advice on new xterra purchase

hey everyone, i'm about to pull the trigger on a '07 xterra 4x4 and want some reassurance i'm choosing the right truck. i've owned 2 hardbody 4wd's and a frontier 2wd, so i know nissan is a good truck.

my intentions are to drive the xterra here in the states for a year or two, then move full time to costa rica and take the truck. i've read about people having problems with bottoming out (bump stops) and drivetrain problems and we can't have that once we're down south. are these problems that i should be concerned with? there are many nissans down there and they can work on them, but i don't want to have any major problems out in the middle of nowhere.

other than that, i have driven the xterras and love them, so i hope i get positive advise.

either way, thanks for any help...

40

If your looking for hardcore... No the aluminum front diff won't handle the abuse.

If you want a nice highway cruiser with some occasional off road then it is a great vehicle.

If your going to be crawling through the jungle somewhere go buy an older wrangler.

If you get the OR model, the rear locker is worth it alone...and it makes the X a pretty unstoppable beast as far as traction goes...something to consider on the Costa Rican end of things.



Even the other models have good programming on the traction control though, but the locker is a step up from that big time.

Thanks. I won't be using it for anything too hardcore, just getting through mud in rainey season and generally really bad roads. Seems like the perfect truck as long as noone's had any major problems. The one I have picked out is a '07 S 4wd. I wanted the OR but can't find one in my area that's 4wd, and that's a deal breaker.

They make a 2wd OR? Anyone else see the irony in this?

1. Yes. Our local Nissan dealer's lot is full of them. Nary a 4x4 to be found, however.

2. Yes, I do see the irony in it. On the other hand, Toyota has been marketing a jacked up "TRD Off-road" Tacoma pickup for years in both 4x2 and 4x4 flavors. A friend of mine has the former.