Ran a comparison of the three SUVs I've got my eye on for my next vehicle. Granted, this was run from the Nissan website, what do you guys think?

http://compare.nissanusa.com/NNAComparator/comparison

Anyone here have a Xterra that cares to share their thoughts?

the link doesn't work for me.

Well, I just went to the Xterra off-road website, then did the comparison option between it, a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, and a Toyota FJ Cruiser.

and if you watch the comparison between them all on toyota's off-road website, the FJ wins.

i like the looks of an xterra but i've never driven one.

The wife and I have a 2002. Out of the box they're pretty darn good for getting you through the back country. Ours spends quite a bit of time off road and it's gotten us through some spots even I was doubting. On road driveability is good and not overly harsh. Great cargo room with the rear seats folded and still pretty good with them up. Interior looks cheapish but has held up to a lot of abuse. If you're mechanically inclined I'd recommend replacing all the cheap hose clamps (have had to break). I'd also recommend looking into a shock upgrade. We wore ours out by the second tire change.

I rent them quite often. For that matter rent most of them on the market quite often and own a Grand Cherokee, V8.

Like most street tails I rate them by percentage to either and the Xterra is about the closest I give to a 50/50.

To give you a comparison the Wrangler I give a 20/80 street to trail and the Grand Cherokee the opposite a 80/20. RJ, I give a 40/60, H3 60/40, and most of the compacts a 90/10.

What that means is the Xterra is not quite as harsh on pavement as a Wrangler but still retains a good respectable off road capability. I consider the ride a little rough at normal intercity speeds and the vheicle a tad unwieldy, however it smooths out nicely at interstate speeds. It does exceptionally well in snow. It uses a wax motor push button 4x4 engagement which can be problematic in extreme cold temperatures but then if you're not in Alaska, CONUS probably won't see that problem. There's nothing special about the 4x4 system, its a simple hit the button the front wheel cuts standard configuration. That being said, it has very good ground clearance and does very well off road. Though very attractive body styling, its quite spartan in the interior. Still its Land Rover copy styling gives good head room in the back seat and the cargo area is quite generous.

The V6 is rated a decent Hp and not a gas miser but leaves me just a little wanting for the mpgs and rated Hp in performance. A peppy vehicle its not, nor would I consider it for any serious towing over a couple thousand pounds for any length of time or regularity.

I know this reads quite critical but actually its not and it is one of the vehicles I rent and prefer when traveling up north in foul weather. Obviously, I prefer the Jeep GC over it giving up a tad of offroad capability for more towing and road comfort but then we're not really comparing apples to apples anymore. While the X is a bare bones entry level the GC is an advanced luxury with a natural cost difference.

I differ just a little from most reviews which give the RJ and Xterra about dead nuts on the same ratings giving the slight edge to the RJ off road and vice versa a slight edge to the X on pavement. Still, they are the two most often compared since well to be honest so much of their specs are so close to each other from wheel base to even stopping distance. I just find the X a little more comfortable on pavement and easier to drive.

As for do I recommend them? Well that depends on what the person wants in a vehicle. Its most definitely not one on my do not recommend list. It with the exception of probably the RJ fill a pretty unique niche in the market place with a good balance of road vs dirt in a mid-size fairly roomy package.

Day to day with the occasional trail, I'd say go somewhere else. If you need a bit more than the occasional trail a full size truck 4x4 can navigate then the Xterra just may be right for you.

Tj

I've driven 3. Nissans are pretty solid and they'll get the job done, but that said, I'll pass. My aunt's 05(?) and my friend's 07 have been really reliable, they just don't feel like a $30K vehicle. I test drove an 08 when my tacoma was martyred, and I liked it alot. The 4.0 has some sack to it and the 6 speed's ratios felt right. Honestly though, I don't think it would've held up to the ravages of time as well as others. I could tell the $1500 difference between the Xterra and the FJ.

YMMV. I own an FJ, so what do I know...

My wife kinda wants one.... maybe you should get a bumper sticker for it if you get one, "What pitying Angel lusts for tears, and fans himself with sighs"...

Top heavy, I've rolled one! feels like it has an extra high center of gravity compared to other trucks/suv's of the same size. It was an 04 things may have changed since then.

Thanks for your replies everyone!

They are sweet rides, the inteior (from two years ago) was pretty bland..but I think they updated em. After I got my Titan back in 05, I fell in love with Nissan. My roomie has an Altima 3.5 SE loaded, and that thing is a charm, love taking that on trips But as another member said..yes replace the cheap hose clamps. They are the kind that you use a pliars to loosen..replace em with them screw type clamps. Other than that, solid trucks, great power in its class, and good amount of style.

I'm also thinking about getting an xterra, particularly a 02-04 4x4 v6 model. I've also been looking at the 97ish-2001 toyota 4Runners and the 99-04 Jeep Grand Cherokees (bottom of my list of the three mentioned). What are everyone's opinions on the vehicles I mentioned?

from the above i'd pick a 'yota.

4 Runner it's bulletproof and while very capable off-road it is quite comfortable on road. I am going to replace my '87 with another newer one. They are without a doubt almost unstoppable in snow.

its hard to compare a wrangler(tj,yj,lj,jk) to an xterra or anything else for that matter.
wranglers are twin solid axles. they ride like ass(i have one). they are heavy they are slow they suck down gas, but they crawl. stock they have a 2.7:1 low ratio box and rubicons have a 4:1 box. wranglers are pretty simple to modify. it can be done yourself w/o major training. you might as well consider a wrangler(excluding lj's and 4dr's) a 2 person vehicle. if you are going to 4whl it you need a cage. the stock "cage" is a joke. ive seen many of them fail then rolled or flipped. i love my yj i wouldnt trade it for anything. its loud. its slow. it gets terrible mileage. but itll go anywhere i want reliably. if you are creative with metal you will like one.

xterras are slow. the v6 is gutless and they are heavy. they are IFS so they ride much much better. they have a tendency to have header cracking problems. so look for that when you look at one. should be a ticking sound typically on the passenger side. the supercharged version is quicker but the mpg goes down. besides that they are good vehicles.

personally for a family vehicle id go 4runner.
for a trail vehicle jeep hands down.

I have a 2000 that I bought in August '99, shortly after they first came out, so it's probably serial #1.

I've got 168800 miles on it & it's been pretty good. As someone else mentioned, it has a problem with the header cracking, but, aside from a slight oil smell, you probably don't have to worrry about it unless you are really going to test it.

It's been real reliable, starting in all kinds of weather but I usually keep it in an attached garage. I've had it out ovenight below zero, though, & it started real good the next morning.

All in all, I'd recommend the X.



This post has been edited by hardcase: October 23rd 2009 8:14 PM