I just looked at the Nissan site and saw the updated picutres of the '05. It does look like it has less grond clearance. It also looks a little longer than the current model.

Bigger, heavier, improved ride, more highway passing power, and strut/coil suspension.

Sounds to much like an Explorer.

I hope someone at Nissan understands and remembers what made the X a success in the first place.

It's nice but I don't like the square fender flares, too bad they're not round. Thats screws up the whole truck.

Hmm, is this the pic Ian is referring to?



Either it's got coils, or it's spring-over, but I don't see u-bolts.

Good eye Ian,
Brent

That's the picture in the brochure, and that's a trailing arm coming back on the left side.

that's definitely coiled. It's got a linkage. No need for linkage on leafs.

arggh, beat by zock!

Where are the pics taken by the people that went to the lunch? It clearly showed spring under leafs outboard of the shockmounts.

Steve, Brent had those here .

After reading the Nissan News site, it appears coils were ditched in the rear.

Did anyone watch the Xterra video screens at the show behind the new Pathfinder? They had comparisons of the new Xterra's capabilities with an ordinary SUV (Jeep Cherokee). Electronic locker, hill descent control, etc. Sorry if this is a repost.

Ah, now I see the lower link in the pic, I thought that was the frame rail at first.
Shock is too far outboard to clear a leaf setup too.

Damn shame, coils sure would have been nice,
Brent

I just caught this.. wtf? I pretty much agreed with what you said, and I can go back on my two gripes about the rear cargo area after looking at it again. My only differing opinion at this point is liking long shifters in a truck and not minding the dial-a-drivetrain option. With the black grill now appearing I'm content and excited.

And yes, Ian, I might actually get a 4x4 this time. But I won't like it.

On the issue of the R&P steering.

It should clear up the centerlink problem, the steering does look a little wimpy but the equipment may actually be pretty stout. I'd like to see some pics of how the rack connects to the frame, if it's a sturdy connection it eliminates the problem of the steering pushing up into the frame. All you would have to worry about is wear at the ends of the tie rods.

Overall, it's nice but I'll keep my square eye till I can afford to import a Patrol. 30k is too much to pay for something that didn't move far enough in the direction I wanted.

just read this thread...

and looked at pictures...

and read articles...

i'm having serious deja vu of april 1999 when i first saw the Xterra...

Now how am I going to explain this to the wife?

"I think we need to buy the New Xterra"

"yes, I know we just sold our old one..."

"no, this is different"

"yes it WILL go when you hit the gas on a hill"

"oh and it looks a lot like the armada you like so much"

Damn... this might just work

^^ Yeah, same here. I'm waiting until '07 or so (want to go back to college first) but I WILL be getting one. Dark grey metallic or Granite, 6-speed 4x4. Hopefully by then there'll be a lot of mods available, too.

The main thing I dislike about the '05 is the fact that I probably won't be getting one given that I already have a relatively new 2003 S/C. So, I guess I better learn to like what I have. Same thing happened when I purchased my 1999 Maxima and they came out with the re-design in 2000. To be honest, I liked the way the old one looked better.

I can't predict what my reaction will be when I finally spot a 2005? As they say, "the grass isn't always greener on the other side." So, maybe when that shiny new 2005 pulls up beside my nicely modded and immaculately maintained 2003, I'll give it a curious and respectful look--and keep driving without feeling bad about owning an Xterra that is supposedly past its "born on" prime. Frankly, I'm more concerned about the fact that my hair line is receding.

-dp

Yeah.. hence why I'm going to hold off until 07. Besides, I MIGHT could benefit from the addition of that dial-a-drivetrain thingy a bit more. I hear it makes the FRONT wheels turn, too! Bizarre stuff, man.

well, if i buy one, i'm going to mod some round headlights into it.

What the hell would we have said about the 1st generation Xterra when it debuted if this board would've existed? Look at how we're nit-picking now. Pretty crazy, huh? Wonder what we'll say when the 3rd gen comes out. Just my food for thought.

we were really nit picky then too... it was just on yahoo and ITW...

You should have been around when the wrangler debuted with square headlights.

Heh heh. Yup! I haven't even viewed the yahoo board in a hell of a long time and still recall that in the first 25 posts or so, there was a discussion of "when will there be a V8" or something like that.

(Okay, for sh*ts and giggles I went back and looked - #23)

the really sad thing is it was also in the first couple hundred posts that the topic of a lid for the roof basket was mentioned... 5 years later nissan comes around.

I second that!!

I 3rd that