Tell me about Nissan...

[Laxaholic]

Hey guys, I'm pretty new to expeditionportal but I love it already.
I'm looking for a new vehicle, I'm getting rid of my 07 Jeep JK Unlimited because chrysler just doesn't make Jeeps like they used to...
I've looked into 4runners and tacomas and now I just want to take a look at Nissan so I check out every possible option.

The two Nissans i was looking at were the Xterra and the Frontier. What can you guys tell me about them? As far as durability..highway driving (my jk had the inability to hold 70mph..) reliability...just the normal things like that. I really like the looks of the older Xterras, love the rack up top.
How about the differences in motors? I saw where you can get a supercharged v6? are they any good? Durable? What years are the best in the older generation? things to watch out for? How are they on fuel?

I've read good things about them: " ..and as for durability, it is a nissan so make sure your great grandchild will like whatever color you pick."

I'm sorry if the are noobie questions, but I figured I'd ask the experts. Thanks again!

 

[Justincredible]

Well let's see: First of all the xterra and Frontier are built on the same platform, so choosing between the two should come down to whether you need a truck bed or not.

The first gen. 1998-2004 (2000-2004 for Xterra) had the option of a 140hp 4 cylinder (KA24DE) that will struggle to get you up to freeway speeds, but can be very easily upgraded to 250hp or more.
Most likely you will be going with the 3.3 liter V6 that makes 170-180hp depending on year. It is still fairly sluggish, but gets the job done.
In 2001 (2002 Xterra) a supercharger option was added which bumped the HP up to 210, but requires premium fuel.
Whichever engine you choose you'll be getting roughly 15-20 mpg.
They will last forever with few problems if taken care of. (common/occasional issues are cracked exhaust manifolds, rear leaf springs, Knock sensors on the supercharged ones, and the timing belt has to be replaced at 105k miles.)

In 2005 both vehicles got bigger, more comfy, and got a 4 liter 265hp V6.
Much better power, a couple mpg better on fuel, and no timing belt to worry about.
The front diff seems to be the weak point, but it (and most other parts) can be swapped for a beefier one from the Titan.

The 2nd gen. vehicles don't seem to be quite as reliable as the 1st, but they are every bit as reliable or more so than comparable small/midsize trucks and SUVs.


That ought to be a good start for you.

 

[tombodad]

I have a 2nd gen (2006) Frontier.

They are great rigs, very comfortable, very capable, much more stout and truck feeling that the Tacoma, the only real competitor. You get much more for your money with the frontier vs taco, (no toyota tax).

reliability is excellent, barring a couple problems that are beginning to pop up with higher mileage units. There is a radiator breakdown issue that causes cross-contamination of trans fluid and coolant. This can be disastrous for the transmission, but can easily be prevented.
Also, the timing chain tensioners occasionally show abnormal wear, and emit a supercharger-like sound. This is a more labor-intensive repair, but has not shown to be terribly common.
Regarding the front diff, as mentioned above, the only problems I have heard of were related to hardcore rockcrawling, spinning the front tires in the air, then allowing them to grab traction at speed. If you are into rockcrawling, it's a concern.
Mileage is not great. My neighbor has a fullsize silverado and gets 3-5 mpg better than I do.
Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[Laxaholic]

i like the looks of the xterras. As far as motors, would it be worth getting the bigger and newer one vs the 1st gen? the 4.0l vs 3.3 supercharged

what kind of mileage do you get, and can u do mods to help it out?
exhaust, intake, econ chip. that kinda stuff..

hows the interior? can aftermarket stereo be easily installed?

thanks for ur replies

 

[holidaynation]

Nissans

First off, I just want to mention that I have nothing against the Toyota platforms, they are very capable units and were on my shopping list.

I own a generation 1.5 Xterra XE 5sp. The 1st gens. Received a new body style in 2002-2004, with rounded headlights and a hood bump(which was to accommodate the superchargers in some SE models), and depending on model came with 15,16 or 17” rims.I absolutely love the body style.

