I have spent a lot of time with the eight-seater 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti with my family and it makes a fantastic BabyDrive! You can read about our adventures and its off-road ability here. Otherwise, let's dive straight in and put it through our BabyDrive testing to see how it fairs as an everyday family car…
The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder is available as either a seven or eight-seater. I have the eight-seater here with bench seats in both rear rows.
In the second-row seats of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti, there are ISOFix in the outer two seats AND a single ISOFix in the central seat. This doesn't allow you to install three ISOFix seats across but it does give you flexibility for where you position one or two ISOFix child seats.
There are top tether anchorages for all three second-row seats, they are clearly labelled in the back of the seat backs.
In the third-row seats of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti there are ISOFix and top tether anchorage for the left-hand seat only.
In the third-row seats I installed the Infasecure Aspire More using the top tether anchorage and I also put the Versatile Folding Booster seat back there as it does not require a top tether anchorage.
When it comes to legroom the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder is very good. We found we could fit a 180cm passenger in front of a rear-facing Infasecure Achieve More child seat with a 180cm adult in the third row too.
Third-row access is very good in the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti. There is a press-button mechanism for you to bring the second-row seat forward with a child seat installed if you use the ISOFix, not the seatbelt. Giving you a nice clear walk-through to the third-row seats.
The Pathfinder's doors open really nice and wide giving you great access in and out for passengers and when installing child seats.
There are built-in window blinds in the rear doors of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti model I am testing. I love these as they shelter the rear passengers from the sun while driving and take the stress away on journeys when you suddenly find your little one in the sun and you are wondering what towel or jumper you can trap in the rear door or window to shade them!
Also, the rear windows in this model I'm testing are very tinted. I found this fantastic not only for keeping the kids shaded but for keeping the interior of the car cool and for making it hard for other people to see in when we had our camping gear in the back when we were on holiday.
The bottom of the doors in this Ti model have a plastic guard that wraps around them. I found that this stops the sand and dirt from getting inside the doors when you drive off-road and stops it from getting on your trousers when you get in and out of the car.
When it comes to practical storage for passengers on board the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti is very good in all three rows. In the third row, it has double cup holders on both sides so passengers are well catered for.
Second-row passengers have an abundance of well-designed storage with double cup holders in the arms of the doors. These have to be my favourite of all! They can hold your kids' drink and a snack and they can reach them while you are driving so you are not having to pass things back all the time. there are also very generous door bins and storage in the little handle wells too.
Storage is awesome in the front too, the bridge central console finally gives you somewhere to put your handbag rather than the passenger's footwell!
Central console, glove box and door bins are all generous in size and really practical for everyday family life in the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti and the shelf on the dash is handy for the passenger's phone.
Storage in the boot remains really practical for families. The previous generation Nissan Pathfinder had the biggest boot for families of the seven-seaters I tested at the time. I'm pleased to say the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder is even better! When using all seven or eight seats the boot will hold eight shopping bags. That's comparable to the Hyundai Palisade and the Toyota Kluger which also hold eight, the Mazda CX-9 will hold six shopping bags and the Kia Carnival will hold ten shopping bags.
A double side-by-side pram will fit in the boot of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti when using all eight seats with three bags of shopping, which is pretty epic for large families.
If you are only planning on using the first two rows of seats the boot is enormous in the Nissan Pathfinder. It will hold 22 shopping bags, which is the same as the new Hyundai Palisade, three more than the Toyota Kluger, and five more than the Mazda CX-9 but still four bags less than the Kia Carnival which holds 26 shopping bags.
A twin or double pram will easily fit in the boor of the Nissan Pathfinder with thirteen bags of shopping around it.
You can easily fit your large family dog in the boot when using two rows of seats or a small dog will be comfortable in the boot when using all three rows of seats in the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti.
We found the large underfloor plastic storage area really helpful when we used it with our family and found both our girls' scooters fitted in there – and more – when we went on holiday.
We also found the seats and boot of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti really flexible for our family of four. The rear seats are split 60:40 and we found by putting the 40% down in both rear rows we could still seat our family of five and get all our camping gear or Paddleboards in which is great news for active families.
There are aircon vents in all three rows of the Nissan Pathfinder which is excellent news for all onboard, keeping everyone nice and comfortable in the rear two rows with ceiling vents.
