1986 Nissan Pathfinder sets a new standard in Swiss Army knives

Excerpt from the November 1986 issue of Car and driver.

You do not have need this vehicle. Life would be continue for you without Nissan Pathfinder inside. Just like you could spend a day without carrying your Swiss army knife.

But what happens if you have an unexpected desire to nibble on a kindling? Or to fuck in the sand? Suppose you suddenly have to saw through a snowdrift? How are you going to screw up a canyon, drill through rocks, or file down a defile if you don’t have a versatile little tool like this at your hip?

Doing it all is what so-called sport utility vehicles are all about. Chevy’s S-10 Blazer, Ford’s Bronco II, Jeep’s Cherokee, Toyota’s 4Runner, Mitsubishi’s Montero, Dodge’s Raider, Isuzu’s Trooper II – almost everyone makes SUVs now compacts, and Nissan studies show that some 489,000 were sold here in 1985. They became popular because they packed so much automotive capability into one small, slick-cornered tool. Commuting, camping, conveying, driving, partying: with such a car, everyone feels ready for anything. It doesn’t matter if the owner never really takes advantage of all the possibilities. that the possibilities are thereneatly folded, always ready, that’s what makes these little ‘utes’ appealing.

So appealing that eventually Nissan, which claims the title of number one importer in combined car and truck sales, has fielded its first sport utility vehicle in the US market. Available only in the United States (although, unlike Nissan’s pickup, it will only be built in Japan), the new Pathfinder is essentially the six-month-old next-generation “Hardbody” pickup, with a box sheet metal built into the back. It was designed at the same time as the new truck (in Nissan’s California studios), it is built on a slightly modified short-wheelbase truck chassis and it offers most of the truck’s optional equipment: fuel-injected V-6 engine fuel, four-wheel drive, brush guards, etc. Nissan is trying hard to make sure no one thinks of the Pathfinder though. like a truck.

According to market research, sport utility vehicle buyers are a more upscale group than truckers. They are more educated, they earn more, they have more refined lifestyles. They are older too. Everything Nissan interprets to mean that while they might buy trucks to get the tough cars they want, what they really want are tough cars.

Ergo, the Pathfinder has coil rather than semi-elliptical leaf springs at the top of its rear axle, for a smoother ride. Its interior is very carlike and exceptionally spacious front and rear. The highest of the three available trim levels offers amenities such as power-adjustable windows, mirrors and dampers. Power steering is standard on all models, as is part-time 4WD. Nissan expects about 75 percent of Pathfinder buyers to choose the 300ZX-derived 140-hp 3.0-liter V6 engine. In contrast, nearly four out of five pickup trucks are sold with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine developing 106 horsepower.

The Pathfinder’s selling points include the longest wheelbase in the field, the widest cargo area, and the largest factory-available optional tires: sized 31×10.5R-15, they put over eight inches of tread rolling on the road and measure over 30 inches in diameter.

In a rather carefully orchestrated brief press introduction in the San Bernardino Mountains of California, we confirmed that the Pathfinder really does drive almost as smoothly and quietly as a normal passenger car on paved roads and seems to be establishing a new standard of comfort and civility on unpaved roads. . For the driver, visibility, steering feel and overall handling are all satisfactory, given the basic objectives of the vehicle. It’s not exactly a fast vehicle, despite the power, but the torquey V-6 has little trouble getting the rear out at will. Passengers, including the rear seats, can really enjoy the ride, thanks to the soft spring and ample legroom and headroom.

We weren’t able to try anything like the rock-riddled Rubicon, but we feel safe to say that, for the toughest backcountry roads, the typical owner is likely to tackle, the Nissan will be entirely satisfactory. And, since 99 out of 100 miles will likely be on asphalt or concrete, the way this new sport-utility pampers its crew should make it a winner.

Even for those who are not part of the Swiss army.