Join Me On My Pathfinder Adventure

I have a confession to make.

I have never bought a car.

Growing up in rural Pennsylvania means that you are provided with something to drive when you turn sixteen because your parents are sick of playing chauffeur from one far flung friend to the other.  When your dad is a motor-head like mine, it is also means that you have access to a variety of vehicles that change as quickly as the weather.  I once left for school in the morning with a white, two door, standard transmission vehicle sitting in my driveway only to return that afternoon to find a black, four door, automatic transmission vehicle of the same make and model.  In high school I drove a late model sports car, which was completely unable to be used during Pennsylvania winters.  This meant that during the cold weather months I drove anything from my mom’s mini-van to a 1975 pick-up truck complete with a gun rack and a speedometer that hadn’t worked since sometime in the mid-80’s.

When my children were born I drove a bright red SUV that  my dad had picked up somewhere with a goal to re-sell.  I loved driving an SUV.  I was the type of SUV driver who would pop it into 4WD so I could park in that end parking space during the winter.  You know, the one where they dump all of the snow when they plow.  I loved the space, the power – driving was fun.

Then one day when my son was two weeks old and my daughter was two years old and my c-section incision was being particularly temperamental, I found myself unable to close my double stroller.  I stood there looking at the back of my truck and nearly burst into tears.  My parents, who were parked next to me with their mini-van, walked over and put the still open double stroller into the back of their van.  A few weeks later we switched vehicles, my little red truck was sold to pay for my mom’s brand new car, and I’ve been driving a hand-me-down mini-van for the last six years.

This is the year that that is going to change.  I am going to buy my first car.  And come heck or high water, it’s going to be both fun and functional.

I’ve been test-driving SUV’s for about a year, trying to make what is amounting to one of the biggest decisions of my life.  When Nissan approached me with the offer to drive a new 2013 Nissan Pathfinder for a week, I jumped at the opportunity.  The totally redesigned Pathfinder meets all of my three major qualifications: third row seat, 4WD, cool technology.  Over the next 7 days I’m going to be driving the Nissan Pathfinder to learn more about what else it has going for it.

I hope you’ll join me on my winter Pathfinder Adventure, enter the upcoming giveaway (yes, giveaway!!), and even join me at a special event later this month (more on that soon!).

What I am looking forward to this week:

  • Spacious interior to store everything we need for our everyday adventures
  • Space behind the third row, not just when the third row is folded down
  • Technology, oh, sweet technology.  Did I mention that my current ride is rocking a tape deck?

What my kids are looking forward to this week:

  • Space for both of them to be together while separate.  They call it an awesome cup-holder/arm rest, I call it the line of demarcation
  • Independence.  For them that means a place to plug in their gadgets and control their own temperature
  • Technology, oh, sweet technology.  Three words – DVD player headrests

Let the adventure begin!

Disclosure: I was provided with a 1-week vehicle loan of the Nissan Pathfinder along with additional compensation. All opinions are my own. 

 

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18 Comments

  • Jessica s

    Love it & can’t wait for the giveaway! 🙂

  • Looks awesome. I would love to make the switch back from a minivan to an SUV and, like you, third row seating is a must. Love that there’s still room for a stroller in the back even when using the third row. Looking forward to your adventure!

    • I should borrow a stroller to take a pic of the stroller in the back with the third row up!

      • Yes! It definitely looks like it will fit, but that would be really helpful!

  • Jane

    I love my SUV & third row, how ever when there is a warm sun shining above & an open road I can never get enough of holding on to my husband on the motorcycle

  • OK – I love all of the details of the Pathfinder, but I can’t believe you’ve never bought a car 🙂 And I LOVE that you are getting ready to do it! Too exciting… I have an SUV – have for years now and couldn’t do it any other way! 🙂 Enjoy!

    • It’s crazy, I know! I still have the used car my dad bought for me to drive when I was 16 and have been driving my mom’s hand-me-down 2001 mini-van for the last 6 years. It’s time, right? 🙂

  • I have 2012 that I LOVE, and it looks like they have significantly bumped up the technology, which is awesome. I love, love, love the way it drives. Very zippy and fun, but also safe. I did not test drive a Pilot so I don’t know how they compare.

    • Oh, you know what else I love about it (and this is so simple as to be silly), the back seat floor mat that stretches all the way across and is not in pieces.

    • Yes, the 2013 has some serious get up and go!

  • Becky Cole

    Looks like something I would consider buying.

  • Nice car!!!

  • Swoon! This looks beautiful!

  • Love this SUV/minivan/car – looks like the perfect mom car for me! How is it in the mountains?

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