2020 Nissan Pathfinder

Every 2020 Pathfinder uses the same 284-hp 3.5L direct-injection V6, which is competitive for a mainstream three-row gas SUV.

The V6 makes 259 lb-ft, which is typical for naturally aspirated V6 rivals and below turbo-four or V8 alternatives.

The powertrain carried over unchanged from 2017 to 2020, so instrumented tests of those years apply. They put the car at about 7.4 s, which is mid-pack for a three-row mid-size SUV.

The V6 is smooth and quiet at cruise with adequate midrange. The CVT dulls throttle response, and the engine sounds coarse when pushed hard.

The Xtronic CVT uses simulated steps and is smooth in normal driving, but it drones and feels rubbery under hard acceleration or while towing. The R52's CVT also has a mixed durability reputation.

Both 2WD and 4WD models tow 6,000 lbs, which Nissan marketed as best-in-class, ahead of the 5,000-lb norm for crossover rivals.

Intelligent 4x4 is optional on every trim (S, SV, SL, Platinum) and has 2WD/Auto/Lock modes. It has no low range, torque vectoring or terrain-mode selector.

This is a unibody crossover with about 7 in of ground clearance, Hill Descent Control and a lockable 4WD center coupling. The 2019–2020 Rock Creek Edition is an appearance package with no off-road hardware.

Only one powertrain is offered, the 3.5L V6 with CVT. The Pathfinder Hybrid was dropped after the 2014 model year.

The V6/CVT returns 23 MPG combined in the 2WD configuration and 22 MPG with 4WD. That is typical for a non-hybrid three-row mid-size SUV.

It rates 20 MPG city in both drive configurations. With no hybrid assist, stop-and-go economy is weak.

The CVT's tall ratios give it a respectable 27 MPG highway, about average for the class.

Range is calculated from Nissan's 19.5-gal tank and the EPA combined rating, since EPA does not publish a range figure for gas vehicles. The 4WD model reaches about 429 mi.

EPA's current-price estimate is $2,800 a year for the 2WD model on regular fuel. That is a mid-to-high running cost for the segment.

Every trim runs on regular unleaded, so there is no premium-fuel cost.

NHTSA rates both the FWD and AWD 2020 Pathfinder 5 stars overall. The frontal and rollover sub-ratings are 4 stars.

The 2020 Pathfinder earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick (not TSP+), but only with the LED headlights on the SL and Platinum. Every structural test is Good except the passenger-side small overlap, which is Acceptable. That keeps it below the 80+ band, which requires all-Good results.

The base S gets forward automatic emergency braking and little else. Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Intelligent Cruise Control start at the SV, and there is no lane-keeping assist on any trim. Nissan made Safety Shield 360 standard across the Pathfinder range only from the 2021 model year.

IIHS rates the standard vehicle-to-vehicle AEB Superior. There is no pedestrian-detection rating (IIHS lists it as not available), and the R52 generation never had nighttime pedestrian capability.

Blind Spot Warning and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are standard from the SV (the volume trim) upward but are missing on the base S. Both only alert, with no active intervention and no trailer-aware coverage.

The R52 Pathfinder offered no lane-keeping assist or lane centering, and ProPILOT Assist was never available on this generation. At most, upper trims got a lane-departure warning.

Intelligent Cruise Control is standard from the SV up, but it is a basic radar system with no steering assist or integrated highway assist. It does not reach the full-speed-range refinement of the Highlander or Atlas.

No hands-free or even hands-on steering-assist system is offered on any 2020 Pathfinder trim.

The volume S and SV trims use halogen projectors that IIHS rates Poor. Only the SL and Platinum LED projectors reach Acceptable, and no trim earns Good.

The tall seating position gives a decent forward view, but the rounded R52 body has thick rear pillars and a small rear glass area. The Intelligent Around View Monitor 360° camera helps on the SL and Platinum only.

IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Acceptable. The EZ Flex second row slides and tilts forward for third-row access with a child seat installed, which helps with a family's everyday use.

