The Pathfinder is one of the most successful SUVs on the market for several reasons, not the least of which is its car-like interior and admirable road manners. Nissan has wisely retained those attributes as the vehicle has evolved, preserving its strong selling points. The Pathfinder is and has been a rugged, macho-looking vehicle that has found an audience with men and women, alike, presumably because of those same attributes. For 2011, Nissan has graced the Pathfinder with the Maxima-derived 240-250hp 3.5 liter V6. Not only do the added horses propel the passenger truck with greater alacrity, but they do so with greater smoothness and refinement. What’s that you say? Smoothness and refinement do not matter in a truck? Well, yes, yes they do. In this market, people want their cake (or jerky) and wish to eat it, too. The Pathfinder SE, the sporty edition of the three-model lineup, provides performance, handling, and comfort over and above what a non-luxury SUV should, and with a confident finesse that comes from experience in this most competitive market segment.

Simply put, Nissan has to maintain its strong market presence in this SUV segment, because no member of its car line is a runaway best-seller. Its loyal installed base of Pathfinder owners look to the company to keep this vehicle current and competitive. It also covers a larger area of demographics than the new Xterra, which caters to younger buyers with more overtly sporting tastes. It’s mission for 2011 is to fortify the relationship it enjoys with its installed owner base, then, and cultivate new owners on the strength of performance. The Pathfinder’s level of luxury, particularly in the LE version, is enough to keep it at least in the Grand Cherokee class of SUVs, but below that of its upscale sister, the Infinity QX4, as well as the Lexus RX300, Mercedes G Wagon, Acura MDX, et al. With the refined new engine and simple, but elegant, instruments, the impressions of the vehicle convey quality, and deliver on performance.

We drove two 2011 Pathfinders, an SE and an LE. Most of the impressions in this review are based on the SE, since that is the bigger seller of the two. Our test vehicles were supplied by Montgomeryville Nissan/Acura in Montgomeryville, PA.

Making entrance to the Nissan Pathfinder is the first pleasant surprise. It is easy. The vehicle still retains macho good looks and appears to be taller and higher off the ground than it truly is. So your first surprise is a pleasant one, as the wide front doors and relatively low stepover height make entry easy enough to be considered car-like. You quickly nestle in behind the wheel and notice that the dashboard is a no-nonsense, analog, easily-read affair immediately at eye-level. The instrument cluster consists of just a speedometer, tachometer, and gas gauge, as is the norm these days (question: In a truck, wouldn’t additional gauges for oil pressure and voltage be even more macho?), but the effect, particularly on the black numerals on titanium background, is at once sporting and expensive-looking. The cluster itself is housed within an arched dash binnacle that flows gracefully toward the passenger side, and is reminiscent of the Altima dashboard. Though familiar by now, it is reassuring and comforting to have this theme continued from year to year on the Pathfinder, particularly because it works so well. The functionality continues over to the HVAC controls, which are large rotary dials right in the middle of the dash. The stereo controls are mounted directly beneath them. My personal preference is to have this order reversed, actually, since more time is spent tuning in the stereo, loading tapes and CDs and the like, than adjusting the temperature. What’s more, the HVAC controls are considerably easier to locate and dial in by feel than are the stereo controls. This is an ergonomic issue that is far from isolated in just Nissans.

The quality of materials and fit and finish is first rate, and the leather seats are particularly luxurious for a vehicle in this class. Front legroom is more than adequate and headroom is ample, even with a sunroof. The rear seating area is much less impressive however, starting with the same narrow doors that have plagued the Pathfinder since its inception. Getting in and out is a chore for anyone that is not a child, and keeping clean on the way in is something of a challenge for everyone. The rear seat sits higher than the fronts, in part to permit more upright seating adding legroom, and in part because the rear axle is right underneath. Once in, the space is no torture chamber, the generous window area lending to a feeling of roominess that belies the actual dimensions. Still, with seats folded down, 85 cubic feet of storage area is enough to move a good bit of weekend work materials.

The front seats are power adjusted with two memory settings–luxury componentry, for sure. The memory switches, mounted on the door are for the driver seat only, but that does not detract from it being an upscale option. The armrest is a two-part design that lifts for storage in two levels and slides forward and back for greater comfort and adaptation to physique. Ergonomic relationships are quite good as the distance to steering wheel, radio and heater controls, and pedals, is natural and comfortable. The seating position, while high in true and popular SUV style, is not overly so, and the center of gravity seems much more car-like than many SUVs. The SE, being of a sporty nature, is graced with supportive seats that, while not heavily bolstered, do a nice job of holding you in place when the going gets frisky.

