2025 Nissan Pathfinder

The Nissan Pathfinder has top-notch safety ratings, impressive towing muscle, and a comfortable 3-row interior, making it a proficient family hauler. Pricing starts at $38,460.

The Nissan Pathfinder is a practical and value-conscious choice in a varied class of midsize SUVs. Its comfortable interior has an easy-to-access third row of seats, and its stout V6 engine has a near-class-leading 6,000-pound tow rating, making it up for family adventures. Speaking of adventures, the rugged Rock Creek edition improves the Pathfinder’s off-road capabilities without compromising on its family-friendly practicality. Plus, it has top-tier safety ratings and a lower starting price than most of its rivals.

The 2025 Nissan Pathfinder now has a standard power liftgate in all but the base S trim. This convenient feature makes loading and unloading the groceries a little easier.

Starting at under $40K, the Nissan Pathfinder is on the more affordable end of this segment. Crossing the $50K mark in the upper trims is typical for a fully loaded midsize 3-row SUV. Its pricing is comparable to the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, and it’s more affordable than the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and Ford Explorer.

Before buying a Pathfinder, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Nissan Pathfinder resale value is about average for the segment.

The 2025 Nissan Pathfinder is powered by a 284-horsepower V6 engine (295 hp in the Rock Creek trim), matched with a 9-speed automatic transmission and front- or all-wheel drive. In an era when turbocharged 4-cylinder engines are becoming more common in 3-row family vehicles, we appreciate the grunt of this stout V6, which gives the Pathfinder an impressive 6,000-pound towing capacity.

The Nissan Pathfinder has behaved very predictably in our testing, and that’s not a bad thing. It goes, turns, and stops exactly how we expect for an SUV this size. The power never felt lacking, even in highway passing. We even put it through its paces as a family vehicle with kids in the second- and third-row seats, and the V6 under the hood was more than up to the task.

Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist technology works nicely when piloting the Nissan Pathfinder on the highway. Driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist work in concert to take some of the stress out of long stints on the highway. Nissan’s ProPILOT 2.0 hands-free system has not yet made it to the Pathfinder, but a couple of rivals like the Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Ford Explorer are available with hands-free tech.

Fuel Economy

The 2025 Nissan Pathfinder returns up to 21 city/27 highway/23 combined mpg. The Platinum trim gets 22 combined mpg, and the Rock Creek gets 21 mpg. These fuel economy ratings are average for this class. If you want a more efficient family hauler, the Toyota Highlander, Toyota Grand Highlander, and Mazda CX-90 all offer hybrid options.

Although some rivals are roomier, the Nissan Pathfinder has a comfortable 3-row interior. Nissan’s signature Zero Gravity front seats are as comfy as ever; they’re some of our favorite seats for spending hours eating up highway miles. The Pathfinder can get pretty luxurious in the upper trims with features like leather seats (heated and ventilated in front), a panoramic sunroof, and Bose premium audio.

One of our favorite features of the Nissan Pathfinder is the EZ Flex second-row seats. They tilt and slide for easy access to the third row. We tested them with child car seats installed in the captain’s chairs, and they work like a dream. Also, there’s an available second-row center console that’s removable if you’d rather keep that space open for easier third-row access.

We climbed in the third row, which has three seats, and found the space to be about average for a midsize 3-row SUV. The legroom is a little tight for adults, with 28 inches of room, but it’s adequate for kids. Cargo space is a little below average, with only 16.6 cubic feet of room behind the third row. Naturally, the more seats you can afford to fold down, the more cargo room you get. There’s 45 cubic feet of room behind the second row and 80.5 cubic feet behind the first row.

The Nissan Pathfinder is a nice-looking SUV with some subtle design cues borrowed from its past, like the diagonal C-pillar and three nostrils in the upper front grille. We’re partial to the rugged Rock Creek edition with its 18-inch beadlock-style wheels, tubular roof rack, and unique grille.

EZ Flex seats
We’re still amazed by how easy this feature is to operate. With a single touch, the middle-row seats release, fold forward, and slide to allow easy access to the third row. We can confirm that they work well with child car seats installed.

ProPILOT Assist
Nissan’s semi-autonomous driver-assistance system combines adaptive cruise control with steering assistance, allowing the Pathfinder to accelerate, steer, and brake itself (with your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road) under certain conditions.

Rock Creek Edition
The Rock Creek Edition is the most rugged version of the Nissan Pathfinder. In addition to its macho appearance package, it has standard all-wheel drive, an upgraded V6 with 295 horsepower, an off-road suspension system, and all-terrain tires.

Hands-free power liftgate
If you’ve ever tried to open a rear liftgate with your arms full of packages or bags of groceries, you’ll appreciate this feature as much as we did. As long as you have the key fob, the hatch automatically opens with a kick of your foot under the rear bumper.

Bose audio system
This 13-speaker audio system, which includes a subwoofer, is optional in the SL and standard in the top-end Platinum grade. It’s a significant upgrade over the standard audio system.

Digital gauge cluster
This 12.3-inch fully digital cluster becomes standard in the Platinum trim. We were able to toggle between a range of information, such as warnings, settings, sound-system information, and safety systems.

Power for every Nissan Pathfinder comes from a tried and true 3.5-liter V6. It makes 295 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque in the Rock Creek Edition, and it makes 284 hp and 259 lb-ft of torque in every other trim. Power is routed to the front or all four wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission.

When properly equipped, the Nissan Pathfinder can tow up to 6,000 pounds, which is almost the best in class; the Jeep Grand Cherokee L can pull up to 6,200 pounds. If you’ll be towing a boat, camper, or trailer regularly, the Pathfinder is more suitable for the task than most of its rivals.

3-year/36,000-mile Warranty

The Pathfinder is covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain coverage. This warranty coverage is the same as most of the segment, including the Honda Pilot, Ford Explorer, and Mazda CX-90.

Top-Tier Safety Ratings

The gold standard of safety ratings is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) award. The Pathfinder made the TSP+ list for 2024 and earned five out of five stars in the government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) overall safety rating. Earning the highest possible award from both safety authorities should give families peace of mind.