Road Tests: Long-Term Test

After spending the month prior in our long-term Mazda Tribute, Road Test Editor Ed Hellwig was more than glad to make the switch to our aging (and newly returned to Los Angeles from its stint in Canada) Xterra to see how it stacked up against the competition.

Right off the bat, Ed noticed the sloppy handling of the high-riding sport-ute. "This thing is definitely based on a truck. It rolls over like a retriever in the turns, its tires yelping for mercy the whole way around," Ed commented after a short initial drive.

Subsequent miles behind the wheel did little to change his feelings about the Xterra's bouncy ride and numb steering. The minimal feedback through the wheel and sloppy body movements make the Xterra suitable for highway cruising only, he surmised. On a more positive note, Ed did mention that the softly sprung suspension does an adequate job of soaking up the numerous bad stretches of pavement scattered throughout L.A. "It's basically fine in a straight line, with a soft, comfortable ride, but you can almost feel the thing cringe when you're heading for a turn."

One area where the Xterra benefits from its less-than-razor-sharp handling is off-road. Faced with a never-ending stream of rocks, washboard surfaces and tire-swallowing crevices, the Xterra's big tires and delayed reactions make rough roads much easier to take. "I finally got it dirty yesterday, and it's much more in its element off the pavement. If I was going to be doing a lot of off-roading I would much prefer this over the Tribute," Ed wrote in the logbook.

Ed also jotted down a few other notable driving impressions during his month in the Xterra. The transmission, although often a little slow to the punch, shifted crisply and predictably. The engine itself, while somewhat underpowered compared to the Tribute's 200-horsepower zinger, managed to get the nearly two-ton sport-ute up to speed with little trouble. "It certainly doesn't have the zip of the Tribute, but there's plenty of power on hand for comfortable merging and passing."

Although our Xterra's interior is hardly luxurious, Ed actually preferred it to the low-rent look of the Tribute. "The Xterra certainly isn't plush, but the design and quality of the plastics is a step above the Tribute's. It just seems better looking and more user-friendly," Ed commented in his notes.

One area where the Xterra was certainly not user-friendly this month was at the dealer. Since it has just over 31,000 miles on the odometer, we brought it in to our local dealer for the requisite 30,000-mile service. "I called Santa Monica Nissan at about 10 a.m. and talked to a service writer. I told him I needed a 30K service done on an Xterra and a possible alignment. He said they could do it that day no problem and proceeded to take my name and schedule me for the service. When I arrived, our advisor was friendly and courteous and I was out within 10 minutes with an estimate for just over 500 big ones — Ouch!

"Later that day, our advisor called to inform me that the front brake pads would need replacing, not a surprise considering the mileage. I had also asked him to check into a possible rough idle when the engine was cold. A diagnostic check revealed deposits on the fuel injectors as a possible cause for the poor idle quality. He suggested a fuel injector flush to remedy the problem, and I agreed. It would be done by 5 p.m., and our advisor said he would call later to confirm.

"As promised, he called around 4:15 p.m. to inform me that it was almost done. I headed for the dealer and, after spending 10 or 15 minutes tracking down our advisor, ponied up for the bill, which had ballooned to more than $1,000! Between the new brake pads ($360), an alignment ($90), the fuel injector cleaning ($130) and the normal service items, our bill had grown considerably. We probably could have done without the fuel injector service, since I didn't notice any improvement in idle quality, but the brakes and the alignment were must-have items."

Although Ed's service experience was pleasant enough, there's certainly nothing pleasant about paying more than $1,000 for a single trip to the dealer. Our suggestion is to always read the owner's manual carefully and make sure that only recommended services are performed. Replacing the front brake pads when necessary is always a good idea since trying to stick it out a little longer will only result in damaged rotors that must be replaced instead of simply resurfaced. Keeping the tires in proper alignment is also worthwhile since out-of-whack tires will wear unevenly and require replacement sooner.

Overall, Ed gave the Xterra a thumbs up. "Sure, it begs for mercy when driven aggressively in the turns, but that's not what it's meant to do. You want to carve turns? Buy a car. The Xterra was built to be a rugged, off-road-worthy sport-ute that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, fits in any size garage, and doesn't look like a geek-mobile in the process. I would say mission accomplished."

Current Odometer: 31,788
Best Fuel Economy: 14.4 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 12.3 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 15.7 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $15.82 (replace front wheel cap)
Maintenance Costs: $1,002.88 (30K service — change oil and replace filter, replace fuel filter, transmission fluid power flush, replace air filter, drain and refill cooling system, 27-point vehicle inspection; Front brake pad replacement — replace pads and resurface rotors; Fuel injector flush; Front wheel alignment and tire rotation).
Problems: Poor idle quality.