Well times change, and Nissan is trying to at least keep up, if not lead the way. I'm a new Nissan owner, so my observations are mainly from the outside (which is a good thing I think). I think the Pathfinder is a good example of what you're talking about. The Pathfind used to be a good, tough, SUV. It wasn't flashy, but it had decent room inside and was good on and off road. Now the thing is a beast. It feels huge when driving, and it's interior is darn close to feeling luxury.

It just seems to me that Nissan is shifting their SUV line up a notch, and maybe will add something else between the Xterra and the Murano. /shrug

I still think the Xterra ('05) embodies the rough and tumble outdoorsy image though...I mean heck the cargo area isn't even carpeted anymore.

If you want to talk about sad states of affairs in offroad vehicles, look at the LR3 vs. the old Discovery. I mean, my grandma could take that thing offroad now because they've made it so automatic.