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2005 Nissan Xterra
tbcreative
Member Posts: 357
Anyone have any new info or spy pics of the next-gen Xterra? I can't believe there's nothing out there!
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Regards,
2FastDre.
thanks
casper7777
I like everything I see here except for two things: (1) It's using the rear axle/suspension from the '05 Frontier, and not the '05 Pathfinder, meaning solid axle and leaf springs; and (2) it's (still!) using a part-time 4WD.
On the plus side:
* Great evolutionary looks with the new Nissan truck face.
* Super engine and trannys from the '05 Frontier and Pathfinder.
My grade: B+ to A-
Bob
Put that front grill and roof rack on the X-Trail and you got a customer.
Uh, oh! Another contender! I LOVE it! It's the perfect update to a great truck, keeping the essence of the 1st generation, but giving it the necessary upgrade it deserves. And check out the engine! Finally, the same powerful 6 that the Pathfinder gets!!!
Well, I've ruled out the '05 Grand Cherokee, after seeing the new pics. Now, the only problem is, do I get the 4Runner (with a 2" lift) or the Xterra, and are the '05 Pathfinder and '05 H3 still in the running? Hmmm...such a dilemma...
Bob
Then it would essentially be a Pathfinder, and how could Nissan justify selling strikingly similar vehicles with very different pricing?
Nissans renaissance is almost complete. If we could just get rid of the anachronistic (though still dynamically competent) Sentra... any word on this one?
Will anyone be in attendance at the NY Auto Show? I was thinking of heading up this Friday, and if theres going to be any edmunds.com guys/gals there, Id be happy to meet up.
Very impressed by this new XTerra, as I have been by the 2005 PF, Fronteir, and revised Altima.
~alpha
I would guess it would take sales from Liberty and Sorento, not established trucks like 4Runner and Cherokee. It could approach 100k sales. Good job.
Like it better than the new pathfinder. Looks like a lunch pail!
DrFill
Then it would essentially be a Pathfinder, and how could Nissan justify selling strikingly similar vehicles with very different pricing?
How do you figure that? The Pathfinder is larger, seats 7, and is much more luxurious? It's also aimed at a different audience. I see no overlap whatsoever.
Bob
Bob
My point was that if Nissan used all of the exact same drivetrain and suspension components in the XTerra as are used in the PF, I feel this would cannobalize the lower trim PFs. Not everyone needs 7 seats, and it is yet to be seen how well Nissan differentiates the *new* PF and *new* XTerra in terms of demographic target and subsequent advertising.
(Nissan has strutted this road before- and new Maxima sales are consistently below prior years sales as well as expectations).
Bob, Im not saying youre wrong, Im just offering a different point of view.
~alpha
Back to the Pathfinder vs. Xterrra. I understand what you're saying, but I really doubt Xterra SE customers will (seriously) cross-shop the Pathfinder SE, and vice-versa. And even if they do, I bet the SE Xterra will have lower content than the SE Pathfinder.
Bob
However, I still think that the top line models should have a more powerful engine option to sufficiently separate from the lower lines. Like if the Maxima and the Pathfinder had a 4.5 V8 options. Then Nissan would really be in business.
2FastDre.
Ah ha!!!
Juice sent me an e-mail yesterday mentioning your name. He and I were going to go together on Friday, but he's unable to make it. I'm still going, if you want to hook up. I'll be at the Subaru area around 1 or so. I'll be driving up from Maryland.
Bob
Bob
Does 05 Xterra has rear diff lock in available off-road package ?
Anybody been to NY show ?
Interesting... I picked up a teaser brochure on the new Xterra, and in it there is a small picture of the dash of an automatic version, and the 4WD switch does have an "Auto 4WD" mode like the '05 Pathfinder and Armada. Yet the vehicle on display, a 6-speed manual, did not have that Auto 4WD mode. The Nissan news web site is also a bit unclear about that. One sub-link there mentions Auto 4WD, yet another mentions part-time 4WD.
