The Nissan Pathfinder stands as one of the most versatile and accommodating SUVs in the midsize segment, offering exceptional seating capacity that makes it ideal for families, adventure enthusiasts, and anyone who needs to transport multiple passengers in comfort. With its well-designed three-row layout, the Pathfinder delivers both flexibility and comfort, allowing owners to adapt the interior space to their specific needs. 

Standard Seating Configuration: Room for Eight

The standard Nissan Pathfinder comes equipped with three rows of seating and an eight-passenger capacity, making it one of the most accommodating vehicles in its class. This configuration features a second-row bench seat that comfortably fits three passengers alongside three-person seating in both the first and third rows.

The front row provides supportive bucket seats with ample adjustability to accommodate drivers of various heights. The standard configuration includes a 6-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, while higher trim levels offer 8-way or 10-way power adjustments with additional lumbar support. The passenger seat offers 4-way manual adjustment on base models, with power options available on premium trims.

The second-row bench seat utilizes a 60/40 split design, allowing for partial folding to accommodate both passengers and cargo simultaneously. This row offers impressive flexibility with 35.5 centimetres of legroom, providing comfortable space for adult passengers. The bench seat also slides forward and backward, allowing occupants to adjust legroom distribution between the second and third rows as needed.

The third row, often a cramped afterthought in many midsize SUVs, offers a respectable 28 centimetres of legroom in the Pathfinder. While best suited for children or smaller adults, this row is entirely usable for short to medium-length journeys, even for average-sized adults. The third-row bench utilizes a 60/40 split, adding further cargo flexibility when not all seating positions are needed.

Captain’s Chairs: The Seven-Passenger Option

For those who prioritize individual comfort or need easier access to the third row, Nissan offers an available seven-passenger configuration that replaces the second-row bench seat with two captain’s chairs. This premium seating arrangement creates a more upscale, comfortable environment while sacrificing just one seating position.

The captain’s chairs provide several advantages over the standard bench seat. Each chair offers individual armrests and enhanced cushioning, creating a more personalized comfort experience. The space between the chairs creates a convenient center aisle for third-row access, eliminating the need for second-row passengers to exit when someone needs to reach the back row.

On select trim levels, these captain’s chairs include a removable center console that provides additional storage and cupholders when in place. The console can be removed entirely when maximum third-row accessibility is desired, offering outstanding versatility to adapt to changing needs.

The captain’s chairs maintain the same adjustment capabilities as the bench seat, including the ability to slide forward and backward to balance legroom between rows. This configuration proves particularly valuable for families with children who need to access car seats frequently, as it simplifies entry and exit for all passengers.

EZ FLEX® Seating System: Simplifying Access

One of the most innovative Pathfinder features is the EZ FLEX® Seating System, which dramatically improves access to the third row. This thoughtfully engineered system allows the second-row seats to slide and tilt forward with minimal effort, creating a generous pathway to the rear seating area.

What truly sets the EZ FLEX® system apart is its ability to function even with a child seat installed in the second row. Parents no longer need to remove and reinstall child safety seats each time a passenger needs to access the third row. With a simple one-touch operation, the seat tilts and slides forward while the properly installed child seat remains securely in place.

The system can be activated from either side of the vehicle, adding convenience regardless of parking or loading situations. The tilt-and-slide mechanism requires minimal physical effort, making it manageable even for younger passengers or those with limited strength.

For captain’s chair configurations, the EZ FLEX® system still provides value when third-row passengers need to exit from a side where a child seat is installed. The intuitive design allows for quick operation in emergency situations and adds daily convenience for families with multiple children.

Interior Comfort Features

Beyond basic seating capacity, the Nissan Pathfinder offers numerous comfort features that enhance the passenger experience across all three rows. The availability of these features varies by trim level, with more premium options appearing on higher-end models.

The front seats offer available climate control with both heating and cooling functions, ensuring year-round comfort regardless of external weather conditions. Heating extends to the second-row outboard positions on select models, a welcome feature during cold weather for rear passengers.

Higher trim levels feature premium materials throughout the cabin, including available semi-aniline leather seating surfaces that provide both luxury and durability. The Platinum trim takes comfort further with a driver’s seat that includes a memory function for position settings and power lumbar support.

Thoughtful details enhance comfort throughout the cabin. The third row includes recline adjustment, allowing passengers to find their preferred seating angle. Multiple USB ports appear in all three rows on most models, ensuring device charging is available to all occupants during long journeys. Additional comfort features include tri-zone automatic climate control, allowing separate temperature settings for the driver, front passenger, and rear passengers.

The cabin’s design emphasizes noise reduction with acoustic glass and sound-dampening materials, creating a quieter environment for conversation among all three rows of passengers. This attention to acoustic comfort makes the Pathfinder suitable for long-distance travel, where communication between rows becomes important for family interaction.

Flexible Cargo Configurations

The true value of a three-row SUV lies in its flexibility to adapt between passenger and cargo needs, and the Pathfinder excels in this regard. Its thoughtfully designed seating system allows for multiple configurations to balance people and gear.

With all seats in their upright position, the Pathfinder still offers 16.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, sufficient for groceries or small luggage items. Folding the third row flat increases this space dramatically to 45 cubic feet, providing ample room for larger items while still accommodating five passengers.

For maximum cargo capacity, both the second and third rows can fold to create a nearly flat loading floor with 80.5 cubic feet of space. The resulting cargo area measures 79.8 centimetres by 48.8 centimetres at its maximum floor dimensions, large enough to transport furniture, outdoor equipment, or building materials.

The 60/40 split in both the second and third rows enables partial folding to create custom configurations. For example, one side of the third row can remain upright for a passenger while the other side folds to accommodate longer items. Similarly, a portion of the second row can fold while leaving seating available for additional passengers.

An underfloor storage compartment behind the third row provides hidden storage for valuables or rarely used items like emergency supplies. This clever use of space adds functionality without compromising the Pathfinder passenger capacity.

Seating Access and Convenience

Beyond raw capacity, the Pathfinder incorporates numerous features that enhance the usability of its three-row seating system. These thoughtful touches improve the daily experience of using the vehicle for various passenger configurations.

One-touch operation for folding seats simplifies transitions between passenger and cargo modes. Instead of requiring complex strap-pulling or lever manipulation, the seats can be folded with minimal effort, allowing quick adaptability to changing needs.

The second-row seats’ sliding function allows passengers to share legroom as needed. When the third row is unoccupied, second-row passengers can maximize their comfort by sliding seats backward. When third-row passengers are present, the second row can move forward to create additional legroom for those in the back.

Wide-opening rear doors provide excellent access to both the second and third rows. This design element proves particularly valuable when installing child seats or helping younger children or elderly passengers enter and exit the vehicle. The doors open to nearly 90 degrees, creating a large aperture for easy access.

Multiple grab handles strategically placed throughout the interior assist passengers entering and exiting all three rows. These handles provide stability for passengers who may need additional support when navigating into the third row or exiting the vehicle.

Seating Safety Features

Passenger capacity means little without corresponding safety considerations, and the Pathfinder delivers comprehensive protection for occupants in all seating positions. The vehicle’s safety systems extend across all three rows to protect every passenger.

All eight seating positions include three-point seatbelts, including the middle positions in both the second and third rows. This configuration exceeds the minimum safety requirements and ensures proper restraint for all occupants regardless of seating location.

The second row includes two complete sets of LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) connectors for secure child seat installation. The third row adds an additional tether anchor, allowing for properly secured forward-facing child seats when needed.

Side-curtain airbags extend protection to all three rows, deploying along the full length of the cabin in the event of a side impact or rollover. This comprehensive airbag coverage ensures that even third-row passengers receive the same level of impact protection as those in the front.

The advanced safety technologies work to protect all passengers regardless of where they sit. Features like automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert help prevent accidents that could impact any seating position, creating a comprehensive safety environment for all eight potential occupants.

5 Nissan Pathfinder Seating Facts

1. The Pathfinder EZ FLEX® seating system allows the second-row seats to tilt and slide forward even with a child seat securely installed, making it one of the few SUVs that offer this convenience.
2. When equipped with second-row captain’s chairs, the Pathfinder features a removable center console that can be taken out to create easy walk-through access to the third row.
3. The third-row seats can be folded completely flat with a simple one-touch operation, creating a level cargo floor without removing headrests.
4. Nissan engineers designed the second-row bench seat with a 60/40 split that allows for partial folding, meaning you can accommodate long items while still keeping some rear seating available.
5. The Rock Creek® edition of the Pathfinder features exclusive interior accents with unique embroidery on the seats, setting it apart from standard Pathfinder models.

Questions and Answers About the Nissan Pathfinder

How many seats does the standard Nissan Pathfinder have?

• The standard model comes with eight seats arranged in a three-row configuration. This includes two front bucket seats, a three-person bench seat in the second row, and another three-person bench seat in the third row. This arrangement maximizes passenger capacity while maintaining comfort across all seating positions.

Can I get a Nissan Pathfinder with captain’s chairs?

• Yes, this SUV offers an available configuration with second-row captain’s chairs instead of the standard bench seat. This option reduces total seating capacity to seven passengers but provides enhanced comfort for second-row occupants and creates an easy-access aisle to the third row. The captain’s chairs are available on SL and Platinum trim levels.

Does the Nissan Pathfinder have removable seats?

• It does not feature fully removable seats like some minivans. However, when equipped with second-row captain’s chairs, it does include a removable center console between these seats. The console can be taken out to create better access to the third row while maintaining the captain’s chair configuration.

How much legroom do passengers get in each row of the Pathfinder?

• This family-sized SUV has 44.3 centimetres of legroom in the front row, 35.5 centimetres in the second row, and 28 centimetres in the third row. The second-row seats can slide forward and backward to adjust legroom distribution between the second and third rows based on passenger needs.

Can I fit child seats in the Nissan Pathfinder while still using the third row?

• Yes, the EZ FLEX® Seating System allows the second-row seats to tilt and slide forward for third-row access even with a properly installed child seat in place. This innovative feature eliminates the need to remove and reinstall child safety seats when passengers need to access the third row, making the Pathfinder particularly family-friendly.

*Disclaimer: Content contained in this post is for informational purposes only and may include features and options from US or international models. Please contact the dealership for more information or to confirm vehicle, feature availability.*