The Nissan Pathfinder has gone back and forth between unibody and body-on-frame builds a few times now. The first-gen model, introduced in the late 1980s, was a truck-based body-on-frame off-roader. For the second generation, Nissan went with a unibody crossover design. With the launch of the third generation, for the 2005 model year, it was back to body-on-frame. With the introduction of the fourth-gen model for 2013, the SUV went back to a unibody, and that's how it's been ever since.Unibody SUVs offer more car-like handling, they're sturdy and safe, and they make for excellent daily drivers. But body-on-frame has always been preferred for off-roading SUVs for a few reasons. First of all, they're better at twisting and turning to the needs of uneven terrain, and secondly, if something does get banged up, it's just one or two panels that won't affect how it drives, and which can be more easily replaced than a one-piece body. If you intend to use your Pathfinder on the trail, the body-on-frame version is a must-have. Here's why. The Third-Gen Pathfinder Is The Ultimate All-Arounder Nissan The third-gen Nissan Pathfinder was still in production as late as 2014 for some markets, but, here in the US, it ran from the 2004 to 2012 model years. The SUV was available with one of two engines over that time, a V6 and a V8. Buyers also had the option of either rear or all-wheel drive, but we can't imagine seeking out a used Pathfinder that's ideal for off-roading, only to go with the two-wheel drive version.The 2012 Pathfinder offers 8.9 inches of ground clearance, no matter your trim. It's a three-row mid-size, it can tow up to 6,000 pounds with the V6, or 7,000 with the V8, and the ride is smooth and stable. The higher-up trims like the V8 LE are still cushy by modern standards, with heated leather seats and wood-grain interior, even if the six-disc CD changer and DVD player are a bit dated. The Pathfinder Is Good At Everything, Except Conserving Fuel Nissan A Nissan Pathfinder aims to be exceptionally versatile, just as capable on the trail as on the highway. The only thing this SUV really sucks at is fuel economy, which is to be expected in a 14-year-old three-row SUV. A rear-wheel drive V6 model gets you a not-so-terrible 22 miles to the gallon combined, and all-wheel drive only knocks one mpg off the average, but the V8's fuel economy is just plain bad.A four-wheel drive V8 is doing a measly 13 miles to the gallon in the city and 18 on the highway, for 15 mpg combined. A V6 model makes for a fine daily driver, but the V8 is easier to recommend as a weekend vehicle, or something for long highway trips. A week of stop-start city driving will have you lingering around in the bicycle section at Walmart and wondering if your legs can handle the NHTSA's estimated 40 miles a day. The Third-Gen Pathfinder Is Selling For A Song Nissan According to the CarBuzz Marketplace, a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder is going for less than a third of its original MSRP at the moment for an entry-level SUV. If we look at an older model, we find that we can get a heck of a deal on a 2010 four-wheel-drive Pathfinder, which our price tracking tool currently shows trending at just a quarter of its $39,250 MSRP.These trending prices are subject to up-to-the-minute changes to the market, so there's no telling what they'll look like by the time you're ready to shop around. Likewise, we can't be sure what will be available for sale in your area, but, checking in on our own marketplace, we were able to turn up the following listings. A 145,255-mile 2011 Pathfinder S is selling for $5,950 in Florida. A 125,176-mile 2007 Pathfinder S is selling for $5,709 in Virginia. A 106,810-mile 2012 Silver Edition is selling for $10,225 in Alabama. A 98,547-mile 2012 Pathfinder S is selling for $8,300 in California. A 131,138-mile 2012 Pathfinder LE is selling for $6,999 in Virginia. We're specifically cherry-picking listings with the lowest mileage we can find. As you can see, odometers tend to skew a bit high in these SUVs, and it's hard to find a third-gen Pathfinder that hasn't already cleared 100,000 miles. If you're driving a three-row SUV, chances are you're looking to put more highway than city miles on it, and it's clear that a typical Pathfinder owner is making a lot of long-distance trips.This doesn't necessarily mean that these listings have been through the wringer. 100,000 highway miles will chalk up a lot less wear and tear than 100,000 city miles. Just be sure to kick the tires when you do the test-drive.Our advice would be to budget around $10,000 for the purchase, and look for something with fewer than 130,000 miles on the odometer. (Late) Third-Gen Pathfinders Are Cheap To Own Nissan The Pathfinder is an affordable SUV, and it's a cheap SUV to own. RepairPal estimates an annual maintenance cost of just $542 for a 2012 model, which is lower than average for its segment. The following account for the most expensive common repairs. Axle shaft replacement $1,007 - $1,145 Thermostat replacement $551 - $635 Alternator voltage regulator replacement $448 - $532 Variable valve timing actuator replacement $430 - $544 Seat heater switch replacement $392 - $413 If we check in with CarComplaints, we find that the third-gen Pathfinder is most reliable from the 2009 model year forward. This would have been right after the 2008 model year facelift, when the Pathfinder was first made available with the 5.6-liter V8, borrowed from the Nissan Titan.Early third-gen Pathfinders see a lot of reports for transmission problems, with the 2005 model alone showing 477 such reports. 425 of these complaints for coolant leaking into transmission, with a typical repair cost of $3,910. For the 2009 model, the Pathfinder has just 19 complaints on file in total, with none registered for transmission issues. So, the later the model year, the better. Anything from before 2009 may be more trouble than it's worth for an affordable used SUV. We Can Recommend A Used Pathfinder, But It's Not The Only Game In Town Nissan It's very easy to recommend a 2009-2012 Nissan Pathfinder. These SUVs were spacious, versatile, and capable, and now they're cheap and reliable, too. But, they're also hard to find with low miles.Another choice, and definitely the go-to option if dependability is one of your top priorities, would be a 2012 Toyota 4Runner, which we name as one of the most reliable model years for the SUV. We currently have this model trending at around half its MSRP, which is pricier than a comparable Nissan Pathfinder, but it's practically guaranteed to double whatever mileage it has on it at the time of sale.If you don't mind driving a unibody, we might recommend a fifth-gen Ford Explorer, which we rank among the most reliable. Our price tracking tool currently sees a 2012 Explorer going for a little less than a comparable Pathfinder, and it should be easier to find a low-mileage Explorer for sale, given the SUV's popularity in comparison to the three-row Nissan.If you've considered the alternatives, and you're still set on a Pathfinder, our only tip would be to stick with the V6. 266 horsepower is plenty, and gas is too darn expensive right now to be filling up a three-row SUV that only gets 13 miles to the gallon in the city.