Looks, power, options

None.

I've had my Xterra for three days and LOVE it. I've been watching my gads mileage and as usual v6's that have a heavy body, I get the expected 17mpg city. It is, after all a large, heavy SUV. What really got me was the safety reviews. I was in a recent head on accident and this car has wonderful safety features. The ride is smooth, the V6 engine is powerful, it looks good, and the options are everything I wanted in a car!

Similar Products Used:

Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford F-150, Dodge Ram.

nice looking

Small interior, takes up tooo much gas, not cost efficient.

I liked my xterra at 1st but after having it for a week and adding a car seat in the back seat it was just not big enough. I so happy to get the Xterra as my other choice was the Ford Escape and I have never had an american car. I've had my xterra for about 18 months and can not wait another yr or so to get rid of it. The gas in that thing is a waste of money. I spend about 100.00 a week not inlcuding the weekend. I have now purchased a small Honda CIvic (99) and my brand new xterra is just collecting dust int he garage. I would not recommend this veh is a waste of good money.

Similar Products Used:

1st SUV

Sits high up, great gas milage, roomy, great power, sharp looking, Tows better than our Ford F150(V8) pick up truck

Only weakness I see is it has some BLIND spots. Sometimes hard to see the vehicle next to you until it's right beside you.

The new 2005 Xterra is awesome! It drives great (like a car), GREAT GAS MILAGE, roomy.... besides the fact it is one of the best looking SUV's. You get what you pay for and more! I have plenty of power with the bigger engine. I tried a 2004 which does not have (not even close) to the power the 2005 versions have. We went on a long trip and was more than pleased with it all around. I wouldn't trade mine for any other SUV out there.

Similar Products Used:

Nissan Pathfinder Izuzu Rodeo Chevy Blaizer

Handles well, can pack a lot of gear in and on it (if you purchase the appropriate racks, etc.). Looks good.

Mileage is terrible!! I feel happy to get 14 mpg. Give me a break. Rear leg room insufficient. To fold down rear seats, the seat cushions have to be taken out, which is a pain. The cup holders in the front are annoying and often come out with the drink. The mirror on the passenger side visor should have a thing over it so you don't have to look at it. The racks are essentially useless, not wide enough for a canoe, so I had to buy wider ones from yakima. I had to take off the gear storage deal on top because it was in the way of my racks (because I wanted them farther apart to carry canoe and kayaks). Carpet in the rear area is stupid and hard to clean (I guess they remedied that with the new one). The entire vehicle should be wider. The drivers seat is to low, so my legs are bent at an uncomfortable angle (I am only 5'9). Takes premium fuel. Already had it in the shop because the air conditioner quit working, although the dealer was quite helpful in replacing it. The tires are not very good for a 4X4, but I guess that is normal for OEM tires. Even with the supercharger, it doesn't have enough power. The cruise control doesn't work that well, it feels like the brake is on or something. When turning sharply a screeching sound can be heard. I was told this was normal, but it sounds terrible. Overall I might like it better if it got even reasonable gas mileage. As it is now, it mostly takes up space in the carport.

I like the way the vehicle looks and its compatibility with outdoor activities. It handles the gravel road I live on well. Unfortunately, the gas mileage on this thing is atrocious. We mostly only use it for trips now, the rest of the time it is parked. Originally, I was going to trade in my 97 RAV4 to help pay for it, but the dealer said they would only give us $500, so I said forget that and kept it. Glad I did, because my wife still drives that almost every day as it gets twice the mpg. The only time she uses the Xterra is when it is rainy and our gravel road is messy or somewhat flooded. The Xterra handles that well. It amazes me that something with only a V6 engine gets worse mileage than a V8 Ford Expedition (for example, which I use at work). My other vehicle is a 1998 Toyota Tacoma 4X4, which I usually drive. I wish I got a four runner now. The new model is supposed to have a much stronger engine, 265 hp I believe, and even slightly better mileage. I asked about trading in for one of those, but mine has depreciated so much in just slightly over a year that I can't afford to trade it in. So apparently, they don't hold their value very long, at least the Nissan dealership doesn't value it very much. I could sell it more to some buddy I guess.

