Nissan is Killing the Xterra - And We Should be Happy About it.

Image: Nissan

It was 1999, and as the commercials came on, you could hear the familiar song "Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz start to fill the speakers as a kayaker made his way over some trying terrain. As the chorus chimed in, lights flickered on and that's when America was introduced to what would become Nissan's most recognized SUV - the Xterra.

The commercial painted the perfect picture for this new SUV as it gave us a walk around, showcasing it's unique features aimed at the dedicated outdoor wanderluster, like its high strength roof rack, its rear trunk bike rack, and an industry first - the first-aid compartment that pertuded slightly from the tailgate - a defining feature that had many hardcore enthusiasts sold within the 30 second window. It was the off roader that appealed to the more daring off road enthusiast, and it became the staple of multiple off road clubs around the world, racking up sales and winning the hearts of Nissan fans everywhere. It's a shame then that after 2015, this iconic SUV will be no more.

Now I realize this is no real shocker of a story, like the departure of the regarded Defender or what would happen if Chevrolet let go of the Corvette, but the Xterra is special because those who have owned one know its true value is measured in more than just off road capability or horsepower. My family can be a prime example of this.

My family loves Nissan, a love that started in 2006 when we brought home a lightly used 2003 Xterra after becoming too fed up with the tribulations of owning a 1999 Discovery that seemed to need repairs after every trip to the convenience store.

In short, where the Discovery was a nightmare, the Xterra was the savior. Where every nut and bolt that held the British built Land Rover together had to be special ordered and fit using special metric tools that also couldn't be found in the United States, the Xterra was a durable, reliable and solid vehicle that hasn't had a single mechanical issue since we brought it home nearly a decade ago. We bought it with just under 23,000 miles on the clock - and 9 years later, it's odo currently reads at just under 140k, which by Nissan standards is barely scratching the surface of its long and useful life. And what a life it's been.

For many reasons, our Xterra holds a dear place in my heart. It was the car I used to learn how to drive, and was actually the one I used to take the driving test that got me my license. I used it for my first high school date. It was the chariot that took me to countless school dances and it was the car that took me and my friends on countless summer road trips to our favorite beaches and amusement parks. My friends and I agreed to use it for these journeys rather than their cars because it was a truck we knew we didn't have to worry about. We knew we wouldn't find ourselves stranded on the side of any road, and we knew we were safe thanks to its rugged durability, which brings me to my next point - safety.

In its time with us, the Xterra saw it's fair share of bumps and bruises, but there were two occasions where its build quality was truly tested. The first comes from a hot summer day a few years back in my hometown.

We were waiting at a traffic light, and I was sitting shotgun with my mother in the driver's seat. The windows were open and a light breeze filled the cabin with fresh summer air as music played in the background. It was another easy day until that changed only moments later, when a Honda Accord rammed into the rear bumper of the SUV at 35 miles per hour, sending it lurching forward suddenly and violently; so much so that my mother would later be sent to the hospital to be assessed and treated for whiplash.

It was a scary moment, but it was even scarier upon seeing the scale of the damage when I walked around to the back. The Honda's entire front end had been jammed completley underneath the rear of the truck to where our rear bumper had met the bottom of its windshield. Luckily, everyone in the crippled Honda was okay, and I hadn't suffered a scratch; but then I noticed something that would later turn out to be a remarkable discovery. The only damage to the Xterra came in the form of a slightly indented rear bumper, which held up well thanks to steel construction. Another thing that I noticed was the under-mounted spare tire - which had detached from it's bracket and lay on the ground from the impact. I would later learn that it was that tire that had absorbed the brunt of the impact and cushioned us just enough that my mother was able to be treated and released from the hospital that evening without the need for additional surgery to her neck. I was lost for words when the medic that was patching up my mom told me that it was the spare tire that saved both of us alot more pain than what we were experiencing. The best part was when we were able to use that same tire a few months later when the tire gods decided that one of our wheels no longer needed air in it. That tire ran for a good 4,000 miles too.

