2026 Nissan Pathfinder Has A Nicer Interior With Bigger Screens, But It Still Doesn't Stand Out
Midsize three-row crossovers aren't especially exciting to most folks, and I am here to tell you that I am most folks. I don't find three-row SUVs to be particularly exciting, but I understand that excitement isn't their mission statement. Their purpose is to cart around American families, their pets, their luggage, and possibly tow around their toys in reliable, efficient, user-friendly comfort. The current Nissan Pathfinder has done those tasks for thousands of families since its introduction in 2021, and now Nissan's given it a mild refresh for the 2026 model year.
What has changed? Not much, but the Pathfinder didn't need much to remain appealing. The 2026 car is still a good choice, but it faces ever-tougher competition from the likes of more recently redesigned SUVs like the Chevrolet Traverse, Hyundai Palisade, and Kia Telluride.
Logan K. Carter
Full disclosure: Nissan flew me out to Nashville to sample the redesigned 2026 Pathfinder as well as several other 2026 model-year cars. The Nissan folks put me up in a nice hotel and fed me tasty foods, none of which influence this review.
Minor tweaks to styling and tech make up most of the changes for 2026
If you can't tell that the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder is redesigned, I don't blame you. Its looks are vastly the same as before, just with reshaped front and rear fascias that look classy and attractive. The biggest change on the outside is the new grille, complete with the latest version of Nissan's signature V-Motion design, and it has less chrome on some trims. Two vertical elements on either side of the grille also distinguish it from the outgoing model, but just barely. Out back the changes are virtually indistinguishable, so it retains its handsome, square-jawed looks.
Inside, visual changes are also minimal, but there's a new steering wheel design, a larger standard 12.3-inch touchscreen (up 3.3-inches from the old optional one), a few new buttons on the dash, and a new quilting pattern on Platinum trim models. More tech upgrades include an enhanced optional surround-view camera system that includes an invisible hood function, and a fancy new wireless phone charger.
Mechanicals remain the same, and that's a good thing
The 2021 Pathfinder did away with the CVT that plagued the prior generation of the car, and I have great news: Nissan still exclusively offers the Pathfinder with a traditional nine-speed automatic transmission. Under the hood is the same naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 that produces 284 horsepower and 259 lb-ft of torque, upped to 295 hp and 270 lb-ft in Rock Creek trim. That torque is sent to either the front wheels, or optionally to all four wheels, again with an exception of the Rock Creek, which has AWD standard.
2026 Pathfinders can tow up to 6,000 pounds when properly equipped with the transmission cooler that's standard on the Rock Creek and Platinum, optional on the SV and SL, and unavailable on the base S trim. Pathfinders without transmission coolers can still tow up to 3,500 pounds. Fuel economy also varies by trim, with the highest efficiency going to AWD models at 21 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined. Front-wheel-drive cars generally lose 1 mpg in the city, and the Rock Creek trim with its all-terrain tires is rated for 20 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined.
It drives well, though not exciting in any way, shape or form
I had a very short time behind the wheel of the 2026 Nissan Pathfinder, but I was at least able to experience several different road conditions, none of which upset the Pathfinder. It never felt especially bad, but also not especially good. I got behind the wheel of a top trim Pathfinder Platinum that was loaded to the gills, and it was completely fine to drive, just a bit of a snooze fest. The steering felt unnecessarily heavy yet lacked feel, I occasionally experienced some noticeable throttle lag from a dead stop, and a fair amount of engine noise made its way into the cabin under hard acceleration.
As a cruiser, the Pathfinder Platinum was great, with a comfortable ride, cushy seats, and minimal wind and engine noise at highway speeds. It's not a vehicle that anyone is likely to push to its limits on twisty roads, which is good because the experience is unrewarding, but it never felt unsafe.
Pathfinder Platinums provide plush perches
My top-trim Pathfinder test car came with the new semi-aniline quilted leather seats in the first and second rows, which are both heated and cooled. The driver's seat had ample adjustment with eight-way adjustablity and two-way lumbar, and there was a fair amount of space for my admittedly long-legged 6-foot-8-inch frame. Interior materials look and feel premium. There are beautifully simplistic physical climate controls, and a couple more buttons and a volume knob for the stereo, but everything else is hiding in the touchscreen.
Nissan's newest infotainment system works well and is relatively straightforward, but I find its dark, nearly monochromatic color scheme to be suboptimal for use while driving. Fortunately it comes standard with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, so you don't have to worry much about getting lost in its dark menus too often.
Logan K. Carter/ Jalopnik
The Pathfinder's new wireless charger is nifty. It's an elevated platform in the front of the center console that sticks up and uses a magsafe to hold your phone steady and in place, with a cooling fan to prevent overheating your device while it's being charged with 15 watts of power.
The refresh brings minimal changes, but also minimal changes in price, which is nice
Thankfully Nissan didn't hike 2026 Pathfinder prices up too much, with the base front-wheel-drive Pathfinder S costing $1,100 more than last year at $38,995 including $1,495 destination, and other trim levels getting much lower price increases. For that price, the Pathfinder offers 18-inch alloy wheels, the new standard 12.3-inch infotainment system, seating for eight, and Nissan's Safety Shield 360 suite of driver-assistance features that includes automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and rear automatic braking. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 option on all trims save for the toughened Rock Creek trims.
Logan K. Carter
Prices for the volume trim Pathfinder SV only goes up $510 to $41,395, and adds heated front seats, a power tailgate, an eight-way power driver's seat, front parking sensors, and Intelligent Cruise Control with Nissan's ProPilot Assist which includes steering assistance. Pathfinder SLs increase by $410 to $43,995, giving you a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, seats made from Nissan's faux leather called TailorFit, a wireless phone charger, an enhanced surround View camera system, and the option for second-row captain's chairs.
Nissan
Pathfinder Platinum prices increase by $760 to $50,895, with the trim including tons of equipment like a power adjustable steering wheel, power folding mirrors, two-driver seat memory, 20-inch alloy wheels, a tow hitch and trailer harness, heated and cooled front seats and heated outboard reat seats with quilted leather, a 13-speaker Bose audio system, a head-up display, and second-row sun shades. The rugged Rock Creek trim goes up $510 to $46,495, and comes standard with the high-output engine, 7.7 inches of ground clearance (up from the rest of the lineup's 7.1 inches), 265/60 all-terrain tires, specially styled bumpers, and leatherette seats.
The Nissan Pathfinder changes very little for 2026, and that's not a bad thing. It's still a totally viable choice for a family looking for a three-row crossover, but this is a highly competitive market segment and the Pathfinder doesn't really stand out from the overachieving crowd. Nissan expects 2026 Pathfinders to be on dealer lots early next year.