2023 Nissan Pathfinder

Nissan’s varied lineup of SUVs, pickup trucks, and EVs usually perform well in our road tests, but their Overall Scores suffer because of up-and-down reliability and average to below-average owner satisfaction. Inconsistent quality across the brand means some Nissans are a better choice than others. Many of its gasoline vehicles use small turbocharged engines and continuously variable transmissions to give owners both competitive fuel economy and sporty performance. Most new Nissans come standard with a full suite of active safety and driver assist systems. It’s also one of the few remaining brands that sells a sub-compact sedan, the Versa. The compact Sentra, a mainstay within Nissan’s lineup, earned a high score in our road test and is recommended. Nissan was an early EV trailblazer with the Leaf hatchback, and now sells larger five-passenger EV SUVs. Used Nissans have average reliability according to our surveys.

The three-row Pathfinder was redesigned for 2022 with a squared-off exterior, the latest infotainment technology, and an option for second-row captain's chairs. Overall, it's a significant improvement over its bland, clumsy predecessor. The 3.5-liter, 284-hp V6 now comes mated to a nine-speed automatic (replacing the previous CVT), together delivering smooth and effortless propulsion. The ride is steady if a bit stiff-legged, but handling is responsive for a midsized SUV. Controls are easy to use, thanks to physical buttons and knobs for commonly-used climate and infotainment functions. Many active safety and driver assist features come standard, including FCW, AEB with pedestrian detection, BSW, RCTW, and LDW. Nissan's ProPilot Assist active driving assistance system--which combines ACC and lane-centering--is optional.