Palisade, the Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-90, Chevy Traverse, Honda Pilot, and Ford Explorer. Buick Enclave too. And Subaru Ascent.
The list goes on. And on.
There’s a reason why we love them so much. With seats for seven or eight, they make awesome people movers. With seats flat, they can swallow the contents of a small Home Depot. With a high-up driving position, they’re fun and easy to pilot.
And best of all: price. There’s no shortage of choices in the sweet spot $35,000 to $55,000 range.
One of the biggest guns of the group is Nissan’s 2026 Pathfinder that’s just had a nip, tuck and jab of Botox facelift.
As you’d expect from the folks at Nissan, pricing is as cut-throat as Best Buy on Black Friday. An entry-level, though still nicely-equipped Pathfinder S stickers for just $39,045. A mid-range SL will set you back around $44,000.
I’ve just spent a week in the company of the fancy-pants, all-bells-and-whistles Platinum 4WD flagship with more leather than a Coach handbag store. Base price $52,945, or $56,835 loaded.
This fifth-generation Pathfinder has been around in this guise since 2022 but, with this latest freshening, it still looks as ageless as Jane Fonda in Spandex.
The styling refresh included the usual re-designed front grille, re-shaped front and rear bumpers, new wheel designs and some look-at-me LED lighting.
Nothing too radical. More evolution than revolution. But this is still a handsome soft-roader that skips the trendiness for a little unpretentious elegance.
Step inside and there’s a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, lots of new tech like a 180-degree camera up front, a new smartphone charging pad with cooling, and more upscale materials.
But what hasn’t changed and why, to me, the Pathfinder continues to be so appealing, is what’s under the hood.
In a world of breathy, over-working, turbo-charged four-cylinder engines, the Pathfinder’s old-school 3.5-liter V6 is still a joy. And now that they’ve ditched the plain-awful CVT continuously-variable transmission and replaced it with a smooth-as-hot-molasses nine-speed, it’s even more of a joy.
All Pathfinder models come with this V6, and while it’s not a tower of power, its 284 horseys deliver zippy off-the-line sprinting, muscley mid-range punch for passing, and whispery refinement at highway cruising velocities.
If you’re into zero-to-60 numbers, our Pathfinder Platinum, with all-wheel-drive whizzed to 60 in a creditable 6.8 seconds – making it a tad quicker than a Hyundai Palisade or Toyota Highlander.
This is a lovely powertrain that’s so relaxed, velvet smooth and as laid-back as Matthew McConaugh in “Mud”.
And in the cut and thrust of daily commuting, it’s a driving delight. No, there’s nothing too exciting in the way it carves curves or circumnavigates on-ramps.
Yet the steering is nicely-weighted, if a little vague. And while there’s body roll if you press too hard through a tight turn, it all fees super-safe, balanced and predictable. A smooth, bump-absorbing ride too.
Behind the wheel you sit high-up with excellent all-round visibility. The front seats are super-comfy and plenty adjustable. And I like that there’s no shortage of places to store “stuff”.
What I like even more is that Nissan has stuck with proper buttons and knobs. No tapping virtual buttons on a center screen to adjust the fan speed, temperature or angle of the vents.
In the second row, our Platinum tester came with lovely twin captain’s chairs for real comfort. And while that third row is perfect for kids, don’t make your adult friends sit back there.
Think of this latest Pathfinder as the Adidas sneakers of mid-size SUVs – comfy, versatile, roomy, and good for any occasion.
