The tested SL
4WD version of the sport-utility vehicle looks more aggressive than its
predecessor, with prominent “boomerang-shaped” headlights nicely placed on the
restyled front end. An aerodynamic
profile translated to quiet motoring on the highway.
Best of all,
the V-6 engine gets a significant power boost for 2017; the 3.5-liter V-6 now
puts out 284 horses. That’s up 24 from
the previous generation.
And it
shows. The tester jumped off the line
from a standing start and demonstrated significantly more muscle on the
freeways than what I remember from a couple years back.
The starting
price of $37,390 on the tested Pathfinder included a generous menu of
goodies: eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support, a
heated/leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated exterior mirrors with LED turn
signals, a motion-activated liftgate and a most-helpful rear cross traffic alert.
Mine was
dressed up with about $3,400 in extras, an SL Premium Package that included a
premium Bose audio system with 13 speakers and a dual panorama moonroof.
Worth noting:
a top-level, five-star overall federal government safety rating.
Fuel mileage
comes in at a so-so 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.
As I’ve said
in previous reviews, the Pathfinder takes me back to younger days when it was
regarded as the prototypical vehicle for an extended road trip far from the
urban jungle. The characteristics that
implanted those memories in my head remain in the 2017 Pathfinder.
It’s an
easy-steering, nimble, generally quiet cruiser, even as it's making its way up steep
climbs in the Sierra Nevada . Yes, you can take it off-road, but for me,
the Pathfinder is best enjoyed on a daylong road outing, opting for the scenic
rural roads over the get-me-there-now interstates.
Just my
romanticized preference, mind you.
If you are
likewise inclined to hit the road, take along friends and cargo. The Pathfinder’s three-row, seven-passenger
capacity configuration offers plenty of spread-out room.
If your road trip involves just two of you, the Pathfinder’s back end
can be configured to carry plenty of suitcases and supplies.
Overall
roominess – passengers and cargo – comes to 173.8 cubic feet. Need to take more
stuff?: towing capacity is up to 6,000 pounds.
For me, this
is the best Pathfinder yet. If you’re a
road trip junkie, it should be on your test-drive list.
No comments:
Post a Comment