We on the other hand have been spoiled with the top-of-the-line Platinum version dressed in an optional Scarlet Ember paint, ringing in at an alarming total of $49,298 before taxes and PDI. Naturally, you browse further up the trim levels to find an AWD variant at $35,998, seems promising but for another $3,700, the SV Tech trim includes some of current day must-haves like heated seats, heated steering, rear-cross traffic alert, blind spot warning, and a slew of other tech. Starting from a deceivingly low $32,998, the base Pathfinder is an obvious ‘I see what you did there’ marketing ploy a comparatively barebone spec in FWD orientation, making the sole purpose of this SV trim the scapegoat for a friendly starting price. On the economical side of the SUV ladder lies the 2018 Nissan Pathfinder, catering to the 7-seater segment and up against the likes of the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Traverse, Volkswagen Atlas, and many more. Take a look at BMW’s “utility vehicle” lineup: X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, (X7 recently announced) – a lineup so strong that I bet it can form its own brand and branch off to even more sub-markets! In this burgeoning and competitive segment, these jacked up brutes have become such a wide-reaching product that automakers can’t seem to coin enough sub-markets to absorb the demand. Memories of the first wave of SUV success were vivid – a 2-tonne hunk of metal tearing past your parent’s comparatively diminutive 1998 Toyota Corolla definitely leaves an impression. North America’s lasting appetite for SUVs has always astounded me.