I was talking to this woman I know and she stated that she wanted to purchase an Xterra but thought the ride was too rough. It made me think back to when I drove my friends '94 Pathfinder and I remembered how rigid the ride was. But I also remember the Pathfinder had a switch on the middle console to change the ride...like from standard to sport or something like that. Now I don't think the X is too rigid, but then again its not an Escalade and its not meant to be an Escalade either. That all beind said, what are some basic things that can be done to make the ride more cushy? And please no jokes...like installing a gel seat cushion, sitting on a lap or driving on half flat tires.

Softer shocks would be a good starting point

My recommendation is to buy another truck. I know this sounds rather mean, but here are my reasons why. An Xterra is a truck. It is designed to be a truck which means it rides like a truck. If someone wants a minivan ride, I recommend buying a minivan. Here in Florida too many soccer moms buy Xterras and then sell them a few months later because they "ride like trucks". I have seen three come into our dealerships just for that reason. If you have to ask this quesion, buy a minivan.

Originally posted by Sham365
I was talking to this woman I know


Well there's your first problem :D

As Antitree_hugger said she could try replacing the shocks but when it comes right down to it, it's a "TRUCK. It rides like a "TRUCK". When your going off roading that's what you want.


Why does your friend want to buy an X? If she going off roading maybe it's for her. It she's buying it because it suggest a certain life style then maybe she is going have to live with the fact that it's a "TRUCK" and rides like a "TRUCK". It she want a "TRUCK" that rides like a "car" then maybe she should look at a "car" based SUV.

Get some Rancho RS9000 shocks. They have 5 adjustable settings from hard to soft.

The old Pathfinders had in cab adjustable shocks, 2 settings, that's what the switch controled. The closest thing you could get on the Xterra is the Rancho RS9000's like Schlud said, then get the in cab adjuster, it hooks an air compressor to a switch and the shocks.

I've been looking into the setup, but Blistens are better quality shocks than Rancho, but adjustability goes a long way too.

Originally posted by scott.com
Why does your friend want to buy an X? If she going off roading maybe it's for her. It she's buying it because it suggest a certain life style then maybe she is going have to live with the fact that it's a "TRUCK" and rides like a "TRUCK". It she want a "TRUCK" that rides like a "car" then maybe she should look at a "car" based SUV.

I think it's easy for off-roaders to say to a person to buy a different vehicle. But we have to look at the facts. An Xterra is cheap and it looks nice. I would guesstimate that a large majority of all xterras out there are stock. People bought them to drive to and from work, to haul stuff and occasionally switch in the 4WD - like me. Offroaders generally ADD a lot to the base Xterra to make it what they want, yet we don't tell them to go and buy a jeep or hummer. Afterall we are still talking about 170hp here folks. Nobody wants a car for a car price, people want a SUV for a car price and thats where the Xterra fits in even though a lot of us would like to think we have a "specialty" vehicle.

When I first bought my Xterra I was lucky to see 3 a week during my commute to work. Now I regularly see about 6-7 on the way home daily - about 90% of them are stock. People are just trying to make the most out of $25,000 and still get 4WD peace-of-mind when it snows.

Originally posted by Sham365


I think it's easy for off-roaders to say to a person to buy a different vehicle. But we have to look at the facts. An Xterra is cheap and it looks nice. I would guesstimate that a large majority of all xterras out there are stock. People bought them to drive to and from work, to haul stuff and occasionally switch in the 4WD - like me. Offroaders generally ADD a lot to the base Xterra to make it what they want, yet we don't tell them to go and buy a jeep or hummer. Afterall we are still talking about 170hp here folks. Nobody wants a car for a car price, people want a SUV for a car price and thats where the Xterra fits in even though a lot of us would like to think we have a "specialty" vehicle.

When I first bought my Xterra I was lucky to see 3 a week during my commute to work. Now I regularly see about 6-7 on the way home daily - about 90% of them are stock. People are just trying to make the most out of $25,000 and still get 4WD peace-of-mind when it snows.

I think you missed the point others were making. The Xterra is a truck. It is build on a truck frame, it is designed with a truck in mind, it rides like a truck, and it takes abuse like a truck.

Trucks do not have "Cushy" rides. Trucks ride rough, they rattle, squeek, etc....

The woman you spoke to wants a cushy ride, hence she doens't want a truck. Basically she thinks the X looks cool (which it does :D ). She can get a cute-ute with a cushy ride for a resonable price and still have 4wd or all-wd, beside all-wd is better in the snow anyways.

