Nissan XTerra, Jeep Liberty, ???

[jbs80106]

i don't buy the 90 mph.  maybe downhill with a tailwind....,

Definately on the descent side of the mountains and across Utah......offsets the 50 mph going up hill, esp if lost momentum from having to brake at all.

[Sport-Touring]

[spd2918]

My wife owns a Liberty and I have a good friend with an Xterra.  I didn't want her to buy the Lib, thinking the Grand Cherokee would be a better buy.  3 years later the Jeep has been bulletproof other than a recall and light rust on the painted cheap wheels.  I would recommend the base model with a manual (Mercedes derived 6 speed).  Other than the diesel they all have the v-6, so get the cheaper model.

The wife gets 21 MPG with it.  It is the best snow vehicle I have ever driven.  It bites better than new Chevy full sized trucks and SUVs (which I often drive at work).

Driven back to back the Xterra seemed underpowered and with vague, heavy steering.  Similar to small Toyota SUVs the floor seemed high, forcing your feet to go straight out like a sports cars.  No thanks.

[Kaneto]

Other than the diesel they all have the v-6, so get the cheaper model.

Actually up until 2005 the Libby was available with a 4-cyl engine.  It was weak, slow, and should be avoided at all costs.

It's probably good to specify the type of engine in each vehicle we're comparing.  Most of the Libbys (including the one I owned) came with a 3.7L V6, which makes 210hp and 235lb-ft torque.  It was pretty stout, but lost its edge a bit when bigger tires were put on.  The CRD was a 2.8L diesel that made 160hp and 295lb-ft.  The extra torque made a huge difference, as did the better fuel mileage.  If you can find one I'd definitely recommend it.

I will second the Libby's snow capabilities.  It's not the best car I've ever driven in the snow (that would be my old 05 Mitsubishi Evolution), but it inspired plenty of confidence.  The only time I ever wound up stuck in the snow was due to operator error and not any fault of the vehicle.

The first gen Xterras had a few engine options, ranging from the (slow) 2.4L 4-cyl (143hp) to the best-in-class 3.3L supercharged V6 (210hp, 246lb-ft).  Second gens come with only one engine, the 4.0L V6.  It makes 261hp and 281lb-ft.

The FJ similarly is only made with one engine, also a 4.0L V6.  It makes 260hp and 271lb-ft.

[dorklord]

SO Im not sure what exactly a "real" truck can do......suck down more gas?

I like the Frontier, and although I'd have to disagree with that statement (I've never gotten close to 17 in any of my full size trucks, so far I have to really beat around on my 81 ford in town to get down to 18, cripes, my dad has an Avalanche that he gets 18 in, and he's got that thing full of stuff), I'd think a frontier or xterra would be a great choice.

Although finding one with a manual would be the problem. We simply could NOT find an xTerra with a manual for sale anywhere, I even asked about new ones at the dealer and they said they couldn't get one (not necessarily that it wasn't an option, but that there wasn't one available in the dealer network atm). Frontiers I see more of, though I've been warned by a few people about transmission/clutch problems (I think all clutch problems, but some people can't comprehend the difference).

A manual transmission, 4wd, larger-than-regular cab Frontier (among a few other brands, and pretty tough combo to find in any brand) is something I'll be considering this summer. I've never had a less-than-fullsize truck before, and I'm little concerned about it, as there were times when I was annoyed with the one short-box fullsize I had, and with an extended cab small truck, I'm sure that there will be no chance of getting the Ninja in the box with the gate up...

[fastfreddy]

The two vehicles you are thinking about are oranges and apples. The Xterra is on a truck frame and the Liberty is a unibody. If you are planning to tow, then the Xterra is the choice. If you are looking for a good ride and handling, then the Liberty is the choice. The xterra is more of a crappy truck while the Liberty is more of a better car. The Xterra is older tech, while the Liberty is newer tech.

Just depends what you're after.

my $.02

I'm picking up a new to me work vehicle in the next couple of months and thought I'd mine the collective 'wisdom' of STN as part of my data gathering process.  My criteria are:

- SUV body style, truck-based as opposed to a raised car chassis
- Available manual transmission with V6
- Real four-wheel-drive (driver controlled) as opposed to all-wheel-drive (computer controlled)
- Reasonable gas mileage
- Reliable (I put about 2500-3000 miles on per month mixed city and highway entirely in the mountains) with easily available service
- All-day driving comfort (It's my office)


I've pretty much narrowed the field down to the Nissan Xterra as my first choice and the Jeep Liberty as my second and am interested in personal experiences any of you might have had with either vehicle.  For the Xterra I'm looking at the second generation (2005 to present) and ideally the 2007 or 2008 model years.  For the Liberty I'm looking at the later years of the first generation, up to the 2007 model year. I'm also interested in any other suggestions that fit my criteria, though off the top I'll eliminate anything 'exotic' to the North American market (i.e. Land Rover/Range Rover, etc) as initial acquisition and ongoing maintenance costs are a factor. I'm not particularly interested in GM products for various reasons and am somewhat cautious about the Liberty as well in part due to Chrysler's ongoing financial and quality issues.

