Nissan Xterra making Splashes

Nissans second-generation, third-iteration rig looks the part. Its about six-and-a-half feet tall, indicating theres plenty of room for your rock-climbing gear. Its got the signature, huge-diameter-pipe roof rack for strapping down your para-glider. Theres even that storage binnacle up top, made from plastic even GM would turn up its pocket protector at, for your dirty spandex. Sure, more weight up top increases the chance of a rollover, but the Xterra comes with a built-in first aid kit. It even has steps carved into the rear-bumper so you can get to all your junk. Though, for most Xterra owners, the bumper grooves are too high off the ground to actually step on. In fact, my biggest gripe is that the Xterra looks like a sneaker. (High-top Vans, to be precise.)
Inside, Poochie the dog is not yelling, "To the Extreme!" The plastic HVAC knobs are laughable in a $30,000 vehicle, especially one intended to spend its life bashing heads with boulders. The head unit looks even cheaper. However, the cabin is refreshingly sparse, devoid of mega-buttons and flashing lights. The seats are, well, theres a reason the word "flimsy" is an auto-journo cliche; they support as well as a dwindling trust fund. There are two large knobs below the seats, but I had no idea what they did. I could not get them to turn, either. The back seat is big enough to make out in, and there is hella space behind the rear seats for more of the aforementioned gear. Even better, with the rears flipped down, an Xterra owner is presented with 65.7 cubic feet of space, all covered in non-slip, easy-clean rubber. I hauled potting soil and garden lattices around like a champ.


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