[jacksonpt]

The Xterras are fine, and it's a good option. However, I think a Toyota would be a better fit. They last longer, hold up better, and are better off-road.

Look at a 96 or newer 4runner... look for the 4cyl with the 5speed if you want decent gas mileage... look for the V6 if you want a bit more power.

 

[N8 v2.0]

The Xterra is a great urban SUV if you can live with the poor gas mileage and smallish cargo area.

The 4Runner is a good choice if you do any off-the-paved-road ventures and you want room inside to carry bikes, camping gear, kayak stuff, etc...

 

[BigHit-Maniac]

I'd personally say go with the Taco.

The Tacoma is one helluva truck, albeit the gas mileage sucks. (On most of these types of vehicles the V6's are getting the same gas mileage as American V-8's).

2 of my friends own Taco's, and we go wheelin' in them all the time. The tacoma's have out-lasted every other rig we've been wheelin' with, including the Xterra of another friend of mine. He's broken numerous leaf springs in the rear, several u-joints, and a front driveshaft output. (in the course of about 8 months). Albeit we drive the piss out of all of these vehicles, the Taco's have had NO problems. (not even a broken U-Joint).

If you don't mind piss-poor gas mileage.. I'd say go with the Taco. It makes decent power, but nothing amazing.

My buddy with a 2003 F-150 w/ the Triton 5.4L averages the same gas mileage as my buddy's with the Tacoma's.

Anyway, good luck!

-Matt

 

[N8 v2.0]

Not to mention the aftermarket goodies that are available for Toyotas that you can't get for the Nissian.

 

[narlus]

The Xterra is a great urban SUV if you can live with the poor gas mileage and smallish cargo area.

what would one need an "urban SUV" for if it's got smallish cargo area? what's the point?

so you can think you are superior somehow?

 

[binary visions]

I beat the ever living piss out of my '98 Tacoma. Bought it for $14k, put 35,000 miles on it over the course of a year and a half, a huge amount of off-road miles, and sold it for $13k. Great truck. Only thing I ever broke on it was one leaf spring when I hauled about 2000lbs worth of some of my very large friends up a nasty, rutted trail

Gas mileage is mediocre, but I sure as hell got more than 18mpg on the highway - and that was the V6, 4x4, extended cab model. I was getting 21-22mpg highway IIRC.

My next vehicle will be a Tacoma, for sure. I sold it because the insurance was friggin' insane for a young driver, and now I don't want to drop the $$ on another new car. Couple years, maybe.

Given the problems that Nissan had with the first year Xterra ('98 I think?), I would avoid that year and the year after, and certainly avoid the first year on the new platform.

The 2005 Tacomas... - I think they went away from the slick, clean look of the previous years, but that engine, bed, and interior just looks beautiful this year.

 

[jacksonpt]

The 2005 Tacomas... - I think they went away from the slick, clean look of the previous years, but that engine, bed, and interior just looks beautiful this year.

MotorTrend gave it Truck of the Year... for whatever that's worth.

 

[N8 v2.0]

2005 Taco Review:
http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/2005/toyota/tacoma/firstdrive/page1.html




My '97 4Runner has some 195,000 miles on it now and is still running strong. I am due for a timing belt/water pump replacement though. These have to be replaced every 100k miles or so on the V6.

However, I am seriously considering buying a Taco for my contracting biz.

 

[Zark]

I love my Taco. I have a 2000 I4 2WD 5spd mnl. 60,000 miles and I've had to do the brakes and fluids, thats it. Mine gets 24mpg Hwy, granted I can't offroad it many places, but almost all our shuttling is pavement, so it works out.

New Taco's are so bad ass. I want a prerunner extra cab with a TRD package

 

[SkaredShtles]

what would one need an "urban SUV" for if it's got smallish cargo area? what's the point?

