The Return of the King
Sporty, Off-Road SUVs Are on the Rise
But as evidenced by the links to both vehicles on Nissan’s Xterra webpage, the company is capitalising on the truck-based small SUV Xterra’s legacy to promote its soon-to-be-updated Armada SUV and the recently remodelled Frontier pickup. The Return of the King
Between 1999 and 2015, the Xterra enjoyed a prosperous career until being phased out because to dwindling sales, subpar fuel economy, and the requirement for expensive safety and emissions system improvements.
While we wait for the Xterra to potentially make a second appearance, the Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, and Toyota 4Runner might also be able to fill the need.The Return of the King
Read on to see why the Nissan Xterra was such a sought-after vehicle.
Overview of the Nissan Xterra
The truck-based, boxy-yet-muscular Xterra emerged in two separate generations (1999–2004 and 2005–2015) during the tough and reasonably priced midsized SUV’s existence. It appeared as though both generations were yelling, “Off Road!” An optional limited-slip differential and a sturdy rear axle contributed to the Xterra’s off-road competence. The Return of the King
With “terra” denoting land or the planet Earth and “X” denoting adventure, the word itself was chosen to evoke a feeling of excitement. The Return of the King
Four adults could fit in both Xterra versions with ease, and Nissan’s designers made sure there was enough space for a tonne of sporting goods and camping equipment. The Return of the King
Off-Roading Bona Fides of the Xterra
The Nissan Xterra had an asymmetrical rear window, a two-box design with the c-pillar affixed to the rear door handles, and body-on-frame construction in addition to underbody skid plates.
For those off-road excursions that might have gotten a bit too rough, a first aid kit is stored in the rear liftgate and is accessible from the interior. Body-on-frame architecture is also used in the 2022 Jeep Wrangler, Ford Bronco, and Toyota 4Runner vehicles. Because their bodies are more resilient to twisting than those of most other SUVs, body-on-frame vehicles are more durable off-road. The Return of the King
With an additional 8 inches of ground clearance (or 9 inches on higher trim levels), the Xterra could easily navigate over the majority of the obstacles in its path.
Safety
The safety features of the Xterra include standard roof-mounted curtain side-impact with a rollover sensor, side-impact supplementary airbags located on the driver’s and front passenger’s seats, and dual-stage supplemental front airbags with seat belt sensors. The Nissan received the highest attainable rating of “Good”—the highest possible—from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) after passing two crashworthiness tests. The Return of the King
Unfortunately, the Xterra lacked any cutting-edge safety features save airbags, stability control, and anti-lock disc brakes.
Colors
The majority of cars have similar colour variations, and the Xterra is no exception. The Xterra comes in a variety of colours to suit your style, whether you want to stand out in Brilliant Silver, blend into the night in Night Armour, or steal the show in Lava Red. Glacier White, Metallic Blue, Cayenne Red, and Super Black are other options. The Return of the King
Whatever colour you choose, there was probably a fresh layer of mud on it. Mud-brown might be a better choice for the main hue. The Return of the King
Pricing
The 2015 4×4 with a V6 engine was the most recent model produced, and its MSRP was $25,710. The Xterra’s pricing tagline was “Everything you need and nothing you don’t.” The variety of automobiles offered by Jeep Wrangler matches its pricing range. The Return of the King
The Rubicon 4×4 starts at $61,585, while the lowest-priced 2022 Wrangler has an MSRP of $29,995. The MSRP of the Ford 2022 Bronco base model is $30,800, while the Bronco Raptor can cost up to $68,500. Starting at $38,105, the Toyota 4Runner is priced.
Sound Systems and Interior Features
The Nissan Xterra is equipped with heated front seats, an 8-speaker Fosgate audio system, and a navigation system. A 5-inch colour audio display, Bluetooth, USB port, hands-free text messaging assistance, and Sirius XM compatibility are all found inside.
After seven years, the base Ford Bronco model now comes with an 8-inch touchscreen, a number of other goodies, and standard linked technologies like voice-activated SYNC and an optional navigation system.
The 2022 Toyota 4Runner comes equipped with a six-speaker JBL sound system that includes a subwoofer and amplifier. It also has a 3-year trial navigation system, voice recognition, a remote, and up to 2 GB of Wi-Fi with a 3-month trial period. The Return of the King
The nine-speaker Alpine sound system available on the Jeep Wrangler for 2022 includes a 552-watt amplifier, an all-weather subwoofer, and an overhead sound bar.
Trims
Trim levels for the 2015 Xterra are three. The least expensive model, the X, came solely with an automatic gearbox and a rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive option.
The S model came with a choice of an automatic or manual gearbox, while Nissan only provided four-wheel drive for its top-of-the-line Xterra Pro-4X.
Fuel Economy
According to EPA estimates, the Xterra achieves 17 combined mpg. A 17 mpg combined rating isn’t all that good.
In contrast, depending on the trim, the same organisations estimate that the Ford Bronco gets between 17 and 20 mpg on the highway. The extremely powerful but fairly expensive 4WD Raptor is the Ford Bronco outlier with the worst fuel economy, achieving only 15 mpg.
While the Jeep Wrangler 4×4 trims mostly receive a combined mileage of 19–23 mpg, the Toyota 4Runner models often receive 17 mpg. But the Wrangler EcoDiesel manages to earn 25 mpg overall.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
The U.S. News Best Cars team is committed to giving our readers the most recent information on cars, along with features on new cars and information on cars that car enthusiasts are interested in. Visit our guidance page to read up on and discover more about some of the most sought-after cars available.
U.S. News & World Report is your go-to source for all the latest vehicle information. Whether you’re looking for an affordable SUV, sedan, pickup truck or any other type of vehicle, you’ll find everything you need to know right here. You can research specs and details on virtually any new model by checking our complete new car rankings and reviews.
The U.S. News Best Price Program connects shoppers who want to buy or lease a new car with local dealers. It offers significant savings with pre-negotiated prices, home delivery and online sales options.
