Beauty and the Bump was able to test out the all new 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4DW, as we are currently in the market for a new family SUV. As a family that is constantly on-the-go whether it is for work, school, extracurricular activities or even road trips, having an SUV that is equipped to change to accommodate our daily activities in important.  What better way for us to find our new family SUV than to test out the 7-passenger 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD in our real-life, day-to-day activities.

First Impressions of the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD

During the reveal last year, Beauty and the Bump fell in love with the new look of the Pathfinder, especially the new Caspian Blue exterior. When the test Pathfinder arrived, we fell in love all over again; however, this time it was Sandstone with a dark Charcoal leather interior. The Pathfinder is a sleek-looking SUV, with clean edges, and it is super roomy.

We wasted no time taking this baby on the road, especially since mini me was excited that we had a new car.  Off to Brooklyn, we went to pick up our nephew so that we could give his mom a break and some alone time with his new baby sister.  Our destination was the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. This gave us the chance to see what we were working. Most importantly, I wanted to see how safe the Pathfinder will be.

The 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD Safety Features

The first thing that was obvious when backing out of our driveway was the 360-view camera. To say that we love that feature would be an overstatement. On the road, during heavy traffic on the Long Island Expressway (LIE) the safety features proved to be even more impressive.

Nissan has equipped their vehicles with what they call “Intelligent Safety Shield Technologies” that uses both camera and radar to keep you safe on the road. I felt comfortable driving my family, especially the little ones knowing that features like Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Moving Object Detection were in my corner, literally.

The blind spot warning indicator lit up in the door pillar of the driver or passenger doors. I loved that when I signaled to change lanes, in addition to the illuminated indicator, a beep would ring out to alert me when a vehicle was in my blind spot. Auntie Kim was not having an accident with her two babies in her care.

Driving, and finding parking in Brooklyn can be a bit tricky. The streets are always packed, and parking is usually scarce during the day, especially near the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.  The 360-degree backup camera with an aerial view was a godsend. That plus the Moving Object Detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alert made parking in somewhat tight spots on busy Brooklyn streets a breeze!

Road Tripping in the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD

My 20-minute commute to work, and driving to Brooklyn and back was just a small test to the abilities of the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder. In order for us to see what it was really made of, we had to take it on a long-distance drive. Thankfully, we had a full weekend packed with out of state activities the first was at the South Plainfield, NY Sky Zone, and then the next day back to New Jersey to spend an afternoon at Liberty Science Center.

Imagine driving for two hours with two kids, and then one of their tablets die. A fighting match will definitely ensue. Thankfully, this pathfinder is equipped with what I felt like 50 different ways to keep our devices charged. I especially liked the 120V power outlet. It saved my sister and me during our trip to Skyzone. Unfortunately, we were not saved from having Kidz Bop blast through the 13-speaker BOSE Premium Audio System.

With two car seats situated in the second row, there was still enough space for a smaller person to sit in between, and enough room for my daughter and nephew to have their personal space. Of course, with slimmer car seats like the Diono, a third one can fit straight across. The second row also leaves a ton of leg room in for our growing kiddies, and it reclines.

One of the things I want in our next family SUV is a third row. The third row must be easily accessible. The 2017 Nissan Pathfinder’s third row is roomier than another SUV we tested and is easily accessible even with a car seat in the second row. That’s a major plus for us.

2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD in the Snow

I wish we had the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD when it snowed. We live on Long Island where the winter can be harsh. One thing I noticed about my current SUV is that it pretty much sucks in the snow. In fact, when it snows my husband lets me drive his AWD sedan. The 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD boasts selectable driving modes that allow you to switch from 4WD 2WD, Auto or 4WD Lock modes from the available intuitive ALL-MODE 4×4-i system.

With the available intuitive four-wheel drive, Pathfinder continues to serve as an excellent vehicle for inclement weather driving conditions.

Speaking of harsh winters and snow, the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder has not only front drive and passenger heated and cooled seats but also heated second-row seating. That’s amazing. It also has a heated steering wheel, and auto start for the super cold days we tend to have on Long Island.

Is the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD a Winner?

Beauty and the Bump love the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD. For a vehicle of its size, it offers a swift and smooth ride and handles curves much better than our current SUV.  The interior is roomy and comfortable, and we love the easy third-row access, which is perfect for when we take both grandmas along with us on road trips.  Plus, there leaves just enough cargo room for luggage and other items, and even more with the third row collapsed. Simply stated, the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder checks off nearly everything from our wish list of things we would like for our new family SUV to have. I seriously can go on and on about everything I love about it.

Not to mention that the Nissan Pathfinder is a repeat winner in the Kelly Blue Book Best Family Car Competition. If this does not convince you that this should be your next family car or mine, then I do not know what else will. We love it, and it is high on our list of SUVs to replace our current two-row, 5-seater.  To be honest, when I was driving the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum 4WD I did not miss my SUV one bit. Sorry. Not sorry.

This model of the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD has an MSRP of $44,725.  Check out the Nissan website for more information, and to build your next family SUV.

What are your thoughts on the 2017 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD?

Disclosure: Nissan provided the Pathfinder for review purposes only. All opinions are my own and are honest.