For the life of me I can't see why someone would want an SUV in an urban environment. It seems like one of these would be soooooo much more practical:

 

[Booker]

Wow a lot of nissan hate. Well if you are picking between a 4-runner and a Xterra, and price, milage, and condition is about the same, then the Toyota is a better pick. (based on re-sale value, power, and stock offroad ability) If your choice is something like between the xterra and a Ford Explorer then i feel the Xterra is a better bet. A lot of people have beat the piss out of Xterras without any major problems. Same thing with 4-runners. It all depends on how you drive the vehical. If while offroading you slam into rocks/logs at full tilt and snap some parts, while your more experienced buddy in a toyota drives a little cleaner and gets out without a scratch, that doesn't mean the Toy is better than a nissan. Just means the Nissan guy cant drive a nail up his ass with both hands.

I drive a 4x4 2003 Frontier. What sold me on the frontier was the amount of truck i got for the price. Sure the stock Tacoma is a slightly better truck than the Nissan offroad. But it wasn't good enough to justify the price gap. I got my Frontier for about 4000 less than what a simulary equiped Taco would have cost me. And there wasn't that much difference in quality to justify the price. IMO Toyota makes the best trucks, but nissan is a close second. You should get about the same life out of either one.

 

[Curb Hucker]

in a major city having a car is useless. I can usually get anywhere in chicago faster on a bike than in my truck

 

[-dustin]

the water pump in my Taco went out after 30,000mi. like, it cracked or something. messed up the timing belt, as well. that was one of the warranty repairs needed within 18mos.

those pictures of the Tacoma really don't excite me at all. but like i said, it is so much sweeter in person. looked a hell of a lot more stout than my 99. i hope with their size increase, they're maintaining the "shallow" feel when sitting inside. that's one think i love about my truck. i test drove a Z71, and felt like the seat was a couch. same with my mom's full size Ford. sitting in my Tacoma feels almost like sitting in a car, just a lot higher off the ground.

bah! what's this?

man, i hope that ram air hood is functional. i hate those damn things on 4-Runners.

 

[punkassean]

Booker,

you make some very good points about the 4runnner being in a slightly different class than the Xterra. I have to agree that I would choose it over an explorer any day of the week. I like that Nissan fills the gap between cheap american crap and Toyota. Nissan is a great car maker, they just have a little ways to go before they catch Toyota IMO.

Inbred,

I like the supercharger but they can be slightly problematic if you have a lead foot. Those days are behind me so I mostly use it for extra grunt up hills and in sticky situations but for about an extra $1000 you can get an aftermarket kit that upgrades the fueling and electronics to suit the blower. By adding more fuel you not only make the blower safer but you also get about another 30HP. I bought mine used for $600 form a guy in Ventura (when I was living in Santa Barbara) and I had it rebuilt by the manufacturer (Magnusson) who is also in Ventura. I then had my Toyota specialist (John Howe, Goleta CA) who is seriously the best Toyota guy I've ever come across, do the install. His shop did it in 2 hours and only charged me about $250 or so. It is a simple install and I could have easily done it myself but for that price it wasn't worth my time. I've had it in the truck for over two years and almost 50K now and it still works perfect. You can check out my truck HERE

 

[Toshi]

Booker,

you make some very good points about the 4runnner being in a slightly different class than the Xterra. I have to agree that I would choose it over an explorer any day of the week. I like that Nissan fills the gap between cheap american crap and Toyota. Nissan is a great car maker, they just have a little ways to go before they catch Toyota IMO.

and that "little ways to go" is called the pathfinder. ink: . oh well, i'll stop after posting this, what, 3 times? in this thread . NISSAN MAKES VEHICLES OTHER THAN THE FRONTIER AND XTERRA heh

 

[syadasti]

and that "little ways to go" is called the pathfinder. ink: . oh well, i'll stop after posting this, what, 3 times? in this thread . NISSAN MAKES VEHICLES OTHER THAN THE FRONTIER AND XTERRA heh

Also the new Pathfinder and Xterra are made in their TN factory which doesn't have the QC issues some of the factories putting out their other models have had.

