Her + His Car Reviews
2017 Nissan Pathfinder SL
There are two sides to everything, right? To keep our car reviews innovative and interesting, we provide an animated, insightful, detailed and sometimes uncouth two points of view on the same car from - Her + His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate, women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| $40,390 | $40,390 |
| Performance | |
| The new 2017 Pathfinder SL 4WD is a 3.5 liter V6 with 284 horsepower and delivers a strong and powerful performance and haul with up to 6,000 pounds towing capacity - one of the highest in its class, and up from 5,000 last year. Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission on all Nissans and the Pathfinder is no exception. Handling and stability is a bid sluggish in its class as there are a lot of top performers here to compete with. | Our test car was the SL all wheel drive version of the sub-brand. It came with the aforementioned the more powerful new 3.5 liter, 284 horsepower V-6, along with a continuously variable automatic transmission. |
| Fuel Economy | |
| 26 Highway, 19 City and 22 Overall is how its rated. Our test during the week were in the range of 18 - 20 mph. | And gas mileage is definitely a strong point with this crossover. We consistently got two to three miles per gallon over the figure of 22 miles per gallon overall that was made by the federal government. Fuel economy rating was 22 overall with 19 city and 26 on the highway. The federal government says that you will spend $1,250 more on gasoline over five years then you would on comparable vehicles, and your annual fuel cost is about $1,650 based on 15,000 miles of driving annually over five years and gasoline costing $2.45 a gallon. The Pathfinder uses regular gasoline. |
| The Car | |
| The 2017 is updated on the inside for all intent and purposes. The dashboard and cabin layout is exceptionally clean and well organized for driver and passengers. We like that the screen is button-controlled and not touch-screen, though Nissan is getting "feedback" for being old school. From a safety and practicality perspective, we like the buttons and think it's much easier to use a thumb/index finger combination then tap-tap-tap trying to find the right spot on the screen to engage. Leather appointments have taken a desirable page from Infiniti. We found this crossover, for being such a large vehicle, to be relatively quiet inside. And from a functional perspective, you've got to like the 3rd row, but it is not large at all. A row? It's more like accent seating, truly. No one will be getting too comfy back there. |
I remember Nissan Pathfinders from days gone by long ago. Back then, it was a kick-ass off-roader that seemed to be at home in the outback, so to speak. It was a nice looking, ruggedly built SUV that had a bouncy ride, okay but not flashy interior and seemed to last forever, based on the number of old ones we would see - and still see - on the road. But the Pathfinder of today has been transformed into a classy looking family car that looks like a 21st century station wagon. It has plenty of creature comforts inside and out with lots of quality everywhere, and lots of stretch-out room throughout the Pathfinder. For the 2017 model year, a lot has been done by Nissan's design team to upgrade the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder is far and away one of the most comfortable crossovers you can buy in the "family" category, with truly brisk acceleration. Both of those assets make it one of the most desirable family crossovers if you do a lot of long distance road traveling. The only drawback? The back seat is a little tight and many reviewers say it doesn't have the abundance of little cubby holds and out of the way places to stow things. |
| Safety | |
| There is so much going on here from Traction Control, to vehicle dynamic control, traction control, Blind Spot Warning system, and Rear Cross Alert. Traction Control System and Electronic Brake Force Distribution, too. Anyone looking at this vehicle should know that there is a LATCH seating problem. Specifically, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are saying that the problem is that the lower anchors are too deep in the seat. This is being addressed and you need discuss with your dealer to determine if it's a recall status or what. | Standard safety features include driver and front passenger side impact and curtain airbags; lower anchors and tethers for children; electronic brake force distribution, vehicle dynamic control, traction control, Blind Spot Warning system, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert; Nissan Vehicle immobilizer system; vehicle security system, and tire pressure monitoring system with Easy Fill Tire Alert. |
| Technology | |
| So many tech gadgets on this vehicle are terrific. There is a voice activation for system commands and also text messaging. This keeps the driver clearly with two hands on the steering wheel and focused on the road. The EZ Flex Seating system and 60/40 split fold helps with packing and optimizing configurations. The 3rd row has a 50-50 split and a reclining feature - a very nice touch. For those sitting upfront, they enjoy heated and cooled seats - leather seating and of course the extra reinforcement of lumbar support.
We like other aspects like the Motion activated Liftgate. And, tri zone temperature control to keep most of the family happy! The sound system is very kick with a 6 speaker system, Sirius XM satellite radio and Travel Link, AM/FM/CD. The navigation system and 8" screen is tops - users can swipe or pinch to zoom. |
New advanced driver assistance technology includes Forward Emergency Braking, Intelligent Cruise Control and Around View® Monitor with Moving Object Detection. Other standard features include seven passenger leather seating; EZFlex Seating System, Latch and Glide Technology; second row 60/40 and third row 50/50 split fold-flat bench seat with recline feature; eight way power driver seat with lumbar support; four way power front passenger seat; heated driver, passenger and second row seats; diver seat and outside mirrors position memory; heated leather wrapped steering wheel; leather wrapped shifter; Nissan Intelligent Key; Push Button Ignition; Remote Engine Start system; motion activated liftgate; tri-zone automatic temperature control with second row-center console controls, Nissan Connect; an eight inch color audio display unit; a six speaker AM/FM/CD Audio system; Sirius XM satellite radio; Sirius XM Travel Link; Around View Monitor with moving object Detection; Individual Tire Pressure Display; fog lights, auto Off/On headlights; heated Roof Rails and a host of other standard features. |
| Aesthetics & Styling | |
| The Nissan Pathfinder is classic, spacious and built around an authentic design. We admire this resilient model for its nonconformance and ruggedness on the outside; yet, hitting the high marks and making it a comfortable quintessential "ride" on the interior. | A good looking car. It isn't boxy like most crossovers, instead it has lines that look pretty elegant, like a well-heeled station wagon of yore. The interior is pretty luxurious, and quite comfortable. A SL Tech Package that included navigation and services, a premium Bose Audio system, a tow hitch receiver with an integrated finisher and other items brought the price to $40,390. |
| Warranty | |
| 3 years/36,000 miles basic warranty. | The Pathfinder comes with a three year/36,000 miles basic warranty. |
