Nissan Pathfinder vs Toyota Prado

What's the difference?

There’s a lot to like about the Nissan Pathfinder. The current model not only looks a lot better than its predecessor but in ST-L trim — and with an even cheaper front-wheel drive model — it offers the kind of value Australian families are chasing. 

For all its practicalities, towing capacity and refined driving experience, the Pathfinder’s fatal flaw is its limited engine choice. A thirsty petrol V6 with no engine start-stop tech stunts its appeal for those who live in suburban areas where a Kluger hybrid just works better.

The ST-L is a worthy consideration for your next purchase if you’re less bothered about fuel use, and it's the pick of the line-up, offering just about every creature comfort and safety feature you'd want in a good-value package.

Toyota has at last brought the Prado kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Real improvements in design, tech, comfort and capability have changed what was consistently regarded as a solid off-road tourer and family conveyance into something much better.

This new-generation Prado is the best iteration of this vehicle: roomy and refined, well equipped, nice to drive, and now with a welcome increase in towing capacity, but it is underpowered for something so bulky.

Ultimately it feels like a missed opportunity – Toyota had a chance to rattle the cage with a real game-changer of a vehicle, but the Prado just isn’t that at all and, while it's good, it's not great as we’d all hoped.

The Pathfinder has a lot going for it in the looks department. Lead designer Ken Lee leaned into the nameplate’s past, incorporating the three horizontal strips between the broad bonnet and 'V-Motion' grille which is encircled in chrome. 

There’s real presence to this SUV (partially down to the Pathfinder's sheer size) with chunky wheel arches and plenty of vertical surfaces. The most eye catching colour is 'Scarlet Ember' red ($750) but the pearlescent 'Deep Ocean Blue' seen here is a classy look. 

Every manufacturer is doing the spaced out nameplates on the boot lid now, but the Pathfinder was an early adopter and it is particularly well executed on this car. There's also the massive (in proportion to the vehicle) Nissan badges. 

Inside, the Pathfinder focuses more on practicality and usability than wow-factor. There are no tacky design flourishes and the three-row SUV manages to stay on the right side of Americana, a trick the Toyota Kluger could learn.

The new Prado is 4990mm long (with a 2850mm wheelbase), 1980mm wide, 1935mm high, and it has a kerb weight of 2520kg. The wheel tracks are 1664mm at the front, and 1668mm at the rear.

As mentioned the Prado now sits on the same platform as the 300 Series so this is not an insubstantial vehicle.

It now has a distinctive chunky, almost straight up and down, old-school look whereas before the Prado carried softer lines.

The heritage square grille is big as is everything else onboard: with bulky wing mirrors, side steps, wheel arches and tyres adding to the vehicle’s wide, squat stance. 

The Prado has rectangular LED headlights in Australia, whereas other markets have the option of the round retro-style lights on their 250 Series.

Overall, the Prado looks even better in the metal than it does in the photos that Toyota fans have been salivating over for so long.

Even with its styling changes and a new fresh all-encompassing look and feel the cabin of the Prado remains comfortably familiar. If you’ve ever spent any length of time in a LandCruiser then you know what I’m talking about.

Build quality is tremendous, fit and finish impressive, the seats are suitably supportive and the Prado’s cabin is an easy space in which to quickly become comfortable.

The Pathfinder is a thoughtfully packaged and practical vehicle, trading on more than just size with plenty of clever storage solutions. 

In the front there are generous door bins, twin cupholders and a deep central cubby. But there’s more, with a thin rubberised storage shelf above the glove box perfect for phones or sunglasses and a pass-through space below the centre console for larger items. 

A storage space for a smartphone is found in close proximity to USB-A, a USC-C and 12-volt sockets. All of thus is beneath a physical switch panel for the dual-zone climate control. 

The 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is the only letdown, feeling quite small in the Pathfinder's vast cabin. It is still responsive and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though. The Pathfinder’s sound system is passable after tweaking the bass and treble balance. 

The analogue speedometer and tachometer sits either side of a 7.0-inch media screen that gives driving information along with settings for safety systems. There are switches on the steering wheel to control major functions, including cruise control, media and the screen operation. 

