Compare the2024 Nissan PathfinderVS 2023 Ford Explorer

The Pathfinder Platinum has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Explorer doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Pathfinder and the Explorer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Ford Explorer:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Pathfinder its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Explorer is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 3 places higher in reliability than Ford.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Pathfinder (base engine) is faster than the Ford Explorer V6 hybrid gas:

On the EPA test cycle the Pathfinder gets better mileage than the Explorer:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Pathfinder uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Pathfinder Rock Creek for maximum performance). The Explorer with the 3.0 turbo V6 engine requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

For better stopping power the Pathfinder’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Explorer:

The Pathfinder’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Explorer ST are solid, not vented.

The Pathfinder’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Explorer’s standard 65 series tires.

The Pathfinder has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Explorer doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Pathfinder has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Explorer can only carry 7.

The Pathfinder has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom, 5.8 inches more third row hip room and 3.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the Explorer.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pathfinder’s middle and third row seats recline. The Explorer’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Pathfinder’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Explorer’s (3500 vs. 3000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Ford Explorer is only 5600 pounds. The Pathfinder offers up to a 6000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Pathfinder Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and incoming text message readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Explorer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Pathfinder’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Explorer’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

When the Pathfinder SL/Platinum is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Explorer’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.