Faults:

Clutch blew out at 27K. Not covered under warranty.

Timing chain guides worn, thankfully covered under warranty as it happened at 58k (warranty up to 60k).

Fuel gauge sending unit.

RUST!

General Comments:

Xterra is seriously quick and fun to drive with the manual trans. Fairly quiet at highway speeds and comfortable. Leaf spring suspension in back is really truck-like, don't let the power fool you that it's a sports car!

Reliability is crap. First clutch blew out at 27k. Not a fluke as there's a forum on edmunds.com that's 75 pages long with people having premature clutch failure. NO, Nissan will not cover it under warranty. They blame driver error, which can't be the case in all those situations.

The fuel sending unit crapped out, and luckily I was able to do repair myself. Otherwise it would've been $600.

Oh, and for a 4 year old vehicle, it was already starting to rust! Small rust specks by the back window, and the inside of the bumpers and generally the underbody were turning yellow. Never buying another Nissan again!

Faults:

The interior plastics show scratches easily.

The tire pressure sensors generate a false alarm if the temperature drops quickly.

General Comments:

This is a REAL truck based SUV that does exactly what it promises, and it does it well. I visited a friend last winter who has a cabin in the hills. The road to the cabin is unpaved and the grade varies from 5 to 10+%. At the time there was about 2 to 3 feet of snow on the road. I just threw some chains on, put it in 4WD LO and the Xterra sailed uphill without effort. I even caught up with a Jeep Wrangler that was also climbing the hill!

The powertrain is superb. The 4.0L V6 engine has plenty of power and torque to get you moving quicky. It goes uphill and passes other cars with ease. The 5sp auto transmission gets the job done smoothly and without quirks. The gas consumption isn't too bad. I am matching the official figures of 15/20 MPG.

On-road handling isn't a strong point. The body leans quite a bit in corners, and during high crosswinds, but that's due to the high ground clearance. The ride is firm - perhaps too firm if you're used to softer sprung cars. The steering is weighted heavily and it takes some getting used to. It is definitely not a sharp handling sports car or a cushy luxury car.

There are a lot of features that just shout out, "I'm a truck and I love to do dirty work!". The seat covers come off so you can throw them in the wash. Most of the interior is hard plastics - which are easy to clean, but a bit spartan looking. There is a locking storage area on the roof for stuff that gets wet or muddy, so it doesn't muck up the interior. There is even a first aid kit in the back.

Faults:

Not a single thing has gone wrong with the car. I couldn't ask for a more reliable vehicle.

General Comments:

The Xterra is one of few smaller SUV's that is still on a truck frame, none of that wimpy "cross-over" stuff!

It rides like a truck, it acts like a truck... that's probably because it is a truck. I wouldn't advise you purchase an Xterra if you are looking for all around comfort. If a tough, dependable, long lasting, and in every sense an SUV is what you are looking for, then Xterra is for you!

My brother has a 2001 Xterra, that I will say is lacking in the horsepower department. The new Xterra with the 4.0 V6 has more than enough power.