Driving Impressions : 2019 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4WD Rock Creek Edition

By: Mark Moskowitz MD

By 2012, the Pathfinder needed an update. It rode on the Nissan F-Alpha full frame and looked and seemed trucklike. Recognizing the trend, it was back to a unibody construction in 2013 and assignation of crossover characteristics. Average annual sales more than tripled over the next several years and styling, tech and engineering changes are best described as evolutionary since.

2019's changes were minimal making rear sonar standard on all Pathfinders and equipping all but the base S models with adaptive cruise control. Further up the line SL and Platinum grade Pathfinders sport LED headlights.

To spice up the line, Nissan introduced the Rock Creek Edition. With the mantra of 'black is the new chrome', Nissan stylists put grille, side view mirrors, roof rails, door handles and badging into stealth mode. The package added $995 to the SV tested, a price not so bold when the multiple interior upgrades, uniquely styled 18 -inch wheels and tow hitch included are considered.

Another $980 dollars was required for the Rock Creek Tech package: added connectivity, nav, and heated front seats, steering wheel and outside mirrors.

The 4WD Pathfinder SV seems a solid offering. The test car's seating was plush yet supportive. There was eight-way electric adjustment and manual lumbar for the driver. With proper seat positioning adults could sit comfortably in all three rows with 16.2 feet of cargo space behind. This included ample hidden storage beneath the carpet. It was an easy task to use manual controls to flatten seats two and three increasing cargo volume to 79.5 cubic feet. Even though the middle bench seat slides, folds and divides, I still found it a bit of a climb to enter row three from the rear doors.

Padded surfaces on the doors seemed a luxury touch. Once ensconced all passengers were treated well with dual climate controls in front, console mounted climate control in the middle and vents in the rear. Cup holders abounded and front seaters were treated to large open storage in the console front and closed storage in the console rear.

The eight-inch touch screen was easy to see and reach. I often decry the need to access multiple functions including climate control and camera views by scrolling through a monitor-based menu while driving. The Pathfinder pleased not only with the usual steering wheel mounted controls but more buttons on the dash than one might master in the first week of the drive.

The 4wd Pathfinder offered three driving modes: 2wd, variable, and locked 4wd. Using the same knob one could activate hill descent control. Steering seemed light and accurate. Ride quality was more affected by bumps than I would have liked but some of that rigidity has to be attributed to the strength required to provide an enviable 6000 pounds of towing capacity.

The throttle responded with little delay at most speeds, a quality not found in many cars with a continuously variable transmission. I would have expected a bit more oomph from the 284 advertised horses. Others have obtained 0-60 times of 7.4 seconds. The Ipad recorded closer to 7.8 seconds.

A power liftgate and surround view monitor were the features I missed most on my SV. These plus heated rear seats, power for the passenger seat and driver's lumbar, leather and more come standard on the SL. The difference in price between SV and SL was approximately $3700 but nearly $1000 is not spent on the cost of the SV tech package whose features are standard on the SL.

Mid-size crossover/SUV's continue to be a hot market segment and models with a luxury bent can easily list for over $50,000. Driving Impressions recommends the Pathfinder SL with or without Rock Creek trim. It's not a standout. It doesn't have the best warranty, gas mileage, or acceleration in class. I really can't find an exciting new feature that's unique to this now eight-year old model. Yet somehow I am charmed; most everything it does, it does well including its towing and multiple wheel drive functions – all at one of the most favorable price points in its class.

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wheelbase (inches) v114.2

Photo credit: Mark Moskowitz MD

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