Nissan quality

I have never owned a Nissan, how does the quality
and reliability compare to Toyota ?
No flames please.

well its not a chevy dodge or ford hope that helps

And I'm sure it is 1,000 times better than my Jeep !

First XOC troll with 5 trucks?

I am not a troll, I am looking for a replacement
for my LOW Quality Jeep Rubicon.

The world knows that Nissan and Toyota are the better brands of the imports. Great resale and you can expect long life from both. Nissan offers more horse power. Toyota more after market parts. I perfer the Nissan of coarse.

Your only option is to go test drive both back to back, then you will know which one you like best!

Oh, try to stay out of the flames...........

I find it telling that no one actually addressed his question. Toyota quality is legendary. Ford, GM, Dodge is not. I would generally agree that any Nissan is of higher quality than any of it's "American-made" counterparts. However, having owned Hondas, I would not say that my X is of higher quality than them. I consider Toyota on par with Honda. You get what you pay for. The X is a low-priced, entry level SUV. I've found it quite reliable, just as reliable as my Hondas, but if I had my druthers, and another $10k, I'd rather have a 4Runner.

I work for Totota but I drive Nissan
I would put Toyota and Nissan on the same lavel.
Dodge is total reject and I would never compare
Dodge to Nissan or Toyota.
Chris

Yes, I am just wanting some honest feedback
from the people that actually own the X.

This might be what you are looking for !
http://media.putfile.com/05-Xterra-OR--vs--05-Tacoma-TRD

Hope this helps

I've owned a lot of different cars and trucks.
I'm really happy with the Xterra.

When we were looking at the sentra we acctually brought the carolla to the toyota dealership and parked them side by side to compare. I'm not sure the nissan people were impressed but we ended up going with the sentra. They're not going to not let you do this so why not. When we poped the hoods and started the carolla the salesgut said ok not start the sentra. It was already running and the choice was easy!

I found a good review....
http://www.wheels.ca/features/nov_06_comparo.php

So what did you decide? At least which way are you leaning?

Yeah - my impression is that the Toy is somewhat better than the Xterra - but that it's correspondingly more expensive... both are great vehicles.

The first generation Xterra has a few predictable problems:
1) cracked exhaust manifolds
2) rear main seal leaks
3) window regulators (on some years)
4) occasional headgasket or tranny problems - but not too many
mmmm... that's all that's coming to mind right now.

Also keep in mind if you're buying used, that the V6 first gens ('00-'04) have a timing BELT that must be replaced at 105k miles. The 4-cylinders and the '05+ gen 2's have chains.

I'm sure there are a few common problems with the next gens - but I don't know them. Maybe look around the next gen forum.

Compared to the Rubicon, the X will be a huge improvement onroad - power(gen 2 X only), mileage(gen 2 X only), cargo room, ride quality etc. Off road, they are very capable - especially the gen 2's with the OR package... they come with a rear diff locker - but they're not really on the same level as a solid axle dual-locked Rubicon (though at this point I can say that mine will definitely kick a stock Rubicon's ass ).

Hope that's helful.

I am leaning toward the X, I was just at the
dealer and test drove an '06 SE .
They didnt have an '06 Offroad, which is kind
of what I want, but I dont know if I need it.

Hello, My Mechanic went to Toyota factory in Japan, the pride and quality he saw, made him realize why the Japanese cars are so good (including Nissan's). If fact there are going to be building a new Nissan factory in Toyota City,Japan.

Because of the all the major suppliers of auto parts are there too.

Amercan's car's are expensive (labor cost-highest in the world), lot of the workers do not have PRIDE and quality in their workman ship.
Plus Auto makers are always trying to cut cost.
In the end...they lose to Japan,Korea,Europe...Just my thoughts on these..Aloha

PS:My mechanic was a Auto mechanic teacher at a community college,work various shops,now owns and operate his own repair shop...lots of knowledge and experence...

Welcome to 2006!

Toyota's recent problems with recalls have lumped them right in with the other manufacturers. They now compete with Hyundai .

Comparing the 4runner with the Xterra is pointless. It should be test driven alongside its counterpart, the Pathfinder. The Xterra should be test driven alongside the FJ Cruiser and the Hummer H3.

