I've owned two Cherokees (93 and 89), and two Pathfinders (95 and 97). They were all honestly the best vehicles I've ever owned, and the most fun to drive. They were all well built, and never gave me problems, even after their 200k mark. There's no such thing as a real SUV anymore, only these crossover grocery getters that couldn't handle a small hill without struggling
4Runner, Bronco, Wrangler, LX/Landcruiser, G class, Defender. All those are still serious SUVs with actual off-road credibility. So, there are still real SUVs.
This video is so fun. The testing isn’t unlike how a lot of car RU-vidrs test offroad vehicles today. Just a group of guys and a group of cars having fun. This video definitely helped seal the deal on the ‘94 S10 Blazer I just bought recently! I can already tell it’s gonna be a great ride for any situation
and 24 years later we have SUVs with low profile summer tires; and buyers who cannot drive without GPS/ABS/ESP/Traction control/Backup camera/Lane departure warning/blind spot detection/Collision warning/Drowsy driver warning/Touch Screen radio/Hill assist/Iphone integration, etc............................
I still daily drive an 01' Cherokee 4x4. There are times I wish for more creature comforts but it is reliable, sees some off-road use where it definitely feels at home and still has power to keep up with modern vehicles. Oh, and yeah, I can drive a manual transmission vehicle just fine.
25 years later , I only see Jeep and 4Runner around town. Haven't seen that style Explorer in 10 years. Or that Blazer. I have seen Pathfinder a few times in the past 5 years.
The fords had an extremely bad problem with rust and the blazer wasn't to far behind they rotted into the ground where as my 91 jeep had no floor boards and holes in the rocker panels but they key factor was the seat brackets and subframe where made out of higher quality steel so they held together until my jeep was done chugging along at 530k miles when one of the rods decided it was time for retirement. The pathefinders on the other hand had a single rust issue where the strut tower sheet metal would rot out around them along with the shock mounts even though the floors and body panels still looked fine.
In the Northeast I don't see ANY of these anymore. All of them had horrendous rust issues up here. The next gens of these are pretty common. Don't see many Blazers but shit loads of Explorers and a fair amount of Pathfinders. Don't see many clean 4Runners or Cherokees.
I have a 91 pathfinder, base model though, no AC, black, stick shift, 398k miles on original engine. My mom bought brand new just a couple years before I was born and been in the family ever since. It's a treat.
When the Pathfinder was still a manly vehicle and not a "mall finder" and when the Blazer was still around and looked good. These cars have aged well, no real UGH what were they thinking designs.
The Blazer sucked. Outdated (to the end, it was 1982 under the skin), poorly-built, dreadful 4WD system (with unreliable vacuum-operated front axle), poor safety record, weak brakes (designed for something 1000lbs lighter), bad handling, and a terrible ride. The S-10 Blazer did nothing well.
@@jedimasterjoe5386 stop trolling. Take off your rose-colored glasses and realize just how BAD the Blazer was. Hopelessly outdated platform, unreliable 4x4 system, inadequate brakes for the weight, zero build quality, basically did nothing well. Literally any other SUV was a better choice.
For my 1998 nissan frontier, the haynes book I have for it says "for today's more complex vehicles". Please. A modern BMW has a imremovable piece of plastic over the engine.
Todays more bad "it less parking sensors and stability control". We miss mechanical engineering instead electic engineering. I'm IT lecturer by the way.
Very true. An excellent engine, but really belonged in a car (originally in a 1984 300ZX and 1985 Maxima). Only 153hp (as truck-configured) at it's best (180 lb/ft). Not nearly enough for these very heavy applications but back then, that was all the V6 Nissan had. In '96, it got enlarged to 3.3l and 168-170hp, but very little improvement in outward power ( a little better down-low tq). Circa 2000, the VQ engine finally gave this style some significant oomph.
My grandfather has a 94 xe Pathfinder and that girl has 560 thousand miles on it and the only big part we had to other then regular fluids and maintenance replace was the rear differential, so if you find one it has good durability, very good in fact that people dont believe that it has over 500 thousand miles on it, is just turn the key and go.