Among its competitive set, the US-built Pathfinder’s build quality is excellent. There are cleverly positioned soft-touch plastics and we didn’t notice any rattles over our week of testing, unlike Palisades and Klugers. The steering wheel, especially, is appointed in a high quality, smooth-grained leather.

While the ST-L may only get cloth upholstery, which is admittedly harder to clean than leather, the high-quality material is more temperature stable than the imitation cow hide often seen at this price. It’s also combined with heated front seats. 

Adding to the comfort factor is power adjustment for the driver’s seat including in/out and up/down lumbar control. The passenger seat is manually adjustable but with a lever for height and the driving position is pleasingly low-set. 

The low front seats open up a world of excellence for the second row’s stadium seating which gives passengers a fantastic view out. Not only is this just nice, it also helps kill travel sickness for kids (and grown-ups). 

The second row is on front/back sliding rails with fine backrest adjustment to dial in a comfortable position. There’s ample room even for adults over 185cm with plenty of head, leg and toe-room. 

Amenities include a third climate zone, USB-A and USB-C charge points, a total of six beverage holders and a fold-out armrest.

The Nissan Pathfinder has ISOFIX tabs in the two outboard rear seat positions. The anchors are not hidden behind a cover so there is nothing to lose and the three top tether points are big and meaty for easy access. 

Nissan deserves praise for its wide opening doors, the Pathfinder’s go almost perpendicular to the body with a large square aperture making loading dogs, children or shopping extremely easy.

But there’s one crucial flaw — the back windows don’t go all the way down leaving around a third of the glass sticking up. 

The Pathfinder’s three-wide third row is vast in the third row, with enough space for adults in a pinch — at least two across the three-wide bench — and up to four beverages.

The power-actuated second row gets out of the way quickly (perhaps a little too fast!) and slides back into place easily. The rear bench is split 60/40 with the long portion on the Australian kerbside.

There are no ISOFIX or top tether points in the third row of the Pathfinder ST-L which does hurt its practicality. The Ti-L features ISOFIX and top tether for one third row seat.

Aside from that, the Pathfinder is about as good as an SUV gets for practicality, though a Kia Carnival people mover has the edge for outright human carrying ability. 

Behind the shapely power tailgate, the Pathfinder offers either 205L, 554L or 782L of cargo space depending on how many seats are in use. And while the smallest figure sounds compact, the space is tall and square making it quite practical. Four school bags would fit easily or five at a pinch. 

With the third row stored elegantly in the floor, the space is generous although interrupted by the roof-mounted middle third-row seat belt which is a faff to unbuckle.

Amenities include two shopping bag hooks, a 12-volt socket, four tie-down points and a spacious wet storage area below the boot floor.

The spare tyre is hung beneath the Pathfinder however it is a temporary space saver, rather than a full-size item. 

Despite no diesel powerplant, the Pathfinder’s towing capacity is best in class, beating both Palisade and Kluger with its 2700kg braked limit (750kg unbraked).

Though still shy of the ladder frame Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X (3500kg), the monocoque Pathfinder’s high limit is impressive.

The new Prado has some nice touches over and above the standard features fit-out of lower grades, such as a colour head-up display, digital rear-view mirror, heated steering wheel, power-adjustable steering column, heating and ventilation (front seats), eight-way power-adjustable driver seat and four-way power-adjustable for the front passenger, and genuine leather-accented upholstery throughout.

It also has a deep refrigerated centre console, 14-speaker JBL sound system and a sunroof.

The 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen dominates the layout upfront and is easy enough to operate, though I did have strife getting Apple CarPlay to work off my phone but the cause was my dodgy old charge cord. 

Speaking of charges, there are six USB-C ports (but no USB-A) in the cabin, and a wireless charger in front of the auto shifter.

There is a 12V DC socket (upfront) and a 220V/100W socket in the rear cargo area.

The second row is a 60:40 split-fold configuration and passengers there have access to aircon controls and directional vents as well as charge points.

Cargo space in the rear is listed as 954L with all seats in use, and 1895L if the second row is folded down. But the rear cargo area is compromised in its packability because of the raised floor (it’s lifted to house the 48-volt V-Active system’s battery) and also the bulky wheel-arch housings. This cargo area is a narrow, shallow space.

The load limit for the raised floor is labelled as 60kg.

