Nissan had me out to Missoula, Montana to drive the 2019 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition. Nissan unveiled this trim at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, adding to the Pathfinder’s 30 year heritage here in the US. In this article, you will find out what aspects of the 2019 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek are new, and what is still the same as a standard Pathfinder.
Styling
Nearly every change made to the Rock Creek edition is an aesthetic upgrade. Starting with the front fascia, you have a black mesh grill and grill surround. Nissan added a silver painted faux skid plate. Don’t be fooled, though, it is made of plastic.
The Rock Creek version sports some special 18-inch alloy wheels, inspired by the Titan’s design. Those wheels are surrounded by slightly wider, 255-section all-season tires. Black plastic molding covers the wheel arches. Plus, every Rock Creek Pathfinder has black mirrors, black door handles, black badges and black roof rails. Overall, the looks come off as more rugged, with some nice black accents.
Interior
If the outside gets a makeover, so does the interior. Rock Creek comes with two-tone black-on-gray seats that feature special “Rock Creek” stitching in the seatback. The floormats are similarly branded with Rock Creek logos. Plus, the dash has special fake carbon fiber trim inserts.
Performance
Here, the Rock Creek is nothing new. You get the same 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 as you do in the standard Pathfinder. It makes 284 horsepower and 259 lb-ft of torque. You have a choice of FWD or AWD, but both are paired with a CVT.
Gas mileage, as a result, is no different either. The FWD model gets 20 MPG city, 27 MPG highway and 23 MPG combined. AWD drops 1 MPG across the board (19/26/22, HWY, CTY, COMB)
Ride & Handling
Technically, we are not allowed to tell you how it drives for a couple more days. However, you should know that Nissan has made no changes to the suspension here. You still have independent suspension in the front and multi-link independent rear suspension. Ground clearance remains at just 7-inches.
Utility
The exterior dimensions are no different, so there is just as much cargo space as before. Behind the third row you have a little over 16 cu-ft of storage. Fold the third row and that opens up to 47.4 cu-ft. With all the seats stowed, cargo expands to a massive 79.5 cu-ft.
Furthermore, I found all three rows of seating to be relatively comfortable. Even my 6’2″ frame fit comfortably in the third row, while the second row was plenty spacious.
All 2019 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Editions feature a standard towing package. Both the FWD and AWD models can tow up to 6,000 lbs. Nissan calls this a class-leading figure on the basis that the tow package comes standard for this trim.
Pricing
Whenever you have a special edition like this, you have to expect a bump in price. Fortunately, that bump is just $995 MSRP. The 2019 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek is available on both the SV and SL trim levels. As I mentioned, you have the option of FWD or AWD. Plus, the SV trim has an optional tech package for $980 that gets you navigation, heated cloth seats, heated mirrors and a heated steering wheel. On the SL trim, you can opt for the premium package. This costs $2,110 and nets you a 13-speaker Bose stereo and a moonroof.
To see the 2019 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek in action, be sure to watch the entire video. We will be sure to update this post with driving impressions once all the journalists have had a chance to drive the car.
Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for the latest news, views & real-world reviews.
