Another in a series of my reviews that appeared in the online version of African Americans On Wheels, a now defunct automotive magazine that was included as an insert in the Sunday newspapers of major cities.
Now that my wife no longer had any of her possessions at her parents’ house, it was my turn. This journey would be a little more challenging since the rest of my stuff was in South Florida, a long haul from Central Virginia. I arranged for the Xterra, which was one of the hot tickets for 2000, and fortunately that’s what was waiting for me when I showed up at my friend’s house in Fairfax where it was dropped off.
We decided to make a nice trip out of it, stopping off in Atlanta to visit some friends and relatives for a few days. Unfortunately, “Xterra” and “nice trip” don’t really go well together. It’s loud with a harsh ride and terrible gas mileage. The 15.9-gallon gas tank meant stopping for fill-ups every 250 miles, quite annoying on a 2000-mile round trip. However, we were quite happy that we didn’t have to pay for a rental car we couldn’t afford anyway, so there wasn’t much complaining.
In Florida, I met up with my buddy Mitch. Mitch is a big two- and three-wheel enthusiast, and someone had created a nice dirt oval track out in an abandoned field with a banked turn and several moderately-high bumps to catch some air. We decided to take the Xterra out on the track to test its off-road chops. It performed admirably.
The following review was written on August 17, 2000.
Let’s face it – retro is in. Everywhere you look, from the New Beetle to the upcoming Thunderbird, there are styling touches from the 30’s through the 60’s. But out there in SUV territory, things move a little faster than they do in cardom. It’s pretty safe to say that the SUV craze truly took hold when the Ford Explorer was introduced in early 1990. Since then, manufacturers have gone to great lengths to improve their ride, handling, and luxury content.
But these improvements came with a price – a steep one. Today, it’s hard to drive away in a decently equipped, mid-size SUV for less than $30,000, and most go for more than that. Obviously, a void was quickly created for those financially-challenged would-be buyers who desire something a little more substantial than a four-cylinder Chevy Tracker.
Nissan fell into this trap. The Pathfinder was originally just a fully enclosed version of Nissan’s previous-generation pickup. But when the current generation was introduced for 1996, Nissan ditched the body-on-frame design for the lighter, more car-like unit-body construction. They also increased the size, luxury content, and price. To fill in the void, Nissan went retro and re-introduced an updated version of the original Pathfinder! But where the old Pathfinder could be equipped quite nicely and was aimed at anyone who would buy it, the Xterra is aimed squarely at the active under-30 crowd. And while it’s not unusual to see soccer moms and junior executives driving around in a $30k+ Isuzu Rodeo LSE, Mitsubishi Montero Sport Limited, or a Toyota 4Runner Limited – the other Japanese compact pickup-based SUVs – few of these people would likely give an Xterra a second glance.
It’s a good, “old-fashioned” SUV where comfort and convenience take a back seat to style, ruggedness and utility. Starting with the front half of the Nissan Frontier pickup, Nissan grafted on a slightly raised rear and kept the option list to a minimum. While there is a base, four cylinder, two-wheel drive version that lists for a low $17,599, the version most buyers are likely to find is the top-of-the-line SE V6 4X4, which lists for a slightly higher $24,799. But since there are virtually no options, this is quite close to the out-the-door price.
Besides the rear quarters, other features that make the Xterra visually distinctive are the tubular roof rack with removable basket, tubular side rails, and a unique swelling in the rear door where the first-aid kit is found. Since I’m not a fan of rear-mounted spare tires, it was nice to see that Nissan decided to mount it underneath. Fifteen-inch alloy wheels on fat P265/70R15 tires complete the package. Inside is pure Frontier pickup truck, with basic cloth front seats, no-frills dash, and the under-dash “umbrella handle” parking brake. The lever for the five-speed manual transmission is 16-inches tall, and fifth gear can require a fully outstretched arm for some (a four-speed automatic is optional). Fortunately, cup holders abound, and there’s a center console storage bin that can hold several CDs. The raised rear roofline allows for a slightly higher rear seat with great headroom, although leg room is a little tight. The rear seat can be folded flat only when the cushions are removed, another cost saving measure.
