2014 Nissan Pathfinder Debuts with $50 Price Bump

The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder kicks off the sophomore selling season for Nissan’s midsize crossover entry with a very modest increase in price, especially as compared to the vehicle’s gaudy sales numbers. Even as the Nissan Pathfinder has doubled its sales volume so far this this year as compared to 2012, the brand is raising its MSRP a mere $50 for both two- and four-wheel-drive configurations. The front-wheel-drive 2014 Nissan Pathfinder starts at $28,700, while the 4WD edition opens at $30,300 (before destination charges in both cases).

That leaves the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder in a strong position for affordability, comparing to typical rivals as follows:

2014 Chevy Traverse—$30,795

2014 Ford Explorer—$29,275

2013 Honda Pilot—$29,520

2013 Dodge Durango—$29,495

2013 Toyota Highlander—$29,020

2014 Nissan Pathfinder—$28,700

In terms of other changes for the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder, the key additions actually are two new models. The first showcases a new Tech Package for the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder SL and includes a premium audio system with Bose components and 13 speakers, as well as navigation, voice recognition, an eight-inch color touchscreen monitor, Bluetooth technology for audio streaming, and digital resources like the Zagat Survey Restaurant Guide and XM NavTraffic and NavWeather (although the latter two require a separate subscription to Sirius XM Radio).

Remember, too, that the highly affordable Nissan Pathfinder is highly praised as well; it won four more notable prizes during the second quarter of 2013 alone, including “Best Family Car” awards from Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds.com/Parents magazine, along with “Best Interiors” trophies from Ward’sAuto and  Autotrader.com.

Then there’s the new 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid …

2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid: Efficient and Economical

Technically, Nissan has yet to release pricing for the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, but the automaker previously had revealed that it would cost approximately $3,000 more than the comparable, traditionally powered models. Since the entry point to the hybrid family is the SV trim, which retails at $31,960 in its non-hybrid guise, the greener version should open at roughly $34,960. And at that point, the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder should have a fairly massive monetary advantage against its only real rival, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

The Highlander is, in fact, the only other three-row crossover to offer a hybrid powertrain for mainstream customers, and it has an MSRP of $40,170. Now, part of the reason for the price discrepancy here is that the Toyota comes solely in an all-wheel-drive configuration, while the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid will be sold in front- and all-wheel-drive setups. The Highlander Hybrid also is slightly more efficient, with EPA marks of 28 mpg across the board versus an expected line of 25/27/26 for the Pathfinder.

Still, keeping an extra $5,000 in their bank accounts should make up for a lot with customers, particularly since they’ll also be benefiting from a net 250 hp and 243 lb.-ft. of torque that also allows a 3,500-lb. towing capacity (when properly equipped, of course).

The 2014 Nissan Pathfinder is on sale now, with the hybrid model expected to land in dealerships this fall.