Overview & Reviews

The Nissan Xterra is a traditional midsize SUV with seating for five and serious off-road capability. Thanks to stout body-on-frame construction shared with Nissan's Frontier pickup, the Xterra is a beast on the trail and can tolerate a fair amount of abuse. The downside is that this Nissan lacks the on-road polish of car-based crossover SUVs you might buy instead.

The Xterra debuted for the 2000 model year. Later Nissan Xterras are similar in appearance and personality to the early models but have a slightly longer wheelbase, a roomier interior, more power under the hood and a few extra features. If you want a reasonably priced off-roader and find the Jeep Wrangler too crude for everyday driving, the Xterra is worth a look.

User Reviews:

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  looks are deceiving - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By daless - April 17 - 8:10 am

  looks great, but dont judge a book by its cover. Ride is fatiguing and dont even mention wet roads with the General Tires. Overall I would never recommed this vehicle to anyone....even my enemies. Stay away!

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  good reliable workhorse - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By jaykay - April 11 - 10:00 am

  Its been a good 3 yrs dont have any major complaints,havent done any major repairs just oil changes tire rotation and front brakes.Ive been towing my pop-up and boat with no problems

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  2002 Xterra - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Jennifer Nagy - April 11 - 10:00 am

  I love my car.

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  Xterra - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Carcrazee79 - April 11 - 10:00 am

  I have only had my Xterra for three days and so far I have no complaints. The 6 cylinder seems to be a little underpowered but it has enough get up and go to get out of its own way..which to me is the important part. I got the Xterra to have more room for my hiking/capming gear and my two dogs. I really like driving the Xterra it is a lot of fun and the fuel economy is not that bad..it gets a lot better gas mileage than my truck (01 Toyota Tacoma).

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  Very satisfied so far - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By Subadude - April 10 - 3:56 pm

  Had my SE for about a month now. My likes definitely outweigh my dislikes. Very powerful engine, getting good fuel economy 18 - 20 overall, but driving it easy in the break in period. Seats seem very comfortable, good support, wish they were heated. RF Sound system is awesome for stock. Surprisingly quiet even on rough pavement, but it does have a firm, choppy ride. Its not a car though, so I can live with that. Great no-nonsense SUV that will handle my towing chores, and get 5 skiers or backpackers where they need to go with all their stuff. Got one drive in the snow, and had no trouble blasting through a foot and a half of light powder.

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  Great SUV for the price! - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By douknownam - April 6 - 9:46 am

  After 1000 miles, my only two complaints are no A/C vents for the backseats and that the recirculate button resets everytime the A/C is turned off. So you have to remember to press the recirculate button when you turn on the A/C. Overall a great SUV! Gas mileage could be better, but if you bought this vehicle worrying about gas mileage then you brought the wrong vehicle. Plus the power and abnormally good handling characteristics makes the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.

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  My Xterra - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By cbw - March 31 - 10:26 pm

  I was looking around for a new truck. I was waiting on the new F-150, but Ford make them so big now, it wouldnt fit in the garage. So, I went the SUV route. The Xterra is one of the few built on a fully boxed truck frame for better strength. Sure it may use a little more gas than the others but its a rock and it will run when you need it. I only have 800 miles on it and so far very impressed. I just hope it will get better when its broken in. I tossed in a K&N panel filter and I am getting 19 in town. For those who dont know, Nissan rates it @ 15 in town.

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  good all rounder - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By webster - March 30 - 2:00 am

  vehicle has been reliable with the exception of the window motors. i have replaced 3 of the 4. i am willing the last one to fail prior to the warranty running out. fuel mileage is dismal, acceleration is poor, sunroof is useless, and ride over bumps is awful. then again, it is a true SUV based off a truck, not a car dressed as an SUV. other than these few shortcomings and problems, the truck has been easy to live with.

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  Radiator Fluid Leaked into Transmission - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By RadiatorProblem - March 28 - 8:10 pm

  Was very satisfied with the vehicle until the past few months. It is already starting to lose its paint in some areas and the radiator on this vehicle cracked so that the radiator fluid went into the transmission. The transmission is now ruined and I need a new transmission ($5000+). This seems to be a pretty common problem for 2005- 2008 Pathfinders and Xterras).

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  Very happy and Not happy! - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By gallig92 - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Back in 2002 I had an Se model with a 5 speed manual tran.,and I loved it. Now i go to buy a new one this year and they dont have a manual tran in the Se. Now I but the tran i wanted,but not the model I wanted. I got the Xe instead of the Se.Why did Nissan do this?