Although you won’t find leather, power seats, a navigation system, or a trip computer, Nissan wisely left in those amenities people have come to expect. Standard or optional on all models are antilock brakes; tilt steering wheel; power windows, locks and mirrors; remote keyless entry; variable intermittent wipers; cruise control; and a CD player. The option list does include such lifestyle items as an Anklebiter bike carrier, water resistant seat covers, ski/snowboard carriers, and hitch-mounted bike rack.
As expected, the four-wheel drive system is the no-frills, part-time type, albeit with auto-locking hubs and shift-on-the-fly capability. Befitting its rugged mentality, the Xterra shines off road. The fat tires and high ground clearance allow the Xterra to virtually fly over rough terrain with a relatively smooth ride. When things really get bumpy, there is a low-range setting as well. The 170-horsepower, 3.3 liter V6 is well-suited to the Xterra not for its horsepower, but for its generous 200 lb/ft of torque at a low 2800 RPMs. It should be enough to get most people out of the tightest jams. With the manual, the Xterra can tow a 3,500 pound trailer, which increases to 5,000 pounds with the automatic.
The price for this great off-road handling is a stiff, uncomfortable on-road ride. And the engine that shines so brightly off-road feels loud, course and lethargic around town as well as on the open road. Furthermore, the Xterra gets some of the worst gas mileage in its class – 16 city/18 highway. The automatic actually improves highway mileage by a gallon. Other complaints include two switches that are completely blocked by the steering wheel, and a sunroof that is blocked by the roof-rack-mounted basket.
But this is what SUVs were like a decade ago, before they became fat, soft, and expensive. And Nissan has defiantly touched a nerve because not only has the Xterra won numerous awards, including our own Urban Picks, Nissan also sells every one it can build. Like I said, retro is IN.
For more information contact 1-800-NISSAN-3
SPECIFICATIONS
Base Price: $24,799
Tested Price: $25,398
Engine: 170-horsepower, 3.3 liter V6
Transmission: Five-speed manual
EPA Mileage: 16 city/18 highway
This was the very last vehicle I reviewed. Not long after, I quit my fact-checking position at the magazine because I just didn’t have the time for it. However, I never lost my interest in all things automotive.
It has been wonderful sharing these reviews again, especially knowing far more people read them this time then when they were originally posted at automag.com, AAOW’s website. Just for fun, I recently entered that URL into my browser to see if anyone ever picked up the domain. Let’s just say “auto” doesn’t stand for automobile, and magazine has a completely different definition in this context.
I loved the series and the format in which it was presented, thank you!
Nice review. They certainly sold a lot of those. I had friends who had them, none of them bought a second one. The second generation one sure suffered sales wise, though it was probably a better truck. The first was slow and thirsty as you went over, and very prone to roll over, too. Nissan had a fine 3.0 v6 in the Maxima, no idea why they used this hateful one instead. Not as fun as the looks promised, but worth having even now as a chore truck.
It’s interesting to note that the Pathfinder moved onto the excellent and potent VQ35 for the facelifted final years of the R50 unibody Pathfinder, a massive upgrade from the thirsty and sluggish (but durable) belt driven VG33. The second gen getting the even larger and torquier VQ40 was even better news yet. That is a very strong and torque-rich motor, and turned the Xterra into a bit of a hotrod. mid-high 6 second 0-60. I test drove a 6spd Pro-4X and it easily/accidentally barked the tires going into second at a light.
Growing up my friend’s parents had a ’98 Xterra XE, V6 RWD, they lived on a steep hill in Ithaca NY. Not sure why they thought that was a good idea. It was a really cool looking truck to me at the time, very macho and rough-and-tumble. But interior room was pretty tight (worse than a midsize sedan), and it was a bouncy trucky ride for sure.
Great series; thanks!
I had a 1994 Pathfinder, and it sounds identical to this vehicle – slow, gutless 160 hp six, 16 gallon fuel tank, lousy mileage, rough ride. As you say, it went upscale a few years later and the Xterra slipped into its former niche. To be fair, I had a lightly optioned XE; most buyers opted for the SE, which was a giant step up, at least in appearance. I share your disdain for rear-mounted spare which my Pathfinder had; the mounting rack was very heavy and hard to swing even when new (which you had to do every time you opened the hatch,and age and rust did not improve matters.
