1994 Nissan 4x2

Overview

The exploding pickup market has left compact trucks in its wake as American light-truck buyers desire bigger trucks with more power, load capacity, comfort and options.

The compact light-truck segment, exploited so successfully by Japanese manufacturers, reached its peak in the '70s and has been dropping steadily since. Volkswagen, Isuzu and

Mitsubishi (also sold as captive imports called Dodge Rams) came into the market late and have largely disappeared. Mazda, through its partnership with Ford has moved up to marketing only midsize trucks built for the U.S. market.

Thus, the only two forces left in the compact pickup market are Toyota and Nissan. And Toyota, with its midsize cum full-size T100 appears to be moving in the direction of bigger pickups.

Although sales are declining, compact pickups still account for a sizable-enough portion of the market to compel us to review at least one offering. We chose Nissan because it remains firmly in the segment. We also chose to make price a criterion, hence our selection of the 4x2 XE Regular Cab. One step above the base truck offering, the XE includes some popular equipment while maintaining a relatively low price. Our truck had an MSRP of $11,819, including a $380 destination charge. Not bad considering it had options such as air conditioning, power steering, a premium sound system and a convenience package including power mirrors and chrome package with special graphics.

Walkaround

Putting the Nissan 4x2 XE Regular Cab pickup's smaller size aside, the thing that's most visually apparent is that this truck seems to be past its prime when it comes to styling. Sure, a few refinements have been made to the boxy, slab-sided compact pickup format of the '70s, but wheel arch moldings and fender bulges do not make a complete, contemporary statement.

It also looks a little outdated when you consider what's happening in the fashionable midsize segment with Ford Ranger, Chevrolet S-Series and Mazda Bs. This is not to say our test truck was an ugly duckling. Bright red with gold graphics as part of the chrome package made it look good.

It also had all the pickup standards-removable tailgate, double-wall box construction, cargo tie-downs and the like. The XE trim package adds sliding rear window, dual outside mirrors, rear bumper and chrome wheel trim rings. We have trouble with the fact that when you buy a base truck you get one driver-side mirror and no rear bumper, but this seems to be a common industry practice on low-price models.

One complaint we have with this and many other compact pickups is that there is no meaningful bodyside protection against parking lot nicks and scrapes. A small molding runs too high along the body to do any good. Fit-and-finish meets Japanese standards, though, which is to say it is excellent.

Interior Features

Our XE had the standard bench seat. The XE trim package upgrades the seat coverings with woven cloth upholstery and full carpeting. In spite of these additions, the interior has the sparse look of a base pickup.

Our XE included the Value Truck Package, an option arrangement that includes the Chrome and Convenience packages and adds air conditioning, an AM/FM sound system with cassette player, a tachometer, a trip meter and clock. The sound system features a "diversity antenna system," with a wire inside running along the windshield to improve radio signal reception.

Nissan says this is a three-passenger truck. Perhaps. We didn't find the cab to be cramped; you could handle three adults for short trips, but the mix should not involve three large adults. We found the interior to be comfortable for two. The bench seat was, well, a basic bench seat. Support and comfort were typically lacking as they are in most base pickups.

The XE package featured a four-spoke "sport" steering wheel that looked good and was comfortable but obstructed the view of some instrumentation, particularly the tachometer. Other than this complaint, the cab layout was fine-all instruments and controls were logically placed. Visibility was good. The large power mirrors, though an option, are a necessity in this and every vehicle.

Driving Impressions

Nissan has the most powerful standard engine in the compact truck segment-a 2.4-liter 134-hp OHC four. Toyota's base engine is also a 2.4-liter OHC four, but it puts out only 116 hp.

The additional power is decidedly in Nissan's favor. This truck steps out smartly, and while we didn't put it to the test, the performance promises to be comparable when handling maximum loads.

Our truck was equipped with the five-speed manual transmission. It seemed to have a rather "tall" first-gear ratio. This meant keeping it in first longer than other vehicles to get up to speed to shift into second. It took only several stops to get used to because the following gears were close ratio and didn't involve any similar adjustment.

We thought about it a moment and it all made sense to us. This is a pickup meant to handle at least occasional loads. And driving with a load requires more power to get moving.

Hence, the taller first gear gets the truck rolling at a good speed to avoid bogging down when shifting to second gear.

The ride was surprisingly good for a compact pickup. We noticed no undue body roll or lean and no excessive choppiness. The suspension combination of front coil springs and a stabilizer bar with a solid rear axle and rear leaf springs is not breakthrough stuff but works well. The brake system also is pretty basic-front discs/rear drums. One aspect worth mentioning is the load sensing valve that applies more braking force according to where the load is-in front with passengers only, to the rear under heavy cargo, or split evenly under cargos and a full bench seat. While there was no anti-lock feature, the brakes worked well and provided straight line stops under harsh application. The power steering, an option, was easy while providing good road feedback. Road and wind noise were subdued nicely.

Summary

If you want the flexibility of a pickup to carry modest loads and cargos, along with a good price, quality, durability and gas mileage, the Nissan 4x2 XE Regular Cab pickup would be a good choice. It isn't fancy or state-of-the-art, but Nissans are durable and reliable. This is a little truck that can have a long and useful life.