Seeking Xterra owner's input...

Martinjmpr

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
So, in doing further research on my current "issue" (see here for details), I thought I'd solicit input from 2nd gen Xterra owners.

Overall, my questions would be:

1. How well does the 2nd Gen Xterra do off road? I'm not talking about hard core, but trails about on the level of Shafer Trail in Moab, Saints John/Radical Hill/Red Cone in CO, etc (basically 4 on the 1-10 scale used in Trail Damage.)

2. What kind of real world MPG are you getting with the V6/auto combo? My research indicates the X has about a 21.5 gallon tank, what kind of range are you getting out of that?

3. What size tires are people running without modification? Right now I'm running 235/85/16 on stock wheels on my Taco and they are tight but they fit. I'd like to run a similar size tire since it seems to work well for me.

4. Is the X big enough to sleep in? The photos I've seen show a pretty flat load deck, so that's a plus. I'm 6'1" so I'd want at least that much space.

5. Any known weak points? Engine/transmission/T-case/axles? I've heard something about weak or fragile axles but if that's only when doing hard-core rock crawling, it's not something I need to worry about. How well does the electric T-case shifter work? I'm leery of those but OTOH my wife's GV has that and it seems to work just fine (of course, her GV is full time 4wd so it's not like we have to shift it at all during normal driving.)

6. How noisy is it? My Taco is a fairly noisy vehicle so as long as it's not noisier than that, I won't even notice.

7. Bottom line, if you knew then what you know now, would you get another X?

Thanks for any input. :elkgrin:
 
L

logos

Observer
I'll take a stab at your questions.

2. On the highway loaded down going 80 MPH I get 20 MPG but I have stick shift.

3. 265/75/16 fits stock. 285/75/16 is common with a 2 in lift.

4. You can fit but maybe a little diagonal.

5. Ours has been great. Only the fuel sending unit went out which was $80 and about 6 hrs of my time. The T-case is reliable but you may need to be patient at times; sometimes it can take up to 30 seconds. Front diff's can be weak but usually large tires and rocks need to be involved to break.

6. Ours is quiet and easy to talk to each other on the highway.

7. I would definetely get another. However, get the off road model. That's my only regret.

go to the www.thenewx.org for additional info.
 
P

PAyota

Observer
Bought the wife an '05 used in '07. Its the offroad model and we absolutely love it. Haven't done any real 4 wheeling in it yet but its great in the snow. As for the gas mileage she gets about 19mpg running to work and back w/ 6 speed manual. She wouldn't have anything to do w/ an automatic. So YES, we will definitely get another.
 
rroadkilll

rroadkilll

Needs a LIFE!
Martinjmpr said:
So, in doing further research on my current "issue" (see here for details), I thought I'd solicit input from 2nd gen Xterra owners.

Overall, my questions would be:

1. How well does the 2nd Gen Xterra do off road? I'm not talking about hard core, but trails about on the level of Shafer Trail in Moab, Saints John/Radical Hill/Red Cone in CO, etc (basically 4 on the 1-10 scale used in Trail Damage.)

Have NOT had mine OFF ROAD for anything hard, but What I have done in it has been AWESOME!!!

2. What kind of real world MPG are you getting with the V6/auto combo? My research indicates the X has about a 21.5 gallon tank, what kind of range are you getting out of that?

I try not to look at milage... Also have bigger tires so speedo is OFF!

3. What size tires are people running without modification? Right now I'm running 235/85/16 on stock wheels on my Taco and they are tight but they fit. I'd like to run a similar size tire since it seems to work well for me.

I ran 265/75/16 (stock) for the longest time / UPGRADED to 285/75/16 after my 2" lift

4. Is the X big enough to sleep in? The photos I've seen show a pretty flat load deck, so that's a plus. I'm 6'1" so I'd want at least that much space.

YES... I'm 6' and I fit with my daughter (5) on a full size air mattress. (FYI: remove the seat bottoms for more room!!! )

5. Any known weak points? Engine/transmission/T-case/axles? I've heard something about weak or fragile axles but if that's only when doing hard-core rock crawling, it's not something I need to worry about. How well does the electric T-case shifter work? I'm leery of those but OTOH my wife's GV has that and it seems to work just fine (of course, her GV is full time 4wd so it's not like we have to shift it at all during normal driving.)