Where I work 4 of us own Xterras, on several occasions I've heard two of them complaining "The xterra is too truckish.... yaddi yaddi yadda.... sheeees, if you didn't want a truck you shouldn't have bought one"

end rant.
:smoker2:

She should have bought an AWD mini-van! Better ride, better mileage and you can hauls lots of crap! Seats come out easy. Not real heavy crap but lots of crap! But who would want to be seen driving a Mini-van? Anyone?

But who would want to be seen driving a Mini-van? Anyone?

Me, me, me :devil:

Sham365 I am by no means some off road snob. In fact I had my X for almost two years before I even went off roading. I originally bought it for some of the same reason you listed. But I knew going into it that it was going to ride rough. Heck I like the rough rugged ride. I fear if to many people start asking Nissian to make the X ride softer that it's going to join all the other car based SUV's. I like the X because it's rugged and simple.

Originally posted by scott.com


Me, me, me :devil:

Sham365 I am by no means some off road snob. In fact I had my X for almost two years before I even went off roading. I originally bought it for some of the same reason you listed. But I knew going into it that it was going to ride rough. Heck I like the rough rugged ride. I fear if to many people start asking Nissian to make the X ride softer that it's going to join all the other car based SUV's. I like the X because it's rugged and simple.

That unfortunately is the biggest problem. In the end, as more and more soccer moms do just exactly what this woman is doing, complaining about the ride, the Xterra will be tamed. When that happens, it becomes another Pathfinder. So far Nissan has continued to stick with the hard core truck advertising. But as people like this buy it and complain, eventually it could alter its targeted audience and the off-roadability could give way to how many soccer balls one can carry in the back.

I have had several people ask me about the Xterra (soccer mom types) and my response is always the same. It is a truck, it rides like a truck, handles like a truck and drives like a truck. If you don't want that kind of ride, get a minivan. One of the funniest things that happened to me was when I met some friends in Gatlinburg and his wife tried to get in my X. Her first response was "My God Deb, how do you get in this truck?!" (My wife is physically handicapped.) But after a drive to a local ski slope and some road encounters she called it a "monster" (in a good way). After the weekend of tooling around through all kinds of enviroments she said the truck seemed almost bullet proof. And the only "off-roading" we did was through a little snow. But that "bulletproofness" comes at a price. If you aren't willing to accept that price, then I advise moving on.

I enjoy the fact that we are able to discuss valid issues on AF. In other peoples forums, not to name anybody, when I brought up this exact subject or any other topic I was ridiculed as a fanatical "ricer" or abruptly had my thread moved to an asbestos lined room for open flaming. And its nice to see that others bought Xterras without wanting to offroad right off the bat.

As far as the "go buy a miniman" and "soccer mom" statements go I think you have to ask yourself this question. Would you still buy an Xterra if it had the same price and capabilities, but it looked like an Aztek or RAV4? Honestly.

I think back to last year when my mother was thinking of buying an Aztek and I told her that I'd boycott coming by her house if I saw the thing parked out front - to me it was THAT UGLY. Yes, the Xterra is a TRUCK, but we must admit that it is a pretty good looking truck. Aesthetics and price have a lot to do with purchasing a vehicle. In the mid-size SUV catergory the Xterra has both and so of course you'll get all kinds of buyers. I look at the sheer volume I see on the streets.

Yes, so far Nissan has continued to stick with the hard core truck advertising, but sooner or later (just like with Honda Accords and VW Beetles) I think there will be demand for aftermarket car-type products and maybe even a special edition. Like an affordable special vehicle concept company (http://www.specialvehicles.com/) .

Not everyone wants to drive an ugly minivan to soccer practice....but then again that new Highlander may take a bite out of the Xterra.

Did I mention the stadium seating?

Would you still buy an Xterra if it had the same price and capabilities, but it looked like an Aztek or RAV4?

I kind of like the new RAV4 :eek: . The last model on the other hand was but ugly.

I can see a road based edition sometime in the future. Why not. I mean Jeep does it.

I was about thre days away from Buying a Land Rover Discovery II when I bought the X. I was able to write a check for the X vs financing another $10k for the Rover! So, yeah it is about looks and ability! The Disco is even better off-road than the X but for $10k more I didn't think it was.

