Okay, you got me. Today’s cars were chosen strictly so I could make that dumb pun in the headline. We’re going to check out two potential 4×4 overlanding adventure rigs, for sale in the Seattle/Tacoma area, that are not Jeeps, to see which one of them could end up being the Tom Hanks to your Meg Ryan. Or something.
We were all about getting around in the snow yesterday, with a big-ass 4×4 and a little beat-up wagon, and it was a close race, with commenters on both sides making good valid cases for their choices. In the end, the big Excursion won by a small margin, but I have a feeling it’s because a lot of you would rather have it than the Focus regardless of price, condition, or situation.
As far as I’m concerned, you’re welcome to it. No way do I want to try to maneuver that monster around in a snowy parking lot. My wife’s short-wheelbase Yukon is big enough. I’ll take the rusty little Focus, and liability-only insurance, and spend a fraction of the difference on good snow tires.
If you’ve spent any time in the Pacific Northwest, you know a lot of the folks who live there tend to be outdoorsy types. I understand why; it’s a particularly beautiful part of the country. To enjoy all that nature, however, first you have to get to it, and the further down the trail you can get, the fewer other nature-lovers you have to trip over. So four-wheel-drive, lots of ground clearance, and a vehicle you can potentially sleep in are admirable traits. As you would expect, Jeeps abound, but with both Seattle and Portland being the weird-car havens that they are, plenty of adventurers turn to other brands for their overlanding needs. Today we’re going to look at a couple of alternatives to Yet Another Wrangler. And here they are.
1992 Mitsubishi Delica Star Wagon – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: Probably a 2.4-liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, 4WD
Location: Ballard, WA
Odometer reading: 87,000 – but I don’t know if that’s miles or kilometers
Operational status: Runs and drives well, but burns some oil
America’s 25-year import rule has been a source of frustration for car enthusiasts for decades now. All those cars we can’t have aren’t necessarily better than what we have, but they’re different, and often more interesting. The American auto market tends to be pretty homogenous, and all the cool low-volume specialty vehicles, especially from Japan, are tempting choices for importing once they “come of age.” They’re even more tempting when they’re something practical like a four-wheel-drive cabover van.
The Mitsubishi Delica van, which was briefly sold here as simply the “Mitsubishi Van,” has become a special favorite of importers, though it has also been misidentified by clueless legislators as a “Kei truck.” It isn’t; if you’re unfamiliar with the Delica, it’s about the size of a first-generation Caravan, though it’s quite a bit taller due to the 4WD system. Like most Japanese vans, its engine rests between and below the front seats. Most Delicas that get imported seem to be diesels, but this one has a gasoline engine, probably a 2.4 liter 4G64, sending power to a part-time 4WD system through a five-speed manual. It runs well, but the seller says it burns quite a bit of oil. That probably means mechanical repair is needed, but sometimes it’s a problem that can be solved by an “Italian tune-up.’
I think this was originally a Delica “Star Wagon,” which is the passenger van version, but it has been converted into a camper van. The rear seats have been removed, and a folding platform with storage underneath now takes up the rear. It also has a refrigerator and a second battery for off-grid power. It’s all in pretty good shape, and it looks ready for adventure.
The seller says it has been in a minor accident, and repaired somewhat haphazardly. It’s a tiny bit wonky in the front, but still presentable. There’s also a dent in the sliding door, but the door still works fine. These flaws are unfortunate, but they also make this the cheapest Delica I’ve seen for sale so far.
1996 Nissan Pathfinder SE – $4,900
Engine/drivetrain: 3.3-liter overhead cam V6, five-speed manual, 4WD
Location: Kent, WA
Odometer reading: 161,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Now this vehicle, I know pretty well. My wife and I had a first-generation Pathfinder with a bazillion miles on it, and years later, we had an Infiniti QX4, the fancy version of this truck. Both were rock-solid reliable except for a few minor details, so I would not hesitate to recommend this one. It’s got a lot of life left in it, especially with no automatic transmission to conk out.
