A Winning Combination of Size & Functionality

I was looking for an SUV with a combination of quite a few things....room for 7, manageable overall size, power, a comfortable relatively luxurious interior, good towing capacity, a smooth, quiet ride, and style. My search ended at the Nissan Pathfinder. Having owned two Nissans previously, I had no worries about the dependability & reputation of the company, as I had nothing but good experiences with my prior Nissans.

To me, the Nissan was just the right size......large enough for seven, but not a bohemoth that is difficult to park, or takes up too much room in the garage. Speaking of parking, the Pathfinder has a fantastic turning radius, and is exceptionally easy to park.
The engine is, as I've come to expect from Nissan, fantastic. Plenty of power, and a nice strong rumble from the exhaust, without being overly loud. Fuel economy is OK.....not bad on the highway, considerably worse around the city. In a mix of highway & city driving, I average about 16.5 MPG.

The styling of the Pathfinder is very well done, in my opinion. You wouldn't expect an SUV to turn heads, but this one has.
The interior is very well laid out. I ordered my SE 4x4 with the luxury package with leather seats, and they are very comfortable for long trips. There is seating for 7, and access to the 3rd row seats is better than average. The 2nd row seats fold up nicely to provide access to the 3rd row, better than a lot of other SUV's that I've seen. If I had one gripe, it would be legroom for the 2nd row seats.....you would think that there would be more. The third row seats fold down completely flat, as well as the 2nd row, so cargo capacity is great. I went with the DVD entertainment system option on my Pathfinder, and I'm very pleased with it. One of the best features of this system is that when playing a movie, and turning the car off (at a gas station, for example), when the car is started, the movie will pick up right where it left off.

I originally had no intention to purchase the "Off Road" model of the pathfinder SE, however, I tow a boat most weekends in the summer, and the Off Road package includes heavy-duty Rancho shocks. I figured that the beefed up suspension would be better for towing......however, I wasn't going to sacrifice a smooth, quiet ride....after all, I tow once a week, I drive to work 5 days a week!
I first drove the SE with the off road package, and the very aggressive looking BF Goodrich Rugged Trail T/A tires....then I drove the LE version, with more of a highway type tire......then I jumped back into the SE with the off road package and took one more ride.......amazingly, the ride was the same, and noise was the same level....at least, close enough for me not to be able to notice any difference. From my test drives, I decided to go with the SE 4x4 with the Off Road package.
Getting back to towing, the Pathfinder comes standard with a tow receiver, and will tow up to 6,000 lbs. I tow a boat & trailer that weigh about 3,500 pounds and have no problems. If you live in an area that is mostly flat, you should have no problem towing up to about 5,500 lbs. If you live in an area with more hills, 4,500 lbs is about the limit. Steering response in the Pathfinder is excellent. It feels more like a car than a mid-sized SUV.
The SE's 4x4 system has a switch on the dash to engage the 4x4 system. The LE is available with a system that automatically engages.

The upgraded Bose stereo system that I opted for is incredible......the best sounding system I've ever had in a car. The 6-disk in-dash CD changer is great, also. Sharp-eyed car shoppers will also notice that there is no ugly, exterior radio antenna sticking up from the Pathfinder.
The base price of the Pathfinder is very reasonable compared to other similar SUV's.....however, once you start adding the options, the price can creep up considerably. My loaded SE 4x4 with the Premium packages, Off Road package, and DVD entertainment system was pushing $38,000, considerably more than the starting price....however, the base models are equipped nicely, also.

The automatic transmission of the Pathfinder is right on caliber with the Nissan's engine.....superb. Smooth upshifts just at the right time....the transmission is NEVER searching for the right gear, even when towing a load. Also, when going downhill, the transmission will downshift to lighten the load of the Pathfinder's brakes.

The brakes in the Pathfinder are definitely adequate. Disks are at all four corners. My Pathfinder is equipped with ABS, although I'm not sure if this is standard. Under normal driving, the brakes are completely fade resistant and stop the car in a very reasonable distance. I have noticed slight brake fade when towing a load down a long, steep hill, so be aware of this if you plan to tow.

Cargo capacity of the Pathfinder is excellent, thanks to the flat-folding 2nd and 3rd row seats. Many other SUV's have seats that do not fold completely flat to the floor, causing the cargo capacity of the vehicle to suffer greatly. Hauling large boxes or similar cargo in the pathfinder would not be a problem. The Pathfinder is not a wide vehicle, but the interior design affords it a large amount of cargo space for it's size. If you still don't have enough space inside of the vehicle, the standard (and very attractive) roof rack, with adjustable cross bars, can be used for additional cargo carrying capacity.

Overall, I'm very happy with the Pathfinder. It has all of the things I was looking for in an SUV.