Nissan Pathfinder vs. Toyota Highlander: Which SUV Comes Out On Top?

Today’s SUV market is practically bursting at the seams with options–everything from your sleek, sophisticated luxury trophy cars to your rugged, ultra-spacious people-movers is available on dealer lots. But out of all the popular high-end SUV models available today, the Toyota Highlander and the Nissan Pathfinder are the two ultimate top contenders.

Both vehicles offer luxury, practicality, plenty of tech upgrades and great powertrain options. But when you put the Pathfinder and the Highlander side by side, there’s just no question which SUV comes out on top.

The Nissan Pathfinder is the SUV to beat.

Although the Highlander is described by Toyota as “sleek and refined,” we’re confident that you can find a car on any Nissan dealer lot that could give the Highlander a run for its money. Frankly, the Highlander has nothing on the Pathfinder’s gorgeous, expertly-designed exterior. With a strong sense of adventure, character and presence, the Pathfinder was made to stand out.

And inside, the Pathfinder just keeps on shining thanks to its three rows of ample seating, full rear hatch and hyper-functional driver amenities. The vehicle comes with a standard 8.0-inch touchscreen monitor to provide drivers with intuitive access to a variety of vehicle systems and settings like the standard NissanConnect with Voice Recognition for audio, Bluetooth and vehicle information.

Although the Highlander comes with a respectable range of driver-assist and safety technology, the Pathfinder once again has it beat. The 2019 Nissan Pathfinder, for example, comes with standard Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), an innovative Rear Door Alert (RDA) system, standard Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC), an available Remote Engine Start function, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

And when it comes to what’s under the hood, we think you’ll agree that the Nissan Pathfinder once again steals first place.

The 2019 Nissan Pathfinder comes with an advanced 3.5-liter V6 engine with Nissan’s Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG) system to provide better wide-open throttle performance and improved fuel economy and emissions performance. The new engine generates 284 horsepower and 259 lb.-ft. of torque and has an EPA mileage rating of 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined for two-wheel drive models.

But we haven’t even told you the best part yet: The new Pathfinder has a class-leading maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds. That means you can tow two-axle recreational trailers without even breaking a sweat. We’d like to see the Highlander try that. (Spoiler alert: The 2018 Toyota Highlander’s towing capacity maxes out at 5,000 pounds.)

Visit us at Palm Springs Nissan to learn more about the Nissan Pathfinder. Still not convinced that it’s the better option over the Toyota Highlander? No problem–our staff of Nissan nerds can do this all day long.