New Car Review of the 2005 Nissan XTERRA Compact Sport Utility Vehicle

Description: Compact Sport Utility Vehicle
Base MSRP Range: $20,800 - $27,300
Invoice Price Range: $19,617 - $25,534
Where built: USA

Consider Nissan's five-door Xterra SUV for the compact class a rugged wagon capable of serious off-road play as well as an affordable pavement cruiser. It comes with 2WD or 4WD traction and provides seats for five in a wagon's boxy format but can also haul lifestyle sports paraphernalia -- such as mountain bikes, camping gear, skis or kayaks.

Xterra for 2005 grows up with a larger cabin and a big 4.0-liter V6 engine as the standard powertrain. Platform and engine are derived from the compact-class Frontier pickup, as are transmission options -- a 5-speed electronically controlled automatic or 6-speed manual.

Cabin layout shows twin front bucket seats with a second-row bench and seatback split and foldable. In the rear, the cargo floor is flat and has an easy-clean surface plus a channel track system for flexibility in securing large loads. New trim designations apply: Xterra S, Off-Road and deluxe SE.