UPDATE: when all the cars in my house failed miserably like they I have been lately, good old pathfinder saves the day, my only complaint is the fuel mileage and the electronics on my truck are garbage, but it was my fault, I took a single contact light bulb and by accident I put it in a double contact light bulb socket, and that shorted out all the electronic gadgets in my truck, the power locks have mind of their own, when you activate the rear switch for rear wiper blade it activates the rear lock mechanism, when you turn on the truck the gas gauge goes crazy and it only reads when the truck has the ignition switch on, on of the windows the polarity has reversed, so it works opposite direction of the switches and half the dash board does light up when you turn on your head lights, and this all because that short that I caused, if you can put up with a few electrical gremlins here and there a poor gas mileage ( I think I'm getting 15 mpg not sure) this is the truck for you, and I got mine from grandpa and I haven't paid any attention to the mileage but it has to be over 625k, I'm looking forward to buy new wheels from 2007 Nissan frontier if I'm not mistaking and send it to paint, truck deserves it, it really has been great, now I'm looking for a second one but the pick up version the D-21 and I want the v6 version.
@@Pathfinding-earth , Manual transmission and everything. He is considering selling it, and I advised him to ask a lot higher than NADA because it is the desirable generation and an unmolested one owner will bring in a premium among enthusiasts.
@@Dave-sw2dm I was looking at D21 Pathfinders and the ones on great condition sell pretty high, just saw one that sold for 18,5k and also saw one for sale 27k, they were low mileage but his truck is almost 30 years old so it's low mileage lol, I would have bought one but I'm not in the position to right now
I love the pathfinders, my 85 year old grandma has a sapphire blue with blue interior 95 pathfinder EX 4WD, bought it for $18000 in 1999 lol, till this day it still has under 100,000 kilometres.
I had a 92 Cherokee sport around 10 years ago. After 5 awesome years, sold it with 412,000 miles on her. One of my favorite cars I've ever owned. Aah, when a Jeep was a Jeep.
Just bought a 92 Laredo this summer to refurbish and fix the rust for myself. It's only about a quarter of the way there in miles, so it still feels like new. So far, my favorite car purchase ever.
I have a Mazda Navajo, which is pretty much a rebadged Ford Explorer. It is a 1991. it's engine is nearly bullet proof, it hasn't given me any problems. The auto locks for 4x4 sucks (manual locks work better) and the transmission is lacking (although putting in a cooling fan helps with that problem). Other than that, it's a good car for her age. People that are knocking on the explorer only do it because of Ford's reputation and the exploding tire issues that had to do with the tires itself. She actually handles pretty well, turns better than smaller cars (like our eclipse). I love our beast.
I still have a 91 Cherokee that's been in the family since new. Almost 300k, no rust and still going. Still see lot's of Cherokees and some Blazers here in NC. Not much of the others.
They showed a picture of the running board while saying that. The running boards are too narrow to use, unless you're a very tiny woman. And get in the way while trying to step over them.
@@Tbolt1000TForLife Hope you found one since this post. The pre-1996 Pathfinders were my favorite. I had a '95 SE, my wife a '97SE. I liked mine so much better.
I had a 97 Blazer LS with the 4.3 and loved that truck. Got through anything. I got rid of it cause of a new job and longer commute. Now I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee And love it. But I would take a blazer again..
Amazing how little of the foreign ones you see left in NC. Still see cherokees and blazers, and a few explorers. Haven't seen a pathfinder or 4runner of that vintage in years
There is a lady at work that has a 1991 4Runner like the one in this test and I pass a guy daily with a red early 90s Pathfinder. I actually seen it today. lol.
We had a 1990 Pathfinder XE then traded it for a 1995 SE Pathfinder. Both them both new. Loved both of them. Super reliable. The SE is still to me one of the best looking SUVs ever.
I had the 91 explorer Eddie Bauer back then and it's fun to watch them now look antiquated but back then it was so sweet. So comfortable and fun to drive.
Mel Laknanurak hey mel, I think it did more harm than good, sat in the barn for along time, mice had made condos out of the dash, had to take that out, still the original tires, don't even make them anymore and it is rusted on the passenger door, that damn chrome tape they used to put on their trucks, love it for the winter
Starting with quality 1. Toyota (even if is a wee bit under powered, it is bullet proof). 2. Cherokee (off road prowess, and great power with good on road handling)3. Pathfinder (a decent mix of attributes) 4. Explorer (still see them around at least) 5. Blazer (it was dated even then)
Bulletproof? The 3.0 V6 (3VZ-E) might be the worst engine Toyota has EVER installed in a truck. Very underpowered, needed to be torn down regularly to change the timing belt, powerband totally wrong for a truck (no low-end torque), and had serious, often non-repairable (short of replacing the engine) head gasket problems.
I'll always love this generation Pathfinder. They use the VG30 that's in the old Z cars and Maximas and they're great engines...if somewhat under- powered...
I’m on my second ‘94 SE, and Jupiter is the most apt description, I hate the multipoint turns, but it’s a small price to pay knowing that it still manages quite well to get you well off the beaten path.