Thankfully these can be controlled from the front dashboard just below the front air vents. This is great for parents with little ones in the back who aren't big enough to control their own climate, or siblings who fight and squabble over it!!
There also controls in the back of the central console box for those with bigger kids or adults riding in the back.
The media system in the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti has Apple CarPlay, which is great. The screen is nice and large. The media system is modern and easy to use and navigate.
The cameras are excellent in the Nissan Pathfinder, with lovely clear images and multiple angles to view from.
The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder has scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating and has seven airbags as standard: Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags (all three rows) are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.
There are seat belt removal reminders in all rear seats with a great visual on the driver display screen.
The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti is a great large SUV to drive. It doesn't have that lethargic, lolloping feeling that a lot of them have and despite trying my best driving up and down a mountain no one got travel sick in the back! We really tested the Pathfinder with eight passengers onboard doing some off-roading on the beach and it coped really well with the challenge and I'm glad to say without getting bogged! You can read more about that here.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti?
The boot of the brand-new Nissan Pathfinder is thankfully still as practical as the previous generation, having one of the biggest boots in this segment. When using all seven or eight seats the boot will hold eight shopping bags. That's comparable to the Hyundai Palisade and the Toyota Kluger which both also hold eight, the Mazda CX-9 will hold six shopping bags and the Kia Carnival will hold ten shopping bags.
For those families with twins or little ones with a small age gap you'll be happy to know a twin side-by-side pram fits very easily into the boot of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti with room for a few bags of shopping too.
A modular double pram also fits in the boot with three shopping bags when all eight seats are in use.
A single pram fits in the boot with three shopping bags.
A compact stroller fits in the boot of the Pathfinder when using all eight seats with six bags of shopping around it.
When using all eight seats there is a generous amount of space that a dog can travel in or if you need to do an emergency nappy change it's got a nice flat, soft surface.
Underneath the boot floor is a very large, plastic storage box which is gold for families. Either to store extra stuff away in when you're going camping or a road trip. It's also really handy on beach days for wet gear!
If you are only a family of four or five using the first two rows of seats, the boot is enormous in the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti. It will hold 22 shopping bags, which is the same as the new Hyundai Palisade, three more than the Toyota Kluger, and five more than the Mazda CX-9 but still four bags less than the Kia Carnival which holds 26 shopping bags.
A twin side-by-side pram fits in the boot with eleven shopping bags.
The modular double pram fits in the boot with fourteen shopping bags.
The single pram fits in the boot of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti with fourteen shopping bags. Or a compact stroller fits in the boot with eighteen shopping bags around it. You would fit a very large family dog, or a couple of medium-size labradors in the back of the Pathfinder.
How good is storage inside the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti?
Storage is extremely well thought out in the new Nissan Pathfinder. In the front, there are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. In front of them is a small well I found handy for the key. In front of that is a wireless phone charging pad and behind the cup holders is a generous size central console box.
The bridge central console is perfect for your handbag and will fit an iPad too.
The glove box is a generous size and will easily fit my purse and iPad with the manual. There is a handy shelf above it in the dash which is great for the front passenger's phone.
Door bins in the front are nice and large, they'll hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad fits in them too. There are little handle wells in the doors too.
In the back the door storage is epic! There are two cup holders in there that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup and a storage handle well. Both are great for popping the kids drinks or snacks in for a long journey. Also the door bins will hold two drinks bottles.
There is a fold-down armrest in the central seat back, which has two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup and a slot in front of it that will hold a phone.
In the back of the central console there are two USB sockets for charging devices while travelling and on the back of both front seats are map pockets that will hold and conceal an iPad.
Third-row passengers are well looked after in the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti with double cup holders on both sides.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti? What is the media system like in the new Nissan Pathfinder?
The media system in the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti is nice and modern and easy to navigate and use, with a large touch screen.
It has built-in digital radio, sat-nav and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The reversing cameras have fantastic quality images and there are multiple angles you can view from which makes parking and manoeuvring nice and easy.
There are seat belt removal reminders in all rear seats with a great visual on the driver display screen.
The indicators are quiet in the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti and didn’t disturb my sleeping kids.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
The driver's display screen tells you your distance to empty, along the bottom right, which is very handy.
The doors and windows can both be locked from the driver's door button panel. Both the doors and windows are quiet and did not disturb my small sleeping passengers when opening and closing them.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti?