Check www.thenewX.org for more info...

6. How noisy is it? My Taco is a fairly noisy vehicle so as long as it's not noisier than that, I won't even notice.

NOT LOUD at all... with the MTR's on there is more of a hummmmmm

7. Bottom line, if you knew then what you know now, would you get another X?

YES... almost wrecked it this morning... Glad the brakes work!!! Well no actually, just because I'm a JEEP guy!!! But my wife would make me get one so YES I would get another X (but the OFF ROAD one...)

Thanks for any input. :elkgrin:

Your welcome!!!
Click to expand...

See Above!!!
 
08whitex

08whitex

Adventurer
I love my Xterra. This truck will get you where you need to go. The offroad model does have an advantage with the locker but for what you want to do I dont think it will be necessary. It is very comfortable sleeping in the X. I am also 6 foot tall and have no problems. Here are videos of my X and AZ-Teds X. I have and S with a prg Spacer and a 1 inch body lift. Ted has a Off Road with a Full Titan Swap and a 2 inch body lift. We are both running 285/75r16.

I would consider both of these trails a little more then a 4 out of 10

ME
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKPQ6D9U9Rc&feature=channel_page

AZ-Ted
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34y_E6E_l0o
 
Creek

Creek

Adventurer
Alright, here's my stab at it

1. The X in stock form is a great vehicle for anything from your normal Expo trip to a full on offroad wheeling adventure. If you do a few upgrades suspension wise, it becomes a beast. I've beat mine up pretty good and it keeps asking for more. I've run trails with a high end rating of 7-8 without issue. Like others have said, get the offroad model - I didn't and ended up doing a rear axle swap so I could have the e-locker.

2. MPG - I really don't remember what I got when my truck was stock. But, after all the added weight from armor and whatnot, I'm getting around 18mpg highway (unloaded) right now. Fully loaded for a weeklong trip, I'm getting about 14-15mpg highway. Granted, that's with a CAI, catback exhaust, and headers. That's also with running 33" tires (285/75/16)

3. With only minor modification (melting the plastic at the rear of the front fender wells), you can run 285/75/16's - with no lift.

4. I'm 6'3" and I wouldn't be comfy sleeping in the truck. Could I do it, probably. Would it be comfortable - probably not.

5. The only weak point is really the front differential. That being said, if you don't wheel it hard, chances are you'll be fine. In fact, I've witnessed some crazy stuff that should've blown the diff and it didn't fail. As a preventative measure, I swapped in the front diff out of a Titan (M205). It's beefier than the R180 stock X diff and it comes in the same gearing (3.36) as the rear axle of the Offroad Model (auto trans)

As for the electronic T-case control - I like it. It's obviously really easy to operate and you can still hear the T-case click, so you know it's in 4-hi or 4-lo.

6. When stock, the X is extremely quiet. After you start adding aftermarket performance stuff (CAI/exhaust/headers), it's not so quiet anymore.

7. I would no doubt buy another X in a heartbeat. In fact, I've been toying with the idea of getting a second one.

Check out my build thread linked in my sig to see what you can do with the X in terms of mods. The aftermarket is limited, but slowly growing.

Cheers,
John
 
X

X_Trippin

Observer
1. How well does the 2nd Gen Xterra do off road? I'm not talking about hard core, but trails about on the level of Shafer Trail in Moab, Saints John/Radical Hill/Red Cone in CO, etc (basically 4 on the 1-10 scale used in Trail Damage.)

The 2nd does extremely well off road. In stock form i was able to run Coyote Canyon in Anza Boreggo. In not so stock form i can run pretty much any trail i want, I mostly limit myself so I don't inflict body damage. But, have run many black diamonds

2. What kind of real world MPG are you getting with the V6/auto combo? My research indicates the X has about a 21.5 gallon tank, what kind of range are you getting out of that?

