2012 Nissan Xterra Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Nissan Xterra review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Xterra, and includes Nissan Xterra safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

At the height of the SUV craze, Nissan decided to court Generation X buyers with an inexpensive, rugged, traditional off-roader designed to go anywhere and do anything, creating in the original Nissan Xterra the ultimate active lifestyle machine. It was basically a Frontier pickup truck with a roof grafted on, one with a stepped design, a roof basket in which to carry wet stuff, and a bulging “backpack-style” tailgate with a first-aid kit. That formula remains in place today. However, since Generation Xers have had families and gotten fat, they don’t want an active lifestyle off-roader anymore. And Gen Y can’t afford to drive one.

Nissan adds Metallic Blue and Brilliant Silver as paint color choices to the 2012 Nissan Xterra, and that’s it. The SUV is identical to last year’s model. If you can find a leftover 2011 with a big discount, buy it.

When it comes to the 2012 Xterra, Nissan keeps it simple. Three models are available, and a handful of options can be added at the factory or by the dealership.

The Xterra X is the least expensive model, equipped with rear-wheel drive and an automatic transmission. Cloth seats, air conditioning, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, a tilt steering wheel, cruise control and a four-speaker stereo with a CD player are standard. The Xterra X is a functional SUV, though, equipped with an Active Brake Limited Slip system to limit wheelslip, a skid plate for the radiator, a tube-style roof rack and rear bumper steps to make loading it easier, and side netting for the cargo area. The rear seat cushions can be removed for carrying stuff you wouldn’t want on the upholstery, dark tinted rear privacy glass discourages looky-loos, and the Xterra X has simple 16-inch steel wheels and a full-size spare tire.

The Xterra S can told apart from the X model by its 16-inch aluminum wheels, black bodyside moldings, and standard step rails. The S model also gets power outside mirrors, an eight-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, sun visor vanity mirrors and extenders, front map lights, an in-cabin air microfilter, and a first-aid kit. The Xterra S also adds numerous functionality upgrades in the form of an Easy Clean cargo area, a Utili-track Channel System with four tie-down cleats, four cargo area ceiling hooks, and two cargo area side hooks. Get the S 4WD model and the Xterra comes with a six-speed manual transmission, four-wheel drive with a switch-operated two-speed transfer case, a strengthened Dana rear axle, a front tow hook, splash guards, and a covered gear box for the roof rack.

Those 4WD upgrades are included on the Xterra PRO-4X model, which comes only with 4WD. Additionally, the PRO-4X includes a clutch start/cancel feature that allows the Xterra to be started without using the clutch, Bilstein off-road shocks, underbody skid plates, and off-road tires mounted to machined-finish alloy wheels. The roof rack is equipped with off-road driving lights and roof rack cross bars, and the PRO-4X comes standard with fog lights and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with an integrated compass display. Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, a Rockford Fosgate premium sound system with a CD changer and an auxiliary audio input jack, and unique cloth upholstery with a fold-flat front passenger’s seat are also standard on the PRO-4X model, along with white-faced gauges, a cargo net spanning the cargo floor, carpeted floor mats, and leather wrapped around the gear shift knob and the steering wheel with audio controls. Get the optional automatic transmission, and the PRO-4X comes with hill descent control, hill start assist and, for some strange reason, satellite radio.

Option packages include the Xterra S Value Package (fog lights, step rails, roof rack cross bars), and the PRO-4X Leather Package (deletes the fold-flat front passenger’s seat and requires the automatic transmission). Additional options are sold individually and are installed at the factory or the dealership. Highlights include a cargo cover, a cargo organizer, a cargo pet divider net, an iPod connection, an emergency road kit, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with a compass, and towing equipment. There’s even a tent designed to connect to the Xterra’s tailgate to provide more living space while camping.

Hope you like Nissan’s 4.0-liter V6 engine, because that’s the only powertrain choice with the 2012 Xterra. It makes 261 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 281 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm, and it paired with a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. Notably, the manual gearbox is offered only on the Xterra S or PRO-4X with 4WD.

Fuel economy is unimpressive, and is the clear trade-off for the Xterra’s rugged go-anywhere engineering. With rear-wheel drive and the automatic transmission, city fuel economy is 16 mpg and highway fuel economy measures 22 mpg. Add 4WD, and highway mileage drops to 20 mpg. City mileage measures 16 mpg with the manual gearbox and 15 mpg with the automatic.

Nissan equips every Xterra with traction control, stability control, and four-wheel vented-disc antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and, on 4WD models, a G sensor. Front active headrests are also included, along with brake override technology that makes it impossible to accelerate and brake at the same time. There are no additional safety-related features for this model.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not rated the Xterra’s crashworthiness as this review is written. The only rating from the NHTSA is a mediocre 3 Stars for rollover resistance, a result not unexpected in a tall, traditional SUV like this one.

For guidance about how the Xterra protects in a crash, consult the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS gave the 2011 Xterra its highest rating of Good for frontal- and side-impact performance, an Acceptable rating for roof crush strength, and a Marginal rating for injury prevention when the Xterra gets rear-ended. We expect these ratings to carry over to the unchanged 2012 model.

The reliability outlook also appears to be favorable, with Consumer Reports expecting better than average reliability from the Xterra. Last year, J.D. Power and Associates predicted that the Xterra would provide average dependability over time. J.D. Power had not rated the 2012 model as this review was originally written.

With the rear seat in use, the 2012 Nissan Xterra can carry 36.3 cubic-feet of cargo. Fold it down, and the Xterra hauls 65.7 cu-ft of your stuff, not including space made available by folding the front passenger’s seat in half. Properly equipped, the Xterra can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

If you require a rugged, affordable, dependable, and reasonably safe vehicle that can go just about anywhere, the 2012 Nissan Xterra is one of the few choices you have. The problem is that a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is about the same price and comes with a better warranty and lots more attitude. Still, the Jeep isn’t as refined, isn’t as dependable, and doesn’t protect as well in a side-impact crash. The 2012 Nissan Xterra might exist in a very narrow niche of the market, bracketed by the cheaper Suzuki Grand Vitara on the low end and the more expensive Toyota 4Runner, but it’s a compelling choice nonetheless.

By Christian Wardlaw