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July 13, 2007
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My wife is an avid gardener, so you won’t be surprised to learn I’ve seen
more than my share of Nissan Hardbody pickups.
Huh?
Folks, compact pickups and garden centres go together like potting soil and
ceramic plant holders. So when I’m along to shoulder the latest load of yard
stuff, I see those little trucks everywhere.
Which had me asking myself: Do Nissan’s pickups from the mid-1990s hold up
as well as they appear to?
The answer is yes. Nissan, formerly known as Datsun, may not have invented
the compact pickup segment, yet there’s no question this Japanese automaker
popularized it back in the 1970s and through the 1980s.
Through the 1990s, despite fierce competition from Toyota, Ford, General
Motors and Mazda, Nissan continued to sell some very good and very
affordable small trucks – trucks perfect for hauling around my wife’s tools,
plants, bulbs, bark mulch and the like. By 1994, the market for small
pickups was red-hot.
General Motors, for instance, completely reinvented its small trucks for
that model year (the Chevrolet S-series and GMC Sonoma). Ford made major
revisions to its best-selling Ranger for 1993 and in 1994 Mazda began
selling a Ranger variant badged as its own B-series.
Point is, if you’re looking for a mid-1990s small runabout truck, you have a
lot of choices out there. Just note that 1993 and 1994 were particularly
important years.
As for the Hardbody (which became the Frontier for 1998), Nissan made some
important changes for 1994. In particular, the company turned its attention
to modernizing the dashboard. The dash on pre-1994 Nissan trucks is a
collection of straight lines and hard edges. After ’94, the dash became more
rounded, with controls easier to find and operate (including added
intermittent wiper controls) and a full array of instrumentation clearly
visible.
For safety, Nissan added a centre high-mounted stop light, the roof was
reinforced for rollover protection and the previous year side-impact beams
were inserted in the doors. All Hardbody pickups of that year came with
child-seat restraint anchors and both outboard front passengers got
three-point belts. No airbags, though. Four-wheel-drive Hardbodies came with
a rear-wheel anti-lock system, but ABS was not available on two-wheel-drive
trucks.
For ’94, Nissan sold both regular and King Cab versions and a V6 engine (153
hp) was optional, while a 134 hp four-cylinder came standard. If you plan to
tow or carry any sort of load, you’ll definitely want the V6 engine,
Speaking of hauling, I’d suggest looking for a used Hardbody that’s had the
box-saving benefits of a plastic liner to protect the paint. The bed itself
in these trucks will hold things in place thanks to standard tie-down hooks
as standard equipment. In any case, payload is rated at 635 kg. (1,400 lbs)
and maximum trailer towing capacity is 1,588 kg. (3,500 lbs.).
With the bed unloaded, expect a fairly choppy ride. Add some weight, and
things get much less busy. Handling is reasonably responsive, but is
definitely improved with a modest load. The power-assisted steering for
trucks of this era is heavily boosted, which is great for parking but leaves
things a bit vague on centre.
Nissan went with a fairly boxy design for these trucks. That is good for cab
room, but makes for dull styling. You should find the cabs of these trucks
an easy place to enter and exit and once you’re seated you’ll settle into a
roomy place for two adults, with generous head, hip, leg and shoulder room.
As for storage, look for map pockets in the doors, an average-sized glove
box and a centre storage bin.
Nissan’s pickups have a good reputation for durability, as the limited
number of recalls and serious service bulletins attests to. Indeed, all
sorts of owners surveys have shown these trucks to be pretty reliable and
user-friendly.
Used vehicle prices vary depending on factors such as general condition, odometer reading, usage history and options fitted. Always have a used vehicle checked by an experienced auto technician before you buy.
For information on recalls, see Transport Canada’s web-site, www.tc.gc.ca, or the U.S. National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA)web-site, www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
For information on vehicle service bulletins issued by the manufacturer, visit www.nhtsa.dot.gov.
For information on consumer complaints about specific models, see www.lemonaidcars.com.
Related posts:
- Used Vehicle Review: Honda Accord, 1994-1997
- Used Vehicle Review: Toyota Supra, 1994-1997
- Used Vehicle Review: Subaru Impreza, 1994-1997
- Used Vehicle Review: Nissan Sentra, 1991-1994
- Used Vehicle Review: Ford Aspire, 1994-1997
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