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2011 Nissan Pathfinder Review


Pros

  • Good towing capacity
  • Good amount of cargo space

Cons

  • Lack of optional extras
  • Cramped second and third row 
  • Less fuel economy compared to the competition

The Pathfinder is Nissan’s mid-size 7-seater SUV and for the 2011 model it sees the addition of our 25th anniversary Silver edition. It is powered by a 4.0 liter V6 which makes 266 hp or a 5.6 liter V8 is that is available on the top of the line trim.

Overview


The Pathfinder is Nissan’s mid-size 7-seater SUV. It is powered by a 4.0 liter V6 which makes 266 hp. A 5.6 liter V8 is available on the top of the line trim. A 5-speed transmission directs all the power to the rear wheels, optional four-wheel-drive is available. The SUV can tow up to 6,000 pounds as well (when equipped properly).

The interior is spacious and the design is simple as well. The technology is decent too. But, there is a serious lack of optional extras across all the variants of the SUV available. Nissan has priced the Pathfinder at an MSRP of $28,570, which brings the SUV into direct competition with the Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the Toyota 4Runner. 

Pricing and Features
7.0/10


The 2011 Nissan Pathfinder comes in 5 trim levels - S, SV, 25th Anniversary Silver edition, LE V6, and LE V8. All pathfinder trims, except for the LE V8, are powered by a 4.0 liter V6. The LE V8 gets a 5.6 liter V8. The transmission on all the trims is a 5-speed automatic and power goes to the rear-wheel drive with the optional 4-wheel-drive available. 

Trim

S

SV

25th Anniversary Silver edition

LE V6

LE V8

MSRP

$29,390

$32,730

$36,720

$38,930

N/A

MSRP (4WD)

$31,380

$34,730

$38,720

$41,130

$44,060

Key Features

Rear privacy glass

Adds 17” alloy wheels

Adds to the SV trim

Adds to the 25th-anniversary silver edition

Adds to the LE V6

 

Roof rails 

Back row air conditioning

Heated mirrors

Real wood trim

Navigation system

 

8-way manually adjustable driver seat

dual-zone automatic climate control

Heated front seats

Heated steering wheel

Available rear-seat entertainment system

 

6-speaker stereo 

Upgraded cloth upholstery

Leather upholstery

Sunroof

 
 

CD player

8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat

Power adjustable front passenger seat

Driver’s seat memory functions

 
 

16” alloy wheels

Rear-view camera

10-speaker Bose audio system

18” alloy wheels

 
     

6-CD changer and satellite radio 

Available rear-seat entertainment system

 
       

Available navigation system

 

We recommend

We recommend buying the SV trim as it comes with more than enough comfort features, including an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, better cloth upholstery, dual-zone automatic air conditioning along with rear air conditioning, rearview camera, and more. The SV can be tagged for offering the best value for money proposition in the lineup.

Engine and Performance
7.1/10


The Nissan Pathfinder is powered by a 4.0 liter V6 making 266 hp and 288 lb-ft of torque. This engine is available in all trims other than the LE V8 which makes 310 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque with its 5.6L V8. Both the engines are paired to a 5-speed automatic transmission which directs all the power to the rear wheels in its normal configuration, with the optional 4WD available on all trims. 

In performance tests, the Nissan Pathfinder does 0-60 sprint in 7.4 seconds and the standing quarter-mile in 15.5 seconds. It comes with a top speed of 124 mph. The Nissan Pathfinder with the V8 does the 0-60 sprint in 7.0 seconds. When properly equipped, the pathfinder can tow up to 6,000 pounds. 

Model

Nissan Pathfinder

Ford Explorer

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Toyota 4Runner

MSRP

$28,570

$28,360

$30,215

$30,305

Engine 

4 liter V-6

3.5 liter V-6

3.6 liter V6

4 liter V-6

Drivetrain

rear-wheel drive

front-wheel-drive

rear-wheel drive

rear-wheel drive

Transmission

5-speed Automatic

6-speed Automatic

5-speed Automatic

5-speed Automatic

Power

266 hp @ 5600 rpm

290 hp @ 6500 rpm

290 hp @ 6400 rpm

270 hp @ 5600 rpm

Torque

288 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm

255 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm

260 ft-lbs. @ 4800 rpm

278 lb.-ft. @ 4400 rpm

0-60mph (sec)

7.4

7.7

9

7.3

Quarter-mile (sec)

15.5

16.1

17.8

15.5

Top Speed (mph)

124

108

130

115

The most powerful of the above SUVs are the Ford Explorer and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, both making 290 hp. The Toyota 4Runner follows by making 270 hp, and then comes the Nissan Pathfinder making 266 hp. When comparing the 0-60 mph timings, Toyota 4Runner leads the race with 7.3 seconds, followed by Pathfinder taking 7.4 seconds.

Fuel Economy
5.0/10


The 2011 Nissan Pathfinder gives 14 mpg in the city, 22 mpg on the highway, and a combined mpg of 17. The Nissan Pathfinder comes with a fuel capacity of 21.1-gallon fuel tank, which allows it to have a range of 317 miles in the city, 464 miles in highway, and a combined range of 358 miles. The V8 gives 13 mpg in the city, 18 mpg on the highway, and a combined of 14 mpg. 

