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THE RAIN STARTED, and I laughed. It was time to have some fun. I wasin the 1988 Nissan Pathfinder SE V-6, a splendiferous member of the autoindustry’s growing “sports-utility” family.

Sports-utility vehicles are a little bit of everything — stationwagon, tank, van, pickup truck, sedan. And the Pathfinder easily isamong the best of the lot.

The makers of the Jeep and the Ford Bronco had better look out!Nissan is coming after their lunch, breakfast and dinner too.

The beauty of the Pathfinder, designed in Nissan’s Californiastudios, is that it looks better than most of the square uglies itcompetes against. It rides, drives and shifts better than many of ’em,too.

The Pathfinder’s sloping low hood and flared fenders are distinctive.Its easy-shifting five-speed-manual gearbox and its equally pleasantfour-wheel-drive transfer case are refreshing in a category whereunnecessary complexity seems to be the norm.

Also, congrats to Nissan for giving the Pathfinder the longestwheelbase (104.3 inches) in its class. That generous distance betweenthe front and rear wheels, combined with a terrific suspension, helps togive the Pathfinder a stability and smoothness seldom found in thesports-utility group.

Hmph. I can hear it, now: “Real men don’t like soft trucks.”

Yeah, well, go climb a tree or something. The Pathfinder isn’t madefor “real men.” It’s designed for real people; and that’s where it beatsthe pants off of almost everything it runs against.

Complaints: Pathfinder has three doors — two side, one rear. Iprefer five — four side, one rear. But at least the Pathfinder’s sidedoors are big and wide, allowing relatively free access to the rearseats.

Also, Nissan needs to figure out whether it wants this vehicle to bea racer or a truck. I like speed, but the Pathfinder’s gas pedal is abit touchy. Tap it, and the machine zooms.

Praise: Excellence in engineering and overall vehicle design.Superior fit and finish.

The Pathfinder seats five adults comfortably. The rear seats are ofthe folding, split-bench type. With rear seats up, cargo space is 28.7cubic feet. With both seats down, that space grows to 65.2 cubic feet,enough to carry a large bookcase and other stuff.

Everything is accessible in this vehicle — easy-to-reach andeasy-to-use.

Head-turning quotient: You certainly won’t mistake it for anythingelse on the road.

Ride, acceleration, handling: Excellent in all categories. Afive-link coil suspension in the rear tempers the hostility of bumpyroads. You gotta really rock this one badly or engage in lots of abusivedriving to tip it over.

The standard engine is a 3-liter V-6, rated 145 hp at 4,800 rpm –enough to tow a 3,500-pound load, enough to earn it respect in the fastlanes of any American highway.

Sound system: AM/FM electronic stereo radio and cassette with fourspeakers, by Nissan. Very good.

Mileage: About 17 to the gallon (21.1-gallon tank, estimated 350-milerange on usable volume), running with mixed loads (one to five occupantsand heavy cargo) in the great state of Virginia and the well-policedstate of Maryland.

Price: Ugh! $20,239, including $2,940 in options and a $250destination charge. Base price is $17,049. Dealer’s invoice price,without options, is $14,754.