Originally posted by rrdstarr
I was about thre days away from Buying a Land Rover Discovery II when I bought the X. I was able to write a check for the X vs financing another $10k for the Rover! So, yeah it is about looks and ability! The Disco is even better off-road than the X but for $10k more I didn't think it was.

I was looking at the 2002 Disco and I wasn't at all impressed with the 18" rims and 55 series tires. Also I was told by the LR rep that it no longer had a diff lock in the transfer case, it simply was AWD. I was pretty disappointed to hear that, I mean LRs are THE quintessential 4WD truck! Suffice it to say, the soccer moms won that battle.

And BTW, don't take offense to my soccer mom references. I have just watched truck after truck cave in to the car crowd and when the X came out I was super happy someone actually gave us outdoor folks some thought. I just would hate to see that go away. But sooner or later, it will probably happen. It is a matter of time I guess. The problem is, us off-roaders appear to be out numbered.

I'm sorry fellas. Earler I said Highlander in reference to the new Land Rover and the discussion went towards the Discovery. What I meant to say was Freelander. The new AWD 174hp Land Rover with a base price of $25,000. It looks like a RAV4 to me, but I can see it drawing away some of the $25,000 + good looks Xterra buyers. It doesn't look rugged, but hey, it is a Land Rover.

The FreeLoader (http://www.landrover.com/index_free.jsp)

oops...I meant FreeLander. :rolleyes:

I looked at it at the car show and wasn't impressed at all. Plasticy interior that looked and felt cheap! It's a Rover by God! Make it look good and work good! Now that Ford owns rover i wouldn't be surprised if they start having the same problems with the FreeLander as they do with the Escape and Exploder!

The biggest problem for offroading is that the Freelander doesn't have a transfer case. No low range!

Look at the specs for the Ford Escape and The LR Freelander and look at all the similarities.

Even though The Freelander was designed before Ford bought LR they sure seem a lot alike.

A few minor changes in the Freelander and Ford wont need a extra assembly line for them, they can just put Land Rover stickers over the Ford oval on the Escape.


If automotive businesses are like a living entity, then Ford would be the cancer.

I just can't over the fact that it looks like the old RAV4 or a Subaru. You would think that Land Rover would at least try to make it look off-road savvy. I'm sticking with my "truck" and rigid ride if this is gonna be the alternative. I haven't seen one on the road yet, but it looks tiny.

the Freelander has been out in the UK for 5 or more years. It was pretty cutting edge as far as mini utes go back then, it looks dated now since everyone copied their design. Only Americans think it's a NEW SUV... because we are blind, we blind to the fact cause we watching that garbage, straight up garbage.

Sorry, Mike D was fighting to get out.

Keep in mind that the Freelander was never intended to be an off-road vehicle. It does have a transfer case, it is just AWD. Unfortunately the conversation I had with the LR rep indicates that most LRs are heading that way. They do plan on keeping the Range Rover around in Europe, but acquiring one stateside isn't easy. Now you want a kick #$% truck that is it. The Disco ain't bad, but is still a Cadillac with a transfer case. Nice truck for an equally nice price but its off-roadability is going away. Now the LR guys will know how the Jeep guys feel about the Liberty. :rolleyes:

Sounds like she would be better off with a Toyota Highlander. Four Wheel Drive, a luxurious interior and a Camry platform for that mushy, disconnected feeling.
Making an XTerra easier riding is not easy even if you drop it and "road" it out. The biggest and non-changeable problem is leaf springs. Shocks only go so far and unless you want to replace the entire suspensions setup (which defeats the value for money argument and the "I wanna keep it stock" one) there isnt really a way to make it cush. It will only get worse with mileage too. 25K may be small for an SUV but if it isnt one that suits the buyers lifestyle it is a waste of money. If the "rugged" image is pursued then maybe a Subaru Outback wagon might be an option??

Cheers.

Originally posted by ozxterra
Sounds like she would be better off with a Toyota Highlander. ......If the "rugged" image is pursued then maybe a Subaru Outback wagon might be an option??

I don't think a Subaru is good suggestion to a woman. Rumor around here has it they are the official car of lesbians. And more than one woman has told me that...I'll suggest to her the Highlander, or Liberty if she wants to keep the price in check.

Originally posted by Sham365


I don't think a Subaru is good suggestion to a woman. Rumor around here has it they are the official car of lesbians. And more than one woman has told me that...I'll suggest to her the Highlander, or Liberty if she wants to keep the price in check.