This is the first year for the second-generation R50 Pathfinder, which eschewed the truck-style ladder frame and adopted a unibody design, with McPherson strut front suspension – an unusual choice for a 4×4. The rear still uses a solid axle with links and coil springs. The engine is an update to Nissan’s VG series V6, displacing 3.3 liters. It’s for sale at a dealership, so the only real information we get is a long list of features and barely a word about its condition, so you’ll have to go inspect it to find out more. My experience tells me that the most likely issues are minor oil leaks and minor electrical problems.
It’s a very clean-looking vehicle, with few signs of wear inside. It does have an aftermarket stereo that appears to be missing its face; hopefully it’s in the glovebox or center console. Does anyone ever actually remove the face of those things? I can’t remember ever actually taking one off except for pressing the button accidentally, swearing, and then snapping it back on.
Outside, it’s clean and shiny, and a nice shade of blue. This is the last generation of Pathfinder that looked like a proper 4×4 SUV; after this, they got huge and crossover-y, and lost their edge. It carries its spare tire on the tailgate, the only proper place for it, as we all know, and while black fender flares have become shorthand for “poseur” in recent years, here they work.
No, neither one of these is an Instagram-worthy rig; nobody who is used to seeing six-figure Ford Transit conversions or decked-out Wranglers with rooftop tents is going to be impressed by a weird Japanese import van or an old Nissan. But as far as I’m concerned, the whole point of having a 4×4 you can take into the woods is to get as far away from those people as possible anyway. Either one of these will take you off the beaten path far enough to find some peace and quiet. All you have to do is choose a shape.
(Image credits: sellers)
Common sense says Pathfinder. I choose Delica.
Was gonna go Delica since I’m starting to like those more but glad I didn’t due to only fitting 2 people legally; the platform in the back doesn’t have seatbelts (obviously)- I could find a regular bench though if need be even if I order it from Japan…or go w/o and just LIVE IN A VAN (Star Wagon) DOWN BY THE RIVER!!! Plus the damage, leaks, etc…so even though it’s a Nissan I went Pathfinder since it’s so clean/in good shape; and Nissans of that era were way better than now. Plus 5spd! Love that blue too
Always liked these Pathfinders so I’ll take this one. Plus the Delicas have attracted too much of the Instagram Van Life crowd. I know someone who imported and serviced these for awhile and has stories of these guys taking selfies and stories in the shop parking lot reporting on their broken vans to their tens and tens of followers.
The Van is too close to someone else’s project and we know to avoid those.
“…few signs of wear inside.”
The dash looks like it’s sweating Armor All.
My want for that Pathfinder is surprisingly strong. A Nissan from when they didn’t suck, and a stick! Would make a perfectly lovely replacement for my Land Rover, were I so inclined.
RHD and having to “overnight parts from Japan” is very much NOT my idea of a good time, even though I think Delicas are kind of cool.
The Pathfinder is in remarkable shape too
Definitely. They sure don’t look like that in the Northeast anymore! Actually, I haven’t seen one of that generation in ages period. All crumbled to dust.
The Delica’s a good project for someone with a little creativity, energy and skill. Since I lack all those, I’ll have to pick the Pathfinder. There’s some dealership in far western Virginia (with a second location in Tennessee) that imports lots of JDM stuff, though, so some Delica-see (that I can see in advance) more suited to my torpor and ineptitude may be on offer.
Heart says Mitsu, head yawns and says Nissan.
I had a 1993 (v6/manual) and a later 1995 automatic. Loved both of these trucks. Wife loved the 199e but wanted an automatic. While only a 4 speed slush box it worked really well with the V6. These are tanks , reliable but watch for rust. May not be an issue being a PNW car.
So, I have an R50 Pathfinder. Cannnnnnnnnnot get the check engine light to turn off. Runs great. But no matter of changin’ stuff or Seafoaming it (emissions) or so on and so forth can get it to stop. Is this actually as common as I seem to read?
Have you pulled the trouble codes? They will tell you exactly why the CEL is on.
