• HOME
• 
• AUTO LISTINGS
• 
• FINANCE
• 
• NEWS
• 
• DIRECTORY
• 
• REVIEWS
• 
• FORUM
• 
• BLOG
• 

2005 Nissan Xterra Road Test

AUTO FINANCE

Get a FREE, No-obligation internet price quote! At Automobile.com we strive to provide hassle-free auto finance quotes.

Car Review Tools

Photos of Nissan Xterra Nissan Xterra Specs Print this Car Review Email this Car Review

User reviews Write your review Read reviews  (0)

More of Everything in Nissans Less-is-More 4x4

Nissans Xterra, since its introduction in 1999, has been among the minority in the SUV world - a truck that can back up its purposeful looks with actual toughness and off-road prowess, at least if it was outfitted with a 4x4 drivetrain. Those poseurs looking only for the rugged image have plenty of wanna-be SUVs to choose from, but this isnt one of them.

Back when the Xterra was being developed, it represented the first vehicle Nissan had conceived since the Z, with the express objective of appealing to a very specific customer, rather than trying to be most things to most people. It had a very

The original Xterra had a very narrow focus - a functional SUV for an active lifestyle - and that continues in the second generation. (Photo: Gerry Frechette, American Auto Press)

It is still the genuine article, a rough-and-ready truck for risk-takers who seek adventure in life far off the beaten track. The newest generation Xterra continues to embrace

The Xterra is a rough-and-ready truck for risk-takers who seek adventure in life far off the beaten track. (Photo: Gerry Frechette, American Auto Press)

Lets face it, though, the original Xterra was a bit crude, even for the crowd it was pitched to. For example, its V6 engine, of the generation previous to the one now found in just about every Nissan vehicle was not a paragon of power or refinement. So lethargic was it that Nissan equipped it with a supercharger,

The Xterras platform is a version of that used in the full-size Titan pickup. (Photo: Gerry Frechette, American Auto Press)

It was definitely time for a new Xterra that built on the proven strengths of the original, while improving the areas that customers wanted the most - power, drivability, on-road dynamics, roominess, cargo versatility and off-road performance.

Nissan hardware has come a long way in the last six years, and the new Xterra benefits fully from the

A 4.0-liter truck version of Nissans ubiquitous VQ V6 engine produces a robust 265-horsepower and 284 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Gerry Frechette, American Auto Press)

Suspension is all-steel double wishbone up front and traditional leaf-sprung solid axle out back. Such a set-up is well-suited to the Xterras mission in life, which is to say that its owner will happily trade off some on-road comfort for the durability of a solid axle. The vertical travel of the suspension is relatively long, which permitted a greater degree of suppleness

The Off-Road model has just about every electronic aid that todays technology can offer. (Photo: Gerry Frechette, American Auto Press)

The previous lack of power, refinement and fuel economy has been amply addressed with the installation of the 4.0-liter truck version of Nissans ubiquitous VQ V6 engine, in this case putting out a robust 265-horsepower and 284 lb-ft of torque at a usefully low 4,000 rpm.

Backing up this refined engine is either a six-speed manual transmission with wide ratios for acceleration and fuel economy, or a new electronically-controlled five-speed automatic. I drove the automatic, and it was well-suited to the engine.