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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  Good SUV Startup vehicle - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Hunter228 - January 28 - 10:00 am

  I just got my X-Terra, I drove it to the Grand Canyon. While it could only do 60MPH going uphill, on the flat road it handled very well, for a 4 cyl. It was comfortable to ridee in it. Roomy for all my gear, fuel consuption was very good when speeds were kept to at least 75MPH. Doing 80 - 90MPH and your fuel consuption will still not be too bad. While more power would be great, all and all the X-Terra (4cyl)is not a bad investment for what you get.

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  Time has made me appreciate the quality - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By hmt - January 26 - 10:00 am

  I was initially not too impressed with my purchase. However, after having it over 2 years, I have come to appreicate and like this extremely reliable, if not slightly underpowered, SUV.

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  Nice Looks but wish it had more power!! - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By bogey29 - January 26 - 10:00 am

  I just recently bought the Xterra and before had a Jeep Cherokee. I had gotten use to the 4.0L in the Cherokee. Moving down to the 3.3 170 hp was quite a shock. I love the look of the Xterra and hear it is very reliable. Overall I enjoy the Xterra. Very rugged look!

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  Excellent SUV - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By TBA - January 20 - 4:16 pm

  Bought new in 2000, before wife and kid. Most reliable ever, currently 180k miles. Need only routine maintenace. No fancy bells and whisles, just a simple SUV that can take on almost anything. However, with another kid on the way, I may finally have to part with it.

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  Xterra Offroad 05 - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Ciscom - January 20 - 7:30 am

  I have owned a Nissan and was very happy with the quality and reliability of Nissans products. I went from a Nissan pickup to the Xterra and am very satisfied with this SUV. Fuel mileage is better than I expected (6 cyl.) Performance, quality, looks/styling are all good. One suggestion to Nissan, cutback on the amount of interior plastic, otherwise the Xterra is an excellant SUV.

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  A Note on Safety - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Jamie - January 19 - 10:06 pm

  Best vehicle my wife and I ever bought. Extremely versatile for trips, vacations, camping, light towing but still practical enough for everyday use. I even hauled lumber on the roof- rack with no probelms. UNFORTUNATELY my wife was rear-ended in our last week! She left the highway sideways, went airborne and flipped three times...completely crushing the front and rear, but the seating areas both front and back were not harmed and she walked away without...well, one tiny scuff on her leg from the steering wheel. It kept her safe and we are now looking for a replacement. We love the X-terra

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  A Real SUV, not a Soccer Mom Mobile! - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Ardie86 - January 19 - 2:00 am

  Now this is an SUV! From the first day I saw the XTerra, I knew that was the SUV I wanted and could easily afford. The trucks been great. I live in the mountains and the XTerras made my life so much easier. Mudslide? What mudslide? Snow? No problem. Could use a bit more power to climb the hills, but turning off the overdrive gives continued power and saves the brakes on the downhill. I also make 500-mile road trips to see family and we always choose to take the X. Smooth ride. Plenty of space for people and cargo. Mileage isnt bad on highway. Friends love it. Think it looks cool. Two have gone on to purchased an XTerra.

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  Excellent 4x4 - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Brian Bloom - January 19 - 2:00 am

  I bought the X because the price point was very attractive to me. I didnt want to spend 30k on an SUV that I intended to take off road. I have been in the mud, sand and dirt and this truck out preformed my friends Mitsu Montero and a Toyota Tacoma..both cost considerable more...I didnt get the supercharger but it would be nice to have, dont know if its worth the xtra dough....

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  Great value for the money - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By 4wheeler - January 10 - 1:13 pm

  My wife and I absolutely love this SUV. We went from a minivan to a SUV and have been very happy so far. Already took it on a couple of 4 wheel trails and it handles great. This is a highly utilitarian vehicle that serves its purpose quite well. The affordability of the vehicle more than makes up for the so-so fuel economy.

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  A super vehicle - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Scott - January 9 - 9:06 pm

  "The 2005 Xterra S is vastly improved over past models. In one day test drove both the Xterra and Honda CR-V and greatly preferred the Xterra. It drives quite smoothly (though you are aware that youre in a truck-based SUV) and is extremely quiet. The interior is thoughtfully designed and comfortable, though certainly not plush. One of the best aspects of the Xterra is its storage capability and its general utility. Negatives are: gas mileage, lack of an optional factory-installed GPS system, audio system. The GPS and audio system arent big deals and can be solved by after-market units. Gas mileage is a bigger problem, but is no worse than most other comparable SUVs.