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4.2

Nissan Pathfinder

Starts at:
$27,540
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New 2010 Nissan Pathfinder
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2WD 4dr V6 S FE+ 4WD 4dr V6 S 2WD 4dr V6 SE 4WD 4dr V6 SE 2WD 4dr V6 LE 4WD 4dr V6 LE 4WD 4dr V8 LE Shop options
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Key specifications

Highlights
Gas V6
Engine Type
15 City / 22 Hwy
MPG
266 hp
Horsepower
7
Seating Capacity
Engine
288 @ 4000
SAE Net Torque @ RPM
266 @ 5600
SAE Net Horsepower @ RPM
4.0L/241
Displacement
Gas V6
Engine Type
Suspension
Double-Wishbone
Suspension Type - Rear (Cont.)
Double-Wishbone
Suspension Type - Front (Cont.)
Independent
Suspension Type - Rear
Independent
Suspension Type - Front
Weight & Capacity
N/A
Curb Weight
N/A
Aux Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx
21 gal
Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx
N/A
Maximum Trailering Capacity
Electrical
110
Maximum Alternator Capacity (amps)
550
Cold Cranking Amps @ 0° F (Primary)
Brakes
Not Available
Drum - Rear (Yes or )
12.1 x 0.7 in
Rear Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness
11.7 x 1.1 in
Front Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness
Yes
Disc - Rear (Yes or )

Notable features

V-6 or V-8
Five-speed automatic
Seats seven
RWD or 4WD
7,000-pound towing capacity

Engine

288 @ 4000 SAE Net Torque @ RPM
266 @ 5600 SAE Net Horsepower @ RPM
4.0L/241 Displacement
Gas V6 Engine Type

Suspension

Double-Wishbone Suspension Type - Rear (Cont.)
Double-Wishbone Suspension Type - Front (Cont.)
Independent Suspension Type - Rear
Independent Suspension Type - Front

Weight & Capacity

N/A Curb Weight
N/A Aux Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx
21 gal Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx
N/A Maximum Trailering Capacity
600 lbs Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Tongue Wt.
6,000 lbs Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt.
500 lbs Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt.
5,000 lbs Dead Weight Hitch - Max Trailer Wt.
N/A Maximum Payload Capacity
N/A Curb Weight - Rear
N/A Curb Weight - Front
4,446 lbs Base Curb Weight
0 lbs Total Option Weight

Electrical

110 Maximum Alternator Capacity (amps)
550 Cold Cranking Amps @ 0° F (Primary)

Brakes

Not Available Drum - Rear (Yes or )
12.1 x 0.7 in Rear Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness
11.7 x 1.1 in Front Brake Rotor Diam x Thickness
Yes Disc - Rear (Yes or )
Yes Disc - Front (Yes or )
N/A Brake ABS System (Second Line)
4-Wheel Brake ABS System
Power Brake Type

Photo & video gallery

2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2010 Nissan Pathfinder

Factory warranties

New car program benefits

Basic
3 years / 36,000 miles
Corrosion
5 years
Powertrain
5 years / 60,000 miles

Certified Pre-Owned program benefits

Age / mileage
Nissan and non-Nissan vehicles less than 10 years old and less than 100,000 miles. (Nissan vehicles less than 6 years from original new car in-service date must have more than 60,000 to qualify for Certified Select.)
Dealer certification
84-point inspection

The good & the bad

The good

V-8 acceleration
Dashboard controls
Front-seat comfort
Rear visibility
Cargo accessibility

The bad

Gas mileage
Ride over rough pavement
Handling and body roll
Dashboard plastics
Steering wheel doesn't telescope

Consumer reviews

4.2 / 5
Based on 17 reviews
Write a review
Comfort 4.2
Interior 4.3
Performance 4.2
Value 4.4
Exterior 4.5
Reliability 4.4

