Saturday afternoon, after months of agonizing deliberation, I pulled the trigger and ordered a 2005 Xterra. Today I got a call from my dealer. When he placed the order this morning he was told that Canteen, my color choice, has been discontinued by Nissan.

That seems really odd... to drop a color in the middle of a model year. So now I have to pick another color.

After a drive-by tonight I'm leaning toward Granite. What the heck is that color anyway? Is it me or does it keep changing? Sometimes it looks grey. No, grey-green. Then, no. It's taupe brown.

Would you get the steel/graphite interior with that? I'd wanted the desert/graphite combo, but I'm not sure it'd be so good with the Granite.

Any thoughts? I have to make a decision by Wednesday. Thanks!

Well I know it won't help, but I have an 05X in Canteen, my second choice. My first choice in color was Granite, but it eluded my search so i bought the Canteen.

I like the Granite for two reasons, it would apear to conceal dirt better than the other colors (my house is off a dirt road) and because it has that "mystery color" appeal you describe.

It is odd they'd discontinue a color?

I'm not sure if they discontinued it or not, but I know that the Off-Road version never had it available for the 05.

That was the main color I was looking at myself.

Yeah, I was cleaning up around my desk and found the '05 brochure, very disappointed that EVERY other color has the Offroad option... EXCEPT Canteen!! Not that it really effects me, but hey, it is my color... and a sweet color at that. Of course, had they offered mine in the Night Armor color... then.. *drooooool* I almost got Granite because I thought it was going to be a more grayish color, but decided I didn't like how much the color changed from a sorta green color to a really light gray color.

When I was looking for my 05-SE, I looked at all the colors. The yellow was...just a little too much. I saw the red and it look fantastic, then I saw a Canteen.

Here in Canada there was one sold canteen s in calgary. I saw is and thought wow. So I ordered mine and there were only 2 other canteen's in western canada, 2 se's in Vancouver.

So I got my canteen SE 1 month ago and it looks hot, real hot. The step rails really make it look beefy. My only problem is the dust. We still need a good rain or 2 to get rid of the dust. I can wash it and 1 hour later there is dust on it. Hard to keep clean.

Just make sure you get something that you are happy with.

aha! There's a name for it! (that color-morphing Granite paint job)...

met·a·chro·mat·ic (mt-kr-mtk)
adj.

Of or relating to metachromasia.
Relating to the property of certain chemical substances to appear as different colors depending upon the wavelength of light under which they are viewed.

Source: The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

OK Mr CSI,

At least in the states you had more choices for the off road in canada it comes in black(ebony) white(artic somethin or other) Knight Armour and Yellow! Nothin else!

To bad they dont have blue for the 05 Xs. I can just picture it now.....

Jens made a thread like that where he'd "shopped" prolly 2 dozen or more colors on the '05.. Goin' lookin' now..

Here's some since you're taking so long :

Jens Color Palette

I couldn't find the other post with all the pinks and purples ect...

I got lost in the cupboard trying to decide if I should cover my mesquite grilled, 14 oz., 28 day-dry aged, Angus beef, boneless NY strip steak with A1 or some really, really good roasted raspberry-chipotle sauce. (From Costco) If you've had it, you know it kicks much ass too

Maybe if I reread this whole thread that will make sense and I will laugh at it's blissful irony. Either that or you're simultaneously surfing the FoodTV forums again and hit the "reply" button in the wrong window...

Very nice blue X, Pony Boy!

After deliberating for days (thanks for all your help, folks) I told the Nissan Dealer Man, that's all well and good... I still want a green one.

So instead of ordering me a new X, he's doing a search to see what he can find for me in Canteen Green. It's gotta be a Model S 4x4; gotta have the power and utility packages, but other than that, hey, I'm flexible.

Happy day!

ooops! Forgot the most important part. It's gotta have a 6-speed stick. Drove one Saturday, and with the new 265 HP engine... it rocks!

blue makes the xterra look like a ford escape.

Thanks man, good luck with your X. Canteen is a great color. If it was available with the OR package, I wouldn't have Night Armor

I have a 2003 in Granite. Love the color. You are correct in your assumption about it not showing dirt. It is pretty easy to keep clean looking. Between hand washes I usually run it through a touchless wash at my local Petro Express after every other fill-up, and it does a good job of getting the "big dirt" off. I'm not sure if I have a graphite colored interior like you're speaking of. It looks black to me, and it is factory leather. Usually I like the feel and smell of it, but today we had a 93 degree day and it really made the interior hot as Hades. I wear a suit and tie for business calls, and today it made me wish I had a beige cloth interior.

Bottom line, the Granite is a primo color. The interior is personal taste.

Get some aftermarket tint. The tint that comes from the factory doesn't keep the heat out. Now days, doesn't matter how dark tint is, it all keeps out a good portion of heat. Just a thought

Yee-ha! I got one!

Talked to the dealer just now and he's found me a 6-speed S in Canteen at another dealer here in the Hudson Valley. It's specced out just the way I wanted it, too. Will be picking up the new baby on Saturday. Life is good.

Congrats man, glad you got what you wanted.