Lol I still see ALOT of XJ Cherokees doing their business getting down n dirty and as dailys here in So Cal. People lovem for their durability and love dicking around with them up in the mountains.
@@colormesarge GRAND Cherokee is the unibody shitshow I believe. The old XJ were body on frame if I remember correctly, and the I-6 4.0 is pure AMC get it on.
I had a 1987 Nissan Pathfinder that came with front and rear limited differentials and on 31's from the factory, and a 1995 $runner SR5 5 speed v6 on 31's from the factory. great trucks had them for to years each, still on the road. currently driving the 1985 4runner SR5 5 speed on 35's
When I was a kid, I wanted a 2 door Nissan Pathfinder. Never got one though. I like the older ones better than the new ones. The new SUVs look more feminine.
My dad's younger brother bought a 91 Blazer 4x4 brand new and daily drove it for 10 years before getting something newer, it had roughly 200k miles on it at that time, he still has it today but its his hunting truck now, has over 300 k miles and still going strong. The blazer in the test is the exactly same as his only his was grey metallic. He just got the engine and transmission rebuilt for the first time this year because he plans on keeping it. Its the most reliable vehicle he's ever owned just oil changes and tune ups is the only maintains a he has done. I still see these gen 1 blazers everywhere still, the Ford Explorers are run down or sitting in fields where i live, i still see jeeps out and about, thr pathfinders and 4 runners not so much.
I know that it's a matter of opinion but I'll have the Cherokee, I own a 94' Cherokee Sport with over 400,000 and runs like new so yeah the Jeep I've also owed the Ford Explorer and the Chevy Blazer at different times. The Explorer wasn't so bad but it didn't have the low end torque of the Cherokee but overall not bad, the Blazer was fine until it got over 150,000 miles I had all kinds of problems with the transmission and drivetrains issues I haven't owned the Pathfinder or the 4 Runner I bet that they're pretty good sense you still see them on the road today, but I will roll with the Jeep.
You should put that cherokee on the dyno and see if it still "runs like new". I suspect it's far from it. I have a 95 landcruiser with 370,000ish miles and thankfully its a larger 4.5L 24 valve I6, but even then my mom says its a fair bit weaker compared to when she bought it new back in the day. I've been wanting to put it on a dyno and see how it fairs compared to the original 220 hp, as I'm frequently finding myself north of 4,000 rpm for some of the short onramps in socal.
There's a reason the Ford Explorer is nicknamed the "Ford Exploder". Those 4.0L V6s were garbage. The 4.3L V6s in the blazers/S10s were a good motor, as most lasted well past 200,000. Ditto for the 4.0L I6 in those Jeeps... Those were a tank!
The reason they were called the "Exploder", was because of the Firestone tires that it first came with. My dad had a '99 XLT with the 4.0 and it never let him down.
Bud Phillips Those fords were terrible! The first gen (As seen on this program) had terrible engine problems. The second generation had Firestone tires that would explode, and they would love to roll over. The third gen had a ton of electrical problems. When they finally got it right, they turned it into a crossover.
I have a 1991 Mazda Navajo, which is the same thing as the Ford Explorer, including the engine. The 90-94 Explorer engines were pretty well made, mine hasn't given any problems at all. calling them Exploders tells me that you know nothing about them. The tires were the issue that earned that name, not the engine.
The Explorer and Cherokee are the only ones here still on the road and reliable! IDE take either one over all the others any day. The Ford with its TTB has the best front wheel travel. The Cherokee will go anywhere you want it to with no issues.
What they don't like about the 4runner and Pathfinder seem like exactly the things off-road enthusiats love about them, except for the underpowered motors that is. They are reliable though, and I'd take either over the Ford any day.
I was thinking the same thing. Also, those tires on the 4Runner looked small. I’m sure if you put a set of 31x10.5 on there it would of been the tallest and had most ground clearance
god i love these retro reviews. today, the ford explorer is moms shopping car, the blazer, laughbale. toyota is the only suv that still is respectable, but they go for like 60 grand, and ford finally earned credibility again with the bronco, but its price which i dont know will likely be for the well offs.
Actually the only survivor of this years later mostly unaltered is the Toyota. 4Runners can be had for a reasonable price if you can demonstrate some self control on the options sheet
I'll be picking up a 97 Pathfinder tomorrow to build up hah looking forward to that haven't had a truck since my 2000 Chevy Tahoe everyone was giving me shit for it yet I was pulling their Jeep's out of the mud it doesn't really matter the rig it's the driver that shines in off-roading shit my buddy took his Chevy spark! Off road it went a long way surprisingly but it was so small it was fitting between the rocks to prevent other cars for passing XD in the end tho he did high center it so bad he broke a motor mount and the thing became a one tone vibrator as we called it haha
@@fernandorocha8459 Don't forget the Bronco II from the 80s. Great short wheel base machines with more useable interior space than a Jeep Wrangler. Just don't expect to drive 75 MPH and stop like new cars!
