Arch Rivals: Ford Explorer versus Nissan Pathfinder

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The Ford Explorer was a game-changer for the Blue Oval, giving it a family hauler that quickly became the blueprint for other automakers seeking to get in on SUV surge that began in the 1990s. It wasn’t the first player to enter the arena, however, and one of its primary rivals predated it by nearly half a decade: the Nissan Pathfinder.

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Although the original Pathfinder was more off-road oriented, it wasn’t long before the marketing minds at Nissan realized the big money was in peeling off customers who had flocked to the Explorer’s more genteel charms. This kicked off a sport-utility arms race that continues until today, with each of these large people movers marching in near lock-step as they compete for family dollars.

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Arch Rivals: Ford Explorer versus Nissan Pathfinder Back to video

How does the Ford Explorer compare against the Nissan Pathfinder over the years? Here’s our take on stacking up these hulking automotive arch-rivals.

First-Gen Nissan Pathfinder and First-Gen Ford Explorer

When the Nissan Pathfinder 4×4 first hit the scene in 1985 it was targeting a very specific class of customer, those who wanted to have fun off-road but who didn’t want or need beefy full-size vehicles like the Ford Bronco or the Chevrolet Blazer. Offered as a two-door until 1990 (when four-doors became standard) the Pathfinder stood alongside the Toyota 4Runner as part of the first wave of Japanese SUVs to enter the popular consciousness. Four and six-cylinder models could be had, with the 3.0-liter VG30E V6 engine topping out at 153 horsepower after the truck’s 1990 refresh.

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The Ford Explorer was a latecomer to the game, arriving in model-year 1991 (Mazda also sold a version of the original Explorer called the ‘Navajo’). A 4.0-liter V6 was the only available engine option, and it was good for up to 160 horsepower. Delivering a choice between two-door and four-door configurations, the Explorer had a modest level of all-terrain competence thanks to its Ranger pickup-derived frame, but it was primarily intended to expand the older, and smaller Bronco II’s appeal in a more family-friendly direction.

It was a plan that worked: although some owners tested the Explorer’s decent mud-and-rocks chops, hundreds of thousands would instead use the Ford as their daily driver, prizing it for its all-weather four-wheel drive competence and its vast reams of cargo space compared to a traditional sedan. Popular options like the long-running Eddie Bauer trim also introduced the idea of affordable luxury to first-time SUV shoppers.

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The verdict : The first Pathfinder was a key part of acclimating North American buyers to the idea of modestly-sized off-roaders, but the Explorer’s phenomenal success went on to define an entirely new segment of the automotive industry. Ford takes this round.

Second-Gen Nissan Pathfinder and Second-Gen Ford Explorer

Sensing that there was money to be made outside of the go-anywhere crowd, Nissan completely rethought the Pathfinder in 1995. Gone was its truck-based full frame and in its place was a more car-like unibody that made use of additional bracing and rails to give it the strength it required for off-pavement forays.

Dubbed the ‘R50’ internally, the Pathfinder turned up the wick on both comfort and power, stepping up to a 168 horsepower, 3.3-liter V6 that was replaced in 2001 by the brand’s thoroughly excellent VQ-series V6 (good for as much as 250 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque). Larger and featuring a much smoother ride, the R50 also spawned its first Infiniti variant, the QX4, which further gussied up the SUV’s interior while subtly updating its exterior styling when it arrived in 1997.

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Ford also chose 1995 to revamp the Explorer, and it was easy to understand why they only waited four years to improve on their initial effort. With the mid-size sport-utility market gathering steam with each passing year, and with rivals such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee having entered the fray in 1993, the automaker was keen on consolidating its early sales lead.

To do so it gave the Explorer much the same rounded appearance that had already been seen on vehicles like the recent Mustang and Taurus replacements, softening the truck’s looks while still retaining its general rugged character. It also introduced a new engine choice into the mix (a 5.0-litre V8 that pushed out as much as 215 horsepower), made the two-door edition its own model (Explorer Sport), and included a more modern control-arm steering setup to replace the Ranger’s twin I-beam design. By 1997 things got a little cloudy, as a second 4.0-liter V6 featuring an overhead-camshaft setup matched the V8 in terms of horsepower (but not torque), giving the Explorer a triple threat until the older six-cylinder was dropped in 2001.

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In a strange aside, Ford also spun-off the Explorer Sport Trac, a V6-only pickup version of the SUV that would stick on a stretched version of the second-gen platform from 2001 to 2005. Mercury gained a version of the Explorer called the Mountaineer in 1997, and Mazda continued to sell the Navajo.

The verdict : There’s no doubt that Ford had firmly established its powerbase with the revised Explorer. However, the Firestone tire scandal, in which a number of rollovers blamed on improperly-inflated tires sold with the SUV (later demonstrated to be partially the result of improper maintenance and driver error), seriously marred the vehicle’s prestige and public trust towards the end of the decade. Matching that up against the all-around solid appeal of the R50 Pathfinder, and we’re going to have to call this a draw.

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Third-Gen Nissan Pathfinder and Third- and Fourth-Gen Ford Explorer

Ford continued its quick development window with the Explorer by providing its third iteration in 2002. The Explorer finally gained its own unique platform, leaving the Ranger’s compact pickup roots behind to introduce an independent rear suspension, an engine bay capable of handling Ford’s latest 4.6-liter V8 (239 horsepower and 282 lb-ft of torque), and a longer wheelbase. Both the stretch and the new rear axle translated into improved interior room, with a lower cargo floor at the back providing enough space for either additional gear storage or the choice of a third row seat that expanded the Explorer’s passenger capacity to seven.

