Nissan's Rock Creek sport-ute carves a rugged path

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- You want rugged?  I give you the Nissan Pathfinder.

The Pathfinder has taken on some of North America's roughest motoring routes since its introduction in 1986.  Rock-riddled roads and oceans of mud have fallen in shame under the wheels of this venerable sport-utility vehicle.

Having done all that, what do you have to offer today's motorists?  The Rock Creek Edition of course.

My ride was the 2019 Nissan Pathfinder SV Rock Creek Edition 4WD.  It's a long name, but it tells you a lot.  Let me explain.

The Rock Creek Edition is a special value option package that pays homage to rugged Pathfinders of years past.  The RCE package goes for $995, which is actually a bargain of some several hundred dollars compared with building your Pathfinder with the same equipment from the a la carte menu.

So, what do you get for that?  Four-wheel drive for starters, and I mean 4WD built by the pros.  Black molded over-fenders are part of the deal, along with black front/rear fascia accents and special Rock Creed Edition badging on the doors. My SV Pathfinder also included NissanConnect and navigation services, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and heated exterior mirrors.

In other words, the vehicle all but screams off-road warrior just sitting there parked in your driveway.

But the tester proved to be more versatile than a one-note Sierra Nevada adventurer.  In my hands, the 3.5-liter V-6 with 284 horsepower was a responsive and muscular performer.  Smooth freeway cruises were the norm ... so smooth that I sometimes found myself touching 80 miles per hour before backing off.

With an interior cabin generously equipped with comfort/convenience features -- tri-zone temperature control, intelligent cruise control and rear sonar were among them -- the Pathfinder seemed right at home in the role of a high-end daily commuter and chore workhorse.

Even with the Rock Creek Edition extras, the bottom line on the tester was a pretty reasonable $40,070.

Fuel mileage was fair at 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.  A strong safety equipment package was topped off by a max five-star overall rating in federal government crash testing.

In sum, the tested Pathfinder came off solid as a rock ... as a rugged individualist and a multi-passenger urban transporter.