The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is a spacious, four-wheel-drive (4WD) SUV that offers a comfortable ride with lots of cargo space for all of your family’s gear. The 3.5L V6 engine is powerful enough to handle a vehicle of this size.
The 2022 Pathfinder lives up to its “return to rugged” marketing with a design of squared-off angles, both inside and out. The Pathfinder’s lenses are styled similarly and offer bright LED lighting all around. The two-tone exterior is an available option — an extra $950 — that matches a black roof with another colour for the rest of the body. My tester was the Platinum trim level with 20” alloy wheels (P255/50R20).
The interior design carries over the square theme and maintains a minimalistic style. The nine-inch centre touchscreen was easy to use, and some features are accessible with buttons just below the screen. Between the centre screen, head-up display, and instrument cluster, there is plenty of information displayed. Climate control is located below the vents separately and the Platinum trim comes with heated and cooled front seats. Tri-zone automatic temperature control is also included in this trim level and there are rear vents through the cabin, even in the third row.
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is spacious, and the seats are comfortable. The third-row bench is a 60/40 split that easily folds flat. The panoramic moonroof adds a lot natural light into the cabin and for those very sunny days, the rear passenger doors have built-in sunshades. There are specific instructions in the owner’s manual on how to operate the motion-activated liftgate, standard equipment for the Platinum trim. Kick straight, don’t swing your leg, and wait two seconds for the liftgate to start opening. The liftgate’s position is adjustable which is encouraging if you park in a covered area with a low ceiling.
Technology
The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is loaded with technology featuring its standard Safety Shield 360, which includes forward collision warning, blind spot intervention, and lane intervention where the brakes can be slightly applied by the vehicle if it detects the Pathfinder is straying from the lane. The blind spot intervention works similarly. When the vehicle detects that you’re changing lanes while another vehicle is in the blind spot area, it can apply the brakes. In essence, while you think that you’ve got your foot on the accelerator pedal for the lane change, the vehicle could be braking instead.
Nissan brake pads have had issues in the past with rapid wear — a quick Google search provides countless owners detailing the issues. Now that the vehicle is braking when you’re not aware of it, I’m hoping that the technology doesn’t exacerbate premature brake wear.
One feature that I love in the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, and was grateful for it when my kids were younger, is the display on the instrument cluster confirming seat belts are buckled. When my kids were in boosters and could buckle themselves in, it gave me peace of mind that we were safe to start our drive.
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
Basic maintenance
Open the hood of the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder and you’ll find the components, wiring, and plumbing are all politely covered. While the vehicle has a long hood design, there isn’t a lot of space in the engine bay. Fortunately, basic do-it-yourself maintenance items are located within easy access. Fluid reservoirs aren’t very transparent, and the minimum/maximum levels are difficult to discern at first glance. I recommend running over the embossed MIN/MAX letters with a permanent marker. Further reading in the owner’s manual will explain how to replace items such as light bulbs, air filter, and perform an engine oil and filter change. If you need to jump start the vehicle, the owner’s manual is good at explaining how to do so, going so far as to note that the booster vehicle should be running for a few minutes, then its engine speed brought up to approximately 2,000 rpm when starting the Pathfinder.
The spare tire is located under the vehicle. When you bring the Pathfinder in for service, ask your technician to check the spare tire pressure. The tire valve is accessible without lowering the tire. Of course, you can also do this on your own though it’s more convenient if your technician has the vehicle up on the hoist anyway. Every so often, check the spare tire equipment to ensure that the cable and winding mechanism isn’t seized.
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Coolant Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Jump Start Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Reservoir Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Spare tire Photo by Emily Chung
Nissan, like many manufacturers, have a normal and severe maintenance schedule. According to the owner’s manual, severe schedule is required if you drive the vehicle for repeated short trips of less than eight-kilometres, repeated short trips of less than 16-kms with outside temperatures below freezing, operating in hot weather in stop-and-go “rush hour” traffic, etc. For most drivers, it is recommended to follow the severe schedule. An item of note is that the transmission fluid needs to be replaced for the first time at 18 months or 24,000 kms (whichever comes first). This is significantly sooner that most vehicles, perhaps influenced by the number of issues Nissan/Infiniti had with their CVT transmissions in past years (Driving’s Justin Pritchard suggests seeking servicing records if buying a used Pathfinder). Interestingly, the automatic transmission fluid does not appear again in the owner’s manual maintenance schedule. There is a note at the end of the chapter that the replacement interval for the automatic transmission fluid is 240,000 kms. This is too long, in my opinion, if you are planning to keep the vehicle beyond the warranty period. Also early on, at 24 months or 32,000 kms, the recommendation is to replace the differential gear oil and transfer case fluid. The next interval for these fluids is at 64,000 kms or 48 months (whichever comes first).
Child car seat
When it comes to installing a rear-facing child car seat, the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder has adequate cabin room so you may not need to move the front passenger seat in order to accommodate the child car seat’s recline angle. The seat bench is angled slightly so you may need to use a rolled towel or get a car seat base that offers more range in order to get the correct angle. Remember that you need a small gap between the car seat and the front passenger seat, both seats shouldn’t be touching each other for safety reasons, in the case of a collision.
Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
For a front-facing child car seat installation in the second row, the headrests tilt slightly forward so they should be removed beforehand in order for the child car seat to sit flush with the vehicle’s seatback. A notable feature of the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is that the second-row seats pivot so that you don’t need to uninstall the forward-facing child car seat in order to access the third row, the feature is called Latch and Glide. The clearance is tight, but the tilt is good if you have small children or nimble passengers trying to get to the third row.
The UAS is easily accessible and clearly marked so if your child car seat has wide buckles then it won’t be an issue latching on. UAS is available on the outboard seating positions only, the centre seat in the third row must have a child car seat installed with the three-point seatbelt. Another note, the third row is roughly a 60/40 split though if you plan on installing a car seat in the centre, make sure that the right and left sides of the seat back are aligned with each other. All tether anchors are located directly behind the seat.
Storage
Overall, the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder offers plenty of storage. The trunk floor lifts up to expose a storage area, the second-row captain’s chairs make way for additional storage and cup holders in the centre, double cup holders and USB charging ports are available for each third-row outboard seat, and the list goes on. In fact, my tester had three 12-volt outlets, six USB ports, a wireless charger, ten cup holders, and six bottle holders! The front passenger has a small storage built into the dashboard — you won’t have to move your items out of the way for the front passenger’s.
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum Photo by Emily Chung
When the third-row seats are folded, the trunk space is very large, and you may want to consider getting a cargo organizer to keep bags and other items from shifting while driving. I appreciated courtesy hooks in the trunk to hold my bags after a grocery run.
Currently in its fifth generation, the starting price for the family-friendly SUV is $44,338. The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder is available as a seven- or eight-seater, it has a large cargo capacity and towing capability, plus it’s a great alternative for those who really don’t want to drive a minivan.
Emily Chung is a licensed automotive service technician and an independent auto repair shop owner.
Keyword: SUV Review: 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum