2020 Nissan Pathfinder SL

2020 Nissan Pathfinder SL

The 2020 Nissan Pathfinder Rock Creek Edition finds itself in murky waters these days. New three-row crossovers are popping up left and right, and yet Nissan trots the Pathfinder – at seven model years old – into 2020 with blinders on.

A facelift in 2017 and several special editions are the only motions the company is going through to try to keep things fresh. This one, the Rock Creek Edition, found its way into our garage for a week. In short, the Rock Creek is an appearance package.

Nissan dresses up the exterior trim in black paint, covering the mesh grille, roof rails, door handles, mirror caps and license plate finisher.

Dark 18-inch wheels (that look a whole lot like the Subaru Crosstrek’s wheels) finish the look. When combined with the porcelain white paint on our tester, the overall effect is low-rent. Paint choice makes a huge difference in how this package looks. It was much more enticing on the dark green show car we saw at the Chicago Auto Show.

The Rock Creek interior changes are similarly minor, yet immediately noticeable. Nissan embroidered the Rock Creek logo onto both the front seats and the floor mats. It’s big enough that you won’t ever miss it stepping into the car, for better or worse.

Then, there’s the “premium metallic trim” – a glossy carbon fiber-esque looking plastic material with some orange accents weaved into it, set against hard black plastic – that doesn’t look or feel premium.