Every 2020 Pathfinder is a 7-passenger three-row with a 60/40 second-row bench; no 8-seat or captain's-chair configuration was offered.

Front headroom is generous for the segment on the volume SV trim, which has no moonroof.

Front legroom is mid-pack for a mid-size three-row.

Second-row headroom is roomy for the class; the third row also has usable headroom.

The sliding second row gives very long legroom at its rearmost setting, at the expense of third-row space.

The 50/50 third row reclines, and the EZ Flex second row tips and slides for access even with a child seat installed. But 30.7 in of legroom and a low cushion make it a space for kids, not adults.

Cargo space behind the second row is below rivals such as the Pilot and Telluride.

Maximum cargo volume is average for a mid-size three-row.

Storage is competitive: a storage compartment under the cargo floor, a dual-level console, 10 cupholders and 6 bottle holders, four grocery hooks and floor tie-downs. Nothing stands out beyond that, and the 120V outlet is Platinum-only.

The front seats are comfortable and the SV adds an 8-way power driver's seat. The flat second-row bench and the low third row limit long-stint comfort in back.

The ride is compliant on the 18-inch wheels. Reviewers call it firm and choppy over broken pavement, especially on the Platinum's 20s, with busy body motions.

Road and wind noise are kept down at cruise, but the V6 and CVT get loud and droney under hard acceleration. There is no acoustic glass or active noise cancellation.

Tri-zone automatic climate control and push-button start are standard, and the SV adds remote engine start. Heated front and second-row seats plus a heated wheel come on the SL (or SV Rock Creek Tech package), and cooled front seats are Platinum-only.

The 2020 Pathfinder opened at $31,680 before destination for the S 2WD, one of the lowest entry prices among three-row midsize SUVs that year.

The SV is the volume grade, adding adaptive cruise, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, remote start and fog lamps; the figure blends the 2WD/4WD mix.

CarEdge puts Pathfinder maintenance and repairs at about $2,619 over five years. Allowing for tires, brakes and the known repair risk of the R52's Xtronic CVT after the 5/60 powertrain warranty expires puts a realistic figure near $4,600.

The outgoing-generation Pathfinder depreciates faster than the midsize-SUV average, and the 2022 redesign further dented values of the final R52 years.

Nissan's bumper-to-bumper term is the mainstream minimum, matching Toyota, Honda and Ford but short of Hyundai/Kia's five years.

Five years/60,000 miles on the 3.5L V6 and CVT is the segment floor, half of Hyundai/Kia's 10-year/100,000-mile coverage.

Nissan includes 3-year/36,000-mile roadside assistance but no complimentary scheduled maintenance, trailing ToyotaCare on the Highlander; connected services on the 2020 were limited to paid NissanConnect trials on upper grades.

$36,360 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (44% retained, or about $15,998) leaves about $20,362 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,600 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $24,962 in total.

J.D. Power's figure is Average-to-Great, with published numbers of 76/100 and 83/100. Consumer Reports' predicted reliability for 2020 was average (3 of 5), carried forward from the 2017–2019 cars. That average rating comes with a well-documented CVT failure pattern across the R52 generation, so the score sits in the lower half of the mixed-signal band, below the segment median.

Around 2020 Nissan was a lower-mid-pack brand in both Consumer Reports' brand rankings and J.D. Power's VDS, and its image was dragged down by widespread CVT complaints across its lineup. Its later rise in CR's rankings came well after this model year.

The 2020 model year itself has no NHTSA campaign in the recall feed. The same face-lifted generation (2017–2019) carried two ABS-actuator brake-fluid-leak fire recalls with park-outside advice, plus the fleet-wide rear-camera recall. There is also a long run of CVT TSBs (judder codes P17F0/P17F1, TCM reflashes, valve-body replacement). A clean year inside a generation with serious recalls and CVT TSBs scores typical-to-good.

