Nissan Xterra review: the rugged SUV Bahrain's off-roaders still want
3.1/5motorssouq Editorial Team
The Xterra is not a car to buy for daily comfort — the ride is truck-like, the cabin feels its age, and fuel consumption from the 4.0-litre V6 is unapologetically high. Buy it because you actually go off-road: the part-time 4WD system with low range and a proper body-on-frame chassis under a compact footprint is genuinely rare at this price today. Inspect the frame for rust around the rear crossmember on any example that has seen regular sand or coastal use, and budget for the timing chain guides on high-mileage engines.
Pros
- Genuine body-on-frame chassis with low-range 4WD, rare at this size and price today
- Shorter wheelbase than a Pathfinder makes it more manoeuvrable on tight desert tracks
- VQ40DE V6 is a known, well-understood engine for Bahraini workshops
- Strong following among Bahrain's off-road and camping community
Cons
- Fuel consumption regularly exceeds 13 L/100 km
- Firm, truck-like ride and heavy road noise on tarmac
- Cabin materials and infotainment feel dated even for the era
- Frame corrosion and timing chain wear need checking on high-mileage examples
Nissan built the second-generation Xterra as a purpose-built body-on-frame SUV at a time when most of the compact SUV class was already moving to unibody crossover platforms. That decision is exactly why it still has a following in Bahrain a decade after the model line ended: a genuine ladder frame, a low-range transfer case and part-time four-wheel drive in a footprint smaller than a Patrol or a Pathfinder.
On sand and on the road
The 4.0-litre VQ40DE V6 is not efficient — expect over 13 L/100 km in mixed use — but it pulls with the low-down torque that matters more than outright power once you are in soft sand. The five-speed automatic is unremarkable but reliable, and the Xterra's shorter wheelbase compared with a Pathfinder makes it noticeably more manoeuvrable on tight dune tracks and rutted desert camp sites.
On tarmac the compromises show: the ride is firm and truck-like over Bahrain's patched secondary roads, wind and road noise are considerable at highway speed, and the cabin materials read as basic even against contemporaries from the same era. Nobody buys an Xterra for the commute.
What to check before buying
These are now fifteen-plus-year-old vehicles at the youngest, so mechanical condition varies enormously between examples. Check the timing chain and guides on any engine over 150,000 km — a known VQ40DE wear point — and inspect the frame and rear crossmember for corrosion on any Xterra that has spent time near the coast or been driven hard on wet sand. A clean, well-maintained example is still a genuinely capable and characterful off-roader; a neglected one is a maintenance project.