Out of the box, the truck was very capable, and having a young one around, the theatre seating was a huge factor in keeping her amused. A couple things to be cognizant of when touring with a stock X. The 30” wheels don't get you very high off the ground, and the stock armour is, well, not really armour. The oil pan is low and exposed, and an 800 plus dollar fix. That being said, I did wheel it, and didn't whack it. The Mud guards and step bars are susceptible of being trashed easily, but can be removed.
The trucks can accept up to 31” tires on the stock 15”rims, but without mods don't really fit any bigger sneakers. The trucks, for Canadian especially, are one of the harder units to modify, due to limitations of parts availability. There are however, some great items available, and make the trucks more unique than other brands when modified. Automotive Custumizers(4x4parts.com) are great to deal with, and cruising their website will give you an idea of just how far you can go with these rigs.

I love my truck…but here are the typical problems that most encounter. (all trucks have ‘em)

Firstly: The gas millage sucks, no if and or buts about it. I don't so much mind the crappy gas millage, but with only a 76 liter tank, the range, is my issue. With an average of 400-450kms per tank (less in the cold weather), one must always be cognizant of the good ole' gas gauge and route planning. So gas cans are your friend. The roof rack has a 125-150lb rating, although I have definitely seen much more than that up there without issue.

As mentioned there are some minor issues, like knock sensor, timing belt(although not having to change it till 160000kms was a bonus over other vehicles I have owned) and was a fairly easy job to do in the home garage. There are fixes for most issues right on the ole' web.

The 4wd system is very rugged, the weak link being the IFS front end. I don't actually mind IFS for the most part, as heavy duty offroading is a small part of my truck usage. The weak link for running bigger tires and rough terrain is the steering system. However, there are fairly easy fixes to beef it up, without having to swap the front end bits out.

Of course, there are also some extreme routes to go as well, like SAS etc.

In short, they are awesome vehicles, with some awesome capabilities, but they do require some out of the box thinking when modifying them for your personal desires. There are lots of options available when shopping for a truck (even on the 2nd gens) but even a base model can be upped to what you want. The 2nd gens have fixed some of the old issues, but have their own nuances, however I am not the one to tell you about them. I personally don't like the looks as much on the 2nd gens, but I suppose if I had to replace my 1st gen, and couldn't find another 04 I liked, I would go for one.

The nice thing about the 1.5 gens now, is that you should be able to pick up one in good shape(they don't have serious rust problems) for a decent price, allowing you to spend more on making it what you want.

Here are a couple websites that are Nissan specific and will provide you a world of knowledge. Xterra specific:
http://www.clubxterra.org/

Nissan trucks, offroading et al: it's Canadian, but we have friends south of the border too, there is a plethora of info here:http://www.cdn-ntc.ca


anything else just ask

Cheers
Eric

 

[Co-opski]

Snip...
The first gen. 1998-2004 (2000-2004 for Xterra) had the option of a 140hp 4 cylinder (KA24DE) that will struggle to get you up to freeway speeds, but can be very easily upgraded to 250hp or more.
Most likely you will be going with the 3.3 liter V6 that makes 170-180hp depending on year. It is still fairly sluggish, but gets the job done.
In 2001 (2002 Xterra) a supercharger option was added which bumped the HP up to 210, but requires premium fuel.
Whichever engine you choose you'll be getting roughly 15-20 mpg.
They will last forever with few problems if taken care of. (common/occasional issues are cracked exhaust manifolds, rear leaf springs, Knock sensors on the supercharged ones, and the timing belt has to be replaced at 105k miles.)

Snip...

I would agree with every thing said about the first generation trucks. I have had every problem stated from the knock sensor, cracked manifolds and rear leaf springs. I would just add that some of them have the 2 piece drive shafts that have a carrier bearing that go bad frequently. This can be fixed by one piece drive shafts from latter year trucks.

 

[rijosho]

ha ha what's next, "Tell me about sailboats"?