In older cars power windows came and that was a good, useful thing, so was power steering, and power brakes, and better automatic transmissions, those were reasons people upgraded cars every couple years, now all journalists talk about is “the screen” and “Bluetooth” cool, but in the future these will be seen as crummy advancements versus cars of old, which got better over time with useful upgrades
The worst thing ever invented for vehicles was the automatic transmission. And seriously...what is the big deal with power steering? Having driven vehicles without it...I seriously do not see the big deal.
@@Johnny96ri You're lame ass opinion. Especially due to the fact, the REAL SHELBY A/C Cobra Super Snake from and owned by Carroll Shelby that is over millions of dollars. Is a Automatic. Should we call that vehicle lame because of that?
My father was looking for an SUV in early 1991. Land Cruiser...Pathfinder...Explorer....he test drove them all and I went with him on many drives. He finally settled on a used 1988 Mercury Colony Park Station Wagon with faux wood trim and a brothel-red interior..
Since everyone is bringing it up, I would say the most likely out of all of them to survive would be the Blazer as much as it hurts me to say it. The Explorer had a list of problems, both the 4Runner and the Pathfinder were evil rusters, and the Cherokee is built like any other Jeep since the original, reliable if it decides to be. While the Blazers were rusters they were about as complicated as a tractor (and ran like one too).
Can confirm the Cherokee (fortunately the one I drove had the correct, MANUAL transmission) is an absolute billygoat. All-season-tire-equipped, just monstered up a mountain that was thick with snow with no problems whatsoever.
John must not like Mopar/Jeep lol. Did you notice during the intro, he fully described every model- “Nissan’s PathFinder SE”, “The Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Eddition”, “The Chevrolet S-10 Blazer Sport” etc. but when he got to the Jeep Cherokee Sport he was just like “Meh and a Cherokee” lol
I have a 92 4runner that my parent bought new, same truck basically. Still kicking at 200,000 with minor rust. Although they were smart and got an added under coating. Only other trucks I see commonly are Cherokees.
Michael Peretto yup mine blew the head gasket some say put bigger exhaust on to remove the heat from motor but yeah go for the 3.4 diesle turbo👍heaps more grunt too
My SUV of choice for that era would be either a Jeep Cherokee (with the 4.0 straight six) or the Chevrolet Blazer/GMC Jimmy, I still see lots of Jeep Cherokee's and the Chevrolet Blazer/GMC Jimmy's of this era but rarely see the other SUV's.
Alright i work on these all day. Explorers.... They show their age something fierce... Blazer - Of that generation they are rare... Most are left in fields. Cherokee - Just used as off road bush vehicles now. So they hold up pretty well 4Runner - They last forever just like any other toyota... Minus their super rusting bumpers Pathfinders - So many being sold. They seem okay? I dunno im looking into some dunno if theyre any good or not.
Those 4Runners has serious engine problems.The 3.0 (3VZ-E), in addition to being very underpowered, has serious head gasket problems...the fix frequently being a new engine.
I've seen Jeeps with that AMC I6 go well over 300k miles. That's still not as good as Nissan or Toyota, but it's more reliable than anything the big 3 ever produced. (proud owner of a Nissan hardbody)
Yall are biased as fuck. All of these had fairly reliable engines. The Chevy 4.3, and the Jeep 4.0 were bulletproof !The Nissan's and Toyota's 3.0 v6 were the weakest and least reliable v6s of this group, with the ford 4.0 being in the middle. This is coming from someone who daily drives a 3.0 4runner (2 engine swaps, and Multiple electronic, and fuel system problems), and I love Nissan and Toyota (even though it is low on power) 4 cylinder engines.
mfnbigdaddy73 That Nissan v6 has to be one of the most resilient motors out of all of these SUVs. It may not be very powerful, but goddamn it never stops running.
funny that after 10 years of being on the road only the Nissan, Toyota and the jeep would still be going strong. The jeep would have a couple of frame welds though.
Gimme that 91 cherokee i had a 91 laredo you could not kill the thing i tried sold it to a young high school kid with 210k on it you should have seen the smile on his face when he came back from the test drive it was straight piped and i could hear him gettn on it i knew at that moment it was sold