Nissan Pathfinder (2014)

Test Drive Notes Library

Pros
The new Pathfinder is much more comfortable than the previous edition. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for an SUV with an extremely comfortable ride.
They've gone in a different direction.  Pathfinder used to be a kind of "off road" SUV, with a firm ride, a pickup truck chassis, and rugged looks.  Now, it's more of a luxury on-road SUV or a minivan alternative that husbands are willing to be seen in.
Can be done up in full luxurious Platinum trim with all of today's required luxury amenities, including heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, remote engine start, rear sonar, power lift gate, and more.
Roomy front seats, and a reasonably roomy second row of seats.  The third row is usable for kids, and folds flat for more cargo room when not in use.  
The ride is very smooth and isolated.  Engine is plenty powerful.  Continuously variable transmission works mostly unobtrusively and provides slightly better gas mileage than a 4,000 pound beast like this would normally get. We got 17-18 MPG.
The Pathfinder has a tried and true V6 engine that’s been shown to be extremely reliable over many years.
Nissan/Infinity's Birds Eye View back up camera is still the best in the business. It shows you the car from top view via four-cameras when you're backing up or parking.  
No gauge needed to fill tires.  Nissan's "Easy Fill" system is another nice innovation; car uses tire pressure monitor system while you're adding air, and honks when the correct pressure is reached.  It’s a small advance, but it’s nice thinking.

Cons
Soft, comfortable ride comes at the expense of jello-like cornering.  On twisty roads, the Pathfinder cornered a little bit like a Lincoln Town Car.  This is Pathfinder’s greatest shortfall. This is a vehicle that could really benefit from a sport suspension setting.
Rear visibility is impeded significantly by rear seat head rests, and even more if the third row of seats is in use, with its head rests.  
Mileage, while decent for this class in all-wheel-drive form, is not great (however, if you really do carry seven people on a regular basis, you can make a good case for this being environmentally friendly).
With third row of seats in use, rear cargo room is extremely limited.