The visual cues that distinguish the SE from the LE are the 5-spoke wheels versus the LE’s 6-spokers; and the metallic running boards with individual rubberized steps versus the LE’s solid body-colored pieces. Also, the front and rear bumpers and fender flares are titanium colored on the SE and are body-colored on the LE. These appearance differences achieve the look Nissan wanted: the SE looks sporty and the LE more elegant. The titanium color is echoed in the SE instrument cluster, and is a more standard white numeral on black background for the LE. The last differentiation is the grille. While the LE uses a horizontal bar, the SE uses a cross pattern mesh, again for a sportier character. Nissan has restyled the Pathfinder to give it a more rugged look from the face, while the rest of the body looks pretty familiar. Its wide stance and aggressive rubber, along with its 8.3 inches of ground clearance contribute to the illusion that this is a big bad SUV. This is not the case, however, which you will happily discover in driving the Pathfinder.

The SE has a rugged, capable look to it, with its all-terrain appearance, large tires, and exaggerated fender flares. While the LE steers toward the low-end luxury market, the SE successfully embodies the sportiness intended.

The former 170hp engine is a thing of the past. The new, Maxima-derived DOHC 24-valve V6 delivers 240hp in automatic guise and 250 with the manual shifter. The difference in power is immediately noticeable. With instantaneous throttle tip-in, you will have to squeeze the accelerator to avoid embarrassing parking lot burnouts. The engine is strong and smooth, and wanting to go right now. No wonder it is referred to as the best V6 in the world. It just might be. There are no flat spots and the torque curve is even and steady. The power increases precipitously as you put your foot into it, and your confidence is inspired by the truck’s handling characteristics. The Pathfinder’s low center of gravity, lower than that of its direct competitors, helps to make it handle much like a conventional station wagon. Its rear suspension, a relatively archaic rigid rear axle multi-link design with anti-roll bar and coil springs, does the job nonetheless. Pocked curves will still send the rear end hopping about, as with most rigid rear axle designs, and the relatively short wheelbase contributes to the rear-end hopping happiness. But these are inherent traits and to its credit, the Pathfinders configuration does a good job of resisting the effects, enough so to make the driving experience fun. The noise level of the drive train is surprising low, owing to the smoothness and refinement of the V6, and good sound insulation from the transmission and suspension. All of these good things add up to considerable weight–4250 lbs., which usually demands a penalty to be paid at the gas pump. However, the EPA rating for the automatic is 14/19 mpg, on the high side of normal for an SUV of this ilk. The price to pay includes premium-only fuel, however, so be prepared to pay a tidy sum with each fill-up of the 21.1 gallon tank.

Steering is firm and positive, but not to be confused with a Formula 1 racer. The power rack and pinion steering has good feel, and good isolation through the thick rim. A little more road feel would actually be appreciated. Bumps and transitions are not transmitted through the steering column and the front end generally stays well planted to the road. Oversteer is the order of the day, but in a typically controllable way. Flinging this vehicle about is not only permissible, it is encouraged. With lots.

The SUV market has, at best, leveled off, but evidence that it is still expanding can be seen in the number of new vehicles being poured into the market. Consider new or revised entries from the likes of Acura, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and even Daewoo, and it is clear that the bandwagon is not quite full. Until gas prices reach $2-3 a gallon, though, it is not likely that SUV buyers are going to resist indulging in the great American Truckathon. Staid members of the SUV community, like Jeep, Ford, and Nissan, have to continually improve to keep pace or move ahead. The 2011 Pathfinder does not dazzle with its improvements. It is debatable whether it has to or not, with a solid and loyal customer base. It is improved where it had to be, in performance and refinement. But room has not appreciated significantly, and rear door entry is no easier. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has rambled on successfully for an inordinate number of years with an antiquated design that includes tiny rear doors that make entry and exit a challenge for all but the slenderest of children. The Pathfinder seems to have perpetuated this tradition in what are now small SUVs. Where it shines though, is in performance, which includes car-like handling that is unexpected and delightful to experience. The Pathfinder is a bridge between the car-based station wagon and the truck-based SUV. It’s unibody and lower platform make driving it much like driving a car, while its aggressive stance and ground clearance, as well as its cargo-carrying capability put it firmly in the mainstream of the genre. The prices of SUVs are generally high, whether anyone cares to admit it, but the Pathfinder likely occupies the lower end of the price spread. When you consider that the MSRP is close to $30,000 and you can spend another $4,000-5,000 on options like sunroof and leather, the Pathfinder can still be a pretty expensive proposition, relatively or not.