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THE BIG white bird came in low from the left. There was a thud. Itcaromed off the hood of the 1996 Nissan Pathfinder LE and landedmotionless on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Was it a hit-and-run killing or a fly-by suicide? Something likethis wasn’t supposed to happen with the new Pathfinder sport-utilityvehicle — a friendlier version of its former self.

The old Pathfinder had bulging fenders, a bear-growl engine and arough-neck suspension. Everything about it bespoke muscularity andaggression. The accidental killing of a bird? Ha! The old Pathfinderwent on hunting trips.

The new model has no bulges. Its exterior bespeaks suburbia –polite, affluent. Ditto the interior, a work of leather seats, multiplecup holders and simulated wood trim that resembles more the interior ofa luxury sedan than the passenger cabin of a rough-and-tumble truck.

Heck, the tested Pathfinder LE even had an environmentally friendlymessage stenciled in white on its rear window: “Tread Lightly on Publicand Private Lands.”

Background: The Pathfinder was introduced in the United States in1986. It was a male’s mobile. Nearly 70 percent of the 38,543Pathfinders sold in the first six months of 1995 were sold to men,according to Nissan officials.

So what’s wrong with that? Nothing, if you’re willing to live witha skimpy 1.63 percent of America’s lucrative light-truck market. That’sNissan’s share of the segment that includes sport-utility vehicles,pickup trucks and some minivans. Compare that with Ford’s 13.8 percentshare, or Chevrolet Truck’s 9.13 percent share.

Nissan’s competitors long ago discovered that women wantsport-utility vehicles but don’t want something ugly or unnecessarilyrough — a sport-ute that’s engineered to travel off-road but actuallytravels paved highways.

That’s why Nissan redesigned and reengineered the Pathfinder.

The new Pathfinder has a longer body, an extra 6.7 inches; a longerwheel-base by two inches; and it’s wider by two inches.

Nissan dumped the body-on-frame construction of the old Pathfinderin favor of unibody construction, which saves vehicle weight, reducesfuel consumption and eliminates the squeaks and rattles common tobody-on-frame vehicles.

The new Pathfinder also gets a new 3.3-liter V-6 engine rated 168horsepower at 4,800 rpm with max torque set at 196 pound-feet at 2,800rpm.

Pathfinder trim lines — decorative and equipment differences –include the base SE, tested luxury LE and the sporty XE.Rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions are available. All newPathfinders have dual-front air bags and four-wheel, anti-lock brakes asstandard equipment.

The Pathfinder LE is available only with a four-speed-automatictransmission. SE and XE versions may be equipped with a five-speedmanual or four-speed automatic. The Pathfinder can be equipped to tow a5,000-pound trailer. And, yeah, with four-wheel-drive, you can still doyour thing in the mud.

Complaints: I miss the weight of the old Pathfinder (from 3,815lbs. to 4,295 lbs.), which felt stable even in high winds. The new,lighter Pathfinder (3,675 lbs. to 4,005 lbs.) got pushed around a bit bystrong crosswinds.

Praise: An excellent redesign that puts the Pathfinder incontention with the Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Isuzu Trooperand Land Rover Discovery. A very comfortable sport-utility vehicle.

Head-turning quotient: Class and gender warfare. A case in point:Several New York City garage attendants, all of them men and two of whomown Pathfinders, declared their hatred for the new model. “Looks like apunk,” one said. But several of that garage’s customers, mostly womenwho drive Mercedes-Benz and Volvo cars, said that they loved it. I votewith the women.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Ace for ride. Jack of clubs foracceleration (0-to-60 mph in 11.2 seconds) and for handling (the lightlyloaded Pathfinder was a bit wimpy in high winds). Ace for braking.Mileage : Ace, especially for a four-wheel-drive, mid-size sport-utilityvehicle, about 20 miles per gallon (21.1-gallon tank, estimated 409-milerange on usable volume of regular unleaded), running mostly highway anddriver only with light cargo.

Sound system: Six-speaker, AM/FM stereo radio and cassette withdash-mounted CD player, installed by Nissan. Excellent.

Price: Estimated base price on the tested 1996 Pathfinder LE is$34,000. Estimated dealer’s invoice price is $30,430. Price as tested isan estimated $34,405, including a $405 destination charge. Practicallyeverything on the LE, including the leather seats, is standard.

Purse-strings note: A must-shop for anyone in the market for amid-size sport-utility vehicle.