Nissan's 2023 Pathfinder is a curious mix of capability and and tradition, where cutting edge technology meets old-fashioned design ethos.
On the one hand, it has some tremendous abilities, especially the electronic 'smarts' powering the driveline, but then it is let down by clunky body design, creating driver blindspots that no amount of technology can overcome.
Having just spent a week with the 2023 Pathfinder in Ti trim level, it has highlighted both the positives and negatives of the car, revealing some interesting sides to its character.
As with most modern cars, Nissan's external build quality is good, panels hang in the right places, and panel gaps are tight and neat, with no unsightly gaps or uneven fittings.
Paint quality is equally good, the car presents well visually, our test car was 'Gun Metallic', a shade of dark grey metallic, the colour sat well on the car, again, building on the overall visual appeal.
Overall, the body shape is pleasing to the eye - yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and for me, I like the mix of swooping curves and hard-edged angles, it transmits an air of style, underlined by a sense of strength.
All versions up to the Ti-L run on 18" alloys that sit well with the pumped up guards, everything looks proportional, there is no feeling the car is under-tyred despite having room to grow the wheel size by another 50mm.
Not surprisingly, frontal vision is a little restricted at close range, however the 'God's Eye' camera system, which Nissan was one of the first to bring to the mass market, does help, combining the views of front and rear cameras with door mirror-mounted units to create an all-round perspective of the car and any potential obstacles.
This is assisted by a number of parking assistance technologies, with front and rear sensors alerting the driver when you start to get too close to an obstacle, as well as highlighting pesky pedestrians and cyclists who struggle to see the big wagon's reverse lights.
There is a school of thought that 'real drivers' don't need all this technology, and nothing beats keeping a watchful eye.
Knowing a few of these people myself, I also note the number of bumps and scrapes on their rear bars, caused by close encounters with low-rise bollards and other impediments to progress.
Having enjoyed the pleasure of reversing Heavy Rigid trucks into tight loading bays, both with and without parking assistance, I will take the assistance every day, call me a sook all you like...
Among the suite of driver assists in the Nissan Intelligent Mobility system is Rear Cross Traffic Alert, essentially a set of sensors looking at right angles to the rear of the car, so if you are reversing out of a carpark or driveway, it will give a warning if a vehicle is approaching from either side.
One area the sensors and cameras don't assist with is the blind spots caused by thick A-Pillars, combined with the door-mounted mirrors.
Not unexpectedly, the passenger side suffers most, as there is also the loss of vision through the left-side door, but it can be a real concern, especially when pedestrians are introduced to the mix, such as carparks or suburban intersections with pedestrian crossings on side streets.
There were a couple of near misses with people and even cars appearing from seemingly nowhere, thankfully they were at low speed, allowing for a quick stop to avoid unpleasant situations.
The Ti is well equipped for modern life, sitting second from the top in the spec-tree, with plenty of interior space filled with lots of goodies, but as in other aspects of the car, it also leaves you feeling a little underdone.
Matching the exterior build quality, the Pathfinder is well put together internally, all the opening bits aligned with the solid parts to create a cabin that is sufficiently isolated from the rigours of the outside world to make it a pleasant place to be, but with just enough 'bleed through' that you didn't feel like you were in quarantine (I think we are all over that feeling by now!).
Generally, the interior materials matched the feel of the car, although we did notice the driver's seat leather appeared to be stretched on the base from a number of drivers climbing in and out.
The front seats also had an odd feeling, as though you were perched on them, rather than sitting in them, while they weren't uncomfortable, it did take a while to adjust to them, and certainly were not as welcoming as the seating options in competing cars.
Designed from the outset as a 7-seater, the Pathfinder offers tri-zone airconditioning, all controlled from the driver's seat, with good airflows throughout the car.
That said, there were a few occasions where the internal temperature had to be bumped up to more than 10C over ambient to get heat flowing through the car, taking much longer to get the comfort levels up.
Remote starting was a nice touch, being able to fire the car up a minute or two before we got in was appreciated, giving the seat heaters a chance to come online before anyone was in the car.
Generally though, the Pathfinder is well-equipped, the Bose 13-speaker stereo, with AM/FM/DAB/USB/Apple CarPlay and Android Auto inputs, provides a rich sound that fills the car beautifully, while our ongoing love affair with coffee and bottled water sees the car replete with 16 cupholders.