Bob
This Xterra was one of the models I was most impressed by at NYIAS. Would you agree?
~alpha
You said you were going back with your dad. If so, check out the Camp Jeep display, which we missed earlier. It's in a separate building annex near the Dodge truck area, on the lower level. The new Grand Cherokee is there as well as the revised Liberty. It's a pretty neat display, with an off-road course.
I left the show around 6:30 PM yesterday, and didn't get home until 12:30 AM! Traffic on the NJ Turnpike was horrible in south Jersey, and right after the Delaware Memorial Bridge, I-95 south was closed due to an accident, so they had to re-route traffic on to local roads!
Bob
I will make sure to check out the Jeep display, did they have any info on the new Diesels (named "CRD", I believe).
Im such a car nerd, I already sent in the business reply card for the XTerra!! (I know you can do it online, but I still like the snail mail, especially since the X was just debuted here at NYIAS).
best,
~alpha
Bob
In profile, when comparing the images side-by-side, there is a huge difference. The front axle has been move further forward, so that it's much closer to the bumper. The angle of approach on the '05 model is vastly better than that of the '04 model. Also, while the styling is very evolutionary, there is not one panel that's interchangeable with the old model. Everything is new. Even from the rear, where the change looks to be the least, there is nothing that is carried over from the old model.
Bob
(1)
I would love to see Nissan take the new Xterra, and make a shortened ultra-off roadster to compete with the Jeep Wrangler. Hmmm... Xterraster?
(2)
They should bring over the X-Trail soft-roader to compete with the likes of the CRV, etc.
Bob
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I liked the old Xterra and think the pictures of the new one look sharp. They definitely seem to have fixed the lack of power issue. Beyond the question of the auto 4wd, does anyone know the following -
1. Has the driving position improved? There was something odd about the old one, particularly in terms of the legroom and positioning of my feet.
2. Do you know if the cargo capacity has been increased? The old one was a little low for a midsized, truck based SUV. I think the high load floor might have had something to do with that, which leads to the next question.
3. Has the load floor been lowered any at the back bumper? The current Xterra is quite high compared to its competition.
4. Finally, the Nissan website says ground clearance has been improved. Does anyone know what the new ground clearance is?
I'm interested to know the answers, but these are all relatively small issues, as compared to the new and more powerful engine.
1. 2005 towing capacity?
2. Is the situation with the sunroof the same?
2. The cargo capacity in the back has improved. As well as rear leg room.
3. I really DON'T want the floor lower. The reason the Xterra is so high compared to the Exploders is because the X wasn't designed to be a soccer mobile. To have any reasonable offroad ground clearance, you must have a high floor to make room for under vehicle components. If you want a easier loading vehicle, then look at the Quest. BTW, I find it easier to pick up heavy stuff when they're at my waist level.
4. The OVERALL clearance has decreased. The maximum clearance might have increased a little. But overall ability to clear obstacles offroad is hurt. The breakover angle is especially poor. I think this is to prevent soccer moms from driving it like a BMW and flipping it over all the time. Guess that means a bigger lift for me when I get one.
The only thing I really like about the new one is the engine and 6spd. For pure trail running I'd take my current 00 over it. The first two years of Xterras were some of the most solid ones built.
Anyway, this is not something you'd buy just for space and comfort, that's what the comfy crossover utility vehicles and minivans are for. This is a truck and it's going to ride, handle and perform like one.
2. There are not more sunroofs.
It just seemed the previous layout was kind of inefficient and that there might be an opportunity to lower the load floor and increase cargo capacity without lowering the bottom of the vehicle and reducing ground clearance. One trade off that I would have been able to accept would have been an exterior spare on the back. In my mind that is actually a more convenient layout for when you have to change a tire, (getting on the ground to get to a spare underneath a truck while wearing nice work clothes is a pain!) but I guess everyone is moving away from that because of increased damage in rear-end collisions. In any case, it is too late to hope for that change.
