Motor man does have a point. Those brush guards are useful for close quarters situations such as parallel parking. Every cab in NYC has 'em.

The cons of the guard definitely outweigh the pros in the case of a 4wd Xterra. Those guards cause a great deal of front end damage in the case of a relatively small accident. They also cause more damage to the other persons car. If you rear-end someone, it is almost always your fault. Therefore, your liability insurance will be covering their damage, too. I have heard of a recent case where the insurance company refused to pay(liability) because the person did not have the brush guard declared on there policy.

I have been 4-wheeling since I got my "X" and have banged up the bottom of the front bumper numerous times; there is no way I could ever live with the decreased approach that the brush guard gives in front.

Aftermarket bumpers are ugly?
If I wanted a pretty car, I would have bought a 350Z.

.............Maybe somebody will rear-end me with one of those brush guards so I can buy an aftermarket bumper with the insurance money.