My kids dubbed these “Xterribles”. I think just to be clever, because their Dad certainly had no hate for them. My take is that they were a cheaper and more reliable Land Rover Disco. The Pro4X version with suspension upgrades and locking rear diff seemed particularly attractive if one were looking for an off the shelf off road exploration vehicle – for one or two people, but not a family. Thanks for republishing these reviews … I’ll miss them. Obviously written by a “car guy”, yet obviously aimed at the non-enthusiast reader, your perspective and opinions still came through.
Thanks for these submissions. It’s been fun to revisit these cars and see them from the perspective of their time.
This has been a great series, it’s been fun to read new car reviews of cars that, well, aren’t anymore. Just like the republished magazine tests or old reruns of Motorweek but your update commentary added just the right amount of perspective, especially since these were new when I was often looking for and researching new cars as opposed to some of the much older magazine articles that we feature here, i.e. first-hand experience with the product when new if that makes sense. So thank you and I hope you moved on to something such as “Asian-Americans on Wheels” next and there might be another tranche of reviews… 🙂
Thanks for sharing these with us. They were all very well written and great little time capsules.
I’ll miss reading these reviews — these have all been terrific to read. First, it was all great writing, particularly given the length limitations. But also, the chance to revisit the perspective of everyday cars two decades later has been very enjoyable. Thanks so much for sharing these!
Thank you all for the kind words!
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series as well, I was at an impressionable age circa 1999 and vividly remembered all the cars/trucks featured, and it’s been a great mix of nostalgia and insight into them.
I often make fun of the extreme phenomenon of the era but I have to admit, as a fifth grader I thought the Xterra was really cool, my friend’s parents always had cool Nissans(I think his Dad worked at a dealership in hindsight), and his Mom swapped her red B-13 Sentra SE-R for a new Xterra one day and I was delighted to get rides home in it, all the rugged or faux ruggedness was so much fun to look at, and seemed like nothing else on the road. My Dad got his Maxima SE around this time, which I also thought was cool(though I of course wanted him to buy the bright red one, not boring silver) my Mom’s 93 Villager was getting pretty old, so thinking my encouragement convinced him to buy the Maxima, I naturally started lobbying for an Xterra for Mom, which didn’t work so well lol
This is my favorite form of SUV as it turns out. My Dad considered a Pathfinder in leu of the Maxima which I thoroughly hated, which sparked my dislike of refined soft urban/suburban SUVs and crossovers to date
I am going to miss this series Adam. I really enjoyed reading your takes on the automobiles of my childhood. Thank you.
Wait, an ANKLEBITER bike carrier?!?!? Really?!?
I remember the xterra, I think in part it was so named to appeal to gen xers buying their first adult cars and went with an outdoorsy XTREME image with jolt cola and backwards baseball caps and mountain biking and what not that was popular then. I wonder if this would be popular today. Apparently XTREME sports and dudes with backwards baseball caps and mountain bikes isn’t a market any more.
Thanks for sharing your articles with us. I’ve enjoyed all your writing and insight.
Your mention of the 16-inch tall shift lever made me laugh! I have the same one in my 1998 Frontier. Note there’s only one cupholder with the manual transmission and bench seat.
Gas mileage in the lighter Frontier is much better than in the Xterra — I’ve averaged about 25 mpg since 2004, when I started keeping electronic records. (Mine is rwd with the 2.4-liter 4-cylinder, which also helps of course.)
I will miss this series; thanks for sharing these reviews with us!
I recently inherited my daughter’s 2000 V6 Xterra, who bought it from her uncle, who got it from???? After a lot of suspension work, water pump and timing belt, and later, a head gasket, I now own my first SUV. I now have some peace of mind for when the heavy snow comes to Illinois. I am not quite ready for the cold, though. The heater core seems to be either restricted inside or airflow outside. Yes, it definitely drives like a truck, but it’s not the daily driver, so that’s ok. The AT makes it easier to drive. I have always liked the look of the body style. Thanks for the write-up.
I love my xterra is a matter of fact this is my 2nd one never had a problem with the 1st one ;and so far I do not have any problems with this one . I did buy it from a college kid who had rolled it over why entering I 10 it had low mileage for the amount of damage was worth buying and fixing bc my bf is a body man so I only can give a thumbs up for the Xterra