Talk me into/out of Xterra

YOTALUVR said:
Are you guys high!?!? Xterras are garbage. You can't compare mc Donald's to red lobster, if your on the fence go buy a Volkswagen beetle and call it a day. Only real men walk into a dealership and say "4runner, all black and have it washed and in 4wd" :flipoff:
Click to expand...

nothing says a step up like going from Mcdonalds to Red Lobster, or is it the other way around...


anyway, I've owned an '07 Xterra SE 4wd and an '11 4runner TE. Here's a few thoughts:
I had my Xterrra for 50K miles. I loved it. One trip we drove it from FL to Vermont, spent a week in the snow, and drove back, including though NYC, Philly, highways, backroads, icestorm, etc. It was great on the highway and capable offroad as well. I had 33" Firestone destination AT tires with no lift for this trip as well. The backseat is tighter than a 5th gen, and the 4th i think, but was very comfortable. The RF stereo, if you get an SE or OR, is great. The best thing was the drivetrain. Super strong, great trans, sounds really good, especially wity an intake. the plastic in the cargo area does scatch too easy, but throw down a rubber mat, or find a replacement for the liftable cargo floor (there is under floor storage), and you are good to go.

We had the 4runner TE for about a year and a half. Again, this was a 5th gen, so some considerable differences from the 4th gen, but overall it was more comfortable, much bigger backseat, wider, and a bit more refined. the drivetrain was not my favorite, felt more minivan than the Xterra, but it was toyota smooth.

Drive both, I bet you can get a much better deal on an Xterra and (if you are going to modify it) have some coin for upgrading suspension/etc. Do note that if you want to do a big lift, the 4runner is the way to go due to the spring under axle suspension in the Xterra.

good luck.
 
YOTALUVR said:
Are you guys high!?!? Xterras are garbage. You can't compare mc Donald's to red lobster, if your on the fence go buy a Volkswagen beetle and call it a day. Only real men walk into a dealership and say "4runner, all black and have it washed and in 4wd" :flipoff:
Click to expand...

Real men don't talk trash about another vehicle just because they are a 4runner fanboy. And besides, mcds and red lobster both suck, so your opinion is not valid.

OP, asking for car buying advice on the internet is about as good as asking for dating advice. Why don't you go out and test drive a couple of them and see how you like the feel of each. You can read about the pros and cons till you are blind, and you will still never know which one fits you better until you actually sit in one and get some wheel time. The ergonomics of the 4runner might suck for your body type compared to the xterra or vice versa.
 
Cons about the xterra: ITS A NISSAN!
Pros about the 4runner: ITS A TOYOTA! :)

got a 2004 4runner sr5 awd... 4.7 v8 (2uz-fe) Best car ive had been everywhere with it. its cheaper to build a toyota because of the various amount of parts and modding its capable of doing without messing up the computer...

nissans: my girl has a Altima. i know it aint a xterra but its still a nissan, no matter how much i ripped and worked and replaced that motor, its still messed up. and it acts like it has a mind of its own, its been dying out in the middle of intersections, and then 1 day of sitting after the new motor and internals went in, it started knocking AGAIN! and coughing out smoke. so after that ordeal. nissans work when THEY want too work. not when you want them to work.
 
Last edited:
My original idea was to buy a Pathfinder, but then I saw the 4Runner and never looked back. When I see Xterras or Pathfinders now, they just look ugly to me. The 4Runner is a brute.
 
Toyota has a bigger aftermarket then Nissan does, at least from my experience. There are some pretty nice Xteras out there . My experience was a 2006 Frontier. It was the NISMO model and it went where ever I wanted it to but then I did not push it. I have taken my 4Runner places I would not have taken the Frontier.

You can rule out going to the FJ Summit :AK47:
 
eddiebx said:
Real men don't talk trash about another vehicle just because they are a 4runner fanboy. And besides, mcds and red lobster both suck, so your opinion is not valid.

OP, asking for car buying advice on the internet is about as good as asking for dating advice. Why don't you go out and test drive a couple of them and see how you like the feel of each. You can read about the pros and cons till you are blind, and you will still never know which one fits you better until you actually sit in one and get some wheel time. The ergonomics of the 4runner might suck for your body type compared to the xterra or vice versa.
Click to expand...


This is truth.

A major vehicle purchase cannot logically be based solely on internet opinions, though very much wisdom can be obtained in the research stage (or, as I like to refer to it as......'analysis paralysis'). Opinions of experienced owners (especially in the case of those who have owned BOTH vehicles) is always valuable.

When you hear the same compliment/complaint about a certain vehicle from multiple sources with differing degrees of bias from one vehicle to another, then that particular compliment/complaint tends to more often than not be true.

The test drive will be coming shortly....I am just wanting to arm myself with as much knowledge as possible in case it needs to be used against the witch's spell of "Love at first Drive', which can sometimes lead to a too hasty decision without regard for the facts.

I believe that I would like the refinement and quality of the 4runner a bit better ride-wise, but I also think that I would not be disappointed in the X. (V6 only, preferrably-both vehicles) It's a matter of justifying the significant price difference.

Also, I should probably include that I will not consider buying something that does not have a paper trail of timely performed maintenance and repairs.
 
T?@\7 said:
And after that, get a 4R.
Skip a step and get a 4th gen v8 4runner, and you will win. Hp+tq+awd= DUH. only Nissan ill buy is a skyline, which is also HP+tq+awd= Duh, just for the pavement....
My 05 4r was the best vehicle I have ever owned. Never considered an xterra.
Click to expand...

