2025 Nissan Pathfinder Reviews, Pricing & Specs

We tested the 2025 Nissan Pathfinder during a terrific snowstorm that dropped more than 60 centimetres of snow over two days. Typically, this sort of situation causes massive headaches for drivers borrowing a car as winter tires are not mandatory in every market in Canada. This means we can’t always count on press vehicles being equipped with them.

Luckily, Nissan set us up with a Pathfinder in Rock Creek trim, which meant it came equipped with 3-Peak Mud-and-Snow-rated Toyo Open Country AT3 tires, not to mention standard all-wheel drive (which comes on every 2025 Pathfinder in Canada) and seven selectable driving modes — including a dedicated snow mode.

The tires, mounted on 18-inch beadlock-style wheels, are just the start of the Rock Creek’s adventurous look. Ultimately, they’re the most impactful feature when it comes to actually driving off-road.

Nissan redesigned the Pathfinder for the 2022 model year, ushering in the crossover’s fifth generation after taking a year-long break post 2020. From least to most expensive, the Pathfinder comes in S, SV, Rock Creek, SL, Platinum, and Captain’s Chairs trim levels in Canada. Since the revamp, every Pathfinder looks reasonably capable, with an assertive, upright front end, tasteful protective cladding along the sills and wheel wells, and a stylishly slanted C-pillar. However, the Rock Creek takes things a step further. Its V-Motion grille boasts a mesh pattern and contrasting trim elements above and below it. The rest of the front end is highlighted, literally, by a bevy of stacked LED lighting elements.

A metal roof rack with a 100-kilogram (220-pound) capacity comes standard on the Rock Creek, and at the rear, an exposed trailer hitch and wiring connector show that this vehicle is meant for shoppers who will actually use its towing capabilities.

It’s important to note, however, that although the first- and third-generation Pathfinders were true body-on-frame SUVs, the current iteration is a unibody crossover. Additionally, although the Rock Creek looks tough, it doesn’t boast any additional ground clearance over the other trims, nor does it come equipped with protective skid plates. There’s also no full-size spare tire in any Pathfinder, so if you do suffer a puncture, you’ll be rolling on a donut.

Inside, the Pathfinder comes standard with cloth seats on the S and SV trim levels. The Rock Creek swaps in a leatherette-and-cloth upholstery showcasing bright orange “Rock Creek” logos stitched into the front-seat headrests and front centre console bin cover. The SL trim goes full leather seats, and the Platinum trim upgrades to quilted semi-aniline leather in the first and second rows. Heated front seats, steering wheel, outboard mirrors, and washer nozzles are standard in Canada. The Platinum trim adds ventilation, too. If middle-row passengers want heated outboard seats, opt for the SL or the Platinum.

A moonroof is equipped on the SV, SL, and Platinum, but unavailable on the S and the Rock Creek — the latter likely due to its standard roof rack.

Although our Rock Creek tester’s vibrant stitching was met with mixed reactions, overall we found the Pathfinder’s interior to be generally good. The seats are extremely comfortable and the material quality feels solid, if not luxurious. It doesn’t look like a cutting-edge SUV, particularly in terms of technology, but it certainly doesn’t feel outdated, either.

Nissan sells the 2025 Pathfinder with one engine: a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 that has been in service in one form or another since dinosaurs roamed the earth (or so it feels). This powerplant falls under the category of “tried and true.” Even if it does need repair, rest assured that mechanics will be familiar with its workings and parts will be readily available.

While there’s only one engine offered with the Pathfinder, its power output varies based on trim. S, SV, SL, and Platinum trims make 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque with recommended regular fuel, but the Rock Creek gets a bump up to 295 hp and 270 lb-ft and premium fuel is recommended. Regardless of output, both vehicles make peak horsepower and torque at 6,400 rpm and 4,800 rpm, respectively, and the engine redlines at 6,600 rpm. Despite the Rock Creek’s higher power output, expect it to accelerate similarly to the lower-powered trims. Much of the extra oomph is swallowed up by the higher rolling resistance of its all-terrain tires.

A nine-speed automatic transmission (which replaced the continuously variable transmission (CVT) from the fourth-generation model) handles the power well, demonstrating decisive shifts and unobtrusive operation. The Platinum and Rock Creek trims also come standard with a transmission oil cooler, which elevates their maximum towing capacity to 2,720 kilograms (6,000 pounds) —roughly 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds) more than the maximum capacity of the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, and Toyota Grand Highlander. In Canada, every trim but the base S comes with this enhanced towing capability, while that base model’s maximum towing capacity drops to 1,587 kilograms (3,500 pounds).

The Pathfinder, and particularly the Rock Creek trim, rides on a very soft suspension. This is great for handling bumpy roads and light off-roading, but it also results in a very soft, sometimes floaty ride on twisty roads. Although the Pathfinder feels well-rounded in other ways, it doesn’t strike the best balance between ride and handling. This is more forgivable in a dedicated off-road platform, the likes of which you’d find underpinning a Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, or Toyota 4Runner, but it’s less acceptable in the Pathfinder. Even the Rock Creek trim is best suited for only light off-roading (think dirt roads, not rocky trails). Compared with a Honda Pilot TrailSport or a Kia Telluride X-Pro, the Pathfinder Rock Creek is less composed in on-road driving.

None of those options deliver great fuel economy, but the Pathfinder Rock Creek is a bit better than the others. At 11.9 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 10.0 on the highway, and 11.1 combined, you’re going to spend plenty at the pump. We average 13.6 L/100 km over a 320-kilometre evaluation. The Rock Creek trim comes standard with AWD, but it’s the tires that sap its efficiency. Other trims return 11.7 L/100 km city, 9.3 highway, and 10.6 combined.