Most recent

It runs good went on vacations, use it for work. G

Its a good vehicle, had one hefore.the only problem I had us letting my older sister use it for work and she recked it,that sucked.
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Transporting family
  • Does recommend this car
Comfort 5.0
Interior 5.0
Performance 4.0
Value 5.0
Exterior 5.0
Reliability 4.0
6 people out of 6 found this review helpful. Did you?
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Most amazing car I’ve owned

We are a family of five with three dogs. We love going outdoors and off roading and it’s hard to do that in a family car. This one is so reliable, comfortable, fits all our needs and is so pretty!!!
  • Purchased a Used car
  • Used for Transporting family
  • Does recommend this car
Comfort 5.0
Interior 5.0
Performance 5.0
Value 5.0
Exterior 5.0
Reliability 5.0
3 people out of 3 found this review helpful. Did you?
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2010 Nissan Pathfinder review: Our expert's take

By Lori Hindman


Some SUVs are trucks intended for families, softened and eased for family living. Some trucks are insulted by the very thought. The 2010 Nissan Pathfinder is of the second group. It’s a truck made for rough roads and cargo. Sure, throw a few kids in there; the Pathfinder can take it, but don’t go looking for extra cupholders or a roomy third row. This is a truck that won’t accommodate. Love it or leave it. If I were a single person with lots of gear or a big dog I might have loved the Pathfinder. As I am a mom with lots of gear, a small dog and children, I’ll leave it, thanks.

It’s not that the Pathfinder is awful. Life with kids can work in the Pathfinder. We managed a week with only minor grousing and made it to all our sporting events, classes and errands. Life continued on as usual, but there is just so much of that Pathfinder that didn’t fit into our plans. That third row? We never used it. My 10-year-old preferred to sit in the second-row seat rather than cram himself into that teeny seat in the third row. The big V-6 engine with the 6,000-pound towing capacity and four-wheel drive? Yeah, we live in the suburbs and don’t own a boat or a horse trailer. We didn’t need that.

While the price tag was moderate the Pathfinder SE 4×4 model I drove cost $36,615 and the base model with rear-wheel drive starts at $27,540 its EPA-estimated 14/20 mpg city/highway and premium gas requirement means this SUV isn’t exactly economical.

I will admit that driving the Pathfinder is fun. It sits up high on the road, allowing me to look down upon other vehicles. Literally. The ride is typically bouncy, which is actually pretty entertaining. I’d rather bounce over obstacles than pound into them like a sports car. So, while I felt most of the bumps in the road, it was a bit like riding in a moon bounce. In a good way. The brakes felt solid and brought the Pathfinder to a stop even more quickly than I had anticipated, which only made me feel more secure. The V-6 engine has power enough to match its roar, and it tore up hills and freeway on-ramps like it was on fire. No mountain was too steep for the Pathfinder, and no freeway driver was too aggressive. Other drivers should fear the Pathfinder. I found myself driving more aggressively than usual just because I could.

In the end, though, all that bouncing, hill climbing and cargo loading was fun, but just not how I live my life. The Pathfinder is a decent truck, as trucks go, but I’m just not a truck kind of mama. I prefer a bit more softness, subtlety and ease to my daily drive. 
 

EXTERIOR
The 2010 Pathfinder is unapologetically boxy. It could have been built with giant Duplo blocks. However, it’s not bad-looking. It’s tough, strong and doesn’t fool around. This is a truck that means business.

In front, wide-set headlights anchor the corners, while a big grille is wrapped in chrome. My SE 4×4 model came on beefy 17-inch alloy wheels and serious tires designed to take on pretty much any road surface you’d care to throw at them. My newly paved suburban roads never stood a chance. In fact, I think I may have heard the Pathfinder yawn once or twice.

Getting in and out of the Pathfinder could be a challenge, but a running board provides a needed step up. In particular, it makes getting to the third row more manageable. The front doors open fairly wide and easily, but the rear door handles are set high up at window level rather than in line with the front door handles. While it’s certainly no problem for adults, small children can’t reach it. My 7-year-old even struggled with it occasionally. Preschool-age kids won’t stand a chance.