Oh, yes. I get a variety of codes. At one time, it was all the 02 sensors on the right bank, so, two of them? Replaced them, they were fine for a bit, and after less than 1k miles over 12 months (it’s our backup and future trainer again for the next daughter turning 16) the same codes are running.
At this point, I’m thinking the emissions system is all gunked up and short of replacing all vaccum lines, this is how she’ll be.
The following gen R51 Pathfinder would like a word
The Delica is interesting and a good start for a project, but the Nissan is a decent deal.
I always wanted a Delica, until I saw one going up I-70 in the right lane with blinkers on doing about 25MPH. Without forced induction these things are useless in Colorado.
Without the turbo-diesel I would think they would be pretty useless everywhere. One of my friends in high school’s Dad had one of the rare Mitsubishi vans that were sold here back then – it was *awful* to drive and ride in. And while I am mostly in the *don’t crash* school when it comes to automotive safety, you REALLY don’t want to crash one of these things.
Funny enough I own a JDM Pajero, it has the 2.8 turbo diesel, its certainly not fast but you can at least make it up the hill.
Two great contenders today. I gotta go Pathfinder though. Parts will be easier to find and it’s almost the Platonic ideal of a winter beater.
I take serious issue with the comment that the R50 Pathfinder is “ the last generation of Pathfinder that looked like a proper 4×4 SUV; after this, they got huge and crossover-y, and lost their edge.”
My V8 R51 is a full proper 4×4 SUV. Boxy body on a fully boxed frame, 31″ tires, a real transfer case, low range, and I guarantee it will wheel just fine. No, it’s not a stick, but it would drag an R50 out of wherever it had gotten stuck and has the balls to haul my car trailer with whatever random project is on it while making glorious VK56 exhaust sounds. It isn’t fat like an Armada and isn’t a poseur like the later Mallfinders.
Delica. Relive my childhood by getting a paper route and use it to pay for engine repairs.
It burns oil? I thought that’s what Mitsubishi’s ran off of. Are we sure they’re not 2 stroke and just mix the oil in gas themselves? I had a 92 mirage, and later a 97 Montero sport. Both smoked. Every diamonte or galant I ever saw smoked. I saw MINT 3000 VR-4 the other day. Guess what. Smokin’
That’s just how you know from a distance they’re running.
But as previous owner of a Gen2 of that same pathfinder (’04) I’m going with that. I have a lot of expierence with both of these brands older vehicles, and while the Mitsu is neat I’d always pick the pathfinder.
The Delica is kind of a mess. Pathfinder for me.
I am kind of drawn to the bread loaf on wheels, but in the end the Nissan is always the more correct choice, especially with the manual trans. I would have liked to see the original Delica seats. the flip forward, flip rearward middle seat is pretty cool, it might have swayed me, hell the fact that it is not at an LLC stealership almost does. Both look pretty clean, but the Mitsubishi is likely more honest in the end. Still I had to go pathfinder since I would want to actually use the truck and don’t want to have to guess if I can find parts inside of 2 months.
The Pathfinder is definitely more Tom Hanks than the Delcia..
I was leaning Pathfinder even before reading the article. But after reading about the Delica’s burning significant oil, haphazard accident repair, wonky in the front, a dent in the door, it was an easy choice. Also, it’s right hand drive and the Pathfinder is super easy to wrench on. If they half-assed the repair in the Delica, what else was half assed? Am I going to have a loose wood seat flying at in me in emergency braking? Pathfinder all the way.
Exactly right.
Pathfinder all the way, I had a ’00 version, black with the 5speed, it was a great little truck!
The 2000 was after a mid cycle refresh, bit more refined inside and out, pretty truck with 2 tone black and silver.
the later ones with the VQ35 were a blast to drive.
yeah the 2001 MY I think had that, mine didn’t but I really didn’t miss it, truck has plenty of power.
I’d take the Delica, because I’m in Colorado, and the DMV gave up on trying to censor kei cars.
I know “Delica is not a kei car,” but the jerks trying to get rid of them don’t agree.