Nissan is upping their game with the Pathfinder with the debut of the off-road-ish new Rock Creek Edition
Yes, Andre and Alex hit the 2022 New York Auto Show and one of the stars was the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition. Why? Isn’t it just a paint scheme, mixed with badging and nicer seats like the previous Rock Creek Edition? Nope! It’s a lot more substantial than that.
We were all let down by the introduction of the 2019 version, as it was just a few styling tweaks – and nothing more. At the time, we begged Nissan to return the Pathfinder to its roots; at least a little bit. Last year, the Nissan Pathfinder took a few steps in the right direction with an updated powertrain and greater capability. Still, it needed more beef to make the masses happy.
We already know that the newest Pathfinder is not too shabby in the rough, for a crossover. It’s mainly limited by ground clearance, articulation, and rubber. When we took it off-road, we found that it still managed, despite its limitations.
Things have changed. This 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition is not a body-on-frame SUV, but it does have even more goodies that may help it when the going gets rough.
Tuned suspension for off-road driving, with 5/8th of an inch lift mixed with Toyo Open Country off-road tires, is an excellent start. That covers better ground clearance (it’s not a lot, but we’ll take it!), and aggressive rubber with improved articulation are a huge plus. Then they went and made it look a lot cooler too. A tubular roof rack that can hold up to 220 lbs, unique colors, badges, and a unique interior finish of the styling upgrades. Oh, it also has cool-looking 18-inch wheels, but the fake beadlock design might irritate some purists.
We covered the debut of the 2023 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek (here), but in this video, we get Andre’s perspective.
