Not really. If you remove the off-road uses from the comparison, they are actually very similar vehicles. I say that because we, along with about 90% of the other SUV-owners we see, do NOT use their SUV's for their full purpose, which is the ability to take the vehicle where conventional cars cannot go. I tried to convicer her to get a minivan, but she won't have it. So, stuck with an SUV.

So, off-roading aside, I compare my station wagon to my wife's SUV quite often. On the plus side, the Xterra sits way higher than most other vehicles, giving you a great view of traffic in all directions, something I appreciate being only 5'8". The Xterra is also much smaller and has a shorter turn radius, making parking, especially in a garage, very, very easy. The Xterra is also newer, so it's more likely to NOT have mechanical problems when it reaches 75,000 miles and 9 years of age.

On the other hand, I have FAR MORE cargo capacity in my Wagon. For example, this past weekend, we drove to Macon, Ga, to a furniture store and ended up purchasing a full-sized coffee table, as well as a decorative clock that measured 3'x3' and 6" deep. It all fit in the back of the Wagon, and we still didn't have to fold down the second row of seats (we had the kids with us). In fact, the furniture didn't even hang over their heads from the back cargo area. But if need be, the second row of seats also folds down, creating a cargo space large enough to fit a 4'x8' sheet of plywood, plus anything 3' high or less you want to stack on top of it.

The Wagon gets better mileage, and with over 260 horsepower, has absolutely no problem merging into traffic, highway or otherwise. Being lower to the ground, it handles a bit better than the X, but I'm slamming the X's capabilities in the handling department. As I already stated, I think it handles very well compared to other SUV's I've driven.

The Wagon is going on 10 years' of age and creeping up on 76K miles. Since buying it, I've had to seriously recharge the R134a, flush the tranny, flush the radiator, and do a minor exhaust repair. No biggie, it cost less than 1/3 of the Xterra's price, and came with leather seats. :p