Live thread: One week with a 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek

Is Nissan still going with CVT for these?

OHSCrifle said:

Is Nissan still going with CVT for these?

Nope. It gets a new nine-speed automatic. In fact, Nissan mentions that fact twice in the span of two back-to-back paragraphs:

And the new box is much appreciated. The vehicle just feels more together. 

More to come as we put some miles on it. Last night’s photo location wasn’t quite as remote as it looks. 

Speaking of the Pathfinder, we had an early third-gen as a long-termer that we treated with all the respect of a shovel. It towed our race cars and carried our gear. We beat the snot out of it and, despite the miles, it came back for more. I can’t recall it ever leaving us down. (Disclaimer: A few plastic interior pieces did fall off, but at some point our car had been disassembled for a repaint as it was previously used for Nissan’s marketing efforts.)

You’d see those truck-based Pathfinders everywhere. If you wanted a Japanese SUV and didn’t want to go with Toyota, Pathfinder was likely your answer. 

Then, for 2013, Nissan moved the Pathfinder to a car-based chassis. And, as I understand it, the new one still uses that same car-based D platform that dates back to circa 2007.

And we have a window sticker:

After putting a few more miles on it, yes, the traditional auto is a big upgrade over the CVT. It just now feels more real, if that makes any sense. CVTs have gotten better over time, but they still feel a bit unconnected. 

So, if anything, props to Nissan for the move back to a traditional auto.

That color is nice, hard to call that thing a pathfinder when it's not a body on frame like the older ones. Just like Honda with the Passport. 

In reply to DirtyBird222 :

Just wait until you hear what they did to the Mustang :)

Keith Tanner said:

In reply to DirtyBird222 :

Just wait until you hear what they did to the Mustang :)

Or the Mitsubishi Eclipse. :)

Does it have a first aid kit?