I know the approximately 2% slightly longer wheelbase would reduce breakover by a fraction of an inch, but that could be offset by slightly bigger wheels and tires. Nissan says that the approach angle has been improved, and that the underside of the vehicle has less protrusions (hence the increased ground clearance). Hopefully these are offsetting factors and the loss of off road capability is minimal, if any. The other changes all sound positive, and the good looks have been preserved.
Bob
Bob
Hope to see one in the flesh shortly.
Another thing I was wondering, considering the nice V8 rumble from the Titan and Armada, and the nice growl Nissan gets from the 3.5 V6 (Neighbor has a G35 coupe and it sounds great), I hope that Nissan has designed a good exhaust system for the 4.0 version in the Xterra, Frontier and Pathfinder. If anything, one would think that it might have a little deeper rumble as compared to the 3.5.
I know that you can always go aftermarket, but most of those systems are too loud, and frankly I have yet to hear an aftermarket exhaust on a V6 that I have liked (most sound raspy or tinny). Making a V6 sound good really takes careful tuning from the manufacturer.
We have seen the pictures (looks great IMHO), but has anyone heard what these new Xterras sound like?
As far as ETA goes: I would bet that you can test drive it in February/March timeframe.
2FastDre.
-Weak engine
-Extra cheap interior
-Lack of interior room
-Wimpy front end
There's just one thing that bothers me. What were they thinking with those side steps on the rear bumper? It maybe gives you an extra 6" of reach over standing on the bumper, and it ruins an otherwise gorgeous profile. Am I the only one bothered by this? Please tell me those side steps are just an option.
There's just one thing that bothers me. What were they thinking with those side steps on the rear bumper? It maybe gives you an extra 6" of reach over standing on the bumper, and it ruins an otherwise gorgeous profile. Am I the only one bothered by this? Please tell me those side steps are just an option.
In fact I couldn't disagree more... Those side steps are a brilliant idea, and long overdue. It has nothing to do with styling; it's all about function. Yes, they are there to aid in accessing the roof rack. If anything, I would like to see an additional step added, but lower for those with short legs. If you study Xterra ads and TV commercials, they market it as a "4WD tool," more than a vehicle. So this side step makes perfect sense IMO.
The Xterra is a tall vehicle, and Nissan makes a big deal about how great their roof rack is. Now people can actually find a way to reach it.
BTW, I've been a graphic designer for over 30 years. I earn my living by "design" so to speak. Even so, I will take "function" any day over "styling." To put it even more bluntly, if a feature is there to make it "function better," that is "good design," even if it looks ugly. Good design and good styling are NOT necessarily the same thing.
Bob (who is only 5'9" and needs all the help possible with roof racks on tall vehicles)
It will appeal to some and be an eye sore to others so it should be an option but it isn't.
New Xterra overall looks good, I hope off-road features are better.
I think rear differential lock should be an option, any word on that.
To put it another way, if you get 2wd on an SUV and you do not tow on a regular basis and do not go off road, you are only buying for style and you would be much better better served not putting up with the drawbacks of a truck based vehicle and would be better off in a car or crossover. Just my $.02.
I hear the Nissan 4wd system cuts out at 19/mph? If that's so, I'm hesitant to put down an additional $2,000 for it.
Oh well, there's always the 4 door Toyota Tacoma. Damn you Toyota and you options packaging.
Also, I wanted to make sure you are aware that the Tacoma is being redesigned next year also. If I go for a crew cab pickup next year, the new Frontier and Tacoma are on my short lists. If I go for an SUV, the Xterra is on my short list. Can't wait until these new models come out so I can drive them.
It just happens to be that I'm looking into getting either the '05 Tacoma, Frontier, or Xterra. They're relatively priced the same, plus or minus $2k. That's one of the reasons I'm waiting till year end '05 to buy the vehicle. I want some reviews on the redesigns before plunking down some hard earned money.
I'm kinda worried about the Tacomas that will be manufactured in Mexico though.