There are cupholders at the rear (atop the wheel arch housings), which are leftovers from the three-row layout.

The rear cargo area has a 220V/100W socket, four tie-down points, and a sliding cover to conceal anything that’s left in the back.

There is some very shallow underfloor storage space under the rubber matting.

The rear space can be accessed from outside the vehicle through a window that is operated via a button on the rear door, or the whole rear door can be opened (it swings out from left to right) and locked in place.

The Prado has an underslung full-size spare.

The 2025 Prado is available in five spec levels – GX, GXL (seven seats), VX (seven seats), Altitude and Kakadu (seven seats). 

Our test vehicle, the Altitude, is a five-seater and it has a price-tag of $92,700 (excluding on-road costs). 

Standard features include an 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), a 12.3-inch driver digital cluster, heated and ventilated leather-accented power-adjustable front seats, 360-degree camera system, three-zone climate control and a refrigerated centre console and more.

It gets a locking rear differential, Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System and Multi-Terrain Selector and monitor, but its driver-assist tech does not include a tyre-pressure monitoring system, which is strange for a vehicle that is being touted as the line-up’s most off-road-suited variant.

Exterior paint choices include 'Glacier White', 'Eclipse Black', and 'Ebony' – all standard, or optional paint jobs 'Frosted White', 'Midnight Alloy', 'Dusty Bronze', 'Tanami Taupe', 'Ningaloo Blue' – but optional paint plus two tone costs $1675.

Beyond the standard features, this test vehicle has the optional paint plus two tone ($1675) as well a raft of accessories: 

• Kit, trailer wire, 12Pin: $411.30 RRP fitted
• EBC Kit (module): $211.50
• Wiring kit, brake controller (harness): $457.65 RRP fitted
• On-road towing kit: $270.70 RRP fitted
• Steel painted bull bar: $3853.60 RRP fitted
• Bull bar mount bracket kit: $315.00 RRP fitted
• Kit, bull bar harness: $535.90 RRP fitted
• Bash plate: $652.20 RRP fitted
• Kit, driving lamp bull bar harness: $228.15 RRP fitted
• Bull bar driving light fitting kit: $90.70 RRP fitted
• Driving light / lamp – 24 LED lightbar – external mount: $646.48 RRP fitted
• Winch: $3498.30 RRP fitted
• Winch spring: $621.80 RRP fitted
• Recovery point (front): $621.20 RRP fitted
• Recovery point (rear): $414.35 RRP fitted
• Floor mat set (all-weather mat), five-seater (2P second Row): $95.33 RRP fitted
• Cargo mat: $117.35 RRP fitted

The accessories total of $13,014.51 pushes this Prado’s price as tested to $107,416.51 (excluding on-road costs).

The Nissan Pathfinder is only available with a petrol engine. It is an all-aluminium dual overhead cam direct and multi-point injection 3.5-litre V6. It's part of Nissan’s ‘VQ’ engine family that has been around since 1994. 

The V6 develops 202kW at 6400rpm and 340Nm at 4800rpm which are respectable outputs. The torque builds steadily from around 3000rpm and starts to really move the Pathfinder above 4000rpm. 

The lusty engine note is a nice touch in a world dominated by down-sized turbo-petrols and hybrids. There’s something refreshing about the natural response of a large capacity naturally aspirated engine, too, interfacing slickly with the nine-speed automatic transmission.

The 250 Series Prado has 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine – producing 150kW and 500Nm – with Toyota’s 48-volt V-Active technology. 

V-Active technology comprises a motor generator, 48-Volt battery and DC/DC converter which enables a stop/start system and this set-up is “designed to offer … improvements in driveability, performance, fuel efficiency and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) compared with the standard 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine”, Toyota reckons.

The 48-volt V-Active technology essentially amounts to a stop-start system aimed at reducing fuel consumption, but it doesn’t add anything in terms of performance.

What’s more, it takes up space in the engine bay and the system’s 48V lithium battery weighs 7.6kg, so the total weight of the system – between 30-35kg, as estimated by Toyota – has to be taken into account when you’re aiming to load within the Prado’s 580kg payload.

It has an eight-speed automatic transmission and a full-time dual-range four-wheel-drive system. 