Model

Nissan Pathfinder

Ford Explorer

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Toyota 4Runner

MPG (city)

14

17

16

17

MPG (Highway)

22

25

23

23

MPG (Combined)

17

20

18

19

Fuel Capacity (gallons)

21.1

18.6

24.6

23

Range (city/highway/combined)

317/464/358

316/465/372

394/566/442

391/529/437

The most combined range is given by the Jeep Grand Cherokee of 442 miles, then comes the Toyota 4Runner with 437 miles, the Ford Explorer with 372 miles, and the Nissan Pathfinder is 358 miles. In comparison done on fuel economy of the competitors, Ford Explorer is the most frugal with a combined mileage of 20 mpg.

Interior
7.3/10


The Nissan Pathfinder comes with a seating capacity of 7 occupants across the three rows. The second and third-row might feel a bit cramped. The interior on the base trim features cloth upholstered manually adjustable front row seats. The SV trim adds an 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat with better cloth upholstery. The Silver Edition trim brings heating function to the front row, leather upholstery, and a 4-way power-adjustable front passenger seat. 

The LE V6 comes with wood grain on the interior. Dual-zone climate control comes in the SV trim as does rear air conditioning as well. The Pathfinder comes with a cargo capacity of 16.5 cu.ft. and can be expanded by folding down the third row, the second row, and if needed, the front passenger seat as well.

Model

Nissan Pathfinder

Ford Explorer

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Toyota 4Runner

Seating Capacity

7

7

5

5

Front Row (Head/Shoulder/Legroom)

40/58.3/42.4

41.4/61.3/40.6

40/58.6/40.3

39.3/57.8/41.7

Second Row (Head/Shoulder/Legroom)

39.0/58.4/34.2

40.5/61/39.8

39.3/58/38.6

38.6/57.8/32.9

Third Row (Head/Shoulder/Legroom)

36.7/57.1/28.1

37.8/50.8/33.2

N/A

N/A

Cargo Capacity

16.5 cu.ft.

21 cu.ft.

36.3 cu.ft.

47.2 cu.ft.

The 2011 Nissan Pathfinder offers the most legroom in the front row. However, in the second row, Pathfinder offers less than two of its competition. When it comes to the third row, Pathfinder offers the least legroom of the above cars. Both Pathfinder and Explorer offer seating for seven while the other two SUVs on the table only offer seating for five. Major interior features include-

  • Manually adjustable front-row seat
  • Cloth upholstery
  • 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat (SV)
  • Leather upholstery (Silver edition)
  • 4-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat (Silver edition)

How intuitive is the infotainment unit of the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder?

The infotainment unit of the Nissan Pathfinder comes with a CD player and a 6-speaker stereo system. The SV trim adds an information display screen along with an aux jack to the system.

Bluetooth is available in the Silver Edition along with a 10-speaker Bose audio system, 6-CD changer, and satellite radio. The two LE trims offer a rear-seat entertainment system and Navigation as optional extras. Few key features available with the SUV are-

  • CD player
  • 6-speaker stereo
  • SV trim - Information display
  • Silver Edition - 10-speaker bose audio system
  • Silver edition - 6-CD changer
  • LE trims (both) - rear-seat entertainment system and Navigation system

Exterior
6.5/10


The Pathfinder exterior styling is quite simple, and it is okay to look at. The most unique part of the Pathfinder’s simple exterior is the rear door’s door handles, they are on the C-pillar about a quarter way up on the side of the window.

The exterior also features side steps for climbing in, it does have a ground clearance of 9 inches. Other exterior features include roof rails, 16-inch alloy wheels on the base, and 18” alloy wheels on the LE models, and the last is a sunroof which is available on the LE V6 model. 

Model

Nissan Pathfinder

Ford Explorer

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Toyota 4Runner

Curb weight (lbs)

4427 lbs.

4557 lbs.

4470 lbs.

4400 lbs.

Length (in.)

192 in.

197 in.

190 in.

190 in.

width (in.)

73 in.

79 in.

76 in.

76 in.

height (in.)

72 in.

70 in.

69 in.

72 in.

Ground Clearance (in)

9

8

9

9

Wheelbase (in.)

112 in.

113 in.

115 in.

110 in.

In terms of exterior dimensions, the above cars have similar dimensions to each other, except for width, here the Nissan Pathfinder is slimmer than the other cars. The next difference is in the form of curb weight where the Nissan Pathfinder is on the lighter sides of the scales, just 27 pounds heavier than the lightest of the above SUVs. Few standout exterior features include-

  • Side steps
  • Roof rails
  • 16-inch alloy wheels
  • 18-inch alloy wheels (LE)
  • Sunroof

Safety
9.0/10


The 2011 Nissan Pathfinder has not yet completed its crash testing for the NHTSA, we expect it to get good scores. Although, the IIHS has given the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder two “good” and two “marginal” scores. Nissan equips the Pathfinder with many safety features. Few safety highlights of the SUV are-

  • 4-wheel anti-lock braking system
  • Electronic brake force distribution
  • Traction control
  • Vehicle dynamic control
  • Brake actuated limited slip
  • Front and rear crumple zones
  • Side door guard beam

Final Verdict


The 2011 Nissan Pathfinder is a 7-seater SUV. The SUV also has a good set of engines and has the option of 4WD on all trims. With a considerable amount of flaws when compared to the competition like mpg numbers, interior space, and lack of options, we do not recommend getting this Nissan offering.