Similar Products Used:

Toyota RAV4 and Toyota tacoma 4X4

Overall, the Xterra offers a nice, comfortable ride. At 40mph and above the supercharger allows good acceleration on the highway, which is nice, particularly when passing. Have taken 2-3 long roadtrips with this ride and they have proven to be quite comfortable. The 300-watt Fosgate stereo in the SE model rocks!

If you are even remotely concerned about gas mileage, then RUN AWAY from this vehicle. It is a gas hog with absolutely hideous mileage figures, particularly if you use less than the recommended premium grade. I typically get around 12 miles in the city and 16-18 miles per gallon on the highway. I have a 39-year-old 1966 Ford Mustang with a 4BBL performance carb that gets better gas mileage than my 2003 Xterra if that tells you anything. Much of the interior molding is plastic, which gives the Xterra a somewhat cheap feeling. Unfortunately, the windshield trim came loose during my very first roadtrip, which caused an annoying whistle at highway speed and required a stop at the local Nissan dealership. The gearshift button also tends to "stick" and not operate when the weather outside is very cold, which is a matter that needs to be addressed by the dealer. Bottom line: this would be a much nicer purchase if the gas mileage were better, particularly with gas price currently over $2/gallon.

I would really have much preferred a Toyota 4Runner, but the price of the Xterra was much closer to my price range. Having driven two Jeep Cherokees previously, I wanted something with a little more kick than the base Xterra offers. The SE supercharged version was the closest in horsepower and pickup to the Jeep Cherokee that I could find in my price range and which I liked. All in all, a fairly nice ride. Unfortunately though, the Xterra's poor gas mileage cancels out many of its positives and the more I drive it, the more I wish I had bought something else.

Similar Products Used:

Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler

Workmanship of interior/exterior. No repairs yet after 30K. Room inside is fine for two bikes on carrier and seats down. High enough to avoid most road obstacles. Never had it offroad, but i imagine it would preform well.

I don't like that the back seat cushions have to be removed to lower the seats, clips might break, have to be real careful when removing-argh! Seats are very uncomfortable for longer trips, like sitting on a board. Seems to be the case for Nissans, they've got work to do in this area. Gas mileage suxx, gulps gas and there is no get up and go. Stick shift is a hassle in the city.

I was on a tight budget when looking for a car, this one seemed to fit me at the time. Ended up getting the 5spd, not happy with that choice, didn't want to spend the extra grand to get it, wish I had though in the end. I agree with previous reviews. It is not a very good getting around town vehicle. It is clunky to drive around town, just feels huge and hard to manuver. Reliability has been excellent so far, materials thru-out are excellent, like the dash, and the factory stereo sound is incredible, no need to upgrade that, and no rattles when your jammin'. Pick-up is not very good, high way driving is okay, but feels like a truck rather than an SUV. Styling is kewl.

Similar Products Used:

Toyota pick-ups, Jeep Wrangler, Mit Eclipse, Ford F150, Toyota 4Runner/Tacoma, Camero

Ground clearance, love the fact that you can miss just about any obstical in the road. A great urban warrior, short wheel base, tight turning circle, you can park this thing anywhere with ease and with all the plastic body moldings and step bar, just about impossible to get door dings. Supercharged engine is great, Nissan has been using this V6 for years and it is very reliable. Rockford Fosgate stereo with 6 disk changer is awsome, subwoofer makes a huge difference in music quality. The steering wheel mounted audio controls/cruise control are the best. Love the roof rack, step bars, fairing with the basket, makes you want to go camping! One of the best looking SUV out there. Back seat is stadium syle, rear passingers seem to like it. Seems like I'm always driving on the road trips.....

