peacefrog81

I have brought my car choices down to these 2 models. a 00,01, or 02 4runner or xterra, possibly a 99 4runner. I am wondering what peoples experiences have been with each, if others have test driven both, etc.

SnoViking

i was in the same boat.. i test drove both vehicles and the 4runner had much much much more comfort. the Xterra is barebones. If youre looking for alittle comfort pay alittle more for the 4runner. Youll get alittle better fuel milage, cheaper ins. better resale value and alot more luxury. also the rear seats of the xterra are annoying to move around theres more room in the 4runner... but youll pay more. I got a 99 4runner for the price i could have gotten a 2003 xterra. The nissans last as long as the yotas do. I had a pathfinder and i miss it alot.. but the xterra loses alot of comfort compared to the 4runner

Roadtripr

It depends on what year Xterra.

I went through the same considerations 3 years ago. My choice was get a new 2002/3 Xterra or a used 4runner. I really liked the Xterra but comment from owners on issues (A/T getting stock etc), cheaper interior materials, less space, lower resale value got me chose a used 4runner instead. I figured if i was going to abuse it I might as well save a few buck a get a used 4runner. I haven't regretted it at all.

FirstToy

Xterra- leaf rr springs, poor rr seat design (seat cushions just pop out, 4R's are hinged- just more refined and well thought out).
Good, bulletproof engine. It is very barebones in every respect. That is good and bad.
In 01 or 02, they upgraded the interior to a more stylish design. Then the round headlights in 02 or 03.
The only issues I had were the window regulators would become loose very quickly-seems to be a design fault. RR main seal leaked. Lots of squeeks and rattles.
Exterior is nice and that's what made it so popular. Only car I've had where people would come up to me all the time- in traffic, at gas stations, crosswalks...
I think a reliable, very barebones suv. Has good aftermarket support now too.

4Runner seems to be nicer overall in quality, refinement, etc. I dont have any real seat time behind a '00 vintage 4Runner tho.

Lance

I had a 2000 X and loved it. It is more comparable to the 2 gen 4runner in ride and power= Torison bar setup up front and leaf in rear. It was Extremely reliable even being the first year out. (bought 12-99) I had a $30 part go bad and took 5 min to replace it. I got too much of attention for my liking, but loved the truck. Easy to work on and now a lot more aftermarket support.
Resale lower than I expected, mpg low, it was all I wanted, barebones reliable. I used it for camping and landscaping with no worries.
I now later models had window issues and bigger problems. The 05 X is more like the 3 gen 4runner. XOC

I now have a 98 4runner and the ride and power is so much better. Better mpg and we bought a small landscape trail to save the interior of the 4runner. I won't go back. I have had a lot more repairs but I hope these will settle down.

Schooler

I'm sure this forum is a little biased towards the yota

lee

id say it depends on what you wanna use it for

wheeling? towing? daily driver? road trips?

Captain_Toyota

4Runner all the way. Nissan hasnt quite for the quality/dependability reputation that Toyota has.

paddlenbike

iTrader: (1)

I go wheeling with the Xterra group quite frequently; they're nice trucks. My friend paid $25k out-the-door for his 2001, which is about $5-6k less than my 2000 4Runner. So with that, you get less comfort and convenience features and a less technologically advanced drivetrain. Reliability-wise, they're great and they perform well offroad. The steering tie-rods are the weak link and they actually bend quite easily, but they are upgraded rather easily.

Both are great. If you've got the cash, get the 4Runner; otherwise, the X is nice too.

Here's a few pics from our last wheeling trip.

Paul H.

The best way to decide is too test drive both.

mrmojorisinphan

FYI ~ 4runner is a non-interference engine

Xterra is an interference engine.

GodwinAustin

All I know is my friends Xterra needed low range to get out of a snowy parking lot.

bigreen505

Not so much biased as much as misinformation. The 2000-2004 Xterra is a vehicle that I simply wouldn't buy. They are over priced for what they are, reliability and build quality are not what Nissan built its reputation on, power is adaquate at best (probably about the same as the Gen 3 Runners) and if you want the supercharger you have to run premium ga$$$.

Now that said, the new 2005+ Xterras are a totally different truck. Torsion bars are gone, replaced with coilovers in the front, interior space and cargo space is much improved, seats are comfortable, huge amounts of power and torque from a new 4.0 V6, much lower T-case gearing. The list goes on, go drive one and see what you think.

On the negative side, material quality and build quality are still no where near the Gen 3 Toyotas, reliability is questionable (new model, but current Nissan quality is pretty horrible). They are probably a foot taller than the Toyota which makes the cargo space more useable fo tall items (bikes), but putting gear on the roof is very hard and if you and a lift and some lights you will not be parking it in your garage.

I am in the same boat looking for a new Xterra or a used 4Runner, and while the Xterra wins easily on paper, I'm not sure that it wins in reality.

surf4runner

my friend liked his 01 Xterra and thought it was great...until we used my runner to pull his little boat around. he 'shoulda test drove b4 buying'. he still has it and the value drops daily. no comment for it offroad.

slick858

4runner vs Xterra NO COMPARISON, the 4runner walks circles around it. Listen to these seasoned members, I and atleast two other memebers shot a wheeling video a couple of years back, and a supercharged Xterra with MTRs could not make it up a steep grade that the stock LIMITED ate the hill up with NO PROBLEM!


xterra vs KIA now where talking...!

ASU4runner

The 4runner is so much more refined than the Xterra. The Xterra feels like a rental car (which is why it is used quite often by Enterprise Rent-a-car.) It all feels cheap and plasticy, like a Jeep does.

Bob_98SR5

its good to read real, first hand experience here, but remember guys, 'its not the wand, it's the magician' too

many moons ago, i was deciding b/n an X and a 4runner. like others, i felt the fit and finish was a little too cheap for me, but i firmly believe that it was designed like that to meet their target price point. same goes for the seats too. but to more important things, they've spent money in important areas and desipte the opinions of some here, the X is still a very capable off roading vehicle stock. if we were so right about 4runners and so wrong about Xterras, please explain the popularity of www.xoc.com, the membership, and the number of 3rd party companies making aftermarket parts for the X.

what swayed me to buy a 4runner was i intent on buying a vehicle that had proven quality, off roadability, good road manners, longevity as well as historically high resale value (in case i wanted to off load it). even though i paid a premium over the Xterra, that is what i wanted and i think that desire to pay for that premium is a huge deciding factor for those who buy a 4runner over an X.

bob

X-AWDriver

I like Xterras but I like 4Runners alot more but I would consider owning the Nissan. A lady at work just traded in her Supercharged '01 for an '06 model with bigger wheels and 260hp naturally aspirated,now she has 50 more ponies and no need for premium anymore.

MTL_4runner

When I bought my 4runner the Xterra didn't even exist yet (came out 2 years later).
I test drove alot of SUVs before buying and as soon as I drove the 4runner I knew it was the right one.
All the stuff I read just seemed to confirm it later.

.....not to take anything away from the Xterra, it is a very proven offroad vehicle as well (can be S/C too!).

ASU4runner

I think people just buy it for that first aid kit.