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 / POWERFULL - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By LUCKY - January 9 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE ENJOYED MY XTERRA THIS PAST EIGHT MO. MY WIFE LIKES IT BETTER THAN ME ,WELL SHE DRIVES IT MORE TO WORK AND GROCERY STORE ETC. BUT IT HANDELS GOOD ANDHASA WRAP AROUND FEEL WHEN YOUR DRIVING ALSO HAS A SPACEIOUS BACKFOR HAULING PLUS CAN LAY BACK DOWN FOR MORE ROOM IF NEEDED!

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  Shouldnt have done it - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By bhoward123 - December 30 - 11:16 pm

  Shouldnt have bid on E-bay and certainly not on this vechile. After replacing a starter,headlight assembly, exhaust system, tires, and battery I MAY have a car. Nissan wouldnt include the starter in the 5/60 powertrain warranty. I got 14OK out of the one in my GMC. Nissan quality is subpar.

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  Extera ...WOW - 2003 Nissan Xterra
  By kashdkjahklfh - December 26 - 10:00 am

  I have never been upset with this car...truck. Easy to pack and fun to drive.

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  Very Happy with My Xterra - 2010 Nissan Xterra
  By xterras - December 17 - 2:00 am

  Wanted an SUV thats powerful, sturdy with reasonable off road capacities. Picked X due to its fair pricing, powerful engine(VQ), solid BoF construction, great outward visibility & the cute look. Have put 5K miles on it so far, incl. a 2500 mile trip in 1 week. Really impressed with the acceleration. Great handling. Tight turn radius. Perfect size for a single guy. I prefer firm seats and find Xs very comfortable. Like the high seating position, feel confident. High ground clearance, no need for ramps when changing oil. I felt far less tired driving the X for a full day, than diving a civic (my previous car). Manual is not clear about gas octane, so I use #89 since the engine is VQ.

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  Great at 88K - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By dkwngduck - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Ive driven lots of cars (field salesperson) and have to say at 3+ years, I still REALLY LIKE this car. Very dependable, solid gas mileage for an SUV, and fun. Towing - I pull two jetskis with no prob. Its a no frills, solid, cost efficient vehicle in a cool looking package. I strongly recommend buying one.

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  Great 4x4, horrible gas mileage. - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Michael K - December 8 - 7:23 am

  Wow, the gas mileage is horrible. First fill up was 16 mpg and second was 14 mpg. I could get the same in a full size truck. Other than that the suv rides well and for my purposes has plenty of interior room. Driven off road only once so far, but will put it to the test when the snow comes. Does well off road. Very quiet interior, but yes there is some squeaks now and then from the cheap plastic interior. Has decent power to get up the hills, but could use more. Clock could be brighter for use in the day. Over all a great suv, but you would expect it would get better mpg with a 3.3 L motor. Thought it should get around 18-21 mpg hyw. If you can afford the gas buy one.

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  Quality - 2001 Nissan Xterra
  By Mitch - December 6 - 10:50 am

  I use the Xterra for work and play. It handles anything I need from towing a flatbed trailer, loading gear on the roof rack and getting to the most remote trails for off roading. Gas mileage is decent for a midsize suv and power is adequate at most. The Xterras up side far outweighs the bad. It is the most solid vehicle I have ever owned (6) and I would recommend it to people of all ages.

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  Great Off-Road truck - 2011 Nissan Xterra
  By 2k11pro4x - December 3 - 5:34 am

  Since I started driving AWD and 4x4 I cant really go back to 2WD cars anymore. Living in Canada having AWD or 4x4 is almost a must. Compare to my previous SUV this is my favorite thus far, however the Xterra does have it draw back which is the horrible gas mileage. This truck is not an ideal vehicle to use for daily commuter, because the best Ive got is 15MPG. On a full tank (from full until the light goes on) I only get 242 miles city driving. On highway though, it is smooth, powerful, and comfortable for the long haul. Im averaging 21MPG on highway. The capability for off roading is great, it can make any condition (almost), but in deep mud I got stuck but then again any stock would.

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  Best Nissan I ever owned! - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Mav63 - December 1 - 6:40 am

  Ive had the X for 4 years now and couldnt be more pleased with it. The seats are very comfortable on long drives. The Supercharger gives it enough oomph to push you back in your seat. The paint has held up extremely well. People who have driven it are surprised on how nice it handles and how straight it drives. It is a bit rough, but what do you expect? I havent had any problems mechanically. I replaced the stock stereo with aftermarket since stock sounds, well, stock! I take it in for service religiously and the service dept is always surprised how clean and new it still looks. I detail it A LOT! Just like they say, "everything you need, nothing you dont!"

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  Not well-rounded enough - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By veljo756 - November 28 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Nissan 6 months ago and have not been disappointed. It delivered its promise: cool exterior, great image and capable offroad. However anyone driving this thing around town, like I do should think twice. Ride is uncomfortable, at least compared to a CR-V fuel milage is poor and the worst thing is engine performance. Shortly, this vehicle is very slow! Im glad Nissan will improve on that for 2005, because while the numbers are impressive on paper, this is a very heavy SUV and hence simply slow. Before you buy it, test drive a Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4 and Ford Escape. They cost about the same and should meet your needs just fine. Do not spend money on image alone!