Newport Beach, CA – The “Off-Road” theme continues this week with the 2009 Xterra Off-Road V6 4X4.  This is one purpose built truck that any off-road warrior can take sloshing through mud, crawling over rocks or scrambling across the sand and not get beat up on the way to the trail.      

After spending 300 plus miles with this beast, all in the concrete jungle rather than blasting up and back down the side of a mountain I was very impressed.  Read on!         

 For a base of $29,340 you get all the rough terrain conquering equipment you should need short of traversing the Amazon.  The 4.0-liter DOHC V6 engine makes 261 Horsepower and 281Lb/Ft Torque channeled to all four wheels via a 5-speed auto transmission.  Around town and on the freeway there is no lack of grunt when requested.  4-wheel ABS and limited slip keep things in check and the engine-speed-sensitive rack & pinion power steering made maneuvering the Xterra a breeze.  For the true off-roaders the rigid leaf rear suspension and front independent double-wishbone suspension with coil springs help with the tough terrain as does the electronic locking rear differential, front and rear stabilizer bars are provided too.  Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist kick in when needed to help rather going up or down!  The fully boxed high-strength frame makes the truck rock solid.

On the outside more ruggedness shines through in the form of big knobby BF Goodrich Rugged Trail tires mounted on handsome 18 inch machined alloy wheels, Fog Lights, Splash Guards, Front Tow Hook, Side Bumper Steps in the rear, and the unique to the Xterra gear basket with the off-road lights mounted up high, and roof rail for schlepping your Kayak up to the lake.

More importantly on the outside is what you don’t see…..high performance Bilstein Shocks, skid plates (Oil Pan, Fuel Tank, Transfer Case), front underbody Skid Plate, none of which hang down to impede your progress while off-roading.
                The interior is minimalist as you can imagine as this truck is meant to get dirty and is the one sour point of the vehicle.  The plastic is hard and frankly looks cheap and there is a lot of it across the dash.  Maybe it’s easy to clean and that might be the point but I would hope Nissan addresses the look and feel of it in future updates.  Beyond the abundance of plastic the interior is not a bad place to spend some

time, you and four of your friends will be comfortable getting to and from the day’s events.  The unique seat fabric, again with the easy to clean mantra, works well.
                Included still at the base price of $29,340 is power pretty much everything (windows, locks, Etc.) Tilting leather wrapped steering wheel, Cruise Control, 60/40 split second road row seats, A/C, easy clean cargo area, remote keyless entry, first-aid kit, and 3, count ‘em, three 12 volt DC outlets just in case you need to bring your flat screen TV along into the wilderness!
                Adding, floor mats, the Technology Package and the Destination charge brings the final tally to $30,235.00.  The package adds an awesome Rockford Fosgate audio system with 8-high performance speakers, 6-CD in-dash Changer, Subwoofer, Bluetooth Hands-Free Cell phone system and XM Satellite Radio.
                The Xterra’s powerful V6 makes it easy to like this truck, power is abundant.  Even stiffened up for heavy duty off-roading the on-road handling and ride characteristics are very easy, if not enjoyable to live with.  For those that need a civilized SUV for the day to day grind with room for 5 that can actually be taken off more than a dirt road this is certainly a vehicle that should be on your shopping list.  

Column and photos provided by Rich Branch, EVP of Race Central TV and Radio Network Partners.