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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  xterra se super charged - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By greg pittaway - February 10 - 2:00 am

  well this is a truck.but with alot of power.the super charger helps alot.its a beauty.alot of people look.and it is a rarity too.really bad on mileage.and the trim fades after a while from common useage.but all in all its a terrific truck.

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  Just purchased - initial reactions - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Ryan - January 28 - 7:36 am

  Id been casually shopping for a 2003-2005 Xterra for a few months. I really prefer the body style of the 2005-2009s so Ive been looking for one within my budget. Now that I have it, I couldnt be happier. I read a lot of reviews on the model so had a good idea of what to expect. The "get up and go" is fantastic. Im coming from driving a VW GTI, so I needed something with a little "oomph" that I was used to. I really like all of the clever compartments throughout the car (2 glove boxes, roof rack storage box, floor storage compartment under hatch bed, etc.). If you have a lot in your car, It helps to stay clean and organized.

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  Just Fantastic - 2005 Nissan Xterra
  By Matt - January 21 - 3:30 pm

  After wearing out my age-old Blazer, I needed a new SUV. Out of all the different makes and models that I tested, the Xterra is the only one that had the total package - great appearance, excellent offroad capability, outstanding acceleration for an SUV, a little attitude, and a very clean interior. I have tie down points all over the interior which is very useful when packing up for a trip. No other smaller SUV looks, feels, or rides as good as this. It has the best roof rack ever- extremely durable, held up perfectly when I slammed my kayak rack into a low-hanging pole. No damage at all to the car, just to the add-on kayak rack. Would recommend it to any active person needing a good SUV.

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  2006 Xterra - 2006 Nissan Xterra
  By Mike - January 20 - 4:13 pm

  Find this a great ride. Didnt realize the rear windows only went 1/2 way down because of the design of the door. Love the response off the lights and the ride off road. I put a set of LT tires on when I bought it and they are harder riding than the stock P tires that came on it, knew this at the start. Dealer is 28 miles away from my home so I had to buy 10 Nissan oil filters and let the local Jiffy Lube do the changes. Jiffy lube was 15 bucks cheaper also. The performance is exceptional even when compared to my 02 Tacoma I traded in .

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  2nd Nissan, still in love - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By gramps - January 13 - 10:00 am

  live in Kalamazoo, MI; purchased from MA. Its been as far as (MA,) NV and FL; of course never a problem. Actually, when I bought Nissan Sentra in 1990; Im now on my FOURTEENTH YEAR without any repairs thanks to Nissan. Enjoyable to drive, backseat riders like the comfort. Durable interior, running boards (pipes) that absorbed being T-boned, starts every winter, fast HOT heating system, decent gas mileage for SUV- just a great truck. I have stick-shift & 4WD; winter driving no problem. Tows like its not towing.

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  Fun To Drive - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By MtnClimber - January 13 - 10:00 am

  All around FUN!!! A great looking SUV and great off-road adventures. Drives well around town as also.

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  All4 Xterra - 2002 Nissan Xterra
  By Brithgr8 - January 11 - 10:00 am

  Since I have bought the Xterra I have been nothing but Xtactic with it....

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  Thought I had a great SUV - 2000 Nissan Xterra
  By mck111 - January 8 - 10:00 am

  Until I hit 100K on the odometer I thought I owned the best SUV available for the price. Snapped a timing belt at 100,300. Nissan has given me no releif, owners manual calls for replacement of belt at 105K. Replaced engine with a 30k used engine. Both engines had cracks in exhaust manifold. A lemon of an engine. Some engine parts a clearly sub-standard

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  Love My XTerra - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By CKCFirst - January 8 - 10:00 am

  I really love my Xterra. I got it mainly for the looks, the durability, and the Nissan reliability. I was disappointed that leather seats were not an option, and it is a total pain to have to take out the back seat cushions to lower the back part flat. It has been very reliable, and kept me safe and unharmed in quite an impactive auto accident. I will seriously consider upgrading to the new model of XTerra, in the next few years, after I get this one paid off! It is very competitive in price, and I would highly recommend this vehicle to anyone looking in the mid-size SUV market.

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  If you want a TRUE S.U.V. - 2004 Nissan Xterra
  By 82BlackShark - January 8 - 10:00 am

  I compared the Saturn Vue and the Hyundai Sante Fe before making my decision on the Xterra. The Xterra has a towing capacity of 3,500 lbs. while the others have only 1,200 lbs. The ground clearance and cargo capacity is larger than the others too. Get the 4 cyl 5 speed manual if you want the power. It does seem underpowered at first and it took me three days to get used to the shifts. Now I can make this truck fly fast. It has three regular V belts instead of 1 long serpentine belt so no worries if you run into deep water. Nissan built a real SUV.