I have the extra ca$h to go but an FJ or 4runner or Land Cruiser. However, I will not because I happen to like my Xterra's features better thsn those vehicles.

My Xterra is the "lower quality" version and I have abused it for 3 years with no problems.

Just remember that a 4x4 is more costly to maintain than a car and to expect to account for the extra maintenance costs.

Drive all the vehicles and choose what you like. Just remember that if you go with a newer SUV, you will lose the solid front axle on your Rubicon. I happen to like the '07 Rubi Unlimited, but I can't comment on its level of quality.

Good luck and let us know what you buy!

Well, my husband and I have owned Ford, GM & Dodge and hope to never go back. I got my first import car in 2002 - a Honda Accord and I've never went back. Loved the Accord, then went to Acura and now Nissan. I have to say that I'm not all that impressed with Toyota however. We drove a couple of Toyota's this past summer while our car was being repaired and the quality was just not what I expected. Also, we drove the Hyundai Tucson for 2 days and I returned it to the rental company because it was junk and the Toyota Camry wasn't much better.

I like Honda and I'm quite happy with Nissan.

I have owned 5 Nissans before I bought my Xterra. All have been excellent vehicles. My 72 240Z was totally awesome. It was very hard to sell it so I could have a down payment on my house. Since I have only had my Xterra for 3 months I can't make any judgements on it.

I think it depends on what you need. The Xterra fits my needs perfectly. So far I haven't heard of the Second Gen's having any major problems. With the exception of poor seat material, which you can correct with some nice seat covers. Any one can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

I drove the Toyota's and was not impressed, just my opinion. I thought the motors were noisier with less power. And for all that I read about how nice their interior looks, I thought it looked cheap. I test drove a Tacoma and an FJ, not the 4runner as I knew it was out of my price range. I have been reading that the power trains on the new toyota's are under-sized for the weight of the vehicle and they are starting to have some issues with them on Tacoma's and 4runners. I'm sure they will remedy this if it is true.

I do think that Toyota, Honda and Nissan all are quality car manufacturers, but this is the first brand new car I've ever owned. I thought about getting the new Wrangler, really glad I didn't. I stopped by the dealership to look at one, they had it on the show room floor and the door didn't even shut properly. The latch was tight and the bottom part of the door was over a quarter inch from being flush with the body of the vehicle. My brother was actually thinking about trading his Frontier for a Wrangler until we saw that.

That makes me smile.

I should add I haven't had any problems with my seats, but have read on here where people with the 05 & 06's have and have gotten them fixed under warranty.

Well I have a job that takes me outdoors a lot and over a lot of different ground. Through my company and personnel vehicles I have owned or had both Chevrolet and Ford pickups, a chevy blazer, Ford exploder, Honda accord, and now the X. In terms of quality the Honda and Nissan are miles beyond any of the domestic brands I have ever owned. The X suits my lifestyle to a tee and is one of the best vehicles I have ever owned.

Recently Time Magazine had an interview with the Nissan CEO. He has really brought the company back from the brink. All of Nissans current products (except the Titan and Armada) score very high on all consumer surveys and magazine tests. The warranty is great as well. Granted GM has a 5yr/100k warranty but who wants to always have the truck in the shop. Honda, Toyota, and Nissan are all great but and the levels of quality that seperate them are slim but i would put them in the order listed previously. Buy what you need and not on impulse!!!

Tim

If you're looking to replace your rubi with an SUV, then in my opinion, you can't go wrong with the '06 OR xterra. Comparing the VQ40 engine with the current taco engine or the FJ engine, the power, quality, and reliability are significantly favoring the Xterra. I have also heard about the tranny problems reported with the newer Toyotas, and have heard nothing similar about the Xterra. My girlfriend has had her heart set on replacing her exploder with a taco for the last 3 years, and after test driving one, I convinced her to test drive a 2nd gen X. Now she wants an OR model (is it just me, or are they impossible to find anymore??). The factory rear diff locker is a nice addition as well. The FJs are available with lockers, but once you start adding options to make it a decent offroad vehicle, you're looking at a price tag just under $40K. Not to mention the cost of better tires, etc. My girlfriend's brother just bought an FJ with factory lockers, and paid $38 with a pretty good discount.