The second accident occurred with me in the driver's seat, though I wouldn't call it an accident so much as an evasive maneuver that saved our insurance company alot of paper work. That sounds like a lame excuse but let me give you the story. It was the summer after the rear end accident happened and I had just finished washing it. The only thing it needed to complete the wash was a nice vacuuming out. So with 2 fresh coats of wax and tires gleaming with Armor-all on the side walls, I hopped in and started making my way to the car wash. This is where things took a turn for the worst (no pun intended). A couple miles down the road there is an interesting intersection that might seem a bit confusing to motorists from out of town. Of course being a resident in a town not frequented by tourists since the 2003 US open, you don't tend to think about finding yourself in such a situation where an out of towner is trying to decide whether or not he's breaking the law at this particular intersection. It came to me as a shock when the puny Hyundai in front of me decided that a green light meant he had to slam on his breaks. Being that traffic was flowing at 35 miles per hour - which if you've never driven an SUV can be quite a handful when it comes to emergency maneuveres that involve rapidly cranking the steering wheel - that I was forced to swerve out of the way, missing his rear end by mere inches, instead throwing me into the ditch just down the road.

As I sat there wondering what my Dad was going to say when I showed him the new character I'd added to the front left side of the Xterra, I knew I had to get out of the ditch somehow.

Still sitting in the ditch, the truck listing at a 20 degree angle, I sifted through the options - call a towtruck? Too expensive. Call my insurance agent? Well no one else was involved, and I just didn't feel like waiting in a ditch on a hot summer evening for someone to come and tell me what I already knew. It was then that I realized something: I was driving a Nissan that was known for its ruggedness, and it's epic 4 wheel drive system. So, with a fist full of confidence I shifted the Xterra into 4 wheel low, cranked the wheel to the left and with out a problem I trekked out of the ditch and into the parking lot across the street to see just how bad it was. The damage was light, and luckily I was able to get it home safely in one piece despite the mud and debris that caked the left front of the truck. I never did get it vacuumed, sadly.

All in all, our Xterra has been a trooper through all of its trials. From first dates to summer camping trips and all the scrapes and scratches it's encountered in between, our 2003 Xterra has been through it all, and to this day we still have it and she runs like a champ as the V6 continues to rack up the miles.

The Xterra might not be going out with a heralded "bang" of other more noted cars in recent history, but it certainly holds its own special value to the community that has had the pleasure of parking one in their own driveways. It has plenty of features that give it immense off road capability on the outside, and plenty of room and storage space on the inside. That being said, it's departure is necessary for two important reasons.

The Xterra has been experiencing the wrath of the Crossover virus, which if you read my blog normally, you know I hate. As car companies continue to refine and improve this platform, more and more Nissan loyalists are finding themselves behind the wheel of Muranos, Rogues, Jukes and now the Pathfinder because these crossovers are heralded for their superior ride comfort and storage capacities.

The other reason for the Xterra's  departure comes from the lovely people over at the EPA, who have been steadily tightening environmental regulations in recent years, meaning that the Xterra hasn't been able to make the cut thanks to things like fuel efficiency and emissions standards, of which the Xterra doesn't meet.

It's sad to see such a great SUV go, but in a way, I'm happy about it because that means it can't fall into the ranks of the Crossover sector, because if it did, everything that the Xterra stands for, like ruggedness and dependability that it was known for would be rendered null and void if they started making them for moms looking for a place to put their 30 soccer balls. That means that throughout its entire 15 year span, the Xterra has been designed in its own character, and rather than change its personality, Nissan is actually doing Xterra lovers everywhere a humble service by not letting it go the way of the Pathfinder, or even the Ford Explorer. It was introduced as a rugged and capable off roader that could be just as comfortable on road as it is capable off road, and it's going out without having lost any of its character, and for that, we owe Nissan a huge thanks and praise.