In this 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti eight-seater model, the second row has ISOFix points in the outer two seats AND a single ISOFix in the central seat. This doesn't allow you to install three ISOFix seats across but it does give you flexibility for where you position one or two ISOFix child seats.
There are clearly labelled top tether anchorages on the back of the seat backs of all three second-row seats.
In the third row of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti there is ISOFix and a top tether anchorage for the left-hand seat only.
I also found travelling in the second-row seats between or beside two child seats to be very comfy. There is no hump in the footwell so it is much more comfortable for my feet and legs too.
In the third-row seats of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti I installed the Infasecure Aspire More using the top tether anchorage and I also put the Versatile Folding Booster seat back there as it does not require a top tether anchorage.
When it comes to legroom the Nissan Pathfinder is very good. We found we could fit a 180cm passenger in front of a rear-facing Infasecure Achieve More child seat with a 180cm adult in the third row too.
Third-row access is very good in the new Pathfinder. There is a press-button mechanism that brings the second-row seat forward with a child seat installed if you use the ISOFix, not the seatbelt. Giving you a nice clear walk-through to the third-row seats.
The doors of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti open really nice and wide giving you great access in and out for passengers and when installing child seats.
When posting Bub into their child seat from outside the car and leaning in to do up their harness the doorways are enormous so you have lots of room to do it. Once inside the ceiling is nice and high so posting Bub into their seat once inside is easy.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is plenty of room to feed Bub in either row in the back of the Pathfinder if you only have one child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti? And how good is the new Nissan Pathfinder to drive?
In the front of the new Nissan Pathfinder, the seats are comfortable, and the Ti model I tested has electric adjustment at the sides. The front seat headrests are not adjustable, forward and backward, and I found I could not wear a ponytail while driving.
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
Rear seats are rows of bench seats split 60:40 in the Ti model I tested. This really allowed for flexibility of where people were seated and folding forwards when taking camping gear in the car.
The rear seats are also heated with a button located on the back of the central console box.
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are comfortable in all three positions. In the central seat, there is a fold-down armrest in the seat back so it does feel firm.
We also travelled off-road with eight passengers onboard so I did get to ride in the third row too which I found to be really comfortable.
For the first year of my Bub’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in the new Nissan Pathfinder! It will go up and down and in and out. The cruise controls are on the right-hand side of the steering wheel and are easy to use.
There are four air-conditioning vents across the front dashboard; two below the media screen and one at either end.
There are rear air vents in the ceiling of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti for both rear rows of seats.
The controls for the rear air-conditioning are situated in the back of the central console box.
They can be overridden and controlled through the front controls on the main dashboard with the front aircon controls.
The rear interior lights are located in the ceiling, above the rear doors with handles which are well positioned to hold a child's toy.
I have found my daughters do not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.
Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!
It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.
For such a large SUV the turning circle is fantastic which makes it so much easier to park and manoeuvre in school and supermarket car parks. Visibility is very good in here too with large windows and the cameras are extremely good.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, the Nissan Pathfinder was really easy to park.
The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Ti is fantastic to drive. Both around town and everyday driving as well as on the highway and off-road too.
Seven airbags come as standard; Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting airbags (all three rows) are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.
The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder scored 86% for adult occupancy and 93% for child occupancy protection.
Of the Child occupancy testing ANCAP wrote;
In the frontal offset and side impact tests, protection of the 10 year and 6 year dummies was GOOD and maximum points were scored in these tests.
The Nissan Pathfinder is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages and top tether anchorages on all three seats in the second row and also in the left seat of the third row.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, though one of the selected Type A convertible restraints and one Type B convertible restraint could not be correctly installed using the third row ISOfix anchorages.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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2 Comments
Thank you for this very helpful review! On the second row bench seat, could you do a rear facing carseat on one side and another rear facing in the middle, with enough room for an adult on the remaining side? We tried our two Nuna Ravas rear facing side by side and they did not fit.
Thanks,
LH
Thank you for this very helpful review! On the second row bench seat, could you do a rear facing carseat on one side and another rear facing in the middle, with enough room for an adult on the remaining side? We tried our two Nuna Ravas rear facing side by side and they did not fit.
Thanks,
LH
Was a while ago now but we are testing another Pathfinder soon so can check.