Compare the2025 Nissan PathfinderVS 2025 Cadillac XT6

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

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 Cadillac XT6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Nissan Pathfinder has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The XT6 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 XT6 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

With its standard Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, the Nissan Pathfinder is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Cadillac XT6, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Pathfinder	XT6
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Crossing Child - DAY
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-23 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-7 MPH
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-4 MPH
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-1 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-24 MPH
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-13 MPH
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-10 MPH

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Pathfinder 4WD’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The XT6 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 XT6 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Pathfinder and the XT6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Pathfinder is much safer than the XT6:

	Pathfinder	XT6
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	MARGINAL
Chest Rating	GOOD	POOR
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	POOR

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 Cadillac XT6:

	Pathfinder	XT6
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	84	98
Hip Force	244 lbs.	255 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	180
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	41 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	234	292
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	466 lbs.	666 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 much safer than the XT6:

	Pathfinder	XT6
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	268 lbs.	357 lbs.
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	45 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.63 in	.75 in
Shoulder Force	156 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.94 in	1.1 in
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	65	170
Neck Tension	89 lbs.	156 lbs.
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	POOR
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	1.61 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	2.2 in
Torso Deflection Rate	4 MPH	13 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	580 lbs.	692 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Nissan Pathfinder has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The XT6 is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

Nissan pays for scheduled maintenance on the Pathfinder for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Nissan will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the XT6.

There are almost 2 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pathfinder’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 48 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is rated below average.

Engine

The Pathfinder’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 49 more horsepower (284 vs. 235) and 1 lbs.-ft. more torque (259 vs. 258) than the XT6’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pathfinder gets better mileage than the XT6:

			MPG
Pathfinder
	FWD	3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.5 DOHC V6	21 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/25 hwy
XT6
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Pathfinder’s brake rotors are larger than those on the XT6:

	Pathfinder	XT6
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.4 inches

The Pathfinder stops shorter than the XT6:

	Pathfinder	XT6
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Pathfinder has larger tires than the XT6 (255/60R18 vs. 235/55R20).

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 XT6’s standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Pathfinder’s wheelbase is 1.5 inches longer than on the XT6 (114.2 inches vs. 112.7 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Pathfinder has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XT6 (7.1 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Pathfinder to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Pathfinder Rock Creek’s minimum ground clearance is 1 inch higher than on the XT6 (7.7 vs. 6.7 inches).

Passenger Space

The Pathfinder has standard seating for 8 passengers; the XT6 can only carry 7.

The Pathfinder has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 3.1 inches more front legroom, 8.2 inches more front hip room, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear hip room, 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room, .6 inches more third row headroom, 7.2 inches more third row hip room and 4.9 inches more third row shoulder room than the XT6.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pathfinder’s middle and third row seats recline. The XT6’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Pathfinder’s cargo area provides more volume than the XT6.

	Pathfinder	XT6
Behind Third Seat	16.6 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	45 cubic feet	43.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	80.5 cubic feet	78.7 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Pathfinder easier. The Pathfinder’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.7 inches, while the XT6’s liftover is 33 inches.

The Pathfinder’s cargo area is larger than the XT6’s in almost every dimension:

	Pathfinder	XT6
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	16”/44.4”/79.8”	15.5”/48”/80.2”
Max Width	58.5”	50”
Min Width	48.8”	43”
Height	33.3”	32.5”

The Pathfinder has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The XT6 doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Towing

The Pathfinder’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT6’s (3500 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Cadillac XT6 is only 4000 pounds. The Pathfinder offers up to a 6000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The Pathfinder’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The XT6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The Pathfinder’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The XT6’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pathfinder to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XT6 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 XT6 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Pathfinder owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pathfinder will cost $205 to $3020 less than the XT6 over a five-year period.

Recommendations

The Nissan Pathfinder outsold the Cadillac XT6 by almost four to one during 2023.

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