We’re about to treat the Pathfinder Rock Creek like its marketing team suggests we can
February 23, 2025 at 18:00
- We’ve just been handed the keys to a new Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition.
- It costs over $46,000 and aims to bridge the gap between on- and off-road capability.
- The SUV offers a powerful 295-hp V6, all-terrain tires, and a lifted off-road suspension.
The Nissan Pathfinder is no stranger to change. Originally, it started out life much like the Toyota 4Runner—as a rugged, body-on-frame SUV built on a pickup truck platform. Over the years, it evolved into a more refined family vehicle, but the Rock Creek edition looks to recapture some of that original grit.
Over the next week, we’ll see how well it balances modern comfort with old-school toughness as we test it everywhere a typical buyer might go, from busy city streets to challenging off-road trails.
Read: The 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek Answers The Call Of Adventure
Under the hood of every Pathfinder is a 3.5-liter V6. In almost every version, it makes 284 horsepower (211 kW), but in the Rock Creek version we’re testing, Nissan has remaped the ECU, bumping power up to 295 horsepower (219 kW). It sends that power to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Front-wheel drive is also available on different trim levels.
The Rock Creek edition starts at $46,550 before options, while the base Pathfinder costs $38,460 and can climb past $51,000 with all the extras. This trim includes all-terrain tires, a slightly lifted suspension, and plenty of Rock Creek branding scattered throughout the cabin and exterior.
Built for Adventure
Interestingly, this version we’re testing has a maximum towing capacity of 6,000 pounds. That’s outstanding and even beats my 2010 Ford Flex Limited with its 355 horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 (5,500lbs). However, Nissan isn’t pushing the Rock Creek as a towing champion. Instead, the marketing spotlight is on its off-road capability.
According to Nissan’s promotional material, the Rock Creek offers “capability for more rugged journeys with all-terrain tires lifted off-road-tuned suspension and tubular roof rack”. When this model first launched in 2022, Michael Colleran, senior VP of Nissan’s U.S. marketing and sales, emphasized its adventurous spirit: “The 2022 Pathfinder was all about a ‘return to rugged,’ and the Pathfinder Rock Creek takes that spirit even further.”
We’re about to see how well that ruggedness holds up. Over the next week, we’ll test the Pathfinder both in cities and off-road where pavement is a luxury few know. Now, we’re giving you the floor. What do you want to know about Nissan’s most rugged Pathfinder? Let us know in the comments and we’ll be back with answers in about week!
