Competing in the very saturated mid-size crossover SUV segment, the new 2022 Nissan Pathfinder has arrived as the fifth generation of the familiar nameplate. Available at a base selling price of $35,000, the 2022 Pathfinder comes in four trim configurations and comes with a more opulent and spacious cabin, a more refined driving experience, and lots of features and techs than the older fourth-generation moniker. All of these make this Nissan a more competitive offering in the segment too, especially when compared to the rivals.
The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder looks quite macho with the bold front fascia and the clean side profile. The naturally aspirated V6 engine produces 284 hp and the gas mileage on offer isn't bad. The top-notch towing capacity and the feature-packed interior and infotainment are some other benefits of going for the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder.
Competing with the likes of the Toyota Highlander, Kia Telluride, and Hyundai Palisade, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder.
10 Platinum Trim Of The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Comes With All The Features
The top-of-the-line Platinum trim of the Pathfinder is the trim to go for if you need all the fancy techs and features as standard. Available at a base selling price of $49,870, the Platinum trim comes with mechanical and powertrain features like an Intelligent 4x4, drive and terrain mode dial selector, and enhanced transmission cooling system.
The driver-assistance features are all standard and the interior features like a digital dashboard, NissanConnect 9" infotainment, Nissan door-to-door navigation, rear sunshades, remote engine start, and power tilt and telescoping steering wheel are onboard. Many exterior features are available too, especially when compared to the S and SV trims.
9 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Retains The V6 Engine
The 3.5-liter direct injection naturally aspirated V6 engine that was in the outgoing generation of the Pathfinder comes with no major changes to this 2022 model year. It puts out 284 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque and the power goes to the front wheels or all wheels depending on the trim that you opt for.
The only change to the powertrain is the addition of a 9-speed torque converter automatic transmission instead of the CVT in the previous generation. This helps the 2022 Pathfinder to do the 0-60 mph run in 6.7 seconds for the FWD variant and 6.6 seconds for the AWD variant, making it the fastest offering of the segment.
8 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Offers Top-Notch Towing Capacity
Get the premium package for an additional $2,900 and that is going to make the Pathfinder an incredible machine to tow. This package adds in a tow hitch receiver with a 7-pin wiring harness and that helps the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder to give out a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 lbs.
The enhanced transmission cooling system makes sure that the 9-speed automatic transmission never gets stressed and the torquey V6 motor offers the peak torque output at just 4,800 rpm. The rivals like the Ford Explorer, Hyundai Palisade, and Kia Telluride offers a slightly lower maximum towing capacity.
7 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Has A Spacious Cabin
Being a seven-seater or eight-seater mid-size SUV, the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is a perfect choice for family buyers. This SUV comes with captain's chairs or a normal bench seat for the mid-row with many cubbyholes and other storage spaces scattered throughout the interior.
The front row offers the best in class headroom and legroom. The middle row is also pretty decent in terms of overall space. Even though the legroom of 28" for the third row isn't as good as the likes of Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, the difference isn't very huge. There is a cargo capacity of 16.6 cu ft behind the third row.
6 All The Braking Features Are Onboard The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder
The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder gets the 4-wheel disc brake setup with ventilated front and rear rotors. The 13.8" front rotors and 13" rear rotors are comparable in size to that of the rivals. This helps the 2022 Pathfinder, which has a curb weight of 4,470 lbs, to do 70-0 mph braking in 179 feet.
In comparison, the Toyota Highlander did the 70-0 mph at a slightly lower 176 feet. Both the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride did the same braking test at a comparable distance as well. When it comes to the braking features, it gets everything like automated emergency braking, hill hold control, brake assist, hill descent control, and ABS with EBD as standard.
5 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Comes With Many Safety Techs
Unlike the earlier generations of the Pathfinder, Nissan is now offering almost all the driver-assistance techs as standard with even the base S trim of the Pathfinder. This includes automated emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and a rearview monitor.
However, if you want the features like ProPilot Assist with Navilink, lane intervention, blind spot intervention, around view monitor, and traffic sign recognition, you would need to get the higher trim configurations. When it comes to crash safety, the 2022 Pathfinder holds the top safety pick + title in the IIHS crash test.
4 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Has An Unremarkable Warranty Coverage
Even though the luxury and comfort on offer from the 2022 Pathfinder are comparable to the Korean siblings, the same is not the case with the warranty coverage. The Pathfinder comes with 3 years or 36,000 miles of the limited warranty and 5 years or 60,000 miles of powertrain warranty.
There is no complimentary maintenance coverage as well. In comparison, the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride come with 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain warranty. There is complimentary maintenance coverage as well. Apart from that, the 5 recall history and 26 customer complaints of the Pathfinder make the long-term reliability a bit questionable.
3 NissanConnect Infotainment In The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Gets The Job Done
The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder comes with the NissanConnect infotainment system for all the trims. However, the S and SV trims of the Pathfinder come with a smaller 8" touchscreen unit and the SL and Platinum trims get a larger 9" unit. Nevertheless, both these infotainments get all the features as standard.
The features include voice recognition, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, hands-free text messaging, Bluetooth, AM/FM radio, AUX, SiriusXM radio, and steering-mounted controls. If you get the higher trims, you also get a few more features like a digital gauge display, wireless charging, and a 13-speaker Bose Premium Audio System.
2 Fuel Efficiency Of The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Is On Par With The Rivals
Coming with a naturally aspirated V6 engine and a well-spread out 9-speed torque converter automatic transmission, the fuel efficiency isn't bad. The FWD variants of the Pathfinder give out 21 MPG in the city and 26 MPG on the highways.
With an 18.5-gallon fuel tank capacity on offer, the highway range of 481 miles is pretty decent for the segment too. However, if you get the AWD variant, the fuel efficiency sees a marginal rise to 21 MPG in the city and 27 MPG on the highways.
1 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Offers Several Desirable Options
If you are planning to get one of the lower trim configurations of the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, we would highly recommend you to opt for the premium package, This optional package offers features like 20" dark painted alloy wheels, all-season tires, panoramic moon roof, heated second-row seats, tow hitch receiver, and Bose audio system.
Apart from that, the 2022 Pathfinder also comes with a long list of optional accessories belonging to all the categories like storage, cargo, weather protection, styling, body protection, technology, and comfort. All of these are reasonably priced too.