2012 Nissan Xterra
by Jim Prueter
On the move for more than a decade, the Nissan Xterra is about as close to a single-purpose vehicle as there is on the market today. If you’re an off-roader, hunter, camper, or backpacker, then Xterra could be exactly what you need.
A genuine SUV, the Xterra has a solid ladder, body-on-frame construction, unlike the car-based crossover utility vehicle that’s all the rage today. Along with Jeep Wrangler and Toyota FJ Cruiser, Xterra is one of only a very few purist off-road vehicles that caters to an outdoorsy demographic.
While some of the newer pickups now feature softer suspensions, the Xterra rides as you’d expect a truck — bumps are hard and jarring. It has the same rugged frame and suspension underpinnings as the Nissan Frontier pickup, with double wishbones up front and a solid rear axle over leaf springs.
The vehicle comes in three models: the base X ($24,560), mid-level S ($26,550) and PRO-4X ($29,970). While the PRO-4X is four-wheel drive only, both the X and S are available with rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive optional. All three are powered by a 261-horsepower V-6 engine with plenty of grunt. But what you gain in power, you forfeit in fuel economy, as it only drives 15 city/20 highway mpg.
The roomy five-passenger, four-door interior is housed within a blocky, tough-looking trucklet exterior that has remained relatively unchanged since its introduction. Even with a rework of the front end, the addition of a roof light package, and a few interior upgrades in 2009, the style still looks outdated.
When compared to other vehicles, the Xterra is noticeably low-tech. We liked the Rockford Fosgate® audio system with AM/FM/6-CD, 8-speaker and subwoofer system and MP3/WMA capability. And there’s also a standard Bluetooth hands-free phone system that works especially well, but the iPod interface costs an extra $250.
Overall, we think both the FJ Cruiser’s and new Jeep Wrangler’s interior are better appointed with an overall richer look. Instead of soft touch or textured materials, Xterra’s cabin is covered with an abundance of hard, shiny plastic. While it makes cleaning dust from off-road excursions easier, it also makes the vehicle look cheap.
Seats are flat, yet comfortable. Though more bolstering would be useful, especially when getting jostled around during off-road treks. The rear seat is split 60/40, folds flat, and, aside from tight legroom, is nearly as spacious as the front. Back door openings are pretty tight, making entering and exiting the Xterra a cause to grumble.
We spent our weeklong testing in the PRO-4X model, driving just over 30 miles on unpaved roads and on a few mountain-trail off-road drives. Our Xterra easily handled every challenge, and at highway speeds, the choppy ride that we noticed on city streets seemed to disappear.
Our Xterra came equipped with Hill Descent Control (HDC) that allows you to go down steep hills by simply directing the steering while both feet are off the pedals. With HDC engaged, the vehicle moves downhill at about 5 mph in a controlled and safe manner, which would be excellent for snowy and icy road conditions.
Our tester had a roof rack with a cargo bin that conceals smaller items and provides protection from the elements. A feature on the Xterra that we especially liked is a set of steps built into the rear corners of the bumpers that make it easier to reach anything being transported on the roof.
Standard safety gear includes dual front, roof-mounted curtain side-impact, and rollover supplemental, and front seat-mounted side-impact airbags. The Xterra has not been crash tested as of this writing.
We can easily appreciate how much fun the vehicle can be for a person who enjoys off-road adventures and driving. But I’m pretty sure I would quickly tire of its continually firm ride on paved surfaces.
