Regrettably mid-sized SUV's have a soiled past as the prevailing toting-the-kids-to-soccer ride. But if can push delete on that sticky-finger, ball tossing image from your internal hard-drive for just long enough to look around, many mid-sized SUV's make excellent dual-purpose tow rigs and the Pathfinder SE-V8 is no exception.

The '08 Pathfinder SE-V8 4x4 we tested had a much-improved 7,000-pound towing capacity, 310-horsepower, 388 pound-feet of torque and on demand four-wheel drive. Sure in the world of brawny diesel tow rigs, the Pathfinder might be the automotive equivalent of bringing a knife to a gunfight. But for of us who might want to tow exclusively with our daily drivers, mid-sized SUV's like the new Pathfinder SE-V8 are very tempting. Shop around and you'll see plenty of travel trailers, boats, camping tents and other towables that are within the factory towing specs of SUV's on par with Pathfinder.

We had to chance to evaluate its performance during a shootout against other competitive mid-sized rides, and the Nissan Pathfinder SE-V8 4x4 got high scores in its overall performance as a stout run-around with ample cargo room and plenty of passing power when you need to kick it in high-gear. It was clearly the most fun on the street and performed well off-highway.

Those who recall earlier incarnations of Pathfinder might find all this an annoyingly bitter pill to swallow. But you haven't driven the new '08. If you had you would discover that Nissan made sure that this Pathfinder is nothing like its predecessor, nothing. Although we admit that does little to erase the early model woes for most hardened enthusiasts of Nissan.

But the facts are the '08 Pathfinder is loaded with brawn and Nissan gave it 8.8 inches of exterior ground clearance, making it stand up to its rivals Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner, Ford Explorer and Chevy TrailBlazer. The Nissan Pathfinder is also modestly taller.

The advantages of owning a mid-sized SUV are obvious to a growing family. Pickup trucks don't cut it (unless you want to hop in the bed) and fuel-thirsty 3/4-ton trucks can bust the bank at every fill up. So mid-sized SUVs like Pathfinder have a way of growing on you when you take family into consideration. Even if you are single or an empty nester, the Pathfinder has a lot of offer in terms of secure storage and car-like drivability.

Updates to Pathfinder
There's more seating now (7 standard seats in three rows) in the Pathfinder and much of it can be folded down flat to provide extra cargo room. The body is far larger than before and while there's not much legroom for adults in the rear seats, kids will find it just right. Pathfinder's headroom is better than Explorer, Cherokee, 4Runner and TrailBlazer, too.

Where it really comes alive is in the tech department. Techies will enjoy the Bluetooth connectivity, hands-free phone, Intelligent Key twist start, rearview camera monitor, hard disk drive-based navigation system with GPS and touch screen controls with voice activated commands.

XM satellite radio is available as an option, too. And cranking up BB King's "The Thrill is Gone" through a 10-speaker Bose audio system still rings as one of the most impressive sound systems we've heard in an SUV in this class. On the downside, some of the so-called ergonomic audio controls leave much to the imagination - like requiring that you be double-jointed in order to change radio stations manually.

EPA fuel mileage for the new Pathfinder is not great at about 12 city and 18 highway, we got on average of 14.5 around town. For a capable tow vehicle, that still isn't bad when you mix in all the comfort you'll enjoy from the ride. Starting at $32,850, the four-wheel-drive 2008 Pathfinder SE-V8 is a lot of bang-for-the-buck over the competition. And even you tow with it only a few times a year, with this kind of value there's always going to be another soccer practice.

FAST FACTS
2008 Nissan Pathfinder SE-V8 (tested)
Engine: 5.6-liter DOHC 32-valve V8
Horsepower: 310 hp @ 5,200 rpm
Torque: 388 lb-ft @ 3,400 rpm
Towing capacity: 7,000 (lbs)
7-pin connector trailer wire harness required.

(Editor's note: We'll be bringing you more long-term reviews on the new 2008 SE-V8 Pathfinder in our sister publication 4Wheel Drive & Sport Utility magazine. Look for it on better newsstands everywhere.)