2012 Nissan Xterra

Nissan’s varied lineup of SUVs, pickup trucks, and EVs usually perform well in our road tests, but their Overall Scores suffer because of up-and-down reliability and average to below-average owner satisfaction. Inconsistent quality across the brand means some Nissans are a better choice than others. Many of its gasoline vehicles use small turbocharged engines and continuously variable transmissions to give owners both competitive fuel economy and sporty performance. Most new Nissans come standard with a full suite of active safety and driver assist systems. It’s also one of the few remaining brands that sells a sub-compact sedan, the Versa. The compact Sentra, a mainstay within Nissan’s lineup, earned a high score in our road test and is recommended. Nissan was an early EV trailblazer with the Leaf hatchback, and now sells larger five-passenger EV SUVs. Used Nissans have average reliability according to our surveys.

The 2005 Xterra was larger in all dimensions and much more civilized, while retaining the off-road capability for which the model is renowned. Improvements include a refined engine and responsive, secure handling -- thanks to the addition of electronic stability control (ESC) as standard equipment. Side- and curtain airbags are standard with this generation. The strong 4.0-liter V6 engine delivers quick acceleration, but overall mileage is just 17 mpg. The four-wheel drive system remains part-time only. Folding the 60/40-split rear seats expands the cargo area to 45.5 cubic feet. Payload capacity is 920 pounds and towing capacity is 5,000 pounds. The cargo floor has a rail system for securing objects and a storage space underneath. Bluetooth was introduced to most trim levels for 2015, after which the model was discontinued.