 

[lukeduke]

i have had my 2000 xe loaded 2wd automatic for 4 1/2 yrs now, 90k+ miles, not a single repair needed. i get about 16mpg, but I only do highway driving 5-6 times a year, mostly just use it around town, and it gets babied with regular oil changes, and preventative stuff, so it still looks like new in and out. It has been back and forth to utah, co, bc, mammoth, big bear, mexico, etc, never a worry. Keeping it for at least a few more years, but replacing the wife's 96 subaru wagon with a new 2004 Titan 4dr truck next week (take advantage of the $3k rebate now while it lasts) Only 22k for a 2wd with few extras other than CD player. Gonna add the DVD system, wheels, tires, and a shell with tax return money.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip> replacing the wife's 96 subaru wagon with a new 2004 Titan 4dr truck next week (take advantage of the $3k rebate now while it lasts) Only 22k for a 2wd with few extras other than CD player. Gonna add the DVD system, wheels, tires, and a shell with tax return money.

You might think about saving the the tax return money to buy gas.......

-S.S.-

 

[jacksonpt]

and that "little ways to go" is called the pathfinder. ink: . oh well, i'll stop after posting this, what, 3 times? in this thread . NISSAN MAKES VEHICLES OTHER THAN THE FRONTIER AND XTERRA heh

Yes, the Pathfinder is more comparable to the 4Runner than the Xterra is, but the asked about the Xterra, not about the Pathfinder. The guy also listed some of the things he was looking for in a truck and how he was going to be using it. Some of us (including myself), thought it worthwhile to suggest a Toyota. If you want to suggest a Pathfinder, go right ahead.

I only scanned this thread, but I didn't see any of us toyota guys badmouthing Nissan. I think any one of us would take a Nissan over any domestic SUV.

And as for the Pathfinder being the "extra little bit", I think toyota still has a slight advantage in durability/reliability and resale value. And I'd bet my house that Toyotas are better off-road - there's certainly waaaay more support from the aftermarket.

 

[Fathead]

For the life of me I can't see why someone would want an SUV in an urban environment. It seems like one of these would be soooooo much more practical:

That's cute, and would be easy to zip around in and park. I drove a Suzuki Aerio around San Diego for a few days and it was the perfect car for zipping around town. However, if I'm in downtown Houston, I much prefer my Isuzu Trooper to my wife's Accord. The Trooper is shorter (front-to-back), narrower, and more visible to the omnipresent busses, delivery vans, Suburbans and F250s, all of which tend to ignore the Accord.

Also, w/32" LT tires, the Trooper handles Houston's rough streets better: the Accord shudders and groans dealing with all the potholes, repair plates (1.5" thick metal plates to cover work areas. . . they often overlap and the edges never lay flat), broken glass and other debris.

Other than horrible gas mileage, the only problem w/the Trooper downtown is parking garages. . . the roof rack doesn't like them much.

 

[-dustin]

that sad thing is Suburbans and F250s are driving around in downtown Houston.

 

[Fathead]

that sad thing is Suburbans and F250s are driving around in downtown Houston.

For a recent anniversary we stayed at one of the convention-area hotels. They had several courtesy shuttles that run to the Main St bars, some of the hotter restaurants, and Reliant Park. We rode to dinner and back in a Suburban. Later on, they took us to Main Street in a decked out Tahoe w/leather.

I think a lot of the behemoths downtown are driven by folks visiting from the suburbs. My street has ten houses on it. The vehicle inventory includes 7 SUVs, 4 half-ton ext-cabs, 1 one-ton crew, and a half-dozen actual cars. While there are some people who will choose to take a car downtown for the better mileage or easier parking, most of us consider the SUV or the big pickup the "family car" and are gonna take it just about anywhere.

 

[narlus]

dumbest thing ever is stretch SUVs. i saw a stretch H2 yesterday and it was one of the most hideous things i've ever seen. stretch cars in general are kinda dumb, but a 50' SUV is beyond words.

 

[binary visions]

dumbest thing ever is stretch SUVs. i saw a stretch H2 yesterday and it was one of the most hideous things i've ever seen. stretch cars in general are kinda dumb, but a 50' SUV is beyond words.