 

[Lazarus]

Again, great feedback guys. Thanks!   The XTerra is still tops in the running with the Liberty coming in second. While the FJ is interesting, the high belt-line, poor visibility and general aesthetics inside and out just don't do it for me. Ditto for the H3. I'll have to do some more research on the 4-door Wrangler though - it's kind of intriguing. It looks like they've got it available in a diesel too... Interesting...

[atadaskew]

 I'll have to do some more research on the 4-door Wrangler though - it's kind of intriguing. It looks like they've got it available in a diesel too... Interesting...

I wish we got the diesel Wrangler in the US.

[JamesG]

BMW-K, is your FJ auto or manual?  I rented one for a day, and took it on 300 mile loop, including about 30 miles off road that I've taken my Wrangler on.  So I could get a real comparison as opposed to a round the block test ride.

Negatives:
Horrible, horrible outward visibility.  

Yeah, that was immediately apparent to us and we didn't even take it for a test drive. Sitting in the driver's seat, my wife said, "Ah... no thanks".

The Libby is like the VW Beetle of SUVs.

[Lazarus]

The Libby is like the VW Beetle of SUVs.

As in "Compact, inexpensive, unkillble, go-anywhere, last forever" VW Beetle or "cheap, underpowered, uncomfortable, unsafe, rusty deathtrap" VW Beetle?  

[Hardware]

I wish we got the diesel Wrangler in the US.

If this pans out, I'll be looking closely at one...

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2009/11/chrysler-fiat-press-conference-diesel-jeep-wrangler-coming-in-4th-quarter-2010.html

[atadaskew]

If this pans out, I'll be looking closely at one...

http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2009/11/chrysler-fiat-press-conference-diesel-jeep-wrangler-coming-in-4th-quarter-2010.html

Buzzkill
http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2010/01/chrysler-fiat-diesel-jeep-wrangler-for-us-nope-we-were-just-kidding.html

[JamesG]

Figures...

A diesel Wrangler is about the only thing I would be tempted to buy new in this economy...

[atadaskew]

Figures...

A diesel Wrangler is about the only thing I would be tempted to buy new in this economy...

I know.  A turbo diesel motor would be fantastic in the Wrangler.  Lots of torque for 4 wheeling, much better mpg.  I'd trade my gas Wrangler for one in a heart beat, as would many.

But, nooo, not in the US.  This pretty much explains why Chrysler is so f-d up with moronic management decisions like this.

[steve.m]

Good news for us diesel lovers...

I just left Indianna where I spent the past few days on a business trip meeting with various Cummins exec's.  Long story short, they have a compact diesel engine for SUV's and half ton pickups ready to go...Chrysler backed out of the deal temporarily because of their bankruptcy, but have every intention of picking up the motor in a year or two.  cool huh...that diesel wrangler could be just around the corner  

also, it's badass to see an 1800 hp engine take a 75% step load (0-75) and not put out a single bit of black smoke.  hell of a lot more than caterpillar can say for their competing engine...

I'm developing a taste for engines (and women) in red...  

[mailman1175]

also, it's badass to see an 1800 hp engine take a 75% step load (0-75) and not put out a single bit of black smoke.  hell of a lot more than caterpillar can say for their competing engine...

I'm developing a taste for engines (and women) in red...  

I can't say that for my Cummins… Any time I go to pass someone, the car behind me disappears briefly.  

Cummins industrial blocks used to be green; are they red now?

[Hardware]

Xterra's have a documented history of weak clutches and no admission of a problem by Nissan. Apparently they put the same clutch from the 350z in a significantly heavier vehicle with a larger motor that makes more torque.

I'm getting prepared for clutch #2 in a vehicle with 73k miles. It won't be a Nissan clutch this time, now that I know this is an issue.

And before anybody says "You can't drive a stick", I've been driving for almost 30 years with about 600,000 miles on manual transmissions. I've only owned 2 vehicles with automatic transmissions and the only other vehicle that the clutch didn't make 100k+ had a defective pressure plate. Check out some of the Xterra forums and see what I'm talking about.

What year is your Xterra and was this addressed in later years?  Slush box '10 Off Road pkg Xterra a good investment?

[Black Ice]

Cummins industrial blocks used to be green; are they red now?

When was that?  Detroits are greenish gray, Pieces of shitCats are yellow, and Cummins' have always been red...at least for the last 15 years.  

[mailman1175]

Am I thinking of re-man blocks, then? I dunno...

[rc30boy]

Bad experience with the diesel Liberty, it took $1400 worth of work to get it to pass smog in Oregon with only 37k miles on it.  The dealer said it was my dad's fault ( a man who's driven trucks for a living for more than 60 years) as he didn't understand how to drive a diesel.  I was told by the guy at the service desk that the diesel engine needs to spend at least 65% of it's time doing freeway driving!    Really?! That seems poorly designed to me.  The intake tract and exhaust system were both gunked up with engine deposits was the official story.  Although when we pulled up at Lithia Jeep of Medford my Dad took one look at thier large brand new shiny building and said " it's gonna cost us over $1000, how else do they pay for a place like that?"

[JamesG]

Could be bad fuel.  Does your Dad use biodiesel, make his own, or always buy from the same source?  It has to be pretty bad to be bad diesel, but its possible.