This engine and auto arrangement is generally impressive – smooth, with plenty of torque across a wide rev range. It does, however, feel underpowered and it needs extra encouragement (heavy right boot) to get off the mark – but it otherwise yields a controlled and refined driving experience, especially on the open road at highway speeds.

For all the benefits of that large capacity V6 it has a fatal flaw and that is fuel efficiency — particularly around the suburbs. 

The Pathfinder’s rated fuel consumption is 10.5L/100km in the ADR combined (urban/extra urban) cycle with 245g/km CO2 outputs, however it is much thirstier around town. 

After 100km of suburban driving in Sydney, the Pathfinder’s trip computer read 15.3L/100km. It lacks an engine start-stop system to save precious millilitres when sitting at traffic lights. 

Other large V6 vehicles will be similar, or probably slightly higher in the case of the multi-point injected Palisade, but the gold standard in this segment is the Toyota Kluger hybrid which easily returns figures of 6.0L/100km or less in pretty much all driving. 

A longer 200km loop taking in motorways and country roads saw the Pathfinder consume fuel at 11.4L/100km which is an improvement but still very high.

Our observed fuel consumption gives the Pathfinder, with its 71L tank, a theoretical driving range of 602km. It will happily take standard 91 RON unleaded at the pump.

The Toyota LandCruiser Prado has an official fuel consumption of 7.6L/100km (on a combined cycle).

I recorded 10.4L/100km on this test. I did a lot of high- and low-range 4WDing and the Prado was never working hard.

The Prado has a 110L fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel-consumption figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 1057km from a full tank. 

It has a 17.4-litre AdBlue tank.

The Nissan Pathfinder is a remarkably pleasant drive. It is smooth and quiet on the motorway, comfortable around town and talented on testing Australian country roads. 

Nissan has managed to nail the fundamentals including a well-weighted electronic power steering system, good ride comfort at high and low speeds and impressive body control for a high-set 2052kg vehicle that rides on passive dampers. 

The 18-inch alloys are wrapped in 255/60 Kumho Crugen HP71 tyres which are notably cushier than the Ti-L’s bigger 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 255/50 rubber. 

Being a car-based SUV, the Nissan Pathfinder is more comfortable and a sportier drive than more off-road focused vehicles such as the Ford Everest and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. It is not as dynamic as smaller seven seaters such as the Kia Sorento but is still secure and stable. 

There are seven drive modes in total, with three ('Sand', 'Mud' and 'Snow') dedicated to off-roading, a further trio ('Auto', 'Eco', 'Sport') for the tarmac and a dedicated 'Tow' mode. 

Along with adjusting steering weight and shift logic, the all-wheel drive Pathfinder adjusts the torque split settings. It can be a little slow to shift torque to the front wheels leading to chirping on fast getaways but it is mostly solid and a worthy $4500 investment over the new front-wheel drive only model. 

Visibility is not great with a high belt line and low-set driving position. With the third row's large headrests up it's hard to see out the rear window, too, so it can be difficult to judge kerbs and walls while parking. A standard 360-degree camera system helps in low-speed manoeuvring.

Previous generations of Prado were never atrocious on road, but there was always substantial body roll, it was a bit floaty and it was one of those four-wheel drive wagons that, on sealed surfaces, tended to feel like a couch on wheels.

That’s no longer the case because this new-generation Prado is well controlled, well composed in all scenarios and it really is nice to drive – even when you move from bitumen onto a dirt track and you can still keep up a fair bit of speed.

On the new chassis the Prado feels settled, nicely controlled and that well-weighted steering has an even balance to it, especially when things become a little bit lumpy and bumpy here and there. 

And most of that ol’ Prado body roll that was evident in previous iterations has been ironed out.

Past generations of Prados weren't ordinary in the off-road department, not by a long shot. And this new Prado has improved on the proven formula of those previous generations: from its mechanical foundations, plenty of low-down torque through to its selectable driving modes (rock, sand, mud), the Prado is well equipped to tackle pretty much any off-road circumstance you can conjure with your over-active imagination. 

Now, with the added bonus of new and improved suspension and a sway bar disconnect system, those factors have bolstered the vehicle skill-set that's already there.

