Xterra guys... how do you like em?

[elwesso]

First off, i am not jumping ship from my Q, so you can go ahead and get that out of your head!!!!

My brother is going ot be buying a car soon, and basically he said that he wants something that is mroe functional than anything.. He doesnt really want something finnicky (like Q's are), more of a functional vehicle thats fairly worry free... He also mentioned a small SUV. All hes gonna use it for is daily driving, and would want something he can drive friends in with golf clubs, and gets around nicely in the snow.

Being the nissan person I am, I suggested either a QX4, Pathfinder, or Xterra. The pathfinders are kinda expensive for what you get (which isnt much more than an xterra IMO), id hate to put him in a nice QX4 and have him trash it... So i started looking at Xterra's, and you can get 2000ish with around 100k for about 6-8 grand, which is a tremendous value.

We know the VG33E will go forever as long as you change its timing belt, and the trans are reliable if you change the fluid and add a cooler... I would assume they have the other issues that the pathy's have, with the rear o2 sensors and the intake cam sensors...

Id like you're overall opinion of Xterra's.. how is fuel economy (city and highway).

[Big-Bird]

Fuel Econ has been a hot topic of late. There are numerous things that come to mind that are the culprits. That dang knock sensor is the biggest PITA as far as many in here are concerned.

Cracked manufolds are another common thig on the 2000 and some 01 models. The ilder arm and center link can't take the abuse of a suspension lift or bigger tires.

The rear sway bar has a habit of migrating and denting the right rear shock body. Leaf springs have also been on record for cracking due to metal fatigue...but there a few incidents in my group of Nissan Chums.

Aftermarket stuff abounds for the early model X's and with the coil over suspension on the 2005 and newer this offers a few other choices for doo-dads.

Max tire size on the 2000-2001 without a lift and using the stock steel rims is 32x1150x15.

The early models have slightly different front mud flaps that 31" tires will rub against. A slight trim on the inner lip of the mud flap eliminates this issue.

Overall the Xterra platofrm has been a very reliable and well recieved design but not unlike other SUV's it too has some pimples.

[elwesso]

He will probably not get into modifying, so using big tires isnt going to be an issue.

What is the fix for the sway bar? Is it because people dont think replacing bushings is necessary?

Im very familiar with KS, they fail all the time on Q45s, so you'll get no sympathy from me on that because its probably a lot more sucky to replace them on Q45...

Cracked exhaust manifold which just results in an exhaust leak? Do most people just weld them or do they replace them? Seems like if you can weld, a cast manifold would be really easy to weld, or are they tubular? I see california models have a pre-cat or something like that, whereas the regular ones dont. It looks like they have a goofy 2 piece exhaust manifold.. Seems like an easy fix is a set of headers!!

On a good running X, what kinda of gas mileage are we looking at, real world?

[Desert Rat]

On the rear swaybar, the easiest fix is removing it and sending it to the landfill. I noticed zero difference when I pitched mine. Do retain the front one though.

Gas mileage....15-17mpg average is about the best you can hope for with mixed driving in a stock 4x4. Straight highway tanks can get close to 20mpg. It also depends on the gas in your area. Ethanol additives and oxygenated gas (made to reduce emissions in high smog areas) get about 25% less fuel economy than rural gasoline. An Xterra is not terrilby fuel efficient due to an undersized motor, heavy weight, and the aerodyamics of a cinder block, but the do run reliably.

The big (BAD MOFO) muppet did hit on several other nuances of Xterra ownership. If he's not lifting, etc. then the stock steering/suspension will be fine.

Anything you find with that mileage should have all fluids changed out. Manual trannies require GL4 and GL4 ONLY gear lube, and if you get the auto, a full fluid exchange is a good idea.

When the manifolds crack, you deal with noise, mostly. They're not fun to replace, but not impossible either. Pretty much every Xterra I've seen that's gone over 100k miles (some less) has had a cracked manifold at some point, so it's common.

Power window regulators were an issue in some models. They recalled a portion of them, but the recall should have covered all years. Mine go up and down pretty slow.

Beyond that, they're solid vehicles. Teh drivetrains are very solid, and the utility of an Xterra is better than most SUV's, particularly with the nice roof rack.

[hek1620]

i just picked up an '05 se. any pro/cons, things to look out for?

[Desert Rat]

my expertise ends at the 2004 model year. I haven't heard much in the way of issues on the 2005+.