The engine is the proven 284 hp VQ35DD 3.5L V6. It is paired with Nissan's Jatco CVT, which has a poor long-term reputation in this generation: judder, overheating, lurching and outright failure, with valve-body or whole-unit replacement as the remedy. The 2017–2020 units are reported as somewhat better than the 2013–2016 ones, but the transmission still pulls the score into the known-problem band. Nissan dropped the CVT for a ZF 9-speed in the 2022 redesign.

By 2020 this was an eight-year-old cabin with plenty of hard plastic and a dated design. The 8-inch touchscreen and upper-trim leather are acceptable, but reviewers rated it behind newer rivals such as the Telluride, Palisade and Highlander, so it is competitive only at the low end.

It is a mature, late-generation Smyrna build with no assembly-defect recalls for 2020. Owner complaints centre on the CVT rather than rattles or panel issues, and J.D. Power's quality component is Average. That puts it at generally solid with scattered complaints.

About 1,050 US Nissan dealers give near-universal coverage. Nissan's J.D. Power CSI standing around 2020 was mid-pack; its run at the top of the CSI came in 2023–24. That makes it a dense network with average-to-good service satisfaction.

It is a high-volume nameplate whose VQ V6 and chassis parts are shared with Murano, Maxima and QX60, so parts are abundant and there is a large aftermarket. Annual repair cost runs a little above the midsize-SUV average, and a CVT replacement out of warranty is expensive.

An 8.0-inch touchscreen is standard across the lineup and no larger display was offered.

NissanConnect in the R52 is a dated interface with plenty of physical buttons, which helps. Reviewers call it behind the times, the matte screen washes out in sunlight, and there's no phone projection to fall back on.

The 2020 Pathfinder offered neither wired nor wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on any trim, one of the last mainstream three-rows without them. They arrived with the 2022 R53.

Voice recognition covers audio, phone and one-shot destination entry. But native navigation is standard only on SL/Platinum (optional on SV via the Rock Creek Tech package), so the volume trim has no maps at all and no phone projection.

The base system is a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD unit. A 13-speaker Bose system with subwoofers is standard on Platinum and optional on SL, so it's out of reach on the volume SV.

The gauges are analog on every trim, with a 4.0-inch color Advanced Drive-Assist Display between them. No full-digital cluster was offered.

The R52 had no over-the-air software updates. Map and software updates were done at the dealer or by USB.

NissanConnect Services powered by SiriusXM gives app-based remote functions, crash notification and a stolen-vehicle locator. But it's standard only on SL/Platinum (optional on SV), needs a subscription, and has no digital key.

Six USB ports are standard, including two USB-C, which was generous for 2020. There's no wireless phone charger on any trim, and the 120V outlet is Platinum-only.

The S has a remote fob and push-button start. The volume SV adds Intelligent Key proximity entry and remote engine start, and the SL/Platinum get a motion-activated power liftgate. There's no phone-as-key.

A rearview camera and rear sonar are standard. The Intelligent Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection comes on SL/Platinum, so the volume SV has only the rear camera and sensors, and there's no automated parking.

No head-up display was offered on any 2020 Pathfinder trim.

EZ Flex LATCH AND GLIDE lets the second row tip and slide for third-row access with a child seat still installed, and Rear Door Alert is standard. On the downside, LATCH is only on the two outboard second-row seats and the third-row space is tight.

It has a 5-star NHTSA overall rating, IIHS Good in most tests and standard AEB. But blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise start at the SV, no trim has lane-keeping, and the S/SV halogen headlights rate Poor.

Tri-zone climate, six USB ports and a sliding, reclining second row keep passengers comfortable. The rear DVD system is Platinum-only, cargo behind the third row is just 16.2 cu ft, and the choppy ride tires people out.

The CVT and V6 are smooth and quiet at low speed, and adaptive cruise is on the SV. The firm ride, heavy steering and lack of lane-centering keep it from being relaxing.

It returns 23 MPG combined on regular fuel (22 with 4WD), about average for a V6 mid-size three-row at around $2,800 a year in fuel.