In terms of traction management, the Pathfinder comes standard with seven drive modes: Auto, Eco, Sport, Snow, Sand, Mud/Rut, and Tow. All models also come standard with hill descent control. Although we spent most of our time driving in Auto, we had more than a few instances to test the vehicle’s snow mode as well. The various modes adjust the Pathfinder’s power delivery, throttle response, and transmission shift points to maximize traction. In our testing, snow mode successfully provided the necessary traction to accelerate out of deep, settled snow.

Now, admittedly, the 2025 Nissan Pathfinder doesn’t offer as much cargo capacity as the Honda Pilot, Kia Telluride, and Toyota Grand Highlander. This is, however, a paradox of on-paper practicality versus real-world needs. Although the Pathfinder is technically smaller than the others, you can rest assured that it provides ample interior space.

During our time with the 2025 Nissan Pathfinder, we gave it the toughest test imaginable to evaluate its form and function: a three-day ski trip with four grown men. Stuffed to the gills with skis, poles, boots, luggage, and groceries, the Pathfinder still provided enough space for all four of us to sit comfortably.

Behind the third row, the Pathfinder offers 470 litres of cargo space. Fold the third row down (which we did), and cargo space grows to 1,274 litres. With both the second and third rows folded, capacity measures 2.279 litres. New for 2025, the SV and Rock Creek trim levels now come standard with a power liftgate.

Furthermore, the Pathfinder is extremely comfortable. Every Pathfinder comes with three-zone climate control, and seats in the first and second rows provide a near-perfect blend of cushion and support. 10-way power adjustment on the Rock Creek’s driver’s seat means finding the perfect position is just a few toggles away. The front passenger seat, however, comes with only six-way manual adjustment in the Rock Creek and lower trims. For 10-way power there, Nissan requires an upgrade to the SL or Platinum trim levels.

Note the captain’s chairs shown in our U.S. Rock Creek tester are not offered in Canada. Here, second-row captain’s chairs are only available in the dedicated Captain’s Chairs trim positioned above Platinum.

For parents, the Pathfinder’s best feature may be its EZ Flex Seating System. Unlike some three-row crossovers, the Pathfinder allows you to slide and tip forward the middle seat while keeping a car seat in place. No longer do third-row passengers need to displace car seats just to get in and out of the Pathfinder.

The Pathfinder is not just lagging behind the competition in terms of tech. It’s also lagging behind some other Nissans. The 2025 Nissan Rogue boasts a Google OS infotainment system that looks good and works well, but the Pathfinder gets an older and less impressive interface. The software works well enough. It’s not blazing fast and the graphics are starting to look dated, but we didn’t run into any bugs or frustrating errors. Further, physical buttons below the touchscreen and rotary knobs for volume and tuning make the whole affair very user friendly. However, there’s just no getting around the fact that, when compared with the tech found in other vehicles of this size and price, the Pathfinder looks to be behind the times. Even just going by the size of the screen (8 inches in S, SV, and Rock Creek; 9 in SL and Platinum), the Pathfinder is dwarfed by the Kia Telluride and Toyota Grand Highlander (both 12.3 inches).

So, what tech does the Pathfinder have? To start, a 6-speaker stereo comes standard, but the Platinum comes with a 13-speaker Bose system. NissanConnect, the automaker’s software, supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but only the 9-inch screen can support wireless projection, and even then it’s only for Apple devices. Four USB ports come standard (two USB-A, two USB-C). All trims but the base model gets one additional USB-A port for the third row, and the SL and Platinum trims get another on top of that.

Voice recognition and Bluetooth connectivity are standard, as is SiriusXM satellite radio, although you’ll need a monthly subscription for the latter. Navigation is standard only on the SL and Platinum trims, and it’s not available on any of the three lower trim levels. A 12.3-inch TFT driver-information display comes standard on the Platinum, while other trims receive a simple and straightforward 7-inch display. Similarly, if you like a head-up display, you need to pay for a Platinum. That piece of tech isn’t available on any other trim level.

The 2025 Nissan Pathfinder received a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as well as a five-star overall rating in crash testing performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Digging deeper, the NHTSA awarded it four stars in overall frontal crash testing and four stars in its roll-over evaluation.

Nissan equips every Pathfinder trim with a fantastic array of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Included in the standard suite are blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and rear automatic braking. Adaptive cruise control is standard, as is Nissan’s ProPilot Assist.

Finally, traffic sign recognition is standard on the SL and Platinum trim levels.

The Pathfinder delivers a compelling blend of comfort, practicality and safety features, and it does it at a discounted price compared with sales titans like the Honda Pilot. A base S trim Pathfinder starts at $49,985 including the $2,030 destination charge and other fees. For reference, a base Pilot Sport starts $6,500 higher, at $56,486.

Naturally, Pathfinder prices rise the higher up in the trim ladder you climb. The SV starts at $52,985, the SL is $57,285, and the Nissan Pathfinder Platinum trim starts at $61,185 or $61,685 with the captain’s chairs — again, all including destination. Our Pathfinder Rock Creek has a Canadian starting MSRP of $55,985.

Simply put, the market for midsize SUVs has gotten expensive, and with a starting price at just below $50,000, the Pathfinder looks like a deal. The 2025 Nissan Pathfinder provides good value in a competitive segment.