I am looking at getting a brush guard for my X, any thoughts/experiences on whether I should go for the Nissan guard or go for a 3rd party (Waag, etc.) guard?

That's a matter of personal opinion. All of them look different and it also depends on what else you have on your X. And let's not forget availability, shipping costs, etc. Look on the internet and especially this board for pics of what the varios brands look like on the X. I even went to the dealer lot to see some. Good luck!

Personally I like the look of the WAAG in Nissan Silver. It has the appearance of the step-rails and roof-rack with a few black accents. It seems to be better built than the Nissan aftermarket one too.

I was going to get one of the WAAG units this month, but all the whacked-out off-road X's on here are really starting to affect me. I am getting the offroad bug big-time. Now I am leaning toward the damn ARB bull bar.

If you want looks, I love the WAAG. Be sure to get the matching taillight covers. A very nice package look!

Resistance is futile, you will be ARBsimilated.
Snarl

[ 08-12-2001: Message edited by: Snarl ]

if you go offroad then get an ARB or TJM bull bar. if you dont go offroad get the WAAG or nissan grille guard. thing about the nissan grille guard is that it doesnt come with headlight covers like the waag guard does but the nissan guard is made out of aluminum so it should be lighter and less prone to rust if scratched.

from what my dealership told me, nissan's coming out w/ a new "nissan" brush guard that has prongs that extend to the airbag "sensor type thing" under the grille...
all the aftermarket, and the first nissan brush guard are NOT compatable w/ the airbag sensor....

if u go to my site(in my sig) i have yellow brush guards. check it out

I was in the same dillema when I was looing for a new front end, it all depends on what you will use it for, the Waag and other brushguards marketed by Nissan dealers offer very little real protection. I opted for the ARB, it is only $595.00 compared to $425.00 and gives true protection even if you don't go for the winch. Take a good look at the stock bumber and tell me where the protection lies, 90% plastic! They ARB adheres to all front airbag req's, and looks awesome too, but I am a little intrigued by the custom yellow paint, hard to touch up though.

This is still unproven. Only a few ARB bull bars are tested and work correctly with air bags. The Navara bull bar which we use on the Xterra is not one of them.

The stock bumper (any stock bumper, on any vehicle) is not designed to protect anything but the occupants of the vehicle in a head on crash. The plastic valence at the bottom is strictly cosmetic, because it plays no role in collision protection.

I want a brush guard for both cosmetic reasons and protection. Hmmm... what to do? I guess I need to look into this further.