2005 Nissan Xterra Road Test

Nissan's Xterra, since its introduction in 1999, has been among the minority in the SUV world - a truck that can back up its purposeful looks with actual toughness and off-road prowess. Those poseurs looking only for the rugged image have plenty of wanna-be SUVs to choose from, but this isn't one of them. Back when the Xterra was being developed, it represented the first vehicle Nissan had conceived since the Z, with the express objective of appealing to a very specific customer, rather than trying to be most things to most people.