If you’ve paid any attention to the auto industry lately, or even just caught a headline while doomscrolling, you probably know Nissan’s been having a rough go. Sales are down, profits are shaky, and a potential merger with Honda fizzled out before it could even get awkward. Now more than ever, Nissan needs a win, and the Pathfinder is one of its key players in the ultra-competitive three-row SUV segment. It’s meant to sit between the hulking Armada and the sleeker Murano, not just in size but in purpose.

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Where the Murano is clearly a city-focused crossover, the Armada is available with genuine all-wheel drive, locking differentials, and lots of ground clearance. It makes sense, then, that the Pathfinder would fit between the two. However, this isn’t your dad’s Pathfinder.

This used to be a body-on-frame SUV, much like the Armada still is. Now, though, it’s built more like an everyday crossover, so finding paths in the wilderness isn’t as easy. To that end, many fans have decried the Pathfinder for losing its soul. But is it really gone?

To find out, we tested the most rugged of the bunch, the Pathfinder Rock Creek. It comes with all-terrain tires, an off-road tuned suspension, a roof rack, and high-contrast stitching. Sure, it could probably use a bigger lift kit, some underbody protection, and maybe even locking differentials, but we’ll have to do without.

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It turns out that, in the end, the Pathfinder Rock Creek isn’t a hardcore off-roader, but it’s also not completely devoid of its soul. Some of its features, or lack thereof, make us wonder what Nissan was thinking, while others make this SUV feel like an overlooked gem. So, what’s the story?

QUICK FACTS

On the outside, the Pathfinder looks genuinely attractive. It’s a nice mix of brutish styling with an approachable height, big doors that open up nice and wide, and in our case, some fun accent pieces too.

The roof rack, faux beadlock wheels, and faux lightbar treatment on the grille give the impression that this SUV means business. The body itself isn’t overly boxy, which stands out today in a field of vehicles like the Toyota Land Cruiser and Kia Telluride, to name but two.

Interior Comfort Over All Else

Nissan might not be known as the leader in cabin design, but it’s got comfort on lock. The Zero Gravity seats in the front of the Pathfinder are a fantastic addition. They’re supportive in a way that few competitors can claim, and that’s good because the rest of the interior isn’t as nice.

Interestingly, the design isn’t the issue. It’s boxy, which is very much in vogue right now. The shifter and center console are pretty much par for the course, too. The other decisions are what left me scratching my head.

For example, why is the infotainment bezel on this nearly top-spec Pathfinder so gigantic? Why are so many surfaces laden with piano black plastic? Why aren’t there any fun colors on the dash beyond the orange stitching? Why is the steering wheel a carbon copy of the one in the $21,000 Kicks? These aspects of the design do not point to a nearly $50,000 vehicle.

At the same time, it’s not all bad. Some of the small touches are really nic, like a deep but slim pocket for one’s mobile device on the passenger side of the dash, a fold-out cargo-space protector, hidden storage under the center console, and all the physical buttons one could desire. Sure, those buttons might feel cheap, but they’re better than no buttons at all.

The infotainment system is acceptable but not particularly noteworthy or groundbreaking. The system reacts in reasonably quick succession to touches, and the menus are logically laid out.

That all said, the rest of the Pathfinder cabin is highly functional and comfortable. The seats in the second and third rows are supportive and well-cushioned without being overly flat or harsh.

The second row is available as a bench or two captain’s chairs, so buyers can seat seven or eight, depending on their needs. Those who select the seven-seat option also get a really nice center storage console, which is removable. Not counting the lower door card spaces, this thing has twelve cupholders in it.

The rear cargo area is genuinely practical too, beyond its fitted Rock Creek protective pad. It offers 17 cubic feet of cargo space when the third row is up. The third-row headrests are great too because owners can lower them with one simple tug from the cargo space, which makes using the third row a breeze, and the space under the primary load floor offers a bit more room for gear.

Drive Impressions On And Off-Road

The Pathfinder is best suited for everyday driving tasks. On tarmac, it’s smooth and more powerful than most buyers will really need. Its 295 horsepower (219 kW) is around average in this class, but keep in mind that you’ll need to run premium fuel to hit that figure.

Power is sent to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox. It’s worth noting right off the top that the Pathfinder is front-wheel drive biased, so don’t expect it to feel playful on the road. In fact, the steering can be quite numb and almost disjointed at lower speeds.