Loading cargo into it is easier than loading kids. Once it’s released, the liftgate almost lifts itself, and the cargo floor is right at hip height, meaning no lifting up or down when loading groceries or anything else from a cart. The rear window also pops open separately for easy access to cargo.

The 2010 Pathfinder comes with a 4.0-liter V-6 engine that makes 266 horsepower and 288 pounds-feet of torque. That means it can power up a hill with a loaded trailer while the air conditioner blows at full, icy blast. The Pathfinder can switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive at low speeds. There’s no need to stop in the mud and manually switch anything.

SENSE AND STYLE
Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Fair
Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Good Times

INTERIOR
The interior of the Pathfinder was where I had most of my problems. I may have even used an inappropriate word or two in frustration.

My problem was I couldn’t figure out how to use most of the systems. It took me the full week of my test drive to figure out how to use the Bluetooth system. I looked in the manual, and it told me to press buttons that weren’t there. Silly me, I was trying to read the manual and hook up my phone while safely parked in my driveway. The Bluetooth system is voice activated and only works while the car is moving. Seriously? That’s safe.

I also didn’t know that the Pathfinder had XM Satellite Radio until I stumbled on it accidentally. There’s no indication on the audio controls. I only found it by scrolling through FM1, FM2, AM and then XM popped up. Cool! (Insert frustrated growl here.) There’s also an MP3 jack in the Pathfinder but no USB interface. At least the climate control was easy enough to work since we were blessed with a heat wave during my test drive. There are vents for all three rows and the automatic climate control has dual zones, so the husband and I didn’t need to argue about the definition of “freezing.”

I did enjoy the multitude of storage options in the front seat. There were cubbies and bins everywhere, generously sized to stash all my stuff. Cupholders are conveniently placed and have removable liners that wash out easily. The large center bin has slots for coins and CDs, as well as a plug for charging electronics and a deep well for tossing all my loose items or a medium-size purse. Even the door bins are useful with bonus bottleholders.

The plush cloth seats in the seven-seater are comfy enough, but they show every speck of lint, dust and Goldfish cracker crumb. I’m a big believer that leather is always worth the investment when kids are involved. Controls for the rear air conditioning sit on the back of the center console, as do the second row’s cupholders, which are near the floor. Only kids out of boosters will be able to reach them, though. A small armrest folds out of the back of the seat, but it’s just a short shelf. It doesn’t boast any cupholders or hidden storage compartments.

The first two rows are roomy and comfy enough to help absorb some of the bouncy ride, but the third row is almost a joke. I had to sit sideways to fit in it, and even my kids didn’t want to sit back there after the first time they tried it. Those two extra seats are for short trips and emergency carpools only. Access to the third row is not overly difficult. The second-row seats fold and tumble forward to create a passageway.

With the third row folded down, there’s plenty of room in the flat cargo area. I was never pressed for space, even when I forgot to remove the baseball gear before I went grocery shopping. There are cubbies on the sides of the cargo space that will hold a couple of gallons of milk or a large jug of laundry detergent.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Galore
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Galore

SAFETY
Because they’re height adjustable, the Pathfinder’s rear seat belts fit kids and adults alike. This means I could safely let my 7-year-old ride in the second row using only the seat belt.

The lower Latch anchors are a breeze to use. They’re easily accessible, making child-safety-seat installation refreshingly simple. However, there are only two sets of Latch anchors in the second row and none in the third. There’s room in the second row for even the bulkiest of infant-safety seats, but there’s not room for three car seats in the second row. I wouldn’t attempt to install a car seat in the third row. It’s just too cramped back there.

The Pathfinder has standard four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, electronic stability control, traction control, side-impact airbags for the front row and side curtain airbags for all three rows.

Four-wheel drive is optional, so is a backup camera, which is part of a $3,050 options package.

Get more safety information about the 2010 Pathfinder here.

Read more

Safety review

Based on the 2010 Nissan Pathfinder base trim
NHTSA crash test and rollover ratings, scored out of 5.
Frontal driver
4/5
Frontal passenger
4/5
Nhtsa rollover rating
3/5

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