The newest Explorer was further domesticated with the availability of an all-wheel drive option (in place of low-range four-wheel drive), and although the Sport model hung around for a year as a carry-over design by 2003 it was gone. In its place? A poorly-received Lincoln variant (the Aviator), that would not be long for this world.

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The Explorer was given a makeover in 2006. This quasi-fourth-generation brought a 292-horsepower version of its V8, matched with a new six-speed automatic transmission, as well as a new frame design and rear suspension tune. The interior was brought more in line with the segment’s leading lights, and its looks pushed in a truckish direction even as it retained its easy-to-drive character. A revised version of the Sport Trac was also briefly sold on the same platform from 2007 to 2010.

Nissan waited a couple more years before bringing the third-generation Pathfinder to showrooms in 2004, but for brand-loyal families it was worth the delay. The company transitioned the SUV to a much larger chassis that gave it no-compromise three-row capability as well as a return to full-frame construction that improved its capabilities as a tow vehicle. Also adding to the Pathfinder’s newly-found brawn was a punchier 270-horsepower version of its VQ V6, and in 2008 a 310-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 also entered the picture.

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The Pathfinder’s big box styling presaged the growth spurt that was about to hit almost the entire SUV market, and its interior was the plushest yet from Nissan.. Surprisingly, despite a return to its tough truck frame the third-generation was better to drive in almost every situation, including long highway jaunts. Like the Explorer, the Pathfinder moved to an independent rear suspension that erased much of the bounce-and-chatter common to older sport-utilities, but it also added an off-road oriented trim level that butched things up with Rancho shocks and just over 9 inches of ground clearance.

The verdict : We’re giving this one to the Pathfinder. Both trucks made quantum leaps forward in terms of platform, power, and size, but the Explorer’s sales momentum began to slow as competitors caught up with its charms. Even after the rushed fourth-gen arrived the Ford had sunk to a paltry 10 percent of its original peak less than a decade before. The Pathfinder’s popularity, on the other hand, was on the upswing thanks to its radical rethink and it helped revitalize Nissan’s SUV line-up.

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Fourth-Gen Nissan Pathfinder and Fifth-Gen Ford Explorer

It was time for Ford’s own deep dive redesign of a vehicle that had once been an icon but was now more frequently seen as an also-ran. The 2011 Explorer adopted unibody construction for the first time, borrowing its platform from the large front-wheel-/all-wheel-drive Flex crossover, and with it came dramatic styling that traded its truck-like past for a windswept, muscular future. Better to drive thanks to its more modern suspension and increased stiffness, the Explorer also now featured a 290 horsepower V6 (almost matching the previous V8 option) as well as the availability of a 365-horsepower twin-turbo EcoBoost version of the same engine by 2013.

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A turbocharged four-cylinder grew option from 240 to 280 horses over the course of the generation, too. Although the shift to all-wheel-drive negated much of the Explorer’s off-road capability, Ford still baked in features like hill descent control and a ‘Terrain Management’ system that configured traction control and drivetrain response to best handle what lay in front of the truck.

The fourth-generation Nissan Pathfinder arrived one year later, and although it, too, was once again a unibody hauler it approached the embiggened mid-size SUV market from a much gentler angle. Lighter than before, and featuring a car-like approach to ride height and suspension tuning, like the Explorer it ditched its V8 engine in favour of a much more efficient 260-horsepower V6, adding a continuously-variable automatic transmission (and, later, a rare four-cylinder hybrid).

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The Pathfinder’s engine output was upgraded to 284 horses by 2017, and a focus on luxury tried to separate Platinum trim levels from other more modest SUV choices, but the incredibly crowded crossover segment made it difficult for Nissan’s now-neutered hauler to stand apart. Its new chassis also offered front-wheel drive in its base model, essentially turning its back on its off-road history and fully committing to mall crawler status.

The verdict : Ford’s Explorer redux marked a return to relevance, while SUV fans largely shunned the Pathfinder’s more muted attempt while walking a similar path.

Fifth-Gen Nissan Pathfinder and Sixth-Gen Ford Explorer

Not to be deterred, Nissan has abandoned its soft touch with the Pathfinder for the 2022 model year’s redesign. Now entering its fifth generation, the SUV’s looks are bold, square, and angular-ly aggressive, and in place of its CVT it features a nine-speed automatic matched with the same V6 as before.

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The bigger news? A more capacious interior that’s easier to access, a terrain control similar to that found in the Explorer (giving it at least mild off-road capabilities with its all-wheel drive system locked to a 50:50 torque split), and an interior that no longer lags behind upstarts like Hyundai and Kia.

Ford’s revision of the Explorer is even more comprehensive, with the sixth-generation model see-sawing back to rear-wheel-drive as its basis and adding six inches of wheelbase while sticking to the same general proportions of its predecessor. This means a more practical cabin, especially behind the second row, and that added utility is enhanced by a new 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 (matching the older unit’s horsepower but adding 30 lb-ft of torque for a total of 380 lb-ft) as well as the presence of 10-speed automatic transmission.

If you want more guts there’s the 400-horse Explorer ST, while those without a need for speed can stick with a 300-horsepower turbo four in the base model. Hybrid fans are served, too, by a six-cylinder battery-assisted option.

The verdict : It’s too early to tell who’s going to come out ahead, as the Pathfinder has just barely arrived on dealer lots. Still, it’s facing an uphill slog to take down the also-new Explorer’s multi-engine, performance-oriented, plus-size personality.