There is plenty of driver visibility through the cabin to the front, to the sides and to the rear. So you can see everything. But as well as that, you also have the valuable addition of new driver-assist technology, including the multi terrain monitor camera system to make sure you can scrutinise any sight lines that you may not be able to see naturally from the driver's. 

The steering feels sharp, it's well weighted and balanced and with a longer wheelbase on this chassis the Prado’s body always feels controlled and composed on fast dirt roads or through low-speed four-wheel-driving situations. 

The eight-speed automatic transmission is very clever and works well in conjunction with the aforementioned selectable driving modes, which tweak engine output, transmission response and throttle control. 

The Altitude is the most off-road-focused of the line-up and to that end it has a centre diff lock, rear diff lock and swaybar disconnect system – and all those elements add up to a nice bonus for a vehicle that has always been a decent off-road tourer. 

So it has plenty going for it, but it’s not all good news though. 

Toyota reckons it's V-Active system is aimed at fuel consumption but it also helps to produce a little more torque in off-road situations during which you may need extra torque. 

But I've seen no real discernible difference in terms of performance, at those low speeds coming from that unit. It may be so seamless that you don't notice it at all, but I've only noticed that the Prado has performed as it should with that engine and that transmission on board. 

I can't credit any improvements in performance to that 48 volt unit that's now on board. 

The Prado is compromised by ground clearance and off-road angles that are more suited to a city-friendly vehicle than a purpose-built off-road vehicle. 

Having said that, ground clearance is fairly standard for a large four-wheel-drive wagon – it sits at a listed 221mm off the dirt, which is satisfactory – and it has a wading depth of about 700mm. 

The off-road angles of approach (32 degrees) and departure (17 degrees) are also standard for this class and size of vehicle, although especially in this Altitude, the departure angle has been somewhat compromised because of the underslung tyre and the addition of optional accessories (towing kit etc) on this text vehicle.

The Prado’s ramp-over angle is not listed but this new-generation Prado, with its longer 300 Series-size wheelbase, likely offers about 21 degrees.

The underbody does at times feel quite low and vulnerable to hitting the ground, even though underbody protection is quite substantial.

It's Toyo Tires Open Country A/T (all-terrain) tyres (265/70R18 116H) are perfectly fine for most off-road scenarios, but you can always do more and go further with a set of better, more aggressive all-terrain tyres, especially some light-truck construction rubber. 

It's bulky sidesteps, while handy for getting in and out of the vehicle itself, can also be considered vulnerable to damage – and are prone to rubbing against rocks through tight rutted climbs, that sort of thing.

But those aspects aren't deal-breakers, and a lot of the Prado’s shortcomings – ground clearance, off-road angles, tyres – can be easily resolved with a visit to Australia's aftermarket industry.

And despite those minor niggles I did have a lot of fun driving this Prado.

For those looking to use their Prado as a towing platform, the good news is it can now legally tow the segment standard maximum of 3500kg (braked) (up from the previous generation's 3000kg) and it has a pre-wired and integrated towbar.

Payload is listed as 580kg, GVM is 3100kg, and GCM is 6600kg.

The new-generation Prado has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from local testing in 2024.

As standard it has nine airbags and driver-assist tech includes auto emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera system.

It also gets Toyota's multi-terrain select off-road system, as well as downhill assist control, and crawl control.

As mentioned earlier it does not have a tyre-pressure monitoring system – which is on the wrong side of disappointing for a 4WD wagon that is supposedly designed to be used as an off-road touring vehicle.

Nissan recommends the Pathfinder is serviced every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

You can pay-as-you-go ($2592) or up front ($2333) which saves $259 over five years ($518.40/$466.60 average per workshop visit).

Those service price options are closely aligned with the Hyundai Palisade ($2345) but Toyota’s $1325 Kluger offer remains unbeaten. 

A five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty covers all Nissan vehicles in Australia. It is now the standard with other marques, including Kia, MG and Mitsubishi pushing boundaries with longer seven and 10-year offers.

The Prado is covered by Toyota’s five year/unlimited km warranty.

Servicing is scheduled for every six months or 10,000km and, under Toyota’s capped-price servicing, each of the first 10 services costs $390.

The 48-volt battery set-up is covered by a five year/unlimited km warranty.