SHARP Drives: 2024 Nissan Pathfinder, A Surprisingly Capable 8-Seat SUV

We’re no strangers to the luxury sphere, for obvious reasons, but at times it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on necessity. Does my mechanical wristwatch need a 10-day power reserve? Does my wine with dinner need to be a 20-year old Left Bank Bordeaux? Similarly, if an SUV can carry up to eight people in comfort, does it need to have any off-road ability beyond climbing the odd curb?

If it’s an SUV nameplate in continuous production for 38 years, like the Nissan Pathfinder, there had better be something special underneath. There is — an admirable, old school mechanical layout.

After a week and more than 1,000 km driving the 2024 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum, we can report that its foundation — the chassis, the 4-wheel drive, the engine, the guts — allow this SUV to straddle the line between off-road and on-highway utility, without totally abandoning a charming old-school feel.

Get It For Its Powertrain

We’ll start here, at the Pathfinder’s normally-aspirated 3.5-litre V6 engine, because it’s increasingly rare to find in a mid-sized SUV. Here, this combination is spec’d at 284 horsepower, 259 lb-ft of torque, and is rated to tow up to 6,000 lbs.

There was an era when every mid-sized SUV had a 3.5-litre V6 engine, before hybridization and turbocharging conspired to downsize and over-complicate the task of getting to Whole Foods (or a trailhead) and back.

No turbos? No hybrid? Won’t that be bad on gas? Not if you’re gentle with the throttle and leave a little earlier. Like Kendrick Lamar, I kept the receipts. Without drama, we managed dramatic results: a frugal average of 7.8L/100 km (30 U.S. mpg) on one long Highway 401 drive, with the speed set to 105 kph.

Feels Like a ‘Real’ SUV

This engine, combined with a 9-speed automatic transmission, hits differently in 2024: the shifts between gears when accelerating, the vibrations and engine roar, and the distinct kick-down when standing on the accelerator.

Driving efficiently in a 8-seat SUV feels like having my cake and eating it, too, with plenty of interior space for passengers and luggage but without the penalty of extra fill-ups when road tripping. Pathfinder takes Regular, by the way.

Trying Out Features in the Platinum

Although the Pathfinder is related to the even more luxurious Infiniti QX60, it felt as though the Pathfinder Platinum struck an admirable balance between being practical enough for daily family use while still having most of the toys you’d want in a three-row SUV.

Inside, our 8-seat Platinum tester was well-covered in real, nice, soft, leather in attractive Chestnut — which was perhaps even too close in quality to a beloved, worn-in Coach briefcase. Quality materials like these will last the test of time (and surely hold up to abuse from children).

Featuring a 9-inch inch multi-touch display running NissanConnect, and featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, we applaud the infotainment system’s overall attention to detail, simple menus, and responsiveness.

Compared with its QX60 relative, the Pathfinder gains additional, conventional buttons over the Infiniti’s touch-sensitive panel for climate control — here, we prefer the Nissan.

Eats Highway Miles for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Given that our week with the Pathfinder included more than 1,000 km of soul-crushing cruising along Ontario’s Highway 401, we were eager to lean on Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist, capable of keeping us in the correct lane (Steer Assist), at the correct speed (Intelligent Cruise Control), without needing to worry much about traffic jams (Intelligent Emergency Braking) or crazed commuters (Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention).

Once we understood each light, warning tone, beep, and the ‘haptic steering,’ the Pathfinder was predictable and an easy-to-live with companion. Its driver assistance tech gave enough feedback, and — this is a good thing — it errs on the side of safety but will become intrusive if you take road markings and speed limits as suggestions.

Finally, the Platinum is given an upgraded BOSE premium audio system with 12 speakers (including a subwoofer), which is fine, but perhaps not as crisp, powerful, or loud as you’ll find elsewhere.

A Solid Package for the Price

Our test vehicle listed for $61,078 after destination but before taxes and any dealer fees, a figure bang in the middle of its competitive set among other premium mainstream 7 and 8-seat SUVs.

In our opinion, it’s not so much about if the Pathfinder can match other SUVs spec for spec, but how the Pathfinder feels when doing so.

With other manufacturers having dropped their 3.5-litre V6 engines, a key difference versus its rivals is how familiar it felt from behind the wheel.

Once we’d gotten used to its touchscreen and controls and paired our phone, it felt like the natural evolution of the family-focused SUVs we’ve been enjoying for decades. Drive efficiently enough and we imagine this Pathfinder, one of the most “traditional” SUVs on sale, may last much longer than any of us expect it to.

At the beginning, we asked if a watch tells the time, does it matter which horological movement is underneath? In theory, no, but in reality, yes, it very much does matter! In the same vein, let us suggest that if you’re hoping to partake in all of the things SUVs can do in commercials, having an SUV with the right stuff underneath — a muscular engine, a proper 4-wheel drive system, and a quality cabin — will make all the difference.

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