The Nissan Pathfinder title evokes a selected amount of off-highway cred, but in truth of the matter, the Pathfinder is now in its second technology as a spouse and children-welcoming a few-row unibody crossover. Still, Nissan just can’t exactly manage to overlook the obsession with overlanding and all-terrain ability (or at minimum the look of it) that has taken around the market—enter the 2023 Pathfinder Rock Creek.
The preceding-generation Pathfinder presented a Rock Creek edition, but that was basically an visual appearance offer. The new edition goes a very little even further than that with Toyo Open Place all-terrain tires, a revised suspension, and, of course, the anticipated physical appearance tweaks and Rock Creek badging all above the exterior and interior. The 18-inch beadlock-design and style wheels glimpse fairly awesome, and the chunkier roof rack and modified front fascia do the job nicely with the latest Pathfinder’s boxy, slab-sided condition.
The much larger tires have an effect on the driving expertise negatively, as is to be anticipated from this sort of rubber with chunkier tread and taller sidewalls. You can find more noise, with a persistent drone at freeway speeds, and the handling feels noticeably extra trucklike thanks to slower responses to steering inputs. The trip top quality is noticeably worse also the Rock Creek helps make an Explorer Timberline feel like a Bentley by comparison. Predictably, the tires had been a lot less grippy at the check monitor as well, with a skidpad consequence of .78 g and a very long 70-mph braking distance of 194 ft, both significantly worse than all-season-equipped Pathfinders. But these tires are meant for handling a little bit of mud, filth, or snow, instead than dry pavement.
The Rock Creek’s other mechanical difference compared with other Pathfinders is a bit more juice from the in a natural way aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 engine, which would make 295 hp and 270 pound-toes of torque. That’s an added 11 horsepower and 11 pound-ft of torque when compared with the foundation Pathfinder and is the exact same output identified in the relevant Infiniti QX60. As in the standard product, the V-6 provides a great deal of ability to encourage the Pathfinder, and the 9-velocity automated is an advancement over the old model’s CVT in phrases of responsiveness.
But the Rock Creek’s more grunt couldn’t get over the destructive influence of the tires, and it successfully mirrored the benefits for a front-wheel-travel Pathfinder SL and an all-wheel-drive Platinum product we formerly tested. It bought to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds and ran the quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 92 mph.
The EPA costs the Rock Creek’s gas overall economy lessen than other Pathfinders, at 21 mpg combined, 20 town, and 23 highway. We averaged 20 mpg over-all in the course of our time with the Rock Creek, and in our real-entire world 75-mph highway gas-economic system take a look at it returned 25 mpg, a figure that beats its highway ranking but lags at the rear of the 28-mpg final result we measured with an all-wheel-push Platinum product.
The Rock Creek sits in the middle of the Pathfinder lineup in conditions of selling price and gear. That is wonderful due to the fact it suggests that, at $45,250 as analyzed, it truly is more affordable than competitors which includes the Kia Telluride X-Professional, but it can be not so wonderful if you want characteristics such as a electrical power tailgate or a heated steering wheel, neither of which can be had on the Rock Creek trim.
There is certainly no denying that the Rock Creek’s upgrades hurt the Pathfinder’s handling performance, gas economic climate, and refinement. The upside is a bit of extra all-terrain functionality and rugged cred. We wouldn’t choose it around a nicely geared up Pathfinder SL. But if you like the Rock Creek’s search, then it could be just the automobile for your overlanding adventures—or your graphic as somebody who has such adventures anyway.
Specifications
Specs
2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition
Car or truck Type: front-engine, all-wheel-generate, 7-passenger, 4-doorway wagon
Price tag
Foundation/As Examined: $44,115/$45,250
Solutions: High quality Solid Gray/Super Black two-tone paint, $790 Rock Creek ground liners and cargo area protector, $345
Motor
DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, immediate fuel injection
Displacement: 213 in3, 3498 cm3
Electricity: 295 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque: 270 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
TRANSMISSION
9-velocity automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.8-in vented disc/13.-in vented disc
Tires: Toyo Open up Country A/T III
265/60R-18 110T M+S
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 114.2 in
Length: 198.8 in
Width: 77.9 in
Top: 73.7 in
Passenger Volume: 148 ft3
Cargo Volume: 17 ft3
Curb Body weight: 4583 lb
C/D Examination Final results
60 mph: 6.7 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.2 sec @ 92 mph
100 mph: 18.8 sec
Benefits above omit 1-ft rollout of .3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.2 sec
Top rated Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.5 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.9 sec
Best Pace (gov ltd): 120 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 194 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: .78 g
C/D Gas Financial state
Noticed: 20 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 25 mpg
75-mph Highway Vary: 460 mi
EPA Fuel Economic system
Mixed/Metropolis/Highway: 21/20/23 mpg
C/D Tests Discussed
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