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On the highway, though, this SUV feels every bit as good as anything else in the segment. The pedals provide good feedback, and the transmission logic does a good job of picking the right cog and sticking with it. Visibility and comfort are good overall, too. While this particular trim might be aimed at off-road enthusiasts, it sits a bit lower than some rivals, and on the road, that stance provides better handling. That’s not to say that it feels sporty; just that it’s a small tick ahead of things like the Ford Bronco or Toyota Land Cruiser on paved surfaces.

The trade-off is that this on-road focus leads to compromises when going off the beaten path. The Pathfinder doesn’t have locking differentials, big suspension travel, or a two-speed transfer case. In our very first off-road test with it, deep mud nearly stopped it dead in its tracks. Thankfully, we were testing in the Mud/Rut mode, and a little extra throttle input had us safely back on dry trails in no time.

That said, navigating off-road with this SUV requires two things. First, having a spotter will make a huge difference as the lack of suspension travel and the relatively low ground clearance combine to keep it less capable than its rivals.

While this variant has more ground clearance (7.7 inches) than the standard one (7.1 inches), it’s still less than the Rogue Rock Creek (8.2) and gets dwarfed by other SUVs like the Land Cruiser (8.7) and the Kia Telluride X-Pro (8.4). The limited suspension travel is also why we could tripod this SUV within seconds of our very first off-road venture.

To that end, our second requirement when off-roading this SUV is grounded expectations. After getting through some mud, we tested the Pathfinder up steep and rocky trails. It managed them, but not without several pauses to check clearance and path. When we tested the Jeep Gladiator on the exact same trail, we never feared for its undercarriage.

Granted, the Pathfinder is dramatically different, but the point remains: those who want to off-road need to temper their expectations for what this SUV can do and how it goes about accomplishing it. That said, it’s more capable than some might believe.

Take this SUV on gravel or Baja-style trails where speeds can stay high and it will feel right at home. The ‘off-road tuned’ suspension soaks up bumps and bruises with ease, and the steering doesn’t give you the same numb sensation as on the road. On top of that, it has an extra party trick.

This three-row SUV will tow up to 6,000 pounds, which is outstanding in this field. It’s more than you can manage in the Telluride, Bronco, Toyota Grand Highlander, and Honda Pilot. It matches what one can expect from the Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser.

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Before wrapping up, we should discuss fuel economy. Nissan says this SUV will get up to 20 mpg in the city. We managed just 18 overall. Some of those miles were on the highway, but more were off-road, so perhaps that’s why the Pathfinder missed its EPA-estimated target.

Competition

There’s really no question that other SUVs in this segment offer more than the Pathfinder. Some, like the Bronco, 4Runner, and Land Cruiser, are better off-road. Others, like the Toyota Grand Highlander, Kia Telluride and Mazda CX-90, offer better value for those focused on on-road manners.

That doesn’t mean that the Pathfinder isn’t without an audience. It’s one of the better-looking vehicles in the class and does a nice job of mixing a few important skills. It’s good at towing, it’s very comfortable, and it can go off-road too, provided one knows what they’re doing.

At the end of the day, anyone willing to consider it should first try out some of the other vehicles on this list before making up their mind. Keep in mind, too, that Nissan offers two years, 24,000 miles, or up to three oil changes for the Pathfinder for new buyers. Not every rival offers the same.

Final Thoughts

A paradox is “a situation, person, or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities.” The Pathfinder fits that description because it’s genuinely very good in some aspects and nowhere near the best in its segment in others. For instance, it’s not the most fuel-efficient, it’s far from the most luxurious, and it’s definitely not fun to drive at all.

At the same time, it’s a class leader in some areas such as comfort, noise, vibration, and towing. On top of that, it still looks rugged and attractive. It’s hard, though, to recommend it over its competition, almost as though it’s a generation, or at least half of it, behind competitors.

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The Pathfinder departed from its truck-like roots several years ago. Maybe it’s time that Nissan returns to those roots, the same way Toyota has, to regain its foothold in the segment. That’s something that Kia, Hyundai, and Mazda would need to respond to themselves.

Don’t forget that the second-gen Pathfinder was a unibody design. Nissan flipped back to body-on-frame for the third generation and then back again to unibody for the current model. If the brand can’t decide what it wants its model to be, what are the customers supposed to think about it?

Changing its tune to return to a truly off-road-focused SUV could genuinely benefit the Pathfinder. If that’s not the path, then perhaps the opposite, that is one aimed at on-road comfort and performance, should be the right direction. As it sits, this SUV seems to be trying to go down two paths at once, and not truly finding either.