FINALLY got to do a test drive of the Xterra the way I wanted to.

Awsome salesman helped me out at Universal Nissan. PM me if you want his name. I'm pretty sure his manager wouldn't have approved. For now we'll call him Bob.

So Bob picks out an S 4x4 and off we go. He takes me to a very large open lot where I play with the turning radius and blah blah blah. I ask him if I can try out the braking. 'Sure'
Next thing he knows, were doing 40 down the lot and I brake hard. There is this strange knock that comes up through the brake peddle. I do it a couple more times. It happens each time. I'm guessing it's supposed to do that. At first I was alarmed at how mushy the brakes feel, but if you really stomp down on them, you stop pretty quick. This model did not have VDC.

I've been dying to try out the 4x4 ability of this car for some time and asked Bob if it was okay. 'Sure'.
We were in the Hollywood hills. I used to live there and know a place back there where pavement ends and it's just hills.

Once we got there, Bob was looking a little nervous. 'You want to go up THAT?' I really hadn't planned anything serious and put him at ease. I only wanted to get a sense of the kind of control, handling, and so on I could do with and S.

I found this perfect little spot. Two roads, one about 12 feet higher than the other on a decent slope with a nice wide muddy patch at the base of the bottom road. Not deep mud. I didn't want to bring it back all dirty. Just enough mud to mess with traction.

I asked Bob about 50 millions times if he was okay with it. He seemed more excited about doing it than I was.

Switched in to 4Low.
I made my first approach very gentle. The right wheel touched the slope and gave eased on the gas. HAHAHAHAHA the Xterra was like a hungry dog eating up scraps from Thanksgiving dinner. Before I knew what happened we were up and over. Just like that.

Suddenly, Bob is looking at me with a wide grin asking me if I want to do it again.

So, back we go. This time, as the rear wheels move in to the muddy patch I stop for a moment and then ease on the gas. The tires start to spin. The rear ones can't get a grab because of the mud and I'm guessing, the front ones are trying to bit in to dirt that's too soft. Bob starts to look worried. I tell him, no worries.

I back up a foot or so, put it back in drive and this time I give it a little more gas. We go up like it was nothing.

Bob is having the time of his life, "Dude! That shit is tight. Can I try it?"
I tell him, it's his car, go for it. Now I have the salesman climbing this little hill. Before I know it, he's doing it again.

This is the best darn test drive I can ever remember having.

Finally, I tell him we should be getting back. We check the car out to see how dirty it is. Aside from a little dirt on the wheels, it's fine.
I didn't notice a scraping sound each time the rear came off the lip of the rise at the top of the climb. Turns out, it's the mud flaps on the rear tires were scraping on the dirt.

I left with Bob searching their inventory for the model and packages I want. He was great. I didn't get a very good feel for the management, but that's not my problem.
I really hope Bob can find what I'm looking for at the price I want. This guy really earned my business and has to be one of the best salesmen I've met.