DriveTech

2005 Nissan Xterra Off Road V6 4X2 is a real find

Last week I traveled to Temecula to check out the '05 vehicles left at Quality Nissan and found this unique '05 Xterra Off Road.

It's white with minimal chrome, plus big tires and wheels (P265/75R16BF Goodrich Rugged Trail OWL tires mounted on aluminum wheel). It also has a functional roof rack with built-in aerodynamics for improved gas mileage. For this size of vehicle, I could live with 16 miles per gallon in the city and 22 miles per gallon on the freeway.

This all comes from a very racy 4.0-liter dual overhead camshaft V6 that produces 265 horsepower and a strong 284 pound foot of torque. You can really feel this Xterra hauling down the freeway. In fact, you have to keep an eye on the speedometer for fear of getting a ticket. And that's only the beginning of all the goodies wrapped up in this off-roader.

But before I go any further, I want to mention a salesman I met at the dealership. Michael Loesch is a 20-year retired firefighter and paramedic from Chicago. Losch has only been working at the dealership for two months and has found the car business rewarding and a little puzzling. The rewarding part came easy (remember he was a firefighter, so helping people comes naturally). The puzzling part is finding out that customers don't want salespeople to make any money and they don't want the dealership to make a profit.

But with that being said, Losch continues to help folks get into the right vehicle at a fair price and follows up with his customers for as long as they own their Nissans. The delivery is Losch's favorite thing to do because he gets to show customers all the bells and whistles they just bought. Losch even showed his sister-in-law that her Xterra has a flip up storage area. She's owned it for two years and had no idea the storage area was there!

This Xterra is very well built, with no squeaks or rattles. The rear storage area has a hard composite floor with a lid that reveals another storage area under the floor. It also has storage pods to the left and right with netting to keep goodies in check. And of course, Xterra still has the first aid kit in the inside of the rear hatch.

The second row seats have tie downs in back for securing the load and these seats conveniently split 60/40. Sitting in the driver's seat, everything is close at hand. The sound system and climate controls are easy to reach and operate. The shifter is in the center console, which also has plenty of storage. There are two glove boxes, one on the top and one below, just in front of the passenger seat.

This Xterra has the same audio system as my car - a 380-watt Rockford Fosgate with an in-dash, six-CD changer, nine speakers, a sub woofer and MP3/CD capability. Talk about sitting in traffic with a smile on your face. A system like this one takes a lot of pain out of commuting.

The off-road package includes Bilstein shocks at all four corners, front tow hooks, three skid plates protecting the radiator, oil pan and fuel tank, just to name a few features. If you sit in the second row, you're higher than the folks up front. This is accomplished with stadium seating, which gives rear passengers more head, leg and shoulder room, while the roofline accommodates the additional height.
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You also get electronic brake force distribution, vehicle dynamic control, two-wheel active brake limited slip, engine speed sensitive rack and pinion, double wishbone front suspension, a boxed frame and the ability to tow up to 5,000 pounds.

I could go on and on about the Xterra - it's not too big and not too small. It gives you fuel economy but also the ability to head off-road without a 4X4 system. When it comes to safety, the Xterra gets a four-star rating from the NHTSA in the frontal crash test and five stars in the side crash test.

If you would like to know more about this Xterra, listen to "You Auto Know" on KCEO AM 1000 this Saturday, where I'll be expanding on this road test. The show airs at 1 p.m. or you can go to the Internet and listen at www.kceoradio.com. Or just call Michael Loesch at (847) 561-1833.