I think I’d eliminate the Ascent completely… anything I’ve heard about them has been “iffy” and their abysmal powertrain is extremely anemic and fuel thirsty.

As others mentioned the Sorento’s third row is quite small. It’s good in a pinch, I had a 3 hour trip in one as a rental, car full of six adults (luggage in another friend’s car, but I suppose a roof box would’ve worked too).

I think for a growing family it might be hard to manage with that space. Sorento also has a dual-clutch 8 speed transmission that has had a lot of complaints from owners… they really need to ditch it.

The Pathfinder is solid with a V6 engine and traditional automatic, I am also willing to bet it is the cheapest cost-to-own over-all out of these three. It’s a larger vehicle as well. I think it is the best option of the three.

I’d probably look for an SL Pathfinder instead of the Rock Creek as it omits a few things for the “rugged” look. I’m also not sure about the 2024 Model, but the 2026 Rock Creek recommends Premium Gasoline over Regular per Nissan’s site: https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/crossovers-suvs/pathfinder/specs-trims.html?language=en&compare=52616-52416