Real world normal daily driving mixed freeway/street. I get about 230-250 per tank. That's filling up when the gas light comes on, roughly 17.5 gallons. Not so daily driving, loaded up for a trip, I'll pull 300-320 on a tank.

3. What size tires are people running without modification? Right now I'm running 235/85/16 on stock wheels on my Taco and they are tight but they fit. I'd like to run a similar size tire since it seems to work well for me.

Running 285/75/16 with 2" of lift, but don't really need the lift for that size, just makes it look better.

4. Is the X big enough to sleep in? The photos I've seen show a pretty flat load deck, so that's a plus. I'm 6'1" so I'd want at least that much space.

I'm 6'1" also and do sleep in the back. You can fit a full size air mattress in there. Might just have to sleep at a slight angle.

5. Any known weak points? Engine/transmission/T-case/axles? I've heard something about weak or fragile axles but if that's only when doing hard-core rock crawling, it's not something I need to worry about. How well does the electric T-case shifter work? I'm leery of those but OTOH my wife's GV has that and it seems to work just fine (of course, her GV is full time 4wd so it's not like we have to shift it at all during normal driving.)

Engine/tranny/and t-case are strong, haven't heard about any blowing up. Front diff a different issue. I friend of mine blew his driving up a rutted out hills side. I followed and didn't have a problem. The main thing is to be easy on it. Try to not let the tires spin if there is a chance it might hit a not so slick surface, i.e. a rock. It seems that when this happens it twists the half shaft which in turn causes a shock to the diff so it snaps the spider gear.

6. How noisy is it? My Taco is a fairly noisy vehicle so as long as it's not noisier than that, I won't even notice.

Not to noisy, with the MT's it was but since I have gone back to AT's it's been fine.

7. Bottom line, if you knew then what you know now, would you get another X?

YES
 
Creek

Creek

Adventurer
i don't want to get too off topic here, but what do you do with all of your gear when you sleep in the truck?

there's no way I could with the gf and 4 dogs, but I'm just curious.
 
AZ-Ted

AZ-Ted

Adventurer
1. 4 out of 10 would be no problem. Get the OR, so you'll have the locker.

2. I was getting about 15.5 MPG combined city/highway driving before the latest mods pushed me lower.

3. Stock ORs come with 265/75/R16, but you can fit 285/75/R16s.

4. I'm only 5'8", so I don't have an issue. Most of the time I have a bunch of stuff in back of the truck, so I just recline the front seat and sleep there. If I'm camping for 2 nights, or have a passenger and my dogs, I'll bring the tent.

5. Front diffs are weak. 05 and early 06 rear diffs only had 2 spider gears.

6. With the windows up, the X is fairly quiet.

7. This is my second X (first one was an '01 2WD SE). I'll buy a 3rd gen X, if they make it...
 
sami

sami

Explorer
I have a 2006 S model.. Automatic, no rear locker.

1. All things considered, 7. It's got a plush ride, and the power is fun in the dirt.

2. I continually get a 300-330 mile range oout of one tank. Usually 16.5-17.5mpg's.

3. I have worn down 285's. They rub due to the 1.25" adapters that I run to achieve 6x5.5 lug pattern (X's come with 6x4.5 lug pattern).

4. I've slept in the back several times in the 6 months i've owned it. Last week myself, wife, and golden retriever stept comfortably. I'm 5'11'', she's 5'4'', and the dog wieghs about 60-70lbs. The cooler and food box sit nicely under the truck or next to it, while all of our clothes and other gear are inside. When i'm solo there is tons of room to have my bags and other stuff in the back. I have 4" foam that covers the entire rear for when my wife is with me.

5. I've heard about the front diffs... I try not to let that scare me. I have no plans to wheel this rig hard, ie rockcrawling, but it does see 400-600 miles on dirt over an extended weekend trip.. Generally higher speed dirt, with the occassional rockier, rougher sections..

6. It's not noisy at all IMO.. Comparable to my '99 4runner.

7. Look for an OR model.. But don't go crazy over it. The aftermarket is catching up slowly.

It's noticably larger and more powerful than my 99 4runner. I prefer to drive the Xterra now.. Which I never thought i'd say.
 
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