Just when it seemed the Xterra would expire, along came word that a redesign is in the works for 2014.
Extend the Xterra is what that will do, on a body-on-frame truck chassis which has made it such a tough SUV competitor for the past 14 years.
Nissan officials said the refreshed model will share many components with the company’s Frontier pickup.
With a 2013 Xterra Pro-4X, I found a dirt trail with angles and dips and rocks and weeds, a short offroad venture for which it is so well-suited. Boasting 9.5 inches of ground clearance and with four-wheel-high engaged, the Nissan maneuvered the paths slowly and securely. Skid plates protect the oil pan, fuel tank and transfer case. A flip of a switch will activate the electronic locking rear differential, splitting power between both rear wheels to keep the vehicle moving, in low range.
At the top of a hill, with the vehicle in 4WD, I pushed the Hill Descent Control button and removed my foot from the brake. As the Xterra begins to move, and about the time it seems it is going to roll freely down the hill, the system engages the brakes to maintain a slow descent; I only had to steer.
A driver needn’t reserve the Xterra only for mud and ruts and snow and ice, however.
On a windy Thursday a week ago, we drove the Xterra to New Raymer, which was celebrating its 125th anniversary over the weekend. The tall-standing Xterra caught the force of the 30 miles per hour gale along Colo. 14; its 4-liter V-6, though, is filled with torque and performed strong along the road. Jan and her mother, Ruth Davis, and I enjoyed coconut-cream pie at the remodeled Pawnee Station restaurant, where I left some copies of “Wild Horse Jerry,” a book of the fabled wild-horses corraler who died a tragic death. As the author, I’m the source of those books, in their second printing at $14 per.
Mated to the 261-horsepower (281 lbs.-ft. torque) engine is an aging 5-speed automatic transmission. Performance is satisfactory, though the 4,400-pounder doesn’t begin to match up with the newer, lighter crossovers in fuel mileage. EPA rating for the Xterra is 15/20; I averaged 17.4.
Introduced in 1999 as a 2000 model, the Xterra in its early years was a big hit, competing with Wranglers and 4Runners. In calendar year 2000, more than 88,000 were sold; five years later sales were still strong at 72,447. Then came sharp decline with sales of only 20,000 in 2010, 18k in ’11 and 17k last year.
A 5.8-inch color touchscreen with navigation, rearview camera, streaming audio and real-time traffic information adds technology to the traditional, upright ’13 Xterra Pro-4X.
With those features, plus high-performance Bilstein shocks, Rockford Fosgate premium audio with subwoofer, USB connection/Bluetooth and fog lights, the Nissan carried a sticker price of $31,925.
Durable cloth seats are adorned with white-stitched Pro-4X lettering. Entry into the rear seating area is somewhat tight, with little footroom at the door openings. Rear cargo area is large (35 cubic feet), and expands greatly with the rear seats dropped and a fold-flat front passenger seat. A big-rail safari-style roof rack is accessed with
footholds on either side of the rear bumper. The Xterra rides on big B.F. Goodrich Rugged Trail T/A P265/75R16 tires.
The Xterra is built in Canton, Miss.
A look back
Thirty-five years ago, I reviewed in The Denver Post a 1978 Toyota Corolla. Excerpts: A good-running, 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine and an easy-shifting 5-speed overdrive transmission were the impressive features found in a two-week test drive of a bright yellow 1978 Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback. It’s not the quickest 4-cylinder on the road, but it’s a sure starter and has absolutely no stalling tendency when cold. Ed Miller of Stevinson Toyota, 170 Wadsworth Blvd., furnished the car. The car’s wipers and defoggers got a workout during the heavy snows and rains of May 1-6. A fuse was blown trying to clear too heavy a load of snow from the windshield, and I discovered the fuse box is reachable without leaving the driver’s seat, at the bottom of the dash to the left of the driver. Getting into the rear seating area is a tight squeeze, though there is enough legroom if the front seats are kept forward and aren’t reclined. The car was priced at $5,356.25. The cost breakdown included base of $4,638, $114.25 for freight from Portland, $490 for air conditioner, $75 for rear window wiper and washer and $39 for all-weather-guard package. Wheelbase is 93.3 inches. The rear suspension system includes leaf springs. The Toyota averaged 31 miles per gallon on the highway.
Saturday Drive can also be viewed online at DenverPost.com/budwells. Bud Wells can be reached via e-mail at bwells@denverpost.com.
