Angler, I previously had a 2006 Nissan Xterra and kept it for 8 years so I am using that as my comparison starting point. The vehicle was great and I never had an issue at all. I ended up going with the Jeep Grand Cherokee 2014, definitely a few more creature comforts that I don't care about but I like the look of it and the Quadra lift air suspension system does a nice job of giving a guy some on road and off road versatility due to the height adjustment from the air ride suspension. Definitely a pricey unit but other then that pretty happy.
With that being said my parents just bought a 2014 Pathfinder and are also very pleased with it. I drove it and found it to be a great vehicle in comparison to my new Jeep. A few differences although nothing deal breaking just different markets. Bit less jam then my Jeep as I went with the V8 Hemi option (hello fast, goodbye fuel). Also not quite as many creature comforts and also not quite the robustness offered in the off-road system such as multiple terrain modes and the Quadra lift system mentioned above. I still feel it would be able to handle the backcountry quite well though and is a great vehicle for more then a few pennies less then the Jeep.
Let me know if you have any other specific questions.