At 198.5 in long with a 38.7-ft turning circle, it's big for tight city parking. The volume SV has only a rear camera and rear sonar, and the 360-degree camera is SL-up.

It can tow 6,000 lbs when properly equipped, best in its class in 2020 and well above most crossovers. The CVT has a standard oil cooler, and there's 79.5 cu ft of cargo room. It's still a unibody crossover, not a truck.

The VQ35DD V6 is a proven engine, but CVT durability under towing loads is the known weak point of this generation. The cabin trim is typical family-crossover, not hard-wearing.

It has roof rails, floor tie-downs, grocery hooks and underfloor storage. But the Class III hitch is standard only on Platinum and Rock Creek (optional on SV/SL), and the 120V outlet is Platinum-only.

It has about 450 miles of range from a 19.5-gal tank, a reasonably quiet cruise and adaptive cruise on the SV. Without lane-keeping and with a choppy ride, it's tiring on long drives.

The 4WD system has 2WD/Auto/Lock modes and Hill Descent Control, and it tows 6,000 lbs. With 7.0 in of ground clearance and a 16.5-degree approach angle, it's for gravel roads and trailheads, not real trails. The Rock Creek Edition is mostly cosmetic.

The 60/40 second row and 50/50 third row fold flat, the second row slides, and it has roof rails, an underfloor bin and up to 79.5 cu ft. Space behind the second row (41.8 cu ft) trails rivals.

Handling is composed but not agile. Body roll is controlled on smooth roads, and Car and Driver measured modest grip for an R52 of this spec.

The hydraulic-electric steering is accurate enough but numb, and reviewers note it can feel overly heavy at times.

Car and Driver measured a long 179-ft 70–0 mph stop on this chassis, behind the class leaders. Pedal feel is ordinary.

The 284-hp V6 is smooth and quick enough, and D-Step logic fakes shifts under hard throttle. The CVT still mutes response and hunts and drones when you push it.

The V6 is quiet at cruise but gets coarse and droney near wide-open throttle through the CVT.

Its turning circle is mid-pack for a 198.5-in three-row.

The high seating position and simple physical controls work well. The volume SV has only a manual tilt/telescoping wheel (power with memory on SL/Platinum), and the thick rear pillars block the view over the shoulder.

The V6 has decent punch, but the CVT, numb steering and choppy ride make it an appliance to drive.

The $31,680 S includes a 284-hp V6, tri-zone automatic climate, automatic emergency braking, satellite radio and a reclining fold-flat third row — competitive for the price, though blind-spot warning and adaptive cruise wait for the SV and the 8-in screen lacked Apple CarPlay/Android Auto on the S.

Undercuts Highlander, Pilot and Explorer at entry with a strong V6 and a 6,000-lb tow rating, but the dated cabin, CVT and weak resale erode the value argument versus a Telluride or Atlas.

Four grades (S, SV, SL, Platinum), each in 2WD or 4WD, plus the Rock Creek Edition package on SV/SL, spanning roughly $32.7k–$46k — reasonable spread but a single powertrain and seven-seat-only layout.

About 65,000 sold in 2019, but volume fell sharply in 2020 amid the pandemic and the run-out of the R52 ahead of the 2022 redesign — far behind Explorer, Highlander and Pilot.

Nissan's image was at a low ebb in 2019–2020 (fleet-heavy sales, the Ghosn scandal, CVT reliability reputation), and weak Pathfinder residuals reflect it.

As a run-out model in a pandemic year, the 2020 Pathfinder commonly carried large cash rebates and 0% long-term financing, making it one of the most negotiable three-row SUVs.

2020 is the eighth model year of the R52 generation (launched for 2013, facelifted for 2017), and it was the last year before the all-new 2022 R53 — an aging design facing imminent replacement.

Reviewers praised the V6 and towing but consistently ranked the Pathfinder near the bottom of midsize-SUV comparisons for its dated interior, CVT and firm ride; no major awards.