so i have an 04 se/sc and its a good truck...no major complaints....but the crappy LSD and lack of power sucks...and lately i've been getting more into off roading.

Do you guys think (assuming money isn't an issue) it's worth it to trade up for an 06 witht the off-road package? The E-Lock seems to be a huge advantage to going offroad, as well as the much better engine.

what do you guys think? Should i trade up?

If money is not an issue then why the heck not?

I think I would have traded my '02 for an '06 if I could. I love my '02 and it's mildly modded but I'd be willing to trade and start over.

I was thinking the same thing. Trading in my 04. In fact I took a test drive the other day in a 6spd. I like the increased power and it seems to be a little bigger inside. Now, to convince the wife that I should trade in a 2yr old X.

Am I too late? Are you at the dealer yet? Well, why not if you are still here?

"Should i trade up?"

Yep!

No. Waste of money.

I had briefly pondered this too, and I emphasize briefly. Crunch the numbers and you will see, even if money is not an issue it is a blatant waste of said money. Spend some $$ on mods and make the best of it.

I agree. If you like you 04, keep it and mod it. That will be more fun. You still won't have the power, but that has rarely bothered me. Modding the truck is half the fun.

I'd say do it. I traded in my '03 for the '05 and love it. Of course I had a lot more of a power gain then most of you guys will if and when you do your trade in. I had the 4 banger in my other X and that's one heck of a power jump.

If I could have found the OR in the stick then that's what I would have gotten but when I was looking I couldn't get one since no one around here had it. I didn't want to wait as they told me they didn't know how long it would be to track one down and get it here. I just got the S and I still love it. Would love to have the locker but I just don't have the time right now to be wheelin as much as I would like to without having to driver 3+ hours just to go.

I traded my 02 XE for the 05 OR 6MT. I love the power gain, 6 speed, wipe down cargo and locker. I can say that i do still miss my 02 every once in a while when I see what some of the guys here with Mods on them.

My 05 mods are coming along with 285 75 R16 on and my Hella 500s up top. Jim should have my Sliders ready in a week and my Lift is ordered.

It took my dealer about 2 months to find the Super Black OR 6speed that I wanted but I'm glad I waited.

You'll enjoy the 06

No way. 265 horsepower sounds great but the money lost is thrown away. I would keep the '04, drive it, enjoy it, and remember why you bought it in the first place.
And down the road after you have the '04 paid off get the new body style and have the best of both worlds. (That is what Sammy Hager would say.)

I traded up from an 00, this truck is night and day over the 1st generation. With yourself in the Supercharged 04, I'd say go for it if you can afford it. More power and no need to buy premium gas, plus way better gas mileage than the SC 04.

i don't think many people would think having an 04 xterra in addition to having an 05 or 06 xterra is the best of both world...most people only need/want one suv...i know i'd rather have a sedan and an suv, or a sports car and suv, not 2 vehicles that share the same purpose.

i say do whatever it takes to satisfy you...that is what life is about. if everytime you drive your 04 you are thinking or wishing you were driving the newer model, if you are financially able you should do it....have to satisfy yourself and your own needs in life, no one else will do it for you...

I don't think it's worth it either... plus in my opinion the gen1 X looks way better than the gen2 both inside and outside. I really don't like the square plastic shape they went with.

Do it. I traded my 04 for 05 and the 'lost money' was worth me being happy. No longer do I have to curse whenever going up a steep grade. And the interior is much, much larger in my opinion.

I love both designs equally but the new gen X looks meaner.

And hey, you only live once.

Allow me to summarize the post.

Basically those who have "traded-up" say yes.
Those who have not "traded-up" say no, and offer a lengthy explanation why.

Wow! What are the odds?

Now what you have to do is try to decide is who do you believe.

On one had the people who did trade up have actually put their money where their mouths are and did it. Did you see any of them unhappy with their decision? Did any 2005+ Xterra owners express regret on trading up?

The other hand the people who didn't trade up. Since they didn't make the trade you have to wonder if all of or some of them are passing on principle. Some of them may have actually test driven the new Xterra, but I would wager that many of them did not (even though they may say they have to say that I am wrong). I don't respect people who give advice on things they know nothing about. Those stubborn first Gen people should give the new Xterra a test drive to give them a fair shake. It may not be enough to convince them to trade in, but the next Gen sure is a nice truck.

I don't think that the first Gen'ers are not giving the '05 a chance. Speaking for myself, I would like to have the extra 85 horsepower offered in the new rig, and the new look is growing on me. However in the past 2 plus years of owning my X I have returned to the dealership less than a dozen times all of which were for nothing more than to purchase oil filters. I respect the dependablity that my X has provided for my family. The people holding on to their underpowered, late 1990's technology may have unspoken thoughts. Just a thought.