I saw a stretch H2 at a football game last week, but get this. It wasn't just a stretch H2. It was a stretch H2, with monster mudding tires, a 6" or 8" suspension lift, skid plates on the front, a brushguard, off road lights mounted on top.. the works. Where the hell do you offroad with a 30' long vehicle? And why would you want a highway vehicle that gets 3.2 mpg because of the enormous tires, and handles even worse than it normally would?

 

[JRB]

dumbest thing ever is stretch SUVs. i saw a stretch H2 yesterday and it was one of the most hideous things i've ever seen. stretch cars in general are kinda dumb, but a 50' SUV is beyond words.

Killjoy

 

[Tom Church]

allright I haven't posted here in a while but I saw this...

I have an 2001 Xterra with 61k on it...it's an XE 4x4 5-speed. It kicks ass!!!

If your going to be doing a long commute don't get it...but if your looking for something for utility or 4x4 driving then get it...

I put 31" BFG TA/KO's on it and it does just about everything I want off road. It's more about the driver than the truck...I go more places and go up hills that my friend in his Jeep Cherokee with a 3" lift and 33" tires has trouble with...On the other side I got stuck in a mud pit the other day...real bad...I was bitching about only having 31" tires...so then another freind takes the truck and goes through the same pit twice with no problems...so driving skill is important...

There are A TON of aftermarket kits for the X ranging from 1.5" shackles to a 3" lift to an SAS. Tons of bumpers, skids, etc.

I have not had any problems yet with mine and I've had it for about a year...I have to change the diff and Trans oils but thats part of general maintenence...

On Road it drives like a truck...it is not a luxury SUV...It is far more capable off road than the newer Pathfinders but lacks the smooth ride that they have.

For more info hit up www.xterraownersclub.com



Tom

 

[Tom Church]

Another thing to think of...Xterras with a 3" lift and 33" tires have done the full Rubicon Trail as well as some major rock crawling at Moab. They are every bit as capable as a 4Runner. And now with the SAS available they have even more capability. There are more companies making after market stuff for the X every day. I believe that there is an E-locker that is going to be available soon. There is already an ARB Air locker for both front and rear and Calmini makes a great LSD for the front.

 

[binary visions]

great LSD

:evil:

 

[Tom Church]

uhhh...I don't....uhhh....know what you're talking about...uhhh...

 

[luken8r]

why no love for jeeps? my GC gets 22mpg on teh highway and about 17 in boston. it shuttles my bikes, camping crap, dog, people, etc wherever we go. and good luck taking your xturd on some of the trails my ZJ goes down. both the 4.0 and 4.7 are rock solid and theres a huge aftermarket for engine parts and any number of lifts from 1" to 7"+ if youre into that sort of thing. you can probably get a 02-03 for around 15k and an 04 for under 20k.

 

[Tom Church]

Not bash your jeep...but the Xterra will go anyplace a GC will...Compare a stock GC to a Stock X and they will do the same stuff...sure the Jeep has a bigger engine but that dosen't matter if the truck is geared right...many of the rock crawlers out there use 4 cylinders and have low gearing. About the after market stuff...jeep has a bit more if you are looking at the CJ, TJ, YJ or XJ's but the GC has less aftermarket stuff than the X does.

The Xterra also has a higher ground clearence than the GC does I belive. I can fit 32" tires with no lift and only a little bit of plastic trimming. And I run 31" tires with no mods.

I am actually saving for a jeep...I want a '75 or older CJ5. Something to really beat on and to put 37" tires on. But for an SUV the X is just as capable as any Jeep...especially now with the SAS out there. 6" of lift and a solid front Axle and enough room to fit 35" tires.

 

[N8 v2.0]

I believe that there is an E-locker that is going to be available soon..

Cool.... Toyota had this as an option for the 4Runner back in 1996.

