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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  great SUV for the money - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By shocker0513 - September 11 - 10:22 pm

  i picked up my Xterra used in 2008 with 12k and now im up to 70k. i use full synthetic oil and so far maintenance has been super cheap. ive only done basic maintenance stuff with no repairs in 58k miles! the stock tires suck, but if you invest in a decent set of all terrains, this truck cant be beat for the price. acceleration is lacking, but you sacrifice giddy up for economy. ive gotten up to 20mpg out of this SUV no problem. AC and heater work great. 4wd is great. creeks, mud, water up to the doors. pulls through it all (if you know how to drive off road properly).

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  03 Xterra - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Brian - September 6 - 2:10 pm

  My Xterra has been a great looking, fun to drive, & reliable SUV. Its the perfect mix of weekend off-road capability and mid week commuting comfort & reliability.

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  Nice looking, rough ride - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Jimbo - August 30 - 8:50 pm

  Xterras are really nice looking, however, they ride rough on the pavement. If you primarily drive this on the pavement I dont recommend it. Buyers should get a Honda CRV, Element, or Toyota Rav 4 instead of this gas hog!

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  my Xterra Rawks - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By Doug Bolst - August 26 - 9:20 am

  Its Awesome, i love it

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  Xterra - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By BL - August 25 - 11:53 am

  Nissan has built an outstanding vehicle! Smooth ride, quiet, powerful, roomy, and easy to drive. My only complaint is the stock radio - its, well, cheap.

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  5 Year Review - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Solid Vehicle - August 19 - 10:00 am

  I bought mine brand new in 2005. I now have 116,000 miles on the vehicle. I do a lot of driving. This is a fun car to drive on road and off road. I have taken it on many off road trails and it handles very well off road and will climb steep hills, drive through muddy roads, deep snow. Quality wise its a good vehicle, Ive had problems with the CD player, Im on my 3rd one right now. Ive had some squeaky belts replaced a few, this can be annoying with the car squeaking. The most expensive repair Ive had is when the computer went out on the car and the car was out of warranty.

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  Great SUV For The Money - 2009 Nissan Xterra
  By Rob - August 18 - 7:30 am

  Overall Im very pleased with my Xterra SE. Something I havent seen mentioned here is a recent recall I was told about through a Nissan mailing. The mailing states that there "could be" a bad weld on the torsion bar and to schedule an appointment with the dealership and theyd diagnose and repair at no cost if necessary. The dealer informed me that they needed a special welder to do the repair and they didnt have one there. They are supposed to locate a business nearby that can handle the job and contact me. They also said that Corporate Nissan informed them that this recall is for ALL Xterras- not some of them. I felt a bit deceived by the mailing at that point. Otherwise, Im very happy.

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  nice suv - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By gunn - August 10 - 10:00 am

  the truck has been great, except for the horrible gas mileage. the engine is nice and quite and the truck handles nice in the city and on the highway.

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  good suv - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By 04silver - August 10 - 10:00 am

  this suv is good for offroading..gots good ground clearance. but has a few minor problems that the engineers has to work out..I only got less than 500mi on my X and my check light is already on..and its not the gas cap..ill have to take it back to the dealership to get checked out

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  My X Rocks HARD!!! - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By microserf - August 10 - 2:00 am

  Ive driven my XterraSEV64x4 from Atlanta, GA, to San Francisco, CA and back, TWICE. Ive driven my X from San Francisco to Tahoe for skiing trips, up to Napa Valley numerous times, all over the Sunshine State from Pensacola on over to Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando and Miami and back numerous times. Ive driven up in the north Georgia mountains in Helen, GA. Cruised throught the quaint germantowns, as well as the crazy rocky trails up to Amicalola Falls.