If you really want a good feel for the quality of the Xterra, look through the forums and some of the archives. My Xterra has been a submarine and is still running like a champ, so personally I'd have to say the Xterra is the best vehicle you can buy in its class for the price. A fully locked Rubi may be more capable offroad, but the cost of getting an Xterra and doing the SAS and adding lockers produces a more on AND off-road capable vehicle for much less money. I've also noticed that rust seems to be more of a problem on the Jeeps.

Good luck!

I H8MUD,
Welcome to the board,I can't figure out why some on this board feel they need to flame someone who has a legit question. Dumbasses...
I have 111k on my 01 Xterra. It was originally my wifes truck and when she wanted a car we traded in my 01 Dodge Ram with a lift 35's etc., and kept the Xterra. The Ram had 50k miles on it and it was literally falling apart. Although I religiously maintain the X it has taken plenty of offroad abuse without consequence. It is somewhat modified ( Lift,exhaust,cold air intake, steering system, bumpers) and goes most anywhere I want to.
At 111k miles it still has fewer rattles than our 98 Chevy ZR2 had when it was brand new.
Although not powerful (1st Gen), it's a great truck and I will drive it until the wheels fall off.

Thanks for the repies. Right now I am waiting to hear back from the dealer.
They are trying to locate an '06 Offroad for me.
They said they would give me a killer deal on
The "S" and "SE" models on the lot.
The "S" is probably all I really need.

I work for Honda and drive a Nissan.
It's my second one. I went Nissan again just because Honda doesn't have a truck that I want.
I was close to buying a Tacoma but the sales guy had an attitude like I needed him more than he needed me.

So glad I bought my Xterra. Still makes me smile when I get in to drive it.

Sorry I'm not illiterate, just distracted. We brought the nissan to the toyota dealership to compare them side by side. We told the nissan guys that that's where we were headed and they weren't impressed, until we bought the sentra

SHIFT 2.0 Sentra or 1.0 Sentra?

...not that it matters :p

As for the topic, I'd say that Japanese manufacturers in general are leading the pack. Nissan may be behind both Toyota and Honda, but it's not by much and when you look at the quality of Nissan's trucks and you look at the quality of American "engineering" you really get an idea of how much pride the Japanese put into their work. It's quite amazing and really backs up the stereotype of lazy Americans rather nicely. I like it.

When shopping the Japanese brands, it really comes down to features to me. If I like the power of the X over a FJ or a friggin Element, I go with the X. I went with the X because of the features, price, power, and styling. It's the complete package for me.

Happy New Years!
Mike

Nissans are nice cars.

Nissans are becoming much more reliable (with the exception of the Titan and Armada, because this is one of Nissan's first attempts w/ such a big engine, where things are likely to go wrong). Nissan used to be not terrible, but not great at the same time. Toyota was a long time ago a piece of junk...but now the best in reliability there is...however, they don't put nearly the power into their vehicles that Nissan and Honda do...so they have less chance of breaking down. If you want POWER and RELIABILITY, go with any Nissan, or a Toyota Truck.

Toyota and Honda have been on the top of the list of maintenance and reliability, no question. Nissan is high on the list but not that high, nor is it on par. Do a quick google search and you'll see.

I've owned my x for just about a year now, it has 37,000 miles on it, and i have had the common problems, windows no longer working, noisy A/C pulley's that need replacing. etc. etc. Im scared the exhaust manifold will go at any time...

With that said im really happy with it, and it has withstood some good abuse, but i wouldnt say the quality is the greatest. There's a reason Nissan is able to sell the x for considerably a cheap MSRP.

There's a reason Nissan is able to sell the x for considerably a cheap MSRP

I paid $44,000 out the door for my 06 X I would not say thats cheep

well...i don't know if I'd call it cheap...but it's less expensive than most comparable SUVs given the power of the engine and the overall package. I'd also need to look at how the Canadian dollar stands up to the US Dollar.

