Compare the2024 Nissan PathfinderVS 2023 Tesla Model X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Pathfinder are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Model X doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Pathfinder has standard Rear Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Pathfinder 4WD’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model X doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Pathfinder Rock Creek/SL/Platinum has a standard Around View® Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Pathfinder’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Pathfinder SV/Rock Creek/SL/Platinum has standard NissanConnect Services, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Pathfinder and the Model X have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

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 Tesla Model X:

	Pathfinder	Model X
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	84	101
Abdominal Force	138 lbs.	157 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	234	274
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	466 lbs.	625 lbs.

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 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Model X has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

There are almost 6 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pathfinder’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 77 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

Tires and Wheels

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 Model X doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Pathfinder has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model X; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Pathfinder’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Model X’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.8 feet).

Chassis

The Nissan Pathfinder may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 850 pounds less than the Tesla Model X.

Passenger Space

The Pathfinder has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Model X can only carry up to 7.

The Pathfinder has .6 inches more front headroom, 3.2 inches more front legroom, 2.6 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room, .7 inches more third row headroom, 8 inches more third row hip room and 17.7 inches more third row shoulder room than the Model X.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Pathfinder’s cargo area provides more volume than the Model X.

	Pathfinder	Model X
Behind Third Seat	16.6 cubic feet	15 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	45 cubic feet	33.8 cubic feet

The Pathfinder’s available rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Pathfinder Platinum’s liftgate can be opened just by waving your foot, leaving your hands completely free. The Model X doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Tesla Model X is limited to 5000 pounds. The Pathfinder offers up to a 6000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Pathfinder to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, air filter replacement, and tire rotation, based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model X.

Ergonomics

The Pathfinder’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

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 Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Pathfinder’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model X’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Pathfinder has a standard rear wiper. The Model X doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Pathfinder’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Pathfinder has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Pathfinder’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pathfinder to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Model X doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Pathfinder SV/Rock Creek/SL/Platinum has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

The Pathfinder Platinum has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Model X doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Pathfinder is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Model X doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Pathfinder owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pathfinder will cost $10540 to $12855 less than the Model X over a five-year period.

The Pathfinder will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Pathfinder will retain 47.85% to 49.39% of its original price after five years, while the Model X only retains 38.31% to 39.81%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Pathfinder will be $50024 to $52666 less than for the Tesla Model X.

Recommendations

The Nissan Pathfinder outsold the Tesla Model X by almost three to one during 2023.