More importantly, it is things like multiple USB charging ports, a wireless phone charger, easy-fold second row seats for third row access, and an underfloor storage box in the cargo area that make life easier.
Make no mistake, the Pathfinder is a big car, similar in size to older model Patrols, and that means plenty of interior space, with both rows of seats folded flat, we had no problem loading esky, chairs and even a couple of spare tyres for a day at the races.
The Pathfinder has decent on-road driving manners, while there is no disguising its bulk, it doesn't feel unwieldy, and manages to avoid being top heavy in normal operation, although if you push hard through a corner, you will feel the car heeling over.
With 202kW from the free-spinning 3.5-litre V6, the Pathfinder is not underpowered, but again, every one of those killer wasps gets put to work when it is time to go.
There is a lot of driveline inertia, which does penalise the Pathfinder when you are trying to take off from a standing start, it takes a decent prod of the accelerator to get things spinning, and this is a real penalty if you are in stop-start traffic.
Needing around 2000rpm to get underway, the Pathfinder then leaps away, but if you then have to stop 30 metres down the road and do it again, you soon feel the pain at the petrol pump.
Conversely, once it is rolling, the Pathfinder is remarkably frugal, at 100km/h the engine is virtually idling along, and the average fuel consumption drops quickly, to provide a decent cruising range.
All of this is a function of the nine-speed auto, it allows the computers to choose the optimum ratio for the road speed, and when a bit of a kick along is needed for overtaking, it can drop two or three ratios very quickly, and launch it down the road.
The Pathfinder also has a tendency to 'roll on' at speed, where with most cars, lifting the accelerator will see the car begin to slow, even if only gradually, the Pathfinder will hold its speed, requiring a solid push on the brakes to start washing off speed.
Matched to the smooth-shifting auto is a driver-selectable set of four-wheel-drive options, making the Pathfinder quite useful off-road, with a choice of settings for Standard, Sport, Eco, Snow, Sand, Mud/Rut and Tow scenarios.
The four-wheel-drive models also get Hill Descent Control, while the different drive modes see the engine output and gearbox shift maps altered to suit the selected option.
Nissan has unfortunately followed a similar line to a number of its competitors with the Ti, adding a deep chin spoiler to the bottom of the front bar.
I say unfortunately because it takes a big chunk out of the Pathfinder's off-road ability, negating much of the technical work Nissan put into the driveline to make it a solid off-road performer.
The extra depth of the spoiler significantly reduces the approach angles to obstacles, as there is a much greater chance of causing damage, and with a variety of front-mounted sensors costing a fair chunk of money to replace, you really think twice about putting it at risk.
One piece of technology I absolutely love on the Pathfinder is the Heads-Up Display, which projects selected driving data, especially road speed, cruise control and, via road sign recognition, the posted speed limit, onto the base of the windscreen.
The translucent projection appears to be floating just above the forward edge of the bonnet line, so it doesn't interfere with overall vision, but it is clear and easy to read, so you don't have to glance away from the road to check your speed.
Again, there are naysayers who claim you should be aware of your speed, I totally agree, that is why this is such a fantastic piece of gear, it keeps you updated, without interrupting your vision, especially handy when driving on sections of road with frequent speed limit changes.
The projection is height and brightness adjustable, to suit individual needs and preferences, as a taller driver, I lower the projection, but it only takes a few moments, to switch between drivers.
When you do need the full dash layout, the Pathfinder is equipped with a clear and easy to read, 7", screen with a driver selectable menu of display screens, allowing you to choose what data you see, with other screens accessible via thumb buttons on the steering wheel.
While it is not quite F1 levels of driver options via the steering wheel, it is simple to use, and I found after just a couple of days driving I could find the correct button or switch without looking, it becomes a form of muscle memory.
Overall, the Pathfinder is good, but with a couple of strange quirks. For a start, it is petrol only, just like the Patrol, and while the V6 is a smooth and well-balanced unit with good power delivery, to not have a diesel option seems a strange decision in this class.
The auto is a delight, it shifts through the gears with a dancer's grace, even kick down for acceleration is done smoothly, with no harsh jerkiness.
The biggest frustration is the added chin spoiler which negates so many off-road options, truthfully, if you are looking to go down rougher roads, look to the lower spec versions and save yourself a lot of angst.
My other bugbears are the A-Pillar blindspots, they can create real problems, and the front seats with their feeling of sitting on, rather than in.
Have a look for yourself, see what you think, it is not a bad car, by any stretch of the imagination, but it could be so much more...
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