What a load of crap.

Can we move back to a thread about the 4x4 Xterra now?

The stigma on the "Lesbian" car is about the Forester - not the Outback. The Outback is an awesome car as is the forester and the Impreza - stigmas dont change that. Im sure there are plenty of people different to me driving around in XTerras but that hasnt changed my opinion of the vehicle. Im not sure I find Lesbians offensive either .......

Perhaps posting something about an XTerra that goes against everything the XTerra is built for and then tossing in the "Lesbian" bit is leaving a bit too much BAIT

:apoke:
out there eh?? Hopefully not too many people will take it seriously.

I'd say theres not a whole lot more to say on this thread eh??

Cheers & Beers,

Oz

I would love to have an Imprezza WRX. *Poof* I am a lesbian.

Hmmm. Perhaps I was all along.....

:D

I almost bought a "Wrexy" last weekend.... Pretty sweet little car. The car salesman was an Arseol though (imagine that....) so I didnt pursue it.
They are extremely popular in Australia and New Zealand. Even the cops drive them... I like the All-wheel drive on them a lot and they give you a lot of bang for the buck. Not cushy riding though....... (Gotta say something along the lines of the thread eh?)

I'd call that one a "Lipstick Lesbian" for sure:D

Oh crap! I have started a whole tangient on Subarus. And I didn't even get the model right!...but at least I know now that it's not some local rumor...

Anyhow...Oz, man, you are losing the whole focus of the thread. The whole "goes against everything the XTerra is built for" spiel is worn out. The discussion (read from post 1-9) is making the point that not everybody is looking for a truck that rides like a truck and there may be a market/demand for a cushy ride. Also, looks and price weigh heavily in the X's favor...the capabilities are seen as bonus to a wouldbe buyer. That's the summary of the thread. Not what is and what isn't a "lesbian" SUV or how you feel the X is being missused by masses. There was no BAIT for this to be switched to sexual orientation discussion...just a half hearted way of saying I wasn't going to suggest a station wagon to a co-worker who wants an SUV.

Whatever man. Good luck with Cushing out the Lesbian X. I got better things to read without getting into a pathetic e-fight.
I think if you need to point the finger at "losing the thread" you might want to follow the same advice.

Im off to some interesting threads...



:rolleyes:

This is an Xterra related thread:
Lesbian Cars (http://cartalk.cars.com/About/Gay-Lesbian/gay-chick1.html)

Xterra is #7
Forrester is #2
Outback is #1

You were right Sham!;)

Xterra rides like a truck. If I wanted a car I'd go with a Subaru, Lesbian car or not.

What have you guys got against lesbians anyways? I'm proud to be a lesbian so back off. :silly2:

I love women and I owned a '79 Subaru so I must be a lesbian too?

Glad to see some real humour!!

Hmmm - Lesbians ---> Subaru Outback
Gay Men ---> Volkswagen Jetta

I have had three Jetta's.............. I never really thought about it but that must mean Im gay right?! ......you learn something new every day..... and here I was thinking I was either straight or a lesbian........ I wonder if I could jack up and put MT's on a Jetta?......maybe make the ride a little stiffer.....
I see the XTerra is also listed as a prime "Lesbian ride" ....cool.

No worries Sham!






(Sorry - I gotta do a leg-pull, its my heritage! :) )

I wonder if I could jack up

I dunno what that means Down Under, but here in normal land we say "jack OFF"

:p

Originally posted by ozxterra
Gay Men ---> Volkswagen Jetta

:eek: Well look at that. I just traded in a '98 Jetta for my new X. I guess I'd better tell my girlfriend...

But, maybe, just maybe I'm recovering. I've just gone from gay to lesbian.

I think she'll appreciate that...:smoka:

brad

Originally posted by Kerensky97
This is an Xterra related thread:
Lesbian Cars (http://cartalk.cars.com/About/Gay-Lesbian/gay-chick1.html)

Xterra is #7
Forrester is #2
Outback is #1

You were right Sham!;)

Xterra rides like a truck. If I wanted a car I'd go with a Subaru, Lesbian car or not.

Now that we are officially off topic (thanks to Oz):
Man oh man!!! I can't believe there is an actual list. I thought for the longest that it was a bunch of BS!

And as far as VW goes for men...OUCH! Looks like they need a PR campaign with some testosterone.

It's been fun. Now move on.