Nissan Pathfinder Ti AWD 2014 Review

What used to be a rugged, utilitarian, ute-based, load-lugging SUV is now a sophisticated, luxurious and mild-mannered family hauler.

Is that such a bad thing?

There will surely be some who lament the SUV's shift towards on-road comfort. But, after spending a week with the new Pathfinder, I'm inclined to say the changes are a good thing.

Measuring just over 5.0 metres in length the Pathfinder is a big unit, but one that is a pleasure to drive. It has levels of refinement that will raise eyebrows (in a good way), loads of room, tonnes of features and a few smaller touches that put the icing on the cake, such as the around-view parking monitor.

The new Pathfinder is literally two generations ahead of its predecessor, if such a thing is possible. It has not only caught up to but in many ways has overtaken it road-biased seven-seat SUV rivals.

And although it's lost a lot of its offroad edge -- it only comes with a space saver spare, no low-range transfer case and no diesel-engine option -- the new Pathfinder is a much better daily driver. Its plush suspension delivers a level of ride comfort that equals, and in some cases betters, many of its competitors.

I didn't get a chance to test its offroad credentials, but on unsealed roads peppered with nasty pot holes the Pathfinder was predictable and easy to position. The suspension soaks up bumpy crags ably.

The big seven-seat SUV rarely transferred power to the rear axle when booting down dirt roads, and when it did it was in trivial proportions. Perhaps on really uneven terrain the AWD system would be livelier, but if you don't plan on going bush, pulling a boat from the water or heading to the snow the AWD option is probably for nought.

Cruising around for a week in the big Nissan I discovered that its considerable size makes it difficult to squeeze into some car parks. But if enough room is available, the act of parking is pretty straightforward thanks in part to the around-view parking sensors and reversing camera.

For an SUV of its size the Pathfinder drives well. The way it accelerates and brakes is reassuring and it steers crisply and curtly at low speeds, which can make it feel smaller than it is. Even navigating tight inner-urban streets the Pathfinder rarely feels like a lumbering giant.

In some respects it's a better car than the Ford Territory, particularly in terms of interior quality. But it doesn't handle corners quite as effortlessly as the Territory, especially on the dirt.

The Pathie can feel heavy approaching corners, and tends to understeer and roll around a bit when changing direction. It certainly isn't a slow poke, it’s just not as finely balanced as Ford's locally-made SUV.

Motivation is effortless thanks to Nissan's excellent VQ-series 3.5-litre petrol V6. Acceleration is swift and decisive thanks to the V6's 194kW/325Nm output, and the responsive nature of the engine, and an appealing exhaust note, provide the car with character where many of its contemporaries have none.

Nissan's claimed fuel economy for the Pathfinder is 10.2L/100km and the fact that we managed 11.2 over a week-long test is a pretty good effort. It highlights the benefits of a well-engineered continuously variable transmission (CVT), which contributes a lot to the car's relative efficiency.

Indeed, the transmission has come a long way. Similar to the unit in the new Nissan Altima mid-sized sedan, this X-Tronic CVT is the best of breed at present. Honestly, you wouldn’t know it was a CVT at low and medium speeds, and the monotonous drone inherent in some CVT-equipped cars has been quelled significantly.

The Nissan Pathfinder Ti AWD is the shining halo model in the range, and priced from $64,890 (plus on-road costs) is almost $25K more than the entry-level Pathfinder ST.

But riding on big 20-inch alloy wheels and offering a sumptuous experience for all passengers, the Ti model's appeal comes to the fore.

From the dash plastics, to the touchscreen system and leather upholstery, there's a real sense of occasion about the Nissan SUV. An electric tailgate is always welcome, as is sat nav, a double pane glass roof, electrically adjustable and heated/cooled front seats, electric adjust steering wheel, BOSE 13-speaker audio system, leather upholstery, Bluetooth... the list goes on.

There are even twin DVD screens for back seat passengers, complete with wireless headphones and a remote control to keep kids (or noisy adults) entertained. The interior is beautifully finished and feels more like an Infiniti than a regular Nissan. A huge glovebox is another boon.

The only thing I didn't like about the interior was that the cruise control doesn't display intended speed on the instrument panel. Otherwise the high-res trip computer is great.

Packaging is also a highlight with the middle row seats easy to slide fore/aft, giving easy access to the pair of third row seats. All seven seats have ventilation outlets.

The middle seats split 60:40 and the rear seats 50:50. And with the latter folding flat into the boot floor, cargo space can be maximised to a total of 2259 litres. In regular format, the available space is 453 litres.

And if you need to lug even more, the Pathfinder can tow a braked trailer weighing up to 2700kg.

The new Nissan Pathfinder's might appear on radars of people looking at the Ford Territory, Toyota Kluger, Hyundai Santa Fe and Holden Captiva 7. Traditionally it would have been more of a Mitsubishi Challenger or Holden Colorado 7 rival, but its focus on refinement and sophistication has moved it into more exulted territory.

The Pathfinder can go its own way, as the name suggests, but it's been calibrated for navigating well-worn paths rather than making new ones. That said, the car is much improved over its predecessor and good option for family buyers. The three-year/100,000km warranty is nothing to crow about, but capped price servicing and free 24-hour roadside assistance will sweeten the deal.

Nissan has done a very good job with this American-built family bus, which we reckon has the potential to be a change a lot of opinions in the increasingly popular seven seat SUV market.

2014 Nissan Pathfinder Ti AWD pricing and specifications: