Nissan Pathfinder vs Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

What's the difference?

There’s a lot to like about the Nissan Pathfinder. The current model not only looks a lot better than its predecessor but in ST-L trim — and with an even cheaper front-wheel drive model — it offers the kind of value Australian families are chasing. 

For all its practicalities, towing capacity and refined driving experience, the Pathfinder’s fatal flaw is its limited engine choice. A thirsty petrol V6 with no engine start-stop tech stunts its appeal for those who live in suburban areas where a Kluger hybrid just works better.

The ST-L is a worthy consideration for your next purchase if you’re less bothered about fuel use, and it's the pick of the line-up, offering just about every creature comfort and safety feature you'd want in a good-value package.

When I was telling my colleagues about the Mercedes-Benz EQC my summary was, basically, it’s the best electric luxury car I’ve driven. 

It’s plusher than a Jaguar i-Pace, more polished than a Tesla Model X - indeed, it feels like a different kind of electric car to both of those models. It’s an impressive foray into the segment, and we can’t wait for the chance to put it against some like-minded electric European luxury SUVs at some point in the future.

The Pathfinder has a lot going for it in the looks department. Lead designer Ken Lee leaned into the nameplate’s past, incorporating the three horizontal strips between the broad bonnet and 'V-Motion' grille which is encircled in chrome. 

There’s real presence to this SUV (partially down to the Pathfinder's sheer size) with chunky wheel arches and plenty of vertical surfaces. The most eye catching colour is 'Scarlet Ember' red ($750) but the pearlescent 'Deep Ocean Blue' seen here is a classy look. 

Every manufacturer is doing the spaced out nameplates on the boot lid now, but the Pathfinder was an early adopter and it is particularly well executed on this car. There's also the massive (in proportion to the vehicle) Nissan badges. 

Inside, the Pathfinder focuses more on practicality and usability than wow-factor. There are no tacky design flourishes and the three-row SUV manages to stay on the right side of Americana, a trick the Toyota Kluger could learn.

The Mercedes-Benz EQC is entirely different to what we expect from the brand, but it’s really what we expected all along when it came to an electric SUV from the Daimler stable.

It is sleek, streamlined and smooth, with panels that almost look like they’re formed from liquid. And it has the eco-edgy graphics you’d expect, with a specific grille treatment (yes, a real grille), headlights that are unlike any other Benz (they even have an LED that runs the width of the grille), and a rear-end style that looks almost like it was penned with another Stuttgart-based brand in mind… Porsche. I’m talking about Porsche.

But one thing that I really love about the EQC is its moustache. It's more prominent when the car is finished in white paint, but there’s a moustache that former Daimler chief Dieter Zetsche himself could be envious of. And he had one helluva soup strainer.

It is clearly made to be slippery, despite essentially sharing its underpinnings with the more conventionally angular - yet still rounded-edged - GLC SUV.

While it is a nicely styled gizmo, I found there are some things that could be annoying.

For instance, I was trying to plug in at night in a dark area, and while there is a small light above the charge port, other EVs have a light that actually illuminates the area where you’re plugging in. 

And also, the plug port is on the driver’s side. If, like me, you had to charge up with the car on the street, it just adds a little bit more anxiety to the whole situation. I shudder to think what could happen if the charger was hit by a passing car - folding the mirrors in is one thing, but you can’t fold the power cable! The lead for the charger is long, thankfully. 

I know, most people (maybe even all people!) who buy and EQC are going to have undercover parking in a garage or carport, but it’s still worth remembering that the filler isn’t on the kerb side like a number of other EVs. 

It has almost identical dimensions to that car: 4774mm long on a 2873mm wheelbase, with a width of 1884mm and a height of 1622mm. For context, GLC is 4669mm long, same wheelbase, a bit wider (1890mm) and just a little more height (1639mm).

What about interior design? Well it’s also familiarly different, with a number of changes to the materials used but still the same tech and comfort you’d expect. Check out the interior images in the section below.

The Pathfinder is a thoughtfully packaged and practical vehicle, trading on more than just size with plenty of clever storage solutions. 

In the front there are generous door bins, twin cupholders and a deep central cubby. But there’s more, with a thin rubberised storage shelf above the glove box perfect for phones or sunglasses and a pass-through space below the centre console for larger items. 

A storage space for a smartphone is found in close proximity to USB-A, a USC-C and 12-volt sockets. All of thus is beneath a physical switch panel for the dual-zone climate control. 

The 9.0-inch multimedia touchscreen is the only letdown, feeling quite small in the Pathfinder's vast cabin. It is still responsive and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though. The Pathfinder’s sound system is passable after tweaking the bass and treble balance. 

The analogue speedometer and tachometer sits either side of a 7.0-inch media screen that gives driving information along with settings for safety systems. There are switches on the steering wheel to control major functions, including cruise control, media and the screen operation. 

Among its competitive set, the US-built Pathfinder’s build quality is excellent. There are cleverly positioned soft-touch plastics and we didn’t notice any rattles over our week of testing, unlike Palisades and Klugers. The steering wheel, especially, is appointed in a high quality, smooth-grained leather.

While the ST-L may only get cloth upholstery, which is admittedly harder to clean than leather, the high-quality material is more temperature stable than the imitation cow hide often seen at this price. It’s also combined with heated front seats. 

Adding to the comfort factor is power adjustment for the driver’s seat including in/out and up/down lumbar control. The passenger seat is manually adjustable but with a lever for height and the driving position is pleasingly low-set. 

The low front seats open up a world of excellence for the second row’s stadium seating which gives passengers a fantastic view out. Not only is this just nice, it also helps kill travel sickness for kids (and grown-ups). 

The second row is on front/back sliding rails with fine backrest adjustment to dial in a comfortable position. There’s ample room even for adults over 185cm with plenty of head, leg and toe-room. 

Amenities include a third climate zone, USB-A and USB-C charge points, a total of six beverage holders and a fold-out armrest.

The Nissan Pathfinder has ISOFIX tabs in the two outboard rear seat positions. The anchors are not hidden behind a cover so there is nothing to lose and the three top tether points are big and meaty for easy access. 

Nissan deserves praise for its wide opening doors, the Pathfinder’s go almost perpendicular to the body with a large square aperture making loading dogs, children or shopping extremely easy.

But there’s one crucial flaw — the back windows don’t go all the way down leaving around a third of the glass sticking up. 

The Pathfinder’s three-wide third row is vast in the third row, with enough space for adults in a pinch — at least two across the three-wide bench — and up to four beverages.

The power-actuated second row gets out of the way quickly (perhaps a little too fast!) and slides back into place easily. The rear bench is split 60/40 with the long portion on the Australian kerbside.

There are no ISOFIX or top tether points in the third row of the Pathfinder ST-L which does hurt its practicality. The Ti-L features ISOFIX and top tether for one third row seat.

Aside from that, the Pathfinder is about as good as an SUV gets for practicality, though a Kia Carnival people mover has the edge for outright human carrying ability. 

Behind the shapely power tailgate, the Pathfinder offers either 205L, 554L or 782L of cargo space depending on how many seats are in use. And while the smallest figure sounds compact, the space is tall and square making it quite practical. Four school bags would fit easily or five at a pinch. 

With the third row stored elegantly in the floor, the space is generous although interrupted by the roof-mounted middle third-row seat belt which is a faff to unbuckle.

Amenities include two shopping bag hooks, a 12-volt socket, four tie-down points and a spacious wet storage area below the boot floor.

The spare tyre is hung beneath the Pathfinder however it is a temporary space saver, rather than a full-size item. 

Despite no diesel powerplant, the Pathfinder’s towing capacity is best in class, beating both Palisade and Kluger with its 2700kg braked limit (750kg unbraked).

Though still shy of the ladder frame Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X (3500kg), the monocoque Pathfinder’s high limit is impressive.

If you’re thinking the EQC looks like a seven-seat SUV, you’re wrong. It’s a five-seater, with a decent sized boot, too.

The luggage capacity is 500 litres, which is decent for a car of this size, but bear in mind there is no spare wheel under the boot floor. 

Rear seat space is reasonably spacious for someone my size (182cm) sitting behind their own driving position, with decent knee and toe space. Headroom is not terrific, though, and anyone taller will need to watch their head as they get in and out of the car as the top sill eats into space quite a bit. 

Any middle-seat passengers might find the room a little less likeable, as the transmission tunnel intrudes quite a bit. Those with big feet might find shoehorning themselves in and out a bit of a challenge as the sills are quite large, and our car even had optional ($1200) “aluminium-look running boards with rubber studs” - side steps, essentially. They get in the way, too.

But if you’re just sitting two abreast in the back the seat comfort is really good, the trim quality is excellent, and there is a flip down armrest with the storage bin and pop out cupholders. There are rear air vents (no climate control adjustment in the back, though, and no USB charging either), and there are two map pockets, plus bottle holders in the doors. Up front you will find a mix of familiar elements if you’ve sat in any recent Benz model, but a few unique finishes and trim elements that might be new to you.

There’s a beautiful horizontal fin theme that runs around the cabin, as well as the now-traditionally audacious looking Burmester sound system speaker covers. They don’t quite gel with the aesthetic, to my eye. 

The dash-top material - “fine surface texture”, as Benz calls it - is unlike anything else we’ve seen from the brand, it’s kind of like a soft silky slippery fabric trim. While there are lovely copper trim elements that just add something visually entertaining and appealing to the space.

There is a large covered centre console bin with 2x USB-C charge points and there is an additional USB-C upfront next to the wireless phone charger. The Mercedes touchpad system that aligns with the MBUX media screen is reasonably easy to get used to, but being a Benz there are plenty of options for usability - the centre screen is a touch-capacitive unit, or you can use the steering wheel-mounted controller on the left side of the wheel to control the middle screen. The right thumb controller manages the driver info screen.

It was mostly very easily managed, although the menus did get stuck at times for me - mainly in the section around the energy consumption. Plus I tried the whole “Hey, Mercedes” command thing, and it failed on numerous occasions. 

The EQC is available in two separate lines at the moment. The first is the standard EQC 400, which has a list price of $137,900 plus on-road costs, and then there’s the Art Line edition for $143,800.

There’s no haggling, either. The EQC is part of Benz’s standardised pricing model, and there are nine dealerships/retailers Australia-wide that handle orders for the EQC. Or you can buy it online, if that’s more convenient! However, as we reported at the Australian launch of the EQC, the wait time can be long - up to seven months from clicking ‘order’ to the car arriving in Australia.

What will you get if you do order an EQC? It’s hardly an affordable midsize SUV, but you’re paying for new technology - and you’re getting a pretty well kitted-out car, too. 

The standard equipment list includes the AMG Line exterior package, 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights, and a sunroof. 

The interior gets the AMG Line treatment with leather upholstery, as well as a 13-speaker Burmester sound system, keyless entry, push-button start, electric tailgate, a head-up display, Mercedes-Benz’s MB-UX media system with twin 10.25-inch screens including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring tech, DAB digital radio, sat nav and the option of augmented reality navigation instructions. That system also incorporates Mercedes-Me Connect online capability, including web search. 

There’s also an ambient lighting system with 64 colour choices, dual zone climate control, and heated front seats with electric seat adjustment and memory settings. 

Thrown in for nix is a five-year Chargefox subscription. Chargefox is Australia’s largest car charging network, with fast charger stations stretching from Cairns to Adelaide (and there’s a cluster in WA as well). 

There’s also a comprehensive safety technology suite included. All the details are covered off in the safety section below.

How about rivals? Well, its most natural competitors include the Jaguar i-Pace (from $124,100) and Tesla Model X (from $133,900), and there'll be an Audi e-tron electric SUV on sale in Australia by the end of 2020.

You might also think about the not-quite-fully-electric likes of the Volvo XC60 T8 plug-in hybrid (from $98,990), or even the plug-in hybrid Mercedes GLC 300e (from $83,500). 

The Nissan Pathfinder is only available with a petrol engine. It is an all-aluminium dual overhead cam direct and multi-point injection 3.5-litre V6. It's part of Nissan’s ‘VQ’ engine family that has been around since 1994. 

The V6 develops 202kW at 6400rpm and 340Nm at 4800rpm which are respectable outputs. The torque builds steadily from around 3000rpm and starts to really move the Pathfinder above 4000rpm. 

The lusty engine note is a nice touch in a world dominated by down-sized turbo-petrols and hybrids. There’s something refreshing about the natural response of a large capacity naturally aspirated engine, too, interfacing slickly with the nine-speed automatic transmission.

The EQC has a power output of 300kW and it has 760Nm of torque, which is enough to see its claimed 0-100km/h acceleration pegged at just 5.1 seconds.

The EQC’s top speed is 180km/h (limited for the sake of the batteries), and it has an 80kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

It uses a pair of asynchronous motors - one front, one rear - and they can alternate to do what’s best in the situation - be it working in 2WD (RWD or FWD), or in AWD. 

If you’re thinking about an EQC as a towing option, the towing capacity is 750kg for an un-braked trailer and 1800kg for a braked trailer.

For all the benefits of that large capacity V6 it has a fatal flaw and that is fuel efficiency — particularly around the suburbs. 

The Pathfinder’s rated fuel consumption is 10.5L/100km in the ADR combined (urban/extra urban) cycle with 245g/km CO2 outputs, however it is much thirstier around town. 

After 100km of suburban driving in Sydney, the Pathfinder’s trip computer read 15.3L/100km. It lacks an engine start-stop system to save precious millilitres when sitting at traffic lights. 

Other large V6 vehicles will be similar, or probably slightly higher in the case of the multi-point injected Palisade, but the gold standard in this segment is the Toyota Kluger hybrid which easily returns figures of 6.0L/100km or less in pretty much all driving. 

A longer 200km loop taking in motorways and country roads saw the Pathfinder consume fuel at 11.4L/100km which is an improvement but still very high.

Our observed fuel consumption gives the Pathfinder, with its 71L tank, a theoretical driving range of 602km. It will happily take standard 91 RON unleaded at the pump.

With an 80kWh battery pack and a Type 2 CCS plug (up to AC 7.4kW / DC 110kW) the charge times vary pretty greatly depending on what output you’re powering up from.

Mercedes-Benz says a DC fast charging station should be able to replenish the battery bank in 1 hour 22 minutes (at a maximum of 110kW, though some Chargefox stations offer charge rates up to 350kW) while an AC charging station (like you’d find in car parks) or Mercedes-Benz’s own Wallbox system should take about 12 hours 13 minutes.

Charging from a regular household powerpoint is a last resort option. It is claimed to take 46 hours 40 minutes from empty to full (230-volt outlet, 10-amp/2.3kW). I plugged in to a powerpoint in my house and the car’s info display was stating it would take 9.5 hours to achieve the remaining 16 per cent of charge. It didn’t get to 100 per cent before I had to unplug, however.

My not-so-urban test drive loop commenced with 97 per cent of battery charge and an indicated range of 363km available. The idea was to get a feel for the “range vs reality” of the situation, so I did it in Comfort drive mode with the climate control active and no intent to either thrash the vehicle or baby it to save battery.

My drive ended with 36 per cent indicated charge remaining, after I’d covered 231.6km. That means, based on the car’s own algorithm, that it would have covered 315km before the battery was depleted, which is a long way short of the claimed 434km range.

The indicated energy consumption was 20.8kWh/100km, which is ‘thirsty’ for an EV. On our recent electric car comparison test, the most efficient of our EVs - the Hyundai Ioniq Electric - used just 13.0kWh/100km. Yes, I know the EQC is a lot heavier (2425kg kerb weight), but even the Tesla Model 3 was notably more efficient (18.5kWh/100km) than the EQC over very similar terrain and driving.

However, our testing saw us return an even better consumption rate than Mercedes-Benz’s claimed figure, which is 21.4kWh/100km.

The Nissan Pathfinder is a remarkably pleasant drive. It is smooth and quiet on the motorway, comfortable around town and talented on testing Australian country roads. 

Nissan has managed to nail the fundamentals including a well-weighted electronic power steering system, good ride comfort at high and low speeds and impressive body control for a high-set 2052kg vehicle that rides on passive dampers. 

The 18-inch alloys are wrapped in 255/60 Kumho Crugen HP71 tyres which are notably cushier than the Ti-L’s bigger 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 255/50 rubber. 

Being a car-based SUV, the Nissan Pathfinder is more comfortable and a sportier drive than more off-road focused vehicles such as the Ford Everest and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport. It is not as dynamic as smaller seven seaters such as the Kia Sorento but is still secure and stable. 

There are seven drive modes in total, with three ('Sand', 'Mud' and 'Snow') dedicated to off-roading, a further trio ('Auto', 'Eco', 'Sport') for the tarmac and a dedicated 'Tow' mode. 

Along with adjusting steering weight and shift logic, the all-wheel drive Pathfinder adjusts the torque split settings. It can be a little slow to shift torque to the front wheels leading to chirping on fast getaways but it is mostly solid and a worthy $4500 investment over the new front-wheel drive only model. 

Visibility is not great with a high belt line and low-set driving position. With the third row's large headrests up it's hard to see out the rear window, too, so it can be difficult to judge kerbs and walls while parking. A standard 360-degree camera system helps in low-speed manoeuvring.

If you have a garage and a Wallbox connector, there’s no reason the Mercedes EQC couldn’t be a terrific option as a commuter, a second car, or even your primary vehicle. 

The thing with all electric cars is that it’s about settling into a rhythm. If you use the car to commute to work, maybe you can charge it there. Or you might have a solar array and charge at home.

No matter the situation, you’ll be getting a rather nice vehicle to live with, based on my week with the EQC.

It’s a plush car, that’s for sure. The silence it offers is truly relaxing, and there’s effortless torque to pull you away from a standstill. The way you can build pace to overtake, the rush of noise-free acceleration, is pretty astounding. Perhaps not as visceral as in a GLC 63 AMG, but it’s still an experience.

The steering is direct and doesn’t require much thought, though it does lack a little bit of feel. But it’s easy to predict and quick to respond, making for pleasant progress around town. It’s easy to park, as well, with a great surround view camera system, as well as front and rear parking sensors. And if you’re not confident, the car has semi-autonomous parking, too.

The brake pedal feel takes some acclimation, because it responds pretty well, but the action is hard to modulate at times. That is partly due to the brake regeneration system, which actively captures energy that would have otherwise been lost during braking. You can adjust the level of aggression of the regen brakes, too, by tapping either the up or down shift paddles. The most aggressive setting will almost pull you up to a halt from urban speed without any brake pressure required.

The suspension of the EQC feels more settled than the last GLC I drove, and that could be in part due to the extra weight and stiffness of the battery cell under the body. The centre of gravity feels low, and it feels stuck down to the road in most situations.

The ride is mostly fine, but with big 20-inch wheels and low profile tyres, it can jar on hard edges. I also noticed that it can feel a bit unsettled at higher speed, as the body moves around - from side to side - more than I would have expected. It deals well with undulation changes and big dips, and if the surface is good, so are the comfort levels in the cabin. 

It’s a Mercedes-Benz, so as you’d expect the safety offering is comprehensive and extensive. 

The EQC received a five-star ANCAP crash test rating in 2019, scoring highly for child occupant protection in particular. But it also has all the safety assist nannies you’d expect, too.

There is autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning that works from 7-200km/h, plus active lane keeping assistance from 60-200km/h and lane departure alert, along with active cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear AEB, driver fatigue monitoring, auto high beam lights and tyre pressure monitoring. 

There are nine airbags (dual front, front side, rear side, curtain and driver’s knee), and the EQC has a pair of ISOFIX anchor points for baby seats and three top-tether points to affix child seats.

Nissan recommends the Pathfinder is serviced every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

You can pay-as-you-go ($2592) or up front ($2333) which saves $259 over five years ($518.40/$466.60 average per workshop visit).

Those service price options are closely aligned with the Hyundai Palisade ($2345) but Toyota’s $1325 Kluger offer remains unbeaten. 

A five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty covers all Nissan vehicles in Australia. It is now the standard with other marques, including Kia, MG and Mitsubishi pushing boundaries with longer seven and 10-year offers.

It mightn’t have the same method of propulsion as a petrol or diesel Merc, but it has similar service requirements. You still need to take it to the workshop for maintenance every 12 months - or every 25,000km! - whichever comes first.

Owners can either pay as they go for servicing, or pay up front and bundle it into their finance. The upfront rate is $1350 for three years/75,000km. Pay as you go will peg you along at $450 (year one), $750 (year two), $450 (year three). 

When the EQC launched it came with a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plan, but that was recently updated to a five-year/unlimited km plan, bringing Benz inline with the likes of Korean luxury maker Genesis, not to mention the majority of mainstream car brands.