You make it sound like a new X is for free.

The Xterra is not free.

Test drives are free. Test drive a new one, then and only then are you allowed to make suggestions for or against. I was simply pointing out that many the first Gen posters (who were all against) probably didn't test drive the next Gen one (even if they post after this that they already had).

[/rant start]

Let's be honest here. Before you even consider a new vehicle, one of the first things you consider is what it looks like. Now, it's time for me to be honest. I LOOKED at a new X a while back (it was an '05) and that alone turned me off. I don't like what they did to a good looking truck. Does that make me an old, stubborn 1st Gen'er? No. It means that I'm honest with myself and I like what I have right now.

When I first got my '03 SE 2 1/2 years ago, I got it because I liked the way it looked. I also liked the simplicity of the vehicle - remember the slogan, "Everything you need, nothing you don't"? Well, after looking at a new X, IMO I think they lost (at least some of) that simplicity. The new X'es have things on them that you have to rate as just "nice" - not something you need. Yes, I'll agree, the locker (if you get it) would be usable. The extra power would be debatable on it's need. The electronic 4WD is definately something that is NOT needed and would fall into the "nice" category. (What's wrong with a dependable/manual 4WD system?). My father-in-law used to tell me that the more "stuff" they put in a vehicle, the more "stuff" that can break, and in some cases, leave you stranded (not that ALL the X'es aren't VERY dependable vehicles). This is what I like about the 1st Gen's, "Everything you need, nothing you don't." There's not much extra "stuff" you don't need that can break.

Do you NEED the extra 60hp? If you're honest with yourself, probably not. Let's get real here, is it worth losing all the money it would take to trade a perfectly good '04 SC/SE (205HP if I recall) for an '06 (265HP)? I guess the answer would be it depends on what you want the truck for and your philosophy on why you bought one in the first place.

So, if you've read this far, you will know that for me the answer would be a resounding no. Have I actually driven one? No. Do I need to test drive one in order find out I don't like the truck? In my case, certainly not. There's a lot of reasons to not like a vehicle besides what you may or may not find out during a test drive. Sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but for me, Nissan would have to offer me one hell of a deal to get me to make that trade.

[/rant end]

I agree with Gonzo to an extent. I love the manual 4wd system instead of the turn knob. Gives me more of traditional feel when i off-road. Another thing that stops me from getting the new xterra is that the car is much taller than the 03 xterra and with the loadwarrior on top like I have now, I might not be able to get into my garage anymore. I also like the look of my xterra although I am getting accustomed to the look recently.

The extra horsepower would be nice. I don't like the interior though the seats look weird to me. and the dash looks conservative compared to the 03 of mine. The glove compartment is nice though. The rear having the plastic ground has its plus and minus. Without the carpet, things can move around and actually get scratched I think. On the other hand, it will be easier to clean. I also prefer the rear tail lights of the xterra 03. And my stock charcoal 4-spoke rims is a design I love.

Got to hand one thing to the xterra though, shrock's new bumper on the xterra looks killer. That by itself might make me trade to get a new one, although it might not happen for a while. I plan on driving mine for over a 100,000 miles.

We drove several 04 xterra's before the new 05 came out. I can only say we would be very disappointed had we bought the 04 and then drove an 05. Night a day difference, hands down the 05 is a better vehicle.

Not trying to offend any pre 05 owners.

For any of you pre-2005 wanting to upgrade: If you can wait, wait for '07. If you can’t, the new model, dare I say, is the best vehicle I have ever owned. Fun, off road as well as on. Plus, Nissan will probably throw sliders on the OR next year to match Toyota's FJC. Also we have to see how this Iran situation turns out. $100 a barrel of oil is going to turn us to our bikes for a little bit.

I honestly don't think anyone would drive a new X back to back against a classic one and say "I hate the new one". All I'm saying is that most people who test drive one would say "I love it but can't afford to dump $15000 just for it". I havn't even test driven one yet and still say the same thing.

In real life, if money isn't an issue, I wouldn't be testing an X...

I see both points.

Money is definitely a factor I'm sure for most 1st gen folks. My upgrade required me taking a loss on a new down and any payment made on my '04 X. But do I regret it? Hell no. For me, as much as I loved my 1st X - the lack of power was too much of an issue for me. It maxed out at 55-60mph on steep grades - and that was just when I was alone w/ no cargo. Now, the 265 ponies is the biggest perk from my upgrade. That, and I wanted a 4x4.

All the Xtras were a bonus. I dig the much roomier interior, the ease of folding down the back seat now, the wipe down cargo and the more aggressive look of the redesign.

For those that claim that the X lost some of the "nothing you don't" spirit in the simplicity of the 1st gen, I honestly don't know what you're talking about. More power + room but same soul. That's what it boils down to.