Pathfinder: The Overlooked Adventuremobile
That beat-up Nissan you keep scrolling past in the classifieds might be your ideal budget adventure rig.
The world of off-road vehicles is one of the most contested arenas of the automotive industry. Brand new SUVs and mid-size trucks flash window stickers north of $30,000 just for a basic model. Depending on which boxes you tick and which off-road trim levels you choose, you can easily set yourself back $50k. That’s money that could be spent on that storm proof rooftop tent, that fancy fly rod, and that high-feature camera all at once. But even if you don’t need chilled cupholders, heated leather seats, and a fresh warranty, a quality used rig isn’t cheap either. Dealers and private sellers alike are keenly aware of the market demand and you can expect to pay over $10,000 even for a 15-year-old Tacoma, 4Runner, or TJ/JK Wrangler. Eliminate those three popular choices and the playing field is narrowed down to 4x4s that are plagued with tarnished reputations like the Explorer, Durango, and Trailblazer. Those vehicles are usually described as good daily drivers, but relatively weak adventure mobiles. Other off-road juggernauts like the X-Terra and ZJ/WJ Grand Cherokee are popular off-roaders but those models can still carry hefty price tags. So what do you do when you’re on a budget but still need a competent four-wheeler? Enter the Nissan Pathfinder.
While the ‘95-’04 models can also be exceptional adventure rigs, it’s the WD21 “Hardbody” platform that truly shines as a budget banshee. Built during a strong ten-year run from 1985-1995, this generation of Pathfinder was based on the D21 Nissan/Datsun minitruck, and is usually found for sale as an abandoned ugly duckling in the back of the classifieds. Regarded by commuter sedan buyers as an ugly, old-fashioned “rust bucket,” dealerships won’t even hold this vehicle, and private sellers generally aren’t asking very far above the online-estimates. All this talk of undesirability means good news for you; you can pick up a good example for well under $5k all day long. The Hardbody Pathfinder might be one of the most underappreciated 4x4s of all time, overshadowed by the more prevalent and famous 4Runner, Cherokee, and even the Bronco II. But this humble little Nissan packs a lot of punch for a tiny investment.
With a low window sticker and inexpensive modifications/accessories, my 1990 could run trails and keep up with SUVs costing twice as much.
The WD21’s big claim to fame is its powertrain and drivetrain. It boasts the strength of a traditional body-on-frame chassis construction, but that was the standard back in the late ‘80s. One of the Pathfinder’s selling points is its engine, the VG30E. The heart of the machine is a 3.0L, single-overhead-cam, fuel injected, 60-degree V6. It cranks out a rated 155 horsepower and 183 ft. lbs. of torque; that’s weak for a six cylinder now, but in its day it was the most powerful compact SUV in its class. This is mostly due to it being the only one offering a standard V6 (consider the Pathfinder’s main Japanese rival, the Toyota 4Runner, was equipped with the legendary 22RE 4-cylinder; a brute in terms of reliability and modification, but only made 106 horsepower and 136 ft. lbs. bone stock). This stronger engine makes the Pathfinder much more capable without engine mods. It was offered with a 4-speed automatic, but the 5-speed manual is the one to get, with a nicely low first gear and a relatively tall 5th gear (wearing 31x10.50R15 tires, it turns 3,150 rpm at 75 mph). Combined with automatic locking front hubs, a two speed shift-on-the-fly transfer case, and 4.62:1 axle gears in a removable carrier, and the WD21 starts to show some features in line with modified competitors. Approach and departure angles are superb, and the ground clearance is respectable as well. The gearing creates a stellar crawl ratio that allows the vehicle to clamber over rocks, trail divots, and gullies with ease. I once took my ‘90 on a 4WD camping trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota. The other vehicle in our team was a fourth-generation Toyota 4Runner with a V6, knobby all-terrains, and a two-inch lift. The Little Pathfinder that Could was able to keep pace with one of the most legendary 4x4 platforms in the world, even on stock suspension.
