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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  Solid Versatile Truck for a Good Price - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By dallas70 - June 30 - 5:23 am

  Bought new 4yrs / 42k miles ago and Im more impressed than ever. Rock solid performance and reliability so far. Id say it provides more capability and livability for the price than just about any other 4x4 SUV. I paid $23,800 after rebates and I think the only area of the Xterra that reflects the bargain price is some of the interior parts (seat material, hard plastics, cargo area plastic not as tough as Id like). Weve made many family trips and commutes with this SUV in all conditions and the only thing I would do differently is go for the nicer PRO4X model.

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  kids and dogs and work too - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By baseball mom 1 - June 28 - 10:00 am

  no problems with anything until nearing the 3 year mark, 1 problem, minor this isnt luxury, this is life

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  Awesome Vehicle - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Richard - June 20 - 11:03 am

  I bought my XTerra in Apr 2005 and have already put on 35,000 miles on it. It is an awesome vehicle. So far I have not had any problems with it whatsoever. This is a very VERY reliable SUV - does not have too many extras which is how I like it - There are fewer things that can go wrong with it.

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  great suv - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By iiredorange - June 17 - 11:16 am

  i love this suv..the engine is awesome. i was in the market for an suv and looked at the hummer h3 but it was underpowered. the xterra can handle everything the hummer can with a better engine.

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  I am very pleased with the Xterra so far. - 2012 Nissan Xterra
  By johnwaynext - June 17 - 12:54 am

  I have only had my Pro 4X Xterra for a few days but so far so good. I bought it for $5300 off list over Labor Day at Bommarito Nissan in Hazelwood, MO. Nissan had some great incentives then. The Xterra drives great, smooth on the highway and solid when I go off road. Fit and finish seem to be good. I like the leather seats. The upgraded sound system is wonderful, much better than the one found on the S and X models. Too early to tell about gas mileage. It will probably be comparable to my 98 GMC Jimmy at around 18 overall. I considered going to a car based CUV for better mileage but none of those seemed to be up to the capabilities of the Xterra. I will write updates regularly.

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  Xterra SE 4w drive - 2009 Nissan Xterra
  By Tom - June 17 - 12:03 am

  Lots of power, handling is great, sits up high. Good vision, interior all leather great sound system. Exterior is rugged looking. Gas mileage 17.5 highway. I new that when I bought it. Wish I had heated mirrors, surprised it was not part of se package. Drove through snow storm in Michigan truck handling was super. This is very well made truck. Very happy with Nissan. Towing atv and snowmobiles and all of our gear and four adults was no problem.

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  The Yeti - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Me - June 16 - 4:19 pm

  I purchased this truck from a small used car lot about a year and a half ago. Rescued is more like it and I knew it . It would seem that the previous owner did not care for it too much. It is a risk you take buying used from any where. It had 142,000 on it so I took that chance. I knew that it would be a project. I have replaced the valve gasket, radiator and hoses, thermostat, steering pump, rear window sprayer (missing when bought), spark plugs, distributor cap with rotor and wires, drive belts, brakes, ac compressor, refurbished the electronic control module, and replaced various lights. I still want to replace the shocks and touch up the paint. It is not difficult to work on with room to do so. Not typical of most vehicles now. The cost of repairs have been reasonable. It has always started and never left me stranded. It is a tough truck in which I see was designed to keep going. Surprisingly, it can hold and tow a lot. Never stuck off road yet. I can park it and not be too worried about finding it upon return. It lives up to its moniker; all that you need. Nothing big but more than it appears. I love the outdoors and play rugby. I love my truck and look forward to all the places we will go.

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  nissan x trail - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By buddie - June 16 - 2:00 am

  nissan xtrail 2.5 litres petrol is a faultless machine and has given me no trouble. Ihave driven it non stop for 500 km on a very hot day 100 degrees and arrived home and the engine was purring like a pussy cat. An excellant small 4x4.

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  Just Right Nissan - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Just Right for Me - June 13 - 8:40 am

  Reliability is great and it is very easy to drive. Construction is pretty solid, but the outer car body dents easily. Maybe all cars are like that now. Outside mirrors are big and have a lot of range. Gas mileage is around 20 mpg when I drive conservatively - no racing the engine and driving 60 mph on the freeway (most of the time. :-)).

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  The Xterra is a great vehicle - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Xterra4ME74 - June 11 - 10:00 am

  This is, by far, the best vehicle Ive owned. It handles very well for the size of the vehicle. Steering is effortless; braking as well. Its a very smooth ride and loads of fun to drive. Ive also ridden, in the back seat, and the "stadium" seating is an extremely nice feature. One can see out all the way around the car, even from the back seat. There is immense cargo room in the back and on the top . Having the cargo area lifted in the back makes it convenient when loading and unloading items. The console is designed well and the two extra power ports are convenient.