SUV Review: 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek

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Parsing the literal meaning of its name, I can’t say I would choose this three-row crossover to find a path along a rock creek, despite Nissan’s proclamation that the styling and intent of the Pathfinder Rock Creek is bolder, off-road inspired and rugged. The company’s spin further states that the Rock Creek‚ a trim returning to the Pathfinder fold, will take on new road challenges with its standard Intelligent 4WD and a more powerful engine.

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Whether you’re actually looking for new road challenges — or off-road adventures, preferably along a rock creek, I suppose — Nissan has imbued the Rock Creek with an eye-catching presence that effectively captures the desire for outdoor exploration, at least the desire all car company marketing departments have foisted with varying degrees of success on most of the crossovers/SUVs they sell in record numbers. Yet,  though normally desensitized to such corporate BS, there’s something about the Rock Creek’s vibe that has me yearning to slip on some Eddie Bauer duds and, instead of heading to the mall, go traversing hill and dale — keeping in mind the five-metre-long crossover is essentially intended as an on-road family hauler.

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Unlike some manufacturers that do the bare minimum before slapping an outdoorsy trim name on their sport-utes and declaring them ready for mud-strewn trails — I’m thinking of Honda’s woefully misnamed Passport TrailSport — Nissan puts some effort into the $52,098 Rock Creek’s persona. In addition to the 3.5-litre V6 under the hood getting a power bump to 295 hp and 270 pound-feet of torque through revised throttle mapping (from the 284 hp/259 lb-ft in other Pathfinders) — but only if burning premium fuel — the full-size eight-seater is kitted with such exterior niceties as an off-road “tuned” suspension with 16-millimetre lift, P265/60R18 Toyo Open Country all-terrain rubber mounted on beadlock-style wheels, a tubular roof rack with a 100-kg load capacity, and a unique front fascia with dark V-motion grille and mesh insert, plus numerous Rock Creek badges. The result is a suitably macho-looking rig; even the monotone Baja Storm paint job, a normally unattractive dun shade, seems appropriate.

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Inside, the cabin is decked out in exclusive leatherette/fabric seats with Rock Creek embroidery, orange contrast stitching on the seats, steering wheel, instrument panel, centre console and door panels, and is fitted with Nissan’s Intelligent Around View Monitor with Off-Road mode. Already a cool feature, considering the Pathfinder’s size, the monitor displays various camera views including a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle, facilitating easier parking. When off-road and with Mud/Rut or Sand mode engaged, it provides a lookout for rocks and other uneven terrain.

The Rock Creek trim is reintroduced one year after the fifth-generation Pathfinder debuted for 2022, returning to more truckish, squared off styling than its predecessor, which felt and drove much like a minivan. Yes, the latest version is still a unibody design (generations one through three were body-on-frame) and retains the 3.5L V6, but Gen 4’s continuously variable transmission was ditched in favour of a conventional nine-speed automatic. The standard intelligent 4WD system comes with a seven-position Drive and Terrain Mode Selector, including off-road focused Sand and Mud/Rut modes. Mode selection is displayed as a pop-up notification on the instrument cluster.

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Nissan’s stalwart V6 — the same specification as in the Infiniti QX60, Pathfinder’s posher sibling — is well suited to the Rock Creek, more than capable of handling the unit’s 2,100-kg weight. A firm push on the gas pedal elicits a direct response, and it smoothly accelerates to 100 km/h in approximately seven seconds. The rig features a 6,000-pound maximum towing capacity, lending itself to recreational activities involving the haulage of boats, ATVs or trailers. As for fuel economy, NRCan rates the Rock Creek at 11.9 L/100 km in the city and 10 L/100 km on the highway. My week with the crossover resulted in a slightly thirstier 12.6 L/100 km average, in an almost even split between highway commuting and noodling around town doing springtime errands.

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Not all is hunky-dory, though. The Rock Creek drives a bit harsher than the other Pathfinder trims, especially the ride, which is both noisier and less forgiving, the culprit being the off-road suspension and Toyo rubber. Every tarmac irregularity, from potholes to frost heaves to utility cuts, is felt, though not to the point of being intolerable. There’s nothing inherently encouraging about the handling, either; the steering is slow and rather uncommunicative and doesn’t respond well to aggressive operation. If you want to step off the tarmac and get into the dirt and gravel, this is the compromise.

Moving inside, the cabin itself is fairly straightforward, seating accommodations laid out in 2-3-3 configuration. There’s plenty of legroom and headroom for six-footers in both the first and second rows — as a tall, aging baby boomer, I looked at the third row and took a pass, instead dropping the seats in favour of the extra cargo room. The second-row bench seat has Nissan’s EZ Flex one-touch release, fold/side with push button activation from both the driver and passenger sides, making it easy to free up room. Doing so increases the cargo area from 470 litres to 1,274 litres. Dropping the second-row seats for those days where you go nuts at Home Depot results in 2,421 litres of storage space.

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Standard on S and SV trims — the Rock Creek is based off the SV — is Nissan’s ProPilot Assist, the hands-on driver-assist technology that reduces the stress of stop-and-go driving, combining steering assist and “intelligent” cruise control to help control acceleration, braking and steering in heavy traffic as well as long-distance travel. And, like the other Pathfinder models, the Rock Creek comes equipped with Nissan Safety Shield 360, which includes a comprehensive list of safety features — blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, and much more.

Where most of the Pathfinder’s primary competition — Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-90, Subaru Ascent and Mitsubishi Outlander, etc. — have multiple trims that offer an ever-increasing level of features and luxury, none has a trim anywhere near as rugged looking like the Rock Creek. If you can live with the ride and handling compromises, what you get is a family crossover with a little extra capability and a lot more off-road swagger.

Check out the specs of the latest Nissan Pathfinder model.