Just buy something already. Everyone has been saying go Toyota. Do it. :smiley_drive:

 

[drbandkgb]

The supercharger is a joke in the Gen 1s once the KS (knock sensor messes up you have no SC) Ive owned a 06 Fronty and I now have a 2001 Xterra.. The Gen 2 Xterra/Frontier 4.0 is hands down a beast of a engine. If like having a small block v8. The Fronty was fast! Loved that power and the insides of the Fronty or Xterra are very nice.. Now do you want 4wd?
The Gen 1 Xterra I own now is a very sweet off road SUV. Just not the power I had with the bigger 4.0. (under powered) 3.3 is a work horse of a engine.. Timing belt is the one weakness to it.. Not that the belt its self is an issue.. Just needs to be changed out every 105k. And like mentioned above the Manies will crack.. After market is the way to go there.. Both trucks will not have the after market support the Jeeps had.. Gen 1s seem to have a bit more that Gen 2s Why I dont know.. Thought in the last year I have seen a few new companies step up.. You really cant go wrong with either...

Now if your looking at a Gen 2 Xterra the offered 3 models S (basic) SE (plush) and the Offroad (beast) The offroad came with an electric locker in the rear.. Very SWEET! (on 2011 its called the Pro-4X) and some skids

Check out www.clubxterra.org for pix..

Hope this helps some

 

[Justincredible]

i like the looks of the xterras. As far as motors, would it be worth getting the bigger and newer one vs the 1st gen? the 4.0l vs 3.3 supercharged

what kind of mileage do you get, and can u do mods to help it out?
exhaust, intake, econ chip. that kinda stuff..

hows the interior? can aftermarket stereo be easily installed?

thanks for ur replies

It really depends on what you want out of your truck. I bought an '02 because I liked that it was smaller, much cheaper, and it seemed more rugged.
If you want/need power, I'd say go with an '05+.
In my '02 non-supercharged I average around 18mpg. With a supercharger expect a couple less and with the '05+ expect 1-2 more.
You can do mods to get more power, but you'll largely be pioneering, so you better be a good mechanic/fabricator.
As for mpg; it's the weight and aerodynamics that are holding them back. You might be able to squeeze a couple extra miles out of it by removing some weight, but don't expect much.

I am currently running 32" tires on mine with no lift. Occasionaly I rub at full lock, but nothing too bad.
The 150 pound weight limit on the factory roof rack is for the cross bars because they have plastic ends. With aftermarket bars you will be just fine (many people on this site have roof top tents with no issues).


Like others have said; the Tacoma and 4runner are excellent, but they come at a premium. The Frontier and Xterra are very comparable but usually cost much less.

 

[fangars]

I am going to tell you all you need to know.
2nd Gen Xterra Offroad model
Titan Swap

Seriously though, another weakness of the Xterra seems to be motor mounts breaking, not a problem while under warranty but hopefully there will be an aftermarket answer to problem from Rugged Rocks or myself if they decide not to do Xterra mounts. Last I heard they plan to do them.

 

[Laxaholic]

ha ha what's next, "Tell me about sailboats"?

Just buy something already. Everyone has been saying go Toyota. Do it. :smiley_drive:

LOL im a national ranked sailor...what would u like to know about sailboats?:victory:

 

[jpvm]

LOL im a national ranked sailor...what would u like to know about sailboats?:victory:

You see ? Nissan pepole have all the right answers, go Nissan ! :victory:

 

[mcm4090]

If you are looking for something older like more then 5 years I would go with Toyota. If you are looking for something newer I would go Nissan.

 

[drbandkgb]

Come on guys he or her asked about Nissan... If they wanted to know about Yota's they would ask over there..

They both are great... If your want some conservative looking bland truck go see your Toyota dealer

If you want a truck from planet kick ***... Nissan for the win...

 

[drbandkgb]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPPd_w9WaMg"]YouTube - Nissan Xterra Commercial - Guts & Dirt[/ame][ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mIk69m8H1Q"]YouTube - Nissan Xterra Commercial-Stevie Ray Vaughn[/ame]