2013 Nissan Pathfinder Heads in a New Direction

Lower Curb Weight Brings Higher EPA Marks

by Charles Krome

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August 9, 2012

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4 min. Reading Time

If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery, the folks over at Ford must be feeling plenty flattered right about now. After all, the all-new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder will be following directly in the tire tracks of the Ford Explorer, a long-running body-on-frame SUV that was rebooted as a unibody crossover for a new generation of buyers.

That’s the short story here, but let’s take a slightly longer look at the next-gen Nissan Pathfinder to see how likely it is that the three-row, seven-seat crossover—with best-in-class fuel economy and tow ratings—also will be able to imitate the sales success of the Explorer.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder: Losing Pounds to Save Gallons

It’s true that crossovers can’t offer all of the robust capabilities of a truck-based SUV, but they offer everything else today’s drivers are looking for, including a smoother, more car-like ride and notably improved fuel-economy ratings. And the fact of the matter is that most owners don’t need all that added functionality anyway. The trick is to find the right balance, as explained by Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager of Nissan North America: “It’s no secret that the industry has shifted as gas prices have increased But while traditional SUV customers are looking for improved fuel economy, they still demand a vehicle that can do all the things they need, like carrying seven people, towing, and providing the surefootedness in all conditions of four-wheel drive.”

Thus, Nissan has reduced the Pathfinder’s weight by 500 lbs. by switching , and deployed more advanced aerodynamics and a new, more efficient powertrain, with the results being an expected EPA line of 20 mpg city/26 mpg highway/22 mpg combined in a front-wheel-drive configuration and 19/25/21 with all-wheel drive. On the other hand, leveraging a powertrain that mates a 3.5-liter, 260-hp V6 engine to one of Nissan’s signature CVTs, the Pathfinder sports 240 lb.-ft. of torque and can still pull 5,000 lbs.—even with a car-style, unibody setup. Oh, and those are the highest fuel-economy marks in the Pathfinder’s segment, as well as the highest tow rating, too.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder: Adding Technology to Gain Customers

As a further example of the Pathfinder’s fresh approach to the marketplace, Nissan is shining the ol’ spotlight on family-friendly features like the vehicle’s “EZ Flex Seating System with LATCH AND GLIDE technology.” It brings added convenience to the Pathfinder’s interior by allowing the second-row seats to move fore and aft by more than five inches—and more than any rival—for either extra second-row legroom or less distance between children and front-row occupants. Also, the system allows the passenger-side second-row seat to slide forward and fold slightly for easy access to the third row, even if the former has a child safety seat installed. (But not, as Nissan reminds us, if said seat actually has a child in it.)

The Pathfinder will naturally offer all the latest comfort and convenience tech that one would expect in a next-gen vehicle like this, including heated/cooled front seats and a heated steering wheel, navigation and Bluetooth, a 13-speaker Bose premium audio setup and a rear-seat entertainment system, a rearview camera and Nissan’s 360-degree Around View Monitor, and both a touchscreen for control of key vehicle systems and Nissan’s Advanced Drive-Assist Display.

In a nod to the Nissan’s rugged past, the 2013 Pathfinder also boasts an available ALL-MODE intelligent four-wheel-drive system that is the only one in the class with driver-selectable two-wheel-drive, “Auto” and four-wheel-drive modes.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder: Exploring Other Alternatives

Now, you’ll notice a lot of “best-in-class” features have been mentioned above, but what hasn’t been mentioned before is exactly what the class is. Per Nissan, its claims are based on the industry categories used by Ward’s—the team behind the eponymous best engine and best interior honors—which places the Pathfinder in the Large Cross/Utility segment. But out in the real world, the new Nissan will certainly be cross-shopped with the Ford Explorer, and rather than split hairs over vehicle segments and categories and classes, let’s just note that the Blue Oval product, when fitted with its 2.0-liter EcoBoost I4, gets a bit better fuel-efficiency than the Pathfinder. The Explorer can go 20/28/23 with its high-efficiency engine, for advantages of 0 mpg/2 mpg/1 mpg versus the Pathfinder; of course, that particular Ford model can only tow 2,000 lbs., or 3,000 fewer than the Nissan.

Conversely, while the Explorer with its base 3.5-liter V6 can tow the same 5,000 lbs. as the Pathfinder, the former’s EPA line of 18/25/20 is down 1 mpg in both city and combined driving as compared to the latter. Here are the numbers for those vehicles, as well as a couple other possible rivals:

Vehicle

Torque (lb.-ft.)

Towing Max.

EPA Line

Pathfinder (V6)

260

240

5,000 lbs.

20/26/22

Explorer (V6)

290

255