Great truck! Wouldn't trade it for a Ferrari..

... if it had to be the only car for my entire life that is. :)

No I didn't buy the xterra because it looks 'cute' or 'hansome'. I bought it because I wanted an SUV that was not oversized, made by a Japanese automaker, and most of all, had a TRUCK FRAME and 4-Lo capability.

Jeep was out of the question because the liberty is uni-body and has no lo-range!! I can't believe it considering how much Jeep prides on ruggedness and off-roading. Uni-bodies are crap, but thats my personal opinion which I will backup later on...

2001 Xterra XE 4x4 V6 5-speed - Mineral Blue

--------Exterior:-------- Yeah it looks good, no doubting that, but calling it 'cute' is just wrong. The tires are nicely sized, and bite into the road and dirt well. They also dampen the road noise A LOT! The rack, being the centerpiece, is strong, but not really as strong as it could be. Maximum load capacity is 125 lb.

Doors are well designed, and close with a nice 'thunk'. The door handles in the front aren't the best though and get frozen really easily in cold weather.

The step rails look nice, but I took them off the first day I bought the truck. Not only are they easy to break when off-roading, but I never use them! 5 minutes and 8 bolts later they were off and ground clearance is even better.

-------Performance:-------- It seems lots of people are disappointed with the earlier Xterra v6's being underpowered. I find the power to be more than enough. Plenty of passing power, and lots of torque. Some of you guys need to remember that this is an actual truck, and isn't meant to go fast! It's meant to crawl with lots of torque on tap. I've pulled out vehicles almost twice the weight of the xterra numerous times while off-roading, and even the other guys couldn't believe it. Pair the Xterra V6 with a 5-speed manual transmission in low range and this truck is a torque monster.

The transmission is smooth and shifts precisely. The clutch though is too soft and ends up burning often when wheelin'.

--------Handling/Road feel:-------- Very impressed with on-road handling in the Xterra. Steering is not too easy and not too hard. Tracking is dead on, although the wheel is vague on center at highway speeds.

Swerving is kept well under control. The anti-roll bars do a good job at keeping this 4000lb truck stable.

Suspension and road feel are perhaps my favorite traits of the Xterra though. Not only does the truck absorb huge bumps really well, but almost all of the road noise is muted thanks to the large tires, good suspension, beefy steel frame, and rubber cab mounts. THIS is why a body-on-frame setup is sooooo much more superior than a uni-body. They are much more rugged, and do ride better on road than unibodies. Sounds contrary to popular belief, but its true. The reason is that unibodies have less points to isolate road noise than truck frame vehicles do.

--------4WD Capability:-------- As hyped as the Xterra is about its off-roading capabilities, it really isn't that great. The first reason is that there is no locking rear differential. This is a huge penalty when driving through deep staggered ruts and will almost surely lead to many drivers getting stuck. Supposedly the 2005 Xterras have this feature standard though.

The second penalty is the limited wheel travel in the front. While not terrible, it only adds on the problem of getting 'two wheel' stuck which again goes back to the problem of a lack of a locking rear differential.

However, grip and handling on icy surfaces is excellent! This truck can plow through 2 1/2 feet of snow no problem, even with stock tires! It has no problem keeping on path.

Engaging 4wd is easily done, but when returning to 2wd, you need to reverse a couple of feet to unlock the front hubs. This is a little annoying at times, but not a huge deal.

--------Interior:-------- Not luxurious, and I'm glad of that. I didn't all of the fufu accessories because they are just more crap to break later on. The setup is rugged, with hard plastics everywhere. Everything is well anchored to avoid breaking. Also, seats and carpet resist wear really well!

Seats are comfortable on long trips and have a great feel. Not hard and not soft. Perfect.

--------Overall Satifaction:-------- I couldn't be happier, honestly. This is a perfect vehicle for people who like simple vehicles that will last a long time. Everything is overbuilt and I like it that way. I would definitely recommend to a friend (..and have, and they bought one!) and would most likely buy again if they are still around.