2023 Nissan Pathfinder vs 2022 Land Rover Defender

The 2022 Land Rover Defender retained its distinctive exterior styling, with a boxy profile, tailgate-mounted spare tire, and flat hood that visually tied it to the original version and classic Series Land Rovers. Despite these retro callbacks, the design was thoroughly modern, featuring rounded corners for better aerodynamics and recessed LED headlights that gave the Defender a unique personality. The modern Defender was also much larger than the original, offering more interior space and improved ergonomics. The interior design emphasized rugged character with bare metal and exposed screws, mixed with leather and suede upholstery, making it both stylish and practical for off-road adventures.

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder, redesigned for the 2022 model year, carried over with minimal changes except for the new Rock Creek trim level. It featured futuristic headlights, an angular C-pillar, and a modern aesthetic that extended into the cabin with clean lines and a sensible layout. The Pathfinder's interior was easy to look at and live with, offering trims like S, SV, SL, Rock Creek, and Platinum. Each trim added progressively more features, from basic cloth upholstery and an 8-inch touchscreen to leather upholstery, a 9-inch touchscreen, and advanced driver assistance features. The Rock Creek trim stood out with off-road suspension, all-terrain tires, and a rugged interior designed to handle mud and dirt.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered three powertrains: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mild-hybrid powertrain with 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, and a new-for-2022 V8 engine producing 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. The V8 could accelerate the Defender 90 from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed of 149 mph. All models used a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive with a two-speed transfer case. The Defender was comfortable on pavement, with a suspension that absorbed bumps well and minimized noise from the 22-inch tires. Off-road, it had impressive capabilities with a 4WD system, good approach, departure, and breakover angles, and up to 11.5 inches of ground clearance. The Defender also had an 8,201-pound maximum towing capacity.

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine making 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque, with the Rock Creek trim tuned to 295 hp and 270 lb-ft. Power was routed through a 9-speed automatic transmission to either front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive. The Rock Creek trim featured a slightly taller suspension with off-road shocks and standard AWD, making it more capable off-road. The Pathfinder's engine provided ample power for city and highway driving, and the automatic transmission was smooth and quiet. The Pathfinder also had a rotary drive mode dial with various settings for different terrains and a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds for the Rock Creek and certain other trims.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender offered 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, which were comfortable but challenging to access in the two-door Defender 90. The four-door Defender 110 model provided more versatility with two-row, five-seat, and three-row, seven-seat configurations. Three-row models had 11.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, 35.4 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 70.4 cubic feet with the second row folded. Two-row versions offered 18.1 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 51.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The interior design emphasized functionality, with a large caged storage space below the dashboard and a sizable center-console storage bin that could be equipped with refrigeration.

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder provided up to 80.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third rows folded flat. With the second row in use, it offered 45 cubic feet of cargo space, and 16.6 cubic feet with all seats upright. The first two rows provided ample headroom and legroom, while the third row was suitable for adults on shorter trips. The optional second-row captain’s chairs made accessing the third row easier. The Pathfinder also featured 12 cupholders and four bottle holders, along with plenty of cubbies and compartments for gear. The Rock Creek trim included a useful tubular roof rack that could hold up to 220 pounds, though it made snow removal challenging.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender came standard with a 10-inch central touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster was standard on all trims except the base model, and an 11.4-inch touchscreen was newly available for 2022. Optional features included a 14-speaker Meridian audio system, head-up display, and a surround-view camera system that was particularly useful for off-roading.

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Higher trims like the SL, Rock Creek, and Platinum came with a larger 9-inch touchscreen. The Pathfinder also included four USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, and voice recognition. The SV trim added a Wi-Fi hotspot, while the SL trim added wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless device charging, and a third-row USB port. The Platinum trim added a second third-row USB port.

The 2022 Land Rover Defender included standard driver-assist features like lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and traffic-sign recognition. Blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control were optional. The Defender had not been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA.

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder came with standard driver assistance features such as forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, forward and reverse collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, rear parking sensors, driver attention monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The SV trim added ProPilot Assist with lane centering and adaptive cruise control. The SL trim added front parking sensors, a 360-degree parking monitor, and traffic-sign recognition. The Platinum trim included rain-sensing wipers and a head-up display.