I love jeeps because the head is steel and the block is steel therefore no cool down issues between the two, therefore no premature head gasket issues.
I know for a fact that the IFS cant handle what I dish out.

 

It is, but I think its a good thing. Healthy discussion that causes people to think outside their own box is always a good thing. I'd like to see you do a nice meaty post on all the good things about Xterra's and how they might compare to a Jeep. Maybe you can play the part here that I'm playing over on ClubXterra. I'm glad you posted the thread here and there, its forcing everyone to realize there's always something better out there and its bringing the truth about of misconceptions into the light and setting the record straight.


Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm about 98% sure the Jeep 4.0 engine is an aluminum head mated to a cast iron block.

 

Interesting topic, I thought about getting a xterra but they were a little out of my price range, but it did make me think of one thing, and you might be able to google, it, some kind of magazine, or show did a comparasion between the two, I think it was car and driver, and the cherokee came out ahead of course and it went through everything ride height, power ect ect.

Also the BBC show TOP GEAR did a test between like 10 similar SUV's and I want to say the cherokee came out ahead in that too.

 

As your out four wheeling, count the number of Jeep products vs. any other model vehicles out there. They make the best rock climbers available.

 

I surprised to see this thread live this long with someone acting foolish.

I'm glad at least one of the Xterra folks has the guts to admit that given 1/3 of the cost involved the Cherokee platform will wheel circles around the Xterra. Personally, I have far less then 5k invested in my wheeling rig, purchase included. It will wheel everything I want to do with it. That was the goal...

I would ask this question of the Xterra guys... how many with 200k..300k or 400k miles are still out there doing their jobs everyday? Whether that is hauling soccer ***** and kids or working/off-roading? In the Cherokee community.. 200-300k is the norm, not the exception.

Not to mention the fact the Cherokee has an anti-social brother.. the Comanche. The FIRST mid-sized truck ever offered. And it remains the ONLY down-sized truck to ever offer a 1-ton payload. And technically that was a metric ton, so 2205lbs rather than a 2000lb ton.

 

I never laid claim of the Xterra being better than anything off road, so I don't know who got that idea. Nor was I trying to be foolish, if that's what you're suggesting. I came over here in the interest of equanimity because there was some jeep bashing going on over at clubxterra.org. Being a (usually) rational person, I wanted to hear what you guys thought.

I love my X. It's a great vehicle stock. I've gone roading many times in it on trails rated "difficult" with the only problem being ground clearance, but with a spotter and a few well placesd rocks I've never had to turn back. I got her used with 10,000 miles and now she has almost 60,000 miles on her with the only issue being a faulty fuel level sensor. I've followed plenty of Jeep guys and kept up just fine. Now I have a 2" SL and 33" BFGs, rock sliders, Volant intake and Magnaflo exhaust and am doing fine.

When Motor Trend reviewed the 2005 Xterra (the first of the 2nd generation Xterras) they could not stop signing it's praise. It out accelerated and braked the competition. On the trail and off the trail it was voted the best of both worlds. Yes, there are vehicles out there that beat it off the road AND there are vehicles that will beat it on the road, but few that will beat it ON and OFF road. They repeatedly drove it over obstacles they figured it had no right to do and were surprised at it's performance. So not only is it one of the best combination off/on road vehicles out there, it comes witha roof rack, plenty of storage, skid plates AND the back folds down completely flat. And that means my dumb *** doesn't have to get out to set up a tent on a freezing night after a day of roading. And that makes me happy.

That's why I chose an Xterra. And I love the way it looks. And it was assembled in Mississippi which makes me happy too.

 

Nate

You are really comparing apples and oranges here. You be one, I'll be the other. The thing is that we are using older technology and sound standards. The X is built for a different market using higher standards. The XJ is noisier, but that was acceptable back in the day. So they were redesigned to the new standards. The other thing is that most of here on this forum take ours off road and that was the primary consideration. We, or I wanted an affordable vehicle that was reasonably comfortable and very capable. The average X buyer wants a comfortable rig with some off road capability and buys new or slightly used.

The other thing is that we enjoy a huge selection of off road upgrades that the X doesn't have. You can go all the way from budget builds to JeepSpeed, which is as good as it gets in a non tube chassis. If I was looking at the same parameters as you guys I would strongly consider the X, but not as a vehicle dedicated to off road fun with a little comfort.

 

Here is a link that talks about the xterra and how it ranks etc.


http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com...Nissan_Xterra/

Mike

 

The main point is, the Xterra came into production right when the XJ was going out of production. At that point the main design of the XJ was 17 years old with only minor changes during those 17 years of production. Xterras have nicer features, are quiter, more creature comforts and generally just have lots of stuff that XJs never had the option for. Does that mean the Xterra is a better vehicle? not at all. I'd go so far as to say the Xterra is sorta the XJ of its time. There's not another SUV I can think of that makes a good daily driver and a good wheeling rig that is in competition with the X. For its time there's nothing that comes close to an XJ, simply put for being good dds and wheeling rigs there's nothing from that time period that can compete with an XJ. The one thing that an XJ can do well is be a really good offroad rig while still serving daily driver duty, there are people who have XJs all the way from mild to mean and they serve as said person's DD.

 

this was a great thread to follow!!

 

no nv3550

i have yet to see that episode

all i see are the same 5 over and over again it seems

 

they did have the NV3550 in 2000 and 01. from 88-99 the XJs had the AX15.

 

Or the BA10...

 

Direct quote from Novak: The 10/5 transmission had a very poor record for durability and service, and consequently had the distinction of being the transmission with the shortest production run in Jeep history. It was gradually replaced by the AX15 during the 1988 model year.

So the Peugeot BA 5/10 transmission was used from 84-mid 88 and from mid 88-99 XJs had the AX-15 and in 00 and 01 they had the NV3550.

 

ho dayum you are right

i never knew that until now

pukegoat