Ah, the prodigal son. A return from his errant ways makes your fondness for him all the more intense. Perhaps we feel more affection toward the Pathfinder because, until this 2001 model, we felt that the Pathfinder was losing its path, with its wheezy old engine and cheap interior bits.
Primary credit goes to the excellent engine.
We were certain that it would accommodate the maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds with ease. It handily tied with the Durango for the swiftest 0-60 acceleration time of 8.4 seconds. The suspension was mostly to be lauded, for it controlled bumps on the road admirably. The Pathfinder tended to roll into corners, but the tight unibody construction kept it composed on pavement, and again, ride quality comparisons were made to cars rather than trucks. The system was, however, a bit taxed when fully loaded.