Today’s Rare Ride is the more streamlined successor to the dorky Stanza Wagon, or Multi if you’re Canadian. I mentioned Axxess as a Rare Ride back in 2017 with the Stanza article, and today’s the day we present it properly.
Come along for some versatile Sport Wagon goodness.
The first Stanza Wagon/Prairie wrapped up its production in 1988, and the Axxess filled the void immediately in markets except for North America. There, the Axxess did not arrive until 1990. With its new model, Nissan changed the platform it used. The Stanza Wagon was based on the Sunny, but its lack of B-pillar and short wheelbase caused some safety concerns. To remedy this, the Axxess was based on the larger Bluebird, which you’d know as the Stanza. As a result, the Axxess had a wheelbase of 102.8 inches and an overall length of 171.9 inches. The Stanza Wagon used a 99-inch wheelbase and had an overall length of 170.3 inches in two-wheel drive guise.
Axxess used engines of inline-four arrangement in either 2.0- or 2.4-liters displacement. Transmissions were four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual, and once again four-wheel drive was available in certain markets. All markets outside of North America saw the Axxess branded as Prairie.
Axxess was on sale for exactly one year in the US – 1990. It proved unpopular as sub-mini vans and MPVs so often did domestically, and was axed immediately. Nissan USA made do with the fire-prone, slow-selling Van until the 1993 introduction of the Quest, a minivan much more suited to the tastes of U.S. customers. However, the MPV-loving Canadians bought their Axxesses (Axxii?) in much greater numbers, and it remained on sale there through 1995.
Interesting trivia aside from the naming scheme difference in North America: American market cars had automatic seatbelts, Canadian ones used manual. And while the Prairie offered the 2.0 or 2.4 in Canada, all examples for US customers had the 2.4. All-wheel drive was optional in both markets.
Elsewhere, the Prairie continued on through 1998 in its second generation. Replaced in North America by the aforementioned Quest and in Europe by the smaller Serena van, Japanese customers still received a third-gen Prairie. Called the Liberty, it shared its platform with the new Avenir wagon, a car that looked a lot like contemporary the Subaru Legacy. Liberty remained in production through 2004 and sported many of the same features as Prairie I and II. It changed names (but not formats) again when it became the Lafesta and was built on a Renault Megane platform. Prairie ended its heritage after a 2011 to 2017 run (a second Lafesta) as a rebadged Mazda 5.
Today’s Rare Ride is a front-drive Sport Wagon trim of the Axxess, with a five-speed manual transmission. Available in Ontario in pretty good condition, it asks $4,495 CAD.
[Images: Nissan]
Get out of town.
Look at that greenhouse. I am probably in a distinct minority but with the ‘upsizing’ of minivans and the dearth of wagons, a vehicle this size or even better the original Honda Odyssey or Mazda MPV would at least for me, hit most of the ‘must haves’ for a new vehicle.
Larger and more versatile than small CUVs/SUVs, but still small enough for ‘urban use’.
But then I have also owned a manual Honda Civic wagon, a Kia Rondo and multiple VW ‘squarebacks’ so perhaps my preference in vehicles does not correspond with the market. And yes I did test drive both the Stanza wagon and Axxess. Went with the Honda first and a Caravan second.
I own one of these. It’s a 5 speed with AWD.
It’s been parked for a few years but I start it a few times a year to keep it healthy.
The suspension is 60’s Cadillac floaty, the seating position is high with glass everywhere and the visibility is unparalleled.
It was the first vehicle sold in North America with sliding doors on both sides. Nissan went nuts with the AWD version. It’s got an upgraded clutch, a transfer case from the Pathfinder, and heavier duty diff and axles. There’s even a section in the service manual on things to clean after you go off-roading.
It’s a completely awesome small van.
Awesome?
Really nice entry, Corey.
Vehicles like this (including the contemporaries AWD Corolla wagon and AWD Civic/Tercel wagon) were a novelty way ahead of today’s CUV craze.
The example for sale looks pretty good, and has low miles (km). Could be a great catch for the right buyer, although I’m not sure I’d want a 28-year-old daily driver.
Thanks!
“Axxess” has to be a contender for worst car name of all time.
Up there with Wonderful Open-hearted Wagon.
What’s wrong with it? No different than a lot of other, mostly Japanese, names.
Painfully dorky even by the standards of the folks who brought us the Pulsar and the Armada.
I believe that although only Canada got the 2.0L engine, US-market cars could be had with front- or all-wheel-drive with either automatic or manual boxes. I’ve seen an AWD 5-speed in a junkyard (though I’m not sure whether it was a Canadian-market car originally) and I have an AWD automatic Axxess that has been US-registered since new.
Corrected, you weren’t the only person to point that out.
Also, the Prairie/Stanza was actually called the “Multi” in Canada, not the Prairie. https://www.ebay.com/itm/372462436306
I fix
I really want those wheels in the top pic, but a rare option on an unloved vehicle sold in the US for one year? I think my chances are not good.
I miss the variety of body styles cars used to have.
I miss having the availability of these little vanlettes. One of these as a second car to reduce use of my full size truck would be ideal.
Ideal?
Lol…what a $#!+box