2003 Nissan Xterra - Consumer Guide Automotive

Category	XE 2WD, auto. Rating (See All Ratings)	Midsize Sport-utility Vehicle Average Rating

Acceleration	2	4.9

Fuel Economy	4	3.7

Ride Quality	4	4.4

Steering/Handling/Braking	3	3.5

Quietness	3	4.1

Controls	5	6.1

Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front)	6	6.3

Room/Comfort (rear)	3	5.4

Cargo Room	7	7.8

Value within Class	5	5

Total Score:	42	51.2

Ratings: Maximum 10 points per category

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2003 Nissan Xterra Review

Optional head-protecting curtain side airbags and an antiskid system headline 2003 additions to Nissan's youth-oriented SUV. Xterra's price-leader XE model has a 143-hp 4-cyl engine, manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. Mainstream XE V6 and SE versions use a 3.3-liter V6 that gains 10 hp for '03. A 210-hp supercharged 3.3 powers top-line SE S/C models. All V6 Xterras offer 2WD or 4WD that must be disengaged on dry pavement but includes low-range gearing. Automatic transmission is optional on the XE V6 and standard on other V6 Xterras. ABS and air conditioning are standard. SE S/Cs have 17-inch wheels, the others 16s or 15s. Curtain side airbags are newly available for any Xterra. The new antiskid system is optional for automatic-transmission 4WD V6 models and includes traction control and a tire-pressure monitor. Also for '03, V6s add standard driver-seat height and lumbar adjustments, and SE models offer a new "Rugged Leather" package option with suedelike interior accents.

Competition

New to the class this year, Honda Pilot has taken the lead as a Best Buy. It offers ample cargo space, seating for eight passengers, all-wheel drive with a locking rear differential for added traction, and above-average refinement. Toyota Highlander is our other Best Buy, chosen for its on-road competence, convenience, and attractive pricing and design.

Our Recommended choices feature more-traditional SUVs: Ford Explorer, GMC Envoy, and Toyota 4Runner. For 2003, all now offer optional V8 engines and--with the exception of 4Runner--three rows of seats.

News

This SUV was a trendy gotta-have in its first two seasons, but sales have lately tapered off, easing 2.1 percent in calendar 2001 and another 8 percent in '02. We blame a steady upward creep in sticker prices and an image that's no longer so way-cool.

Xterra is expected to mark time until a 2006 redesign; a clean-sheet Frontier pickup preceeds it by about a year. The two trucks should continue to share a basic platform, powertrains and other unseen components, but the platform will be new, while styling should be bolder and more "industrial". Nissan is said to want marked reductions in noise, vibration and harshness without compromising these rigs' "real truck" character--no easy task, that. It'll be interesting to see if they can pull it off.

2003 Nissan Xterra Road Test >

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