2000-2004 Nissan Xterra: Always Underrated and Often Misunderstood
"An underappreciated classic" said Motortrend. "Snag an Xterra now, before everyone else catches on" said Hagerty. "What!?" pondered me.
My wife and I have owned our 2002 Nissan Xterra for roughly 15 years now and have put our very own 140k miles on it with plenty of road trips, work commutes, and grocery hauling logged during this time. During this time I've also owned and built plenty of heavily modified Jeep's and Toyota's all while continuing to rack up miles on our mostly stock Xterra. Sure, I worked on the Xterra when it needed it whether it was a repair or general maintenance but besides installing decent all-terrain tires and an ARB bumper the little SUV never had my attention. Anytime I looked to see what aftermarket parts were available for it I struck out and just summed it up as a boring 4x4 living in the shadows of the 4Runner.
Our Xterra Build:
Tire Size: 285x70xR17
Lift: 2" UCA and 2" Rear Lift Shackles
Armor: ARB Front Bumper
Lighting: Roadshock Edge Spot+Flood
Gearing: 4.90
Other: 12,000 lbs winch, Warn Locking Hubs
As the years went on and the miles continued to rack up I realized that the Xterra was boring because it always worked and I was pre-occupied keeping multiple temperamental project vehicles on the road with constant tinkering. Besides the Toyota's none of my other vehicles proved the reliability of the Xterra.
It wasn't until my wife began driving her Jeep Gladiator and she told me to never get rid of it and gave me the green light to do what I want with it did I begin to understand the Xterra. It was really good! So as I began diving deeper into the Xterra community and re-affirming that there's still not much aftermarket support for it I started to appreciate the now eclectic and aged 4x4. Sure, the 180 hp naturally aspirated engine has the power of a 4-cyl with the fuel economy of an 8-cyl. Sure there's hardly any options for aftermarket suspension(for now). But this little engine has a proven track record of high-mileage reliability and is part of the legendary Nissan VG engine family also found in the Nissan Z. Plus it has forged steel connecting rods! And while the options for modifying the suspension are limited at least the foundation is good. A beefy 3rd-member style rear axle available with 4.90 gears from the factory and a front torsion bar independent suspension on par with 2nd generation 4-Runner's. So after diving into the Xterra mechanically and refreshing the suspension with new components and a mild lift I've been daily driving it for some time and I must say that the little 4x4 has grown on me. So what are my thoughts on the Xterra? Snag one now before others catch on.
