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 Utilitarian Vehicle - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By blharris77 - September 19 - 10:13 am

  If you’re looking for a SUV that you can actually take off road then this is your vehicle. Mine has 45,000 miles and has had no major problems. The ride is a little stiff but makes up for it in off road capability. The interior leaves a little to be desired. Engine seems a little sluggish when trying to pass at highway speeds but more than capable for around town driving. Towing capability is pretty impressive for this class vehicle.

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  nissan x-terra xe 2003 - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By reina - September 14 - 10:00 am

  the nissan x-terra was the best car that i have bought so far. its depedable fun to drive. i love making long trips with my nissan. what i specially love its that its high, and lets me see how the traffic is infront of me. i recommend everybody that is looking to buy an s.u.v. to really take under cosideration the nissan x-terra.

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  Lots of truck for the buck! Fantastic! - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By Bill - September 3 - 10:26 pm

  Weve always been a Nissan family and bought our latest two, an 07 Sentra S (my daily driver) and 06 Xterra Off-Road (spouses daily driver), in 10/06. While I rarely drove the Xterra, I loved being high up and having power to spare when I did, so much in fact that I just traded my Sentra for a 08 Xterra. Even the base trim offers great bang for the buck. The 4.0L V6 is a beast, the 5 spd A/T meshes well with it, and it came with standard features that not even my S trim Sentra came with, including cruise, ABS, VDC and EBD (traction control). Its my first SUV and my first RWD vehicle, but its dimensions are easy to acclimate to, and its handling, though still SUV- like, is quite confident.

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  So Close... - 2007 Nissan Xterra
  By Brunson - September 2 - 9:23 am

  Traded in 05 F150 for used 07 Xterra this winter (needed baby space). Just over 30k on stock BFG tires and they were SMOKED. Traded up for Firestone Destination A/Ts with favorable results. Front brake pads/rotors replaced at 31k miles. Frequent issues with SLIP/ABS/VDC light coming on with little assistance from local Nissan dealers to determine the issue, possible ABS problem. Engine is strong but not the best sounding when heavy on the throttle. Average gas mileage for an SUV of its size. 4 wheel drive system is excellent, performs well in moderate snow, heavy rain and off road. Very versatile with numerous cargo configurations. I am 64" and have no complaints regarding interior space.

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  Never Again!!!! - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Disappointed - August 30 - 4:56 am

  Bought this 2006 Exterra SE new November of 2006 because of the reviews and ratings on this site and the awards it garnered. Ill admit, it is a fun vech. to drive. But what a disappointment! Replaced tires at 20,00 miles. Replaced the front brakes (Rotors as well as pads) twice in 51,000 miles. Paint is poor quality showing rust specs and flaked off the running boards at in less than a year Just replaced the fuel sensor. Worst of all, tranny and radiator self destructed at 51,000 miles. Nissan refused to honor the drive train warranty. The excuses were pathetic! Cost to repair this piece of junk was outrageous! On top of that, we still owe $5,200 on the purchase price. Back to Toyota for us!

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  Great SUV! - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Erica - August 27 - 11:50 am

  Ive only had this Xterra for about 2 weeks, but so far, its great! Only one owner before me, so everything was very well kept. Have not had any problems yet. Im glad I didnt buy a lemon. Wish the fuel economy was a little better with the high gas prices, but not much else for choices out there with SUVs. I wanted a used SUV with low miles, good reliability and a good price tag. Found all 3 here! I will update if I find some negatives.

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  Not a Yuppie SUV - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Al K - August 26 - 7:33 pm

  The Xterra is an awesome SUV. It took a few days to get use to the F-ALPHA truck frame but wow what a smooth ride. The acceleration from a dead stop or merging into traffic is no problem. Took a corner at 40 MPH and the Xterra did not even lean.

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  Not impressed - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By Paul99 - August 19 - 4:40 pm

  My main complaint is the engine and transmission. Reliability is good, only replacing the exhaust manifold in 85,000 miles. But the engine is extremely weak (I have SC model), and the 4 speed auto transmission shifts very rough. Engine takes 15 minutes to "warm up" before the engine and trans are even acceptable for use. The supercharged engine only performs well in dry 60-70 degree weather. I live in Michigan, and we rarely have dry 60-70 degree weather. If I ride alone and temp is optimal, the car is fun to drive, but if i carry passengers, its sluggish at best. Gas mileage is unacceptable for a V6! I rarely get over 13mpg in city driving even when i baby it! Highway mileage is no better!

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  excellent car - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Moawieh A Abu-hatoum - August 17 - 7:36 am

  have been driving nothing but Nissan since 1994, had four Nissan since then,i still have two of them now a Maxima, and an Exterra, this small SUV is a very good tough car.

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  Real SUV - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By 4x4Russ - August 11 - 7:36 am

  I have owned many different 4x4 SUVs (Trailduster, Suburban, Rodeo, Trooper) and have to say my 2002 Nissan Xterra is the best of the bunch. It provides a great balance between off road ability and highway comfort. Towing my boat is painless and my 96" longboard fits inside! I have put almost 50,000 miles on mine since without any problems.