The biggest complaint of late ‘80s SUVs is that they’re extremely spartan on creature comforts by today’s standards. Manual windows and mirrors are a mild inconvenience, but when you realize that the luxury options of the class were air-conditioning and a cassette deck the generation gap widens substantially. What really made the Pathfinder stand out in its day was the amount of standard features. In 1985 Japan had a road tax added onto the WD21 due to its larger size in comparison to sedans. To incentivize buyers, Nissan added tons of features to the standard model; these included cruise control, air conditioning with automatic climate control, power windows with an auto down driver’s window, power mirrors, and power locks. This means that any WD21 you look at is going to be laden with the modern features we take for granted, far outclassing its era competitors like the 4Runner, Passport, and S10 Blazer in luxury.
Fresh with trail dust and mud, the Pathfinder proved to be competent when things got sloppy. The low gearing and beefy tires gave it an edge in the mud, and the transfer case can be shifted while you’re moving.
But you’re not here to see a magazine-style review of a 30-year-old SUV. You want to know what it’s like to own, drive, daily, and explore. Mine was a rare case; it was an SE-V6 trim with a 5-speed manual, 4WD, sunroof, wiring for factory roof lights and fog lights, a full-size spare with steel carrier, front brush guard, and originally had a factory winch. It was loaded to the brim with options and was originally custom ordered with all those goodies. The biggest compliment I can give the 1990 model that I owned is that it’s a perfect dual-sport; it does both off road and daily driving well. The low gearing allows it to make the most of the V6’s torque so it can crawl over mild obstacles and handle rough trails with ease. The suspension is nicely soft for daily driving, and it doesn’t feel overly harsh like many other minitrucks. The deep overdrive allowed me to see an average of 18 mpg on the highway, far better than other small SUVs of the time. The only modifications I did to mine were extremely low-buck and basic. I had a 2.5-inch Magnaflow muffler which gave it a nice snarl that wasn’t too loud or droning. NGK Iridium plugs, NGK wires, and a flat-panel K&N were the only engine modifications (I replaced the distributor cap and rotor, fuel filter, and ignition coil but those were all OEM parts). A pair of KC Apollo halogen lights graced the grille, and some Blazer LED light bars sat on top. The stock 102 amp alternator was definitely near its maximum potential, but it illuminated all of those lights without complaint. Mine was wearing American Racing AR23 alloy wheels shod in Cooper Discoverer AT3 tires, and honestly they’re a great budget combination.
The Pathfinders are all built on the same chassis and body structure. This means that the 2-door and 4-door models are the exact same length, and means the rear seat legroom is much better than other 2-door SUVs of its class. With the seats folded I was able to fit a large cooler, two tents, all my survival gear, two backpacks, tons of fishing gear and tackle boxes, and still have room for a passenger. The Pathfinder is far bigger inside than it would seem.
The Pathfinder has a comfortable and airy cabin, with plenty of visibility thanks to thin A-Pillars. The seating position is perfect for my 5’ 6” frame, and the shifter is in a comfortable location. The boxy exterior creates aerodynamics that allow you to roll the window down at speed without the deafening wind buffeting of modern cars.
Shopping for an adventure mobile is difficult. You don’t want to throw money at a one-dimensional vehicle that can only be used on the trail, but you also don’t want something that’s so tame it can’t handle the mountain roads and mud holes. Between the low entry price and great standard features, the Pathfinder shines as an oddity in its class. Most of the other minitrucks and SUVs of the day don’t combine the creature comforts, horsepower, axle ratio, and ground clearance that this one does. I’m not saying that the Pathfinder is the perfect camper, nor am I saying it’s the best 4x4. I’m saying that it’s incredibly overlooked and underappreciated. That banged-up WD21 you always drive by on your way to work might not be a worthless rust bucket after all. In fact, it might be just the budget adventure rig you’ve been looking for.