I was really not considering a V8 due to daily driver mileage. I was aiming for an SR5 V6.....hopefully 2004 or newer, depending on how many miles on the odo.

That is a good pic, right? I can't really justify a V8 since I won't be doing any major offroading or pulling anything bigger than a small boat or kayak trailer. I hear very good things about the V6's power sufficiency and reliability.
 
RunnerAK said:
Another thing to consider is that the 4th gen 4Runners have full time 4wd systems (can be left in 4wd even on dry pavement) while the XTerras only have part time systems as far as I know (no center diff -- will bind if used on dry pavement).
Click to expand...

This fact is definitely a plus on the side of the 4r.
 
LBOIV001 said:
I am seeing this comment a lot in my research. They even give credit on the X forum for this.

It really is that valuable of a factor?
Click to expand...

depends on what you're doing, but it can be much easier to just roll the window down.

I use a hitch carrier for camping gear, and also have one to haul my ktm. having the window that goes down is NICE. I don't have to unload everything just to access the back.
 
rinkman07 said:
Chicks drive Xterra's, dude.

When I was shopping for my 4Runner a month or two ago I looked at the 4Runner and some 2000-2004 Pathfinders. People over on the pathfinder forums had a thread going on which they'd rather have: A 4Runner or A Pathfinder. Most of the Pathfinder owner's said they take a 4Runner over their Pathfinder if the resale value's weren't so high on the 4Runner. Just food for thought. I know it's not an Xterra.

Honestly, what turned me off about the Xterra's was the plastic. It looked cheap to me and the ones I kept seeing weren't color matched (I don't think any come like that). It's like the 4Runners with the "cladding". To me it just seems unfinished. I couldn't get past that so I stopped looking at them.
Click to expand...


I am also seeing a lot of this in my research. Plasticy-ness is something I can tolerate if I am saving thousands in a price difference.

I am with you on the Pathy....... I would definitely have a 4R over a Pathfinder. The X is more my taste. The Pathfinders I have driven just seem underpowered and heavy.....definitely less refined.

The X is more basic..... it's SUPPOSED to be less refined, thus the lower cost, and is shows in the spartan, rugged look, which appeals to me far more than the pathy ever did.

If the costs were more comparable, there would be no question....the 4R all the way. I guess I'm really just trying to justify the price difference.

Mad respect for the 4R, regardless which way my decision goes....now and forever.
 
T4R2014 said:
This is more of an apples to orange comparison. The 4Runner and Xterra were never really meant to compete. That's what the Pathfinder was for.

Also, the 4Runner is made in Japan while the Xterra is made in the states.
Click to expand...

Definitely would take the 4R over the pathfinder, for reasons stated above.

Built in Japan definitley weighs in the 4R's favor for my decision. I know that you get what you pay for, and pay for what you get.....

If anyone wants to quote and reply to the following sentence, please do so, and if it's not being much to ask, give a reason why............


There is a point well made on the X forum that you get more for the money because of the lower cost, but do you get more vehicle life expectancy per dollar spent on the 4R? If yes, then how and why?
 
Last edited:
Not really a direct reply to your post above, OP, but I would go 4R for a few reasons. In my experience, my 4R costs less to maintain and has less issues than I have experienced with Nissan.

Stock, I feel the 4R is more capable on and off road. More clearance and more reliable and again, IMHO, better built.

Not beating on the Xterra, hell I think they look sick, I just trust Toyota far more.
 
LBOIV001 said:
There is a point well made on the X forum that you get more for the money because of the lower cost, but do you get more vehicle life expectancy per dollar spent on the 4R? If yes, then how and why?
Click to expand...

Let's assume maintenance/repair/mod costs are all equal. Still, you have to consider that "cost" is more than just purchase price. In simplest terms:
cost = purchase price - resale value.

I'm not sure what that equation looks like at your point on the depreciation curve, but I would guess that the 4Runner will always hold value better than the Xterra. That may be particularly true (percentage-wise) as the mileage climbs. So, although you may have a higher buy-in cost, you will probably end up with lower long term cost. That's why Toyota's are so popular.
 
nevada said:
depends on what you're doing, but it can be much easier to just roll the window down.

I use a hitch carrier for camping gear, and also have one to haul my ktm. having the window that goes down is NICE. I don't have to unload everything just to access the back.
Click to expand...

Yea ditto. I love the rear window, it's nice since you can adjust airflow through the cab as dumb as that sounds when you're driving, and then not having to open the tailgate is a big plus.

Likewise I have a hitch carrier for my stand up jet ski, so just roll the window down to grab everything. I would also think if you have a rear tire carrier the window would be super nice since you don't need to move the tire out of the way; same thing if you are parked somewhere where you can't open the tail gate. And it's just plain cool.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Recent Gas Mileage
Replies
1
Views
109
gomiami
gomiami
B
'02 Sport - high mileage and woes
Replies
1
Views
2K
spartacus
spartacus
T
FS - 2006 4th Gen - Sport Edition, Black, $8,500 - Tupelo, MS
Replies
1
Views
6K
69desertdog
6
N
Tie rods and links broken?
Replies
5
Views
1K
whyzee125
W
Marasmus' Toyotas
Marasmus' Toyotas 2002 Build Thread
Replies
3
Views
3K
Marasmus' Toyotas
Marasmus' Toyotas

Members online

Total: 582 (members: 1, guests: 581)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,316
Messages
3,554,113
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top