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Used 2018 Nissan Pathfinder Consumer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars
75 reviews

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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Pathfinder, so we've included reviews for other years of the Pathfinder since its last redesign.

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Pros
Cons
5 out of 5 stars

Diamond in the rough

C B, 10/26/2018
2018 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4dr SUV 4WD (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
102 of 102 people found this review helpful

After spending over a year researching midsize/crossover suvs my husband and I believed we had narrowed it down to one vehicle and went out for some test drives. We decided while out to try some of the other makes and models in the area just to get a feel for the differences read about in the various rating and review sites such as this one. When we pulled into the Nissan lot I realized I knew very little about the Pathfinder, having not made it in the top reviewed crossovers over the past couple years I must have glossed over it in all our research. Or found the reviews underwhelming. We were pleasantly surprised by the test drive, we were blown away by the ease of use of the second row, third row access is achievable without feeling like a sardine! The towing capacity of 6000 Ibs is certified towing capacity and it's an easy and affordable package to add to any model, unlike some competitors. After re-reviewing the reviews we realized that the only two reasons for the Pathfinder not being in the top listings were styling and the CVT transmission. It does take a couple drives to get used to a CVT but this vehicle has power, real power and the CVT is smooth and clearly one of the best out there. The styling is not flashy or overly rugged but it's a nice looking car inside and out. Trust me, go to a dealership and stand next to it and get inside. The plastics are smooth and feel rather luxurious in comparison to the competitors plastics. The vehicle is much larger and the front end has been given a more squared off look. Do I affectionately call it my family wagon? Yes because it's a suv that can handle weather, rough roads and still haul my two boys and my two nephews with all their car seats and booster seats included. I can actually walk into the third row to latch buckles and seat belts, step comfortably out again, roll the second row forward with car seats and boosters and get the other children in and adjusting the leg room for each row quickly. I have done this same routine in the 2017 honda pilot that my sister in law owns and it does not go smoothly. It's much roomier in each row than reviews state and so simple to adjust for leg room. We bought during their year end sale and went with the SV with the weather package and tech package for towing and got the headrails as we are more than aware that midsize suvs with 3rd row up have little space for stuff (that's when full size suvs or minivans may better suit you). We are so happy with our purchase and plan to drive this for years to come. Our boys will grow up with this car and we haven't regretted our decision once. I really believe more people should give the Pathfinder a look. It may surprise you.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Great features; great price; very nice ride!

Graydon, 02/25/2017
2017 Nissan Pathfinder SL 4dr SUV 4WD (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
41 of 41 people found this review helpful

We were looking for a three row SUV that has good gas mileage, towing capacity, and value. The final two that I considered were the Pathfinder SL with the Tech package and the Toyota Highlander XLE trim. These have similar MSRPs to they should be comparable. The Toyota puts their advanced safety features (lane departure, collision mitigation, etc) on all trim levels. Another good thing about the Toyota was its auto stop/start feature. It was hard to notice when the car shut itself off and started back up again. On the other hand, Nissan gives you a lot more for the price. Some of the features on the Pathfinder that were not on the similarly priced Highlander were the around view monitor (my favorite feature); heated second row seats; heated side mirrors; heated steering wheel; remote start; a premium Bose sound system; driver seat position memory. Another cool feature on the Pathfinder is that when you shut off the car, the seats moved back for ease of exit. When you start it back up again, the seats move into position. A couple of small negatives. The Pathfinder has a lot of power, very quick from a stop light. However, the driving "feel" isn't like the Mazda CX9. They supposedly stiffened the suspensions, but the ride still feels very soft to me (some folks might prefer this). Also, it is a big car, so definite body roll around the corners. So its not going to feel like a sports car, but if you are looking for a good three row SUV, this is a good choice. Also, we were able to get this car for around 3K lower than the Toyota dealer was willing to go. Really loving this car!

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Nissan Pathfinder Plat vs. Honda Pilot Touring

Mark Howell, 06/21/2017
2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
48 of 49 people found this review helpful

3-months ago I bought my wife a 2017 Honda Pilot Touring AWD and today offloaded it to the local Nissan dealership for a far superior 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum AWD midnight edition with family entertainment. Why you might ask? Because the technology in the Honda Pilot is far inferior than that of the NPF. Why would you put a rear seat entertainment system in a vehicle if you can't control it from the drivers seat. Ask Honda. It was impossible to start movies from the front of the car, which is completely useless. Why would you force a phone call made from your iPhone into what they call "private mode" and NOT let it play through bluetooth. Google this if you're comparing cars right now because it is a huge, known problem. That makes no sense. Finally, why won't you let us disable the engine auto start/stop feature through a setting rather than have to turn it on and off every time you start the car? Stupid feature, popular in Europe but what's the point. So you know what the Pathfinder does? Let's you control the rear seat entertainment system from the driver's seat, puts all calls through the bluetooth unless you decide to make it a private call, and doesn't shut your engine off at a light. Oh and the interior is awesome, ride is better and it feels like a much more well thought out vehicle. Add to the that Nissan rebates right now are the best in the market. I highly recommend this vehicle. If you're in the market and thinking about the Pilot, be wary of the technology.

Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

3.5L V6 beating 1.8/2.0/2.5 L V4s

Akshaya Bhatt, 01/26/2017
2017 Nissan Pathfinder SV 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
27 of 27 people found this review helpful

Way great mileage for 3.5L V6 (combined 25 mpg.WOW!), which is giving competition to V4 engines. Ride is really awesome, with better control. You may not even feel that you are moving at 65/70 MPH speed. It will feel very smooth, quite ride.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

2017 Pathfinder Platinum

Brian, 10/10/2016
2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4dr SUV 4WD (3.5L 6cyl CVT)
61 of 63 people found this review helpful

I've had the 2017 pathfinder for a few weeks now and I am really enjoying it. I have the platinum package with the entertainment system in the rear seats. Overall I am very pleased with the quality especially the interior which is comparable to a luxury vehicle. I checked out most competitors to include the Mazda and Toyota. The pathfinder had the most features I wanted such as cooled seats, panoramic roof and DVD system for rear seats. Something my daughter loves, she love looking out the roof and watching the monitors. The ride is nice and firm, just how I like it, the transmission is smooth and engine strong. What sold me on the pathfinder is the amount of features it includes such as safety features and the fact Nissan is aleauvs willing to make a deal to sell car. Toyota wanted to knock off 2500 off sticker on a 2016 while Nissan knocked off about 7k on a 2017 which was just unloaded and still wrapped in plastic. For 41k or thereabouts the pathfinder wins hands down

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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