Gas milage is bad, a low of 12 mpg and a high of 17 mpg. Not the best choice if you have a long commute every day. With the supercharged engine, Nissan recomends premium fuel, ouch! this hurts the pocket book, I use 89 octane with no problems. Road noise is bad too, could be the OEM tires, which in my opinion, are terrible. Tires hydroplane in the rain, are noisy, and with the supercharged version, you get 17" wheels, which limits your tire choices. Can't wait until the tread wears out, I want new tires! Don't like the fact that you have to take the bottom cushions out to fold the back seat down.

Bought the 2wd version because at the time I could not afford the extra 2 grand. So far, I have not been in a situation where I needed 4WD. Overall, I really like this SUV, I can haul my bikes and gear with plenty of room to spare. The 2" reciver hitch is great for a solid 4 carrier bike rack. I have 25,000 miles on the car and the only problem I've had with the car was the rear main seal started leaking at 7,000 miles. Took it to the dealer and 3 attempts later, it was fixed and now, no leaks. Other than that, no problems with anything. I actually slept in the car on my last camping trip and it was perfect, a double size air bed in the back and your set!

Similar Products Used:

First SUV

The strengths are Nissan reliability, versatility, ride comfort and passenger room

Gas milage

The Nissan Xterra seems to be a very reliable vehicle. I have been on 2 long trips with it and it is has a very comfortable ride, most of the controls are exactly where the driver needs them, noise level inside is very low even at high speeds. Gas mileage is not very good but everything else over rides the gas guzzling

Similar Products Used:

2003 Saturn Vue 2002 Ford Explorer

Maintenance free. I have 75,000 miles on it and the only work on the truck has been tires and brakes. First brake job at 65,000 miles, tires lasted to 60,000 miles.

Nissan service Gas mileage - although not too much worse than other SUVs

We looked and looked for a nice looking, functional, and economic SUV. We didn't want a car that tries to look like a truck (CRV, RAV4, Escape, etc.), since we want to tow occasionally. Then Nissan released the Xterra and we bought one immediately. It is our first truck and has not dissappointed in any way. Other reviewers have mentioned the poor gas milage, which we expected. It could certainly use some more power, but I tow two snowmobiles with 4 grown men and a car-carrier on the roof just fine (although I don't set any speed records). Another common complaint is related to Nissan service, which I too have had problems with. The truck hasn't needed any major repairs, but I used to take it to the dealer for oil changes, etc. Then they forgot to put the oil cap back on and that was the end of that. Also, I notice a small amount of rust on the rear tailgate and showed it to them and even though it is still under a rust warranty, they have refused to deal with it, saying that it isn't significant enough to qualify for any repair work. The fog lights have rusted away which is strange. I have noticed the same thing on other Xterras that I see around. They're just cheap and can be replaced easliy enough. Compare price, quality, reliability, and this truck will be hard to beat. Other than that it has been a wonderful truck and I would definitely buy another.

Similar Products Used:

Explorer Blazer Tribute

it has been reliable.have only had minor problems in the couple of years....no major problems....Good off road.can climb over any obstacle..but somtimes feels unstable in doing so.like it will flip over.....

Bad gas mileage Plus No POWER....I could understand the bad gas mileage ..it's an SUV,but at least let me enjoy burning my gas..with some pick up and go feel.which is just not there...seats is less than stellar..not comfy over long drives...the city ride is very bumpy... small road imbalances/cracks or potholes jar this vehicle badly...

Purchased my Xterra in late 2001,it has been good vehicle overall,above average in relibilty.The gas mileage for an unpowered vehicle is terrible...for 10-12 miles a gallon I at least want to enjoy what am I paying for,but passing on highways,and overall giddup of this vehicle is lacking.It's very good off road vehicle,can climb over anything,but has problems going up inclines,mountains etc...just not enough power.The seating is not comfy over long drives,just feels cheap.If you want a smooth, city get around vehicle,this is not your automobile,small bumps or potholes it doesn't handle well.The interior is very barebones,no frills,which I don't have a problem with,it's functional.Could use some additional front legroom,I am 6-3 and it lacks a bit their too.

Similar Products Used:

S-10 blazer