1998 Nissan Pathfinder

The 1996-2004 Nissan Pathfinder is the R50 generation and moved the model from a body-on-frame layout to a unibody structure, one of the earlier mainstream SUVs to make that transition. Engines were the 3.3-liter VG33E V6 and, from 2001, the 3.5-liter VQ35DE, paired with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. Rear-wheel drive was standard with part-time four-wheel drive optional. The body is a four-door wagon with two rows of seating.

The unibody structure gave the R50 much better on-road manners than the frame-based Pathfinder it replaced, while retaining a low-range transfer case for genuine off-road use. The 2001 facelift brought the VQ35DE engine, a significant power increase, along with revised styling. The R51 generation that followed in 2005 returned to a body-on-frame layout.

For used buyers, surviving R50 Pathfinders are valued for the durability of both engines and a level of capability that later unibody crossovers abandoned. Corrosion is the dominant concern at this age, particularly the rear subframe and suspension mounting areas. Pre-catalytic converter breakdown on the VG33E, where material migrates back into the engine, is a documented failure mode worth understanding. Timing belt service on the VG33E is a scheduled item. Later VQ35DE examples are quicker and use a timing chain instead.