Nissan Pathfinder vs. Toyota Highlander

For decades, the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Highlander have dominated the midsize SUV market. The impressive combination of great handling, comfort, and safety makes either vehicle an ideal choice for an active household. If you’re looking for your next crossover, the Pathfinder and Highlander should be on your shortlist. To help you find the SUV that meets your needs, we’ve created an in-depth comparison of the Nissan Pathfinder and the Toyota Highlander that focuses on exterior design, interior comfort, seating capacity, safety features, infotainment systems, and technology.

Nissan Pathfinder vs. Toyota Highlander Overview and Exterior

Though the Nissan Pathfinder has been on the road for over four decades, it has remained innovative. The 2024 Pathfinder masters the bold, rugged profile that turns heads with its prominent front grille, sculpted body lines, stylish headlights, and two-tone roof. It comes in a variety of striking colors, such as Scarlet Ember, Glacier White, and Gun Metallic.

The 2024 Toyota Highlander is a more compact, three-row midsize SUV with a more understated aesthetic. Its curves and fascia are smooth and elegant, with accented mirror caps, a shark-fin antenna, and a rear spoiler. The Highlander offers a similarly nuanced color range with refined tones such as Cypress, Blueprint, and Ruby Flare Pearl.

Nissan Pathfinder vs. Toyota Highlander Powertrain

Aside from their distinct aesthetics, the Highlander and Pathfinder possess very different powertrains. The Pathfinder’s 3.5-liter V-6 engine is in keeping with its strong road presence, generating 284 horsepower, and is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission for deft handling. It can tow up to 6,000 pounds and offers excellent fuel economy for its size, delivering a combined 23 mpg across the city and highway.

The Toyota Highlander is available with both gas and hybrid powertrains. The gasoline model has a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine generating up to 265 horsepower with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Though smaller than the Pathfinder, it can still tow up to 5,000 pounds, and it has a combined fuel economy of 25 mpg.

Nissan Pathfinder vs. Toyota Highlander Interior

Both SUVs provide drivers and passengers with a comfortable environment and ample practical space. The Nissan Pathfinder is undeniably the more spacious vehicle, offering second-row seats that slide and recline, plus ample headroom and legroom in all three seating rows. It also has luxurious features such as sumptuous ventilated semi-aniline leather upholstery and an epic panoramic sunroof.

The Toyota Highlander also provides three rows of seating, but it doesn’t have the spaciousness of the Pathfinder, so the third row may be a little cramped for an adult. The interior is comfortably upholstered with synthetic material and boasts an expansive dashboard layout and infotainment screen.

Nissan Pathfinder vs. Toyota Highlander Safety

Safety is a priority when you put an SUV through its paces, but you can confidently drive both the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Highlander, knowing that they offer advanced safety features.

The Nissan Pathfinder is equipped with several cutting-edge driver-assistance technologies as standard, including:

• Blind-spot monitoring
• Automatic emergency braking
• Pedestrian detection
• Adaptive cruise control

Higher trims offer Nissan’s ProPilot Assist, a semi-autonomous driving mode that uses a range of sensors to help drivers avoid the risk of fatigue on long trips.

The Toyota Highlander also offers a great lineup of safety features, such as:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane-keep assist
• Traffic sign recognition
• Automatic emergency braking
• Pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection

Both vehicles have favorable ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety due to their superior impact protection.

Nissan Pathfinder vs. Toyota Highlander Infotainment and Technology

Excellent in-car infotainment is a must for most households, so it’s no surprise that the Pathfinder and Highlander offer innovative and well-integrated technology to keep passengers connected.

The Toyota Highlander features an 8-inch screen that can be upgraded to a 12.3-inch screen in higher trims. The Highlander delivers tech in the form of a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and easy integration with Alexa, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

The Pathfinder delivers an impressive infotainment system equipped with a 9-inch touchscreen and digital gauge display with intuitive integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Passengers will appreciate the onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, USB ports, and six-speaker audio system that can be upgraded in premium trims.

Nissan Pathfinder vs. Toyota Highlander Trims

Both of these midrange SUVs offer a range of trims that elevate their value and meet a variety of individual preferences.

The Toyota Highlander comes in five trims, including the LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum, along with several special editions.  LE, the base trim, features 18-inch alloy wheels, a smart key system with push-button start, and Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+. At the other end of the spectrum, the Platinum offers a panoramic glass roof and a 10-inch color head-up display.

The Nissan Pathfinder trims include the SV, SL, Rock Creek, and Platinum. The base SV trim has 18-inch dark-painted aluminum-alloy wheels and heated front seats, while the premium trim, the Platinum, boasts 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels and a panoramic moonroof.

Visit AutoCenters Nissan to Experience the Nissan Pathfinder for Yourself

Both the Pathfinder and Highlander have their particular strengths, but the Nissan Pathfinder’s size and performance cannot be ignored. Its bold exterior, spacious interior, and impressive tech integration eclipse the smaller, less feature-rich Highlander.

The Pathfinder has to be experienced in person, and we’re ready to introduce you at AutoCenters Nissan. We stock a full inventory of new Pathfinders for you to test-drive, and our helpful sales staff is ready to answer your questions. Get behind the wheel of the Nissan Pathfinder by contacting us online, by phone at 866-511-0190, or by visiting us at our Herculaneum, Missouri, dealership.

Green Nissan Pathfinder by RITESH SINGH is licensed with Pexels license