Compare the2024 Nissan PathfinderVS 2024 Chrysler Pacifica

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Pathfinder have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chrysler Pacifica doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

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 Pacifica doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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

The Pathfinder’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Pathfinder and the Pacifica have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, 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, 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 Chrysler Pacifica:

	Pathfinder	Pacifica
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	138 lbs.	149 lbs.
Hip Force	244 lbs.	395 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	54 G’s
Hip Force	461 lbs.	764 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	234	293
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	50 G’s
Hip Force	466 lbs.	616 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Nissan Pathfinder is safer than the Pacifica:

	Pathfinder	Pacifica
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	125	167
Neck Tension	268 lbs.	335 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.63 in	.94 in
Shoulder Force	156 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.94 in	1.26 in
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	65	83
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	1.97 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	12 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	POOR
Pelvis Force	580 lbs.	1450 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

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 Pacifica is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

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 Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chrysler is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler With 35 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Chrysler.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 13 places higher in reliability than Chrysler.

Engine

The Pathfinder’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 24 more horsepower (284 vs. 260) than the Pacifica Hybrid’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 hybrid. The Pathfinder Rock Creek’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 8 more horsepower (295 vs. 287) and 8 lbs.-ft. more torque (270 vs. 262) than the Pacifica’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Pathfinder (base engine) is faster than the Chrysler Pacifica:

	Pathfinder	Pacifica Hybrid	Pacifica V6
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.8 sec	7.4 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	17.7 sec	19.7 sec	19.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.1 sec	8.1 sec	7.8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.3 sec	16.1 sec	15.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94 MPH	90 MPH	91 MPH
Top Speed	119 MPH	107 MPH	111 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pathfinder gets better mileage than the Pacifica running its gasoline engine:

			MPG
Pathfinder
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/25 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/23 hwy
Pacifica
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy

Both the Pathfinder and the Pacifica have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Pathfinders have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The Pacifica Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

The Pathfinder has 2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pacifica Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 16.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Pathfinder	Pacifica
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13 inches

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

The Pathfinder stops shorter than the Pacifica:

	Pathfinder	Pacifica
70 to 0 MPH	179 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Pathfinder has larger tires than the Pacifica (255/60R18 vs. 235/65R17). The Pathfinder’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pacifica (255/60R18 vs. 245/50R20).

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 Pacifica’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Pathfinder has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Pacifica.

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 Pacifica doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Pathfinder has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Pathfinder flat and controlled during cornering. The Pacifica 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Pathfinder has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Pacifica doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better maneuverability, the Pathfinder’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Pacifica’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The Pathfinder’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the Pacifica AWD’s (38.7 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Pathfinder has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pacifica (7.1 vs. 5.4 inches), allowing the Pathfinder to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Pathfinder Rock Creek’s minimum ground clearance is 2.3 inches higher than on the Pacifica (7.7 vs. 5.4 inches).

Chassis

The Nissan Pathfinder may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 450 pounds less than the Chrysler Pacifica.

The Pathfinder is 6.6 inches shorter than the Pacifica, making the Pathfinder easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Pathfinder has 2.2 inches more front headroom and 3.2 inches more front legroom than the Pacifica.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Chrysler Pacifica is limited to 3600 pounds. The Pathfinder offers up to a 6000 lbs. towing capacity.

While the Pacifica Hybrid is not recommended to tow, any Pathfinder can tow a minimum of 3500 pounds.

A Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Pathfinder, using the Vehicle Dynamic Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Pacifica and isn’t available on the Pacifica Hybrid/Touring.

Ergonomics

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 Pacifica 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 Pacifica’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

On a hot day the Pathfinder’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Pacifica can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Pathfinder SL/Platinum has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Pacifica doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Pathfinder will be $1070 to $4771 less than for the Chrysler Pacifica.