 

[Hello Kitty]

that sad thing is Suburbans and F250s are driving around in downtown Houston.

didn't you know Houston is the capital of Tahoes and Suburbans along with those H2 Hummers? my office parking garage is chock full of Ford excursions, explorers, f-350 duallys with the "king ranch" package along with the giant Dodge trucks and of course the Cadillac Escalade EXT and Lincoln Navigators by the dozen then there is land rovers and bmw x5's and Mercedes Benz g-500 SUV's and the whole host of lexus and VW soccer mom SUV's. outa the 22 employees in my office 5/8ths of us have giant SUVs it's just a way of life down here.

this is what i want a 4x4 dually SuperDuty King Ranch is available with Ford's new 6-liter turbo diesel V8 engine !!! maybe with in the next year i'll trade my toyota infor one of these bad boys !!!

 

[N8 v2.0]

didn't you know Houston is the capital of Tahoes and Suburbans along with those H2 Hummers? my office parking garage is chock full of Ford excursions, explorers, f-350 duallys with the "king ranch" package along with the giant Dodge trucks and of course the Cadillac Escalade EXT and Lincoln Navigators by the dozen then there is land rovers and bmw x5's and Mercedes Benz g-500 SUV's and the whole host of lexus and VW soccer mom SUV's. outa the 22 employees in my office 5/8ths of us have giant SUVs it's just a way of life down here.

this is what i want a 4x4 dually SuperDuty King Ranch is available with Ford's new 6-liter turbo diesel V8 engine !!! maybe with in the next year i'll trade my toyota infor one of these bad boys !!!

WHOA!!! You'd need a custom sized garage at home to park that bad-boy...


Of course you can always park your Toy in the bed though...

 

[syadasti]

WHOA!!! You'd need a custom sized garage at home to park that bad-boy...


Of course you can always park your Toy in the bed though...

And then he could unload the toy to tow the ford (fix or repair daily) to the shop, a great team

 

[Hello Kitty]

WHOA!!! You'd need a custom sized garage at home to park that bad-boy...

 

[Fathead]

WHOA!!! You'd need a custom sized garage at home to park that bad-boy...


Of course you can always park your Toy in the bed though...

I haven't done a serious count, but I'm pretty sure we have an avg of at least 1 Ford Superduty per street in my 'hood. For every 1 of those, there are 3-4 half-ton trucks and 6-7 SUVs.

Our closest neighbor w/the F250 crew has a short driveway. For a while, he was parking it half-in-the-street because he and his wife couldn't share the driveway between the truck and their Expedition. So he widened the driveway by about 20" and now the two vehicles can sit side-by-side. The F250 does take up the length of the driveway tho.

"What about the garage?" you ask? Nah, it's too full off toys and junk. Besides, only the Expedition would fit in there.

 

[Repack]

I have a Pathfinder. WIth the LSD, it kicks ass off-road. It has 140K and I have had to put very little money into it. One thing that is nice about it is that it is easy to put wing nuts on the bench part of the rear seats. Taking them out gets you >1' more sleeping room.
I would go for newer then '95, or do whatever it takes to get above the ols 3.0 V6. Its only 153hp and 15/18 mpg.
I also looked at 4Runners when I bought my truck. I went Nissan b/c they were a little cheaper.
My buddy has a Tacoma and it does very well off road. If you are getting a torsion bar vevicle, lifting most of them 2" is cheap and easy, ~$300.

 

[JRB]

Well - I will say that the 3/4 ton powerstroke I had got the best mileage. I don't need a dually, but would like to have another one. They are pretty reliable, even for a Ford. I have bashed those much harder than I would a toyota or nissan. That said, people in Houston buying them is the reason I can't afford one. King Ranch sming ranch, I wonder if they even have any of those. I didn't know many ranchers driving stuff like that. Financed farmers, yes. Ranchers, no.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip> Where the hell do you offroad with a 30' long vehicle?

My guess would be Texas.

And why would you want a highway vehicle that gets 3.2 mpg because of the enormous tires, and handles even worse than it normally would?

I think that Texans would want that.......

-S.S.-