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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  Pretty Nice truck - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By kev2011 - June 6 - 12:39 pm

  Ive been a maxima owner for the last 10 yrs and this is quite a switch. im starting a biz this spring and need the towing. i hope it is up to the task. the car rides nice for a truck but is uncomfortable for long drives which i do every day. the armrest makes me twist my body to use it. the seats are ok. the roof rattles over bumps. the stereo is not even close to the BOSE in a maxima. adjusting to much less creature comforts has taken some time, but i do like the truck. snow is no match for it. i pulled my 20ft boat with it this summer and hardly noticed i was towing anything. i hope its half as good as my maxima.

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  No Regrets! - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By tssawy2 - June 4 - 1:50 am

  I bought my SE 4X4 new and no complaints. Yeah, some people complain about the gas mileage, well, its no Corolla but guess what no true SUV is. If you want great gas mileage, dont buy an SUV. But, I cannot say enough good things about this truck. It is good in city driving as well as perfectly capable in off roading situations. I get decent mileage about 19 in city, 25 on highway but I dont drive like a race car driver either. The interior is spare because thats part of the look. If you want luxury and 4X4 buy something else. Overall, I LOVE my Xterra and cannot seriously criticize it!

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  great color too!! - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By dawnie - June 2 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS VEHICLE. IT DRIVES GREAT.

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  Turn off the lights - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By Phenobarb - May 19 - 2:00 am

  I have really enjoyed my Xterra with a few exceptions. Am I the only one who leaves the lights on an repeatedly drains the battery. I would expect the lights to go off automatically to prevent this. The fact it doesnt happen is a huge design flaw in my opinion. I have been stuck on numerous occassions because I forgot to turn my lights off. And the battery loses its juice quickly--in 1-2 hours. My front tires are always dirty. I was told it is dust from the brakes. Who knows. I find the Xterra to be comfortable and dont understand other criticism on this point.

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  wish i got 4 wheel drive - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By cool SUV - May 19 - 2:00 am

  cool, except hasnt stopped snowing since i bought it.

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  2008 replacement of 2005 - 2008 Nissan Xterra
  By Spunoffandaway - May 15 - 2:33 pm

  Another great car! The 2008 may be the last in this series, so I had to buy before they change it into a cross-over! I drive a lot of interstate miles, and feel safe with higher assurance of returning if hit. Sort of a small tank. No fear of muddy country roads with the great 4wd. Did have to give up a power plug for the MP3 plug-in (bummer)!The 08 has added XM radio and does offer some good entertainment while on trips. Almost same as 05, slight loss of build quality. Noticeable looseness in rear torque conversion around 35 mph or so, not in 05. Maybe it will go away with time. Still could not get side airbag option, must be a myth, like GPS. Not an economy car. Feels secure on the road.

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  Test drive it & decide for yourself - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Mesh - May 15 - 3:10 am

  I purchased the Nissan Xterra X because I wanted a vehicle that I new would last me. I went from a Trailblazer to the Xterra and I figured id be disappointed but hey, I would save on my monthly payment...so it would all work out. Well, I love the Xterra! I like it more than the trailblazer. Its a more outdoors vehicle. Is great for people who camp, bike ride or have a couple of dogs. Easy to maintain. Has more power than I expected. Is very comfortable. I have not had any problems. The best advice I can give you is to test drive one. Make sure you like it....test it. I totally love mine, its what I was looking for in my heart.

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  great rugged truck - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By armydad - May 12 - 2:06 pm

  The Nissan xterra has been a great truck, 70,000 miles and no problems, still have the factory breaks, just now had to replace the tires. Truck does great in all weather, im in the army and currently living in Kansas, lots of snow and ice in the winter, truck does better than a lot of 4x4 trucks, I pass them all the time on the roads stuck in the snow, mpg not as good as I would like but is not bad considering the engine size and h. P. All and all great truck!

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  My X - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By kylefesette - May 9 - 10:00 am

  i love my X and would recommend it to anyone...

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  not too great - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By dfs - May 7 - 3:46 pm

  this suv is good for offroad, if u plan on driving everyday make sure u have ALOT of extra money for gas. It is unbelievable how much gas this car eats if i would have known i would not have purchased. It slides all over the place in the snow unless u put it in 4 wheel drive! even if its less then an inch of snow!!! u def. cannot fit 3 people in the back seat unless they are super skinny! so unless ur specific use for this car is off road i dont recommend it