As far as the squeaks go, well, the 05 is still a first year model. I had to zip tie some cables under the driver's side dash (no big deal), but the most annoying problem is that the rubber stops that hold the hood up are noisy.

Topic: Help with new \'05 annoying squeaking sound from hood

I put a lot of offroad miles on my X in Moab this summer, and the rubber stops basically fell apart. I've got electrical tape holding them together right now, and I haven't bothered to replace them because I think it'll just happen again. When I get a chance, I'm going to make replacement stops of some sort.

My driver's side window also rattles like hell when half-way down on a dirt road-- sounds like it's going to break. My dealer has been working on this one.

Any vehicle's going to make noises if you drive it off road, but in the 7000 miles I've driven it, my 05 X has been more rattle-prone than the Rubicon. I suppose that's what I get for buying a first year vehicle. In general Nissan gets better quality reviews than Jeep. For what it's worth, my brother-in-law's 05 Frontier has been super-quiet (but the only place he ever drives it is to work and the mall).

I wouldn't let a few rattles or squeaks turn you off from getting an 05 Xterra. The new ones really are well thought out for off roading-- flat undercarriage, rear locker, good ground clearance, great storage. I would, however, read through the 2005 Forum to make sure you can live with/fix its weaknesses-- some rattles and squeaks, a noisy AC system, and an easily-scratched interior.

Right now the 05 Xterra is a pretty unique vehicle. It's the size of Land Cruisers and Land Rovers that cost tens of thousands more, has V6 mileage with the power of a V8, and nicely balances the needs of a daily driver and an offroader. The Rubicon doesn't do this (although the all-new 2007 4-door Wrangler and the 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser may-- but neither vehicle is out yet, and both will be first year models when they arrive in showrooms).