Nissan Pathfinder 2.5 Trek

5:24pm Tuesday 15th January 2008

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THERE'S no denying that 4x4s have gone a bit soft.

Because so many of them never actually go off the road, buyers demand SUVs that are nicer and easier to drive - and the result has been a general decline in overall off-road ability.

But what of buyers who need a big, butch 4x4 that isn't afraid to get its wheels wet? Where are the SUVs for farmers and weekend adventurers these days?

If you're a farming type I reckon you could do a lot worse than take a look at the Nissan Pathfinder.

It's a real rugged, go-anywhere workhorse.

Despite a fairly utilitarian exterior - our white test car looked as though it belonged in a UN peace-keeping convoy - it's quite a sophisticated machine well up to the job of earning its keep on a farm.

A Pathfinder meets all the off-road requirements: it has switchable four-wheel drive, a low ratio transfer gearbox for extra traction and a separate chassis with plenty of wheel articulation for traversing streams and bumpy fields.

Interestingly, while that kind of specification would suggest a poor on-road ride, the Pathfinder is actually very capable around town. Its long travel suspension has excellent damping, smothering the worst bumps and dips caused by road subsidence, and not rebounding like a pogo stick.

Old school 4x4s that suffered from the pogo problem were notorious nausea inducers, but even the weakest of stomachs should remain untroubled by the Pathfinder's ride.

In other words, it handles rather well - especially for a car that weighs the best part of nearly two tons.

Of course, it's no ball of fire. The four-cylinder 2.5-litre diesel is the only engine choice and, despite 174bhp, it's more of an honest toiler than a rev-hungry speedster.

That said it's got enough low down grunt to be useful around town or slugging up a hill and, I suspect, would make a good tower of caravans. The top speed is 109mph but you'll need the assistance of a following hurricane and a very long piece of unrestricted highway to achieve that in the high sixth gear.

Nissan claims a combined fuel consumption of 31.4mpg but the test car couldn't top 30mpg during a fortnight's mixed driving.

It is, however, a genuinely useful vehicle.

The interior is plenty big enough, whether you're aiming to transport kids or bales of hay, and the boot is enormous. Trek models can only seat five. Sport and Adventura versions have a third row of folding seats making them capable of transporting seven passengers at a squash.

The Trek model may be the cheapest Pathfinder, but it still comes with desirable features such as 17-inch alloy wheels, electric door mirrors, all-round electric windows and climate control.

The Sport model adds roof rails, driver's seat lumbar adjustment and a CD changer to the list.

An Adventura is positively dripping with kit but, as a result, is likely to suffer the worst depreciation of the lot.

For this year, Nissan has given the cabin a bit of a spruce up. Climb aboard - it's a bit of a stretch if you're a shorty like me - and you'll discover thicker carpets and a dash made from nicer, softer plastics.

In a nod to modernity there's a Bluetooth transmitter for connecting your mobile phone and something called Uphill Start Support, a fancy brake/clutch set up that prevents stalling on an incline.

The driving position is a cinch to get right even if the steering wheel does only adjust for height and not reach. I had no aches after a couple of hours and suspect most people will find the Pathfinder an agreeable place to sit.

There are, of course, the usual 4x4 benefits.

You look over lesser drivers in their humble hatchbacks and feel like the king of the road, there's plenty of visibility and parking is straightforward because it's possible to see all points of the Pathfinder without much trouble.

Mind you, the Pathfinder is a very long car so judging parking spaces takes a bit of mental adjustment.

Higher spec cars come with Nissan's handy dandy reversing camera to take the guesswork out of things.

It may be unashamedly old-school, but to the motorists who are likely to buy one, the Pathfinder is probably all the better for shunning the current soft-roader shtick. It's big, chunky, honest and able, plus it undercuts equivalent models from other manufacturers not by hundreds, but by thousands of pounds.

What's not to like?

SPECIFICATION

Engine: four cylinder, 2,488cc
Max power: 174bhp @ 4,000rpm
Max torque: 297lb/ft @ 3,000rpm
Transmission: six-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 31.4mpg (claimed combined)
CO2 emissions: 238g/km
0-62mph: 12.3 seconds
Top speed: 109mph