Why does that sound steep to me? on the nissanusa.com website, i can build an x offroad, automatic with every option ticked, for $30,710 USD. Unless your state taxes are through the roof i think something's wrong. Somebody shed some light on this, here in Canada our car prices are considerably more exensive than yours.

im not trying to be smart with you, im just asking...

My wife and I have owned a few cars. I have always gone with Nissans and my wife has tried different vehicles. She learned that comfort AND reliability are important We are both huge believers in Nissan now.

Good Luck!

last time i checked, he's from ontario, which is in canada...something also has to be said about the value of the USD vs. canadian dollar. In other words...a car in Japan can cost millions of yen, but the value of a yen is very little.

While you are correct, I figured I would use your post to point out a little misnomer about the Japanese yen. The Yen roughly equals the U.S. cent (not dollar). Like the cent, the yen does not have a smaller measure of currency. The Japanese 'dollar' is 100 yen. In exchange rates, I think it's currently 120 yen to 100 cents (1 US dollar).

So, a 25,000 dollar Xterra would cost 2,500,000 cents, or about 3,000,000 Yen.

oops my mistake, didnt see that he was from ontario..

with that said, damn $44,000 canadian, we pay way too much? thats at least ten thousand more (canadian) than if we were to buy it in the states.

Its a lot but man I do love this truck

Why is everything always so damn expensive for our northern neighbors?

A few reasons. Our dollar is worth less than yours, so once you do the conversion, it's a higher dollar value, although not as bad now as 2 years ago.

We have a federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) on all items we buy and most provinces also have their own sales tax on top of the federal tax.

Supply and Demand also has something to do with it. There is less of us, therefore less demand.

Shipping is also a factor because Canada is the largest country in the world and again our population is not as large as yours meaning it's more expensive because fewer items are shipped.

In my opinion, based on what my family has owned, here is how it breaks down.

Nissan (2 vehicles owned) - No major problems, would purchase again

Ford (5 vehicles owned) - No major problems, would purchase again

Chevy (3 vehicles owned) - Some reocurring problems, would think about purchasing again

Honda (2 vehicles owned) - Crap, one was replaced under lemon law. Would not buy again

Mazda (1 vehicle owned) - No problems, would buy again if something interested us

This is just my families experience.

The more expensive price tag used to be a factor when our dollar was in the toilet, however it did not shift to a lower price to better represent our strong currency as it (imo) should have.

It would be cheaper to jump the border, buy the X, pay the Canadian duties and taxes and do the conversions the law insists on.. but what a pain in the ass. Unless you live in a border town, it's a huge time issue.

That being said.. Canadians will pay a higher price, so the companies don't need to adjust their pricing to acknowledge our dollar. That, is pretty much that.

And it wouldn't be so bad if we didn't read this board everyday and watch the yanks buy their new rigs for $28K USD =)

I agree with you Kelli, canadian dealers did not adjust their price with the change in dollar value. And it's not limited to car dealers, all stores still have the same pricing on US merchandise as 2 years ago.

The only thing that is cheaper is the stuff coming from China because they keep making it cheaper.

interesting. yes, it's about 120 yen to a dollar.

I have now owned my 06 off road for 6 months. No problems, and I didn't expect any. I was looking at a 4Runner when I ended up with the Xterra. The best price I could find on a used 4Runner was 26,000 for an 05 with a locker. I bought an 06 OR for 25,000. That made the decision easy. I would never buy another Chevy. This was more because of poor dealer then poor quality of vehicle though there was plenty of that. It was just that they never fixed anything that didn't work.

what ever you do stay away from VW... i never had a car with so many electrical problems.. a 2004 and a 2006.

I just sold my 05 Rubi Unlimited and bought an 07 Off Road. WOW. Road tripped to Colorado and the drive was awesome. On the highway I kept it between 75-85. The X was perfect and I made it to CO with fuel to spare. Try that in a Rubi. I recently took a trip in the Rubi to Colorado and averages 12.5 MPG. AAARGH. The X was around 20MPG at those speeds. The best thing? Passing 18 wheelers with ease. Can't do that in a Rubi (slug).

I love it.

friends of mine who work at BMW, ford, and Chrysler dealerships all drive Japanese cars.