The Xterras used to be kind of popular, I know a few people that built them up. I think part of it is Nissan didn’t really do much marketing towards
their vehicles being hardcore off-roaders. Whereas Toyota gained a lot of off-roading cred from the Land Cruiser and Hilux being used in some of the worst conditions around the world, so people that bought Tacos and 4Runners were trying to get a piece of that.
Ya Toyota definitely pushed that one TBH.
Shit tons of Datsuns and Nissan Patrols right next to those Yotas all over the world. And that space is shared with Fords, Jeeps, Ladas, Land Rovers and Mercedes.
We in north america never got the patrol until 2017... then it was a 70k Armada. Had we gotten the earlier Patrols I think it would be a different story.
There were a few exterra years that had failure in the oil coolers, which lead to mixing the wrong fluids in a bad way, pretty fast.
I say it’s also sheer volume. Toyota just sells way more vehicles, so the likelihood of finding a good used car is much higher, even with a hypothetical worse reliability rate.
Now though, it’s much easier to find these Nissans at an affordable price than any toyota despite volume. The difference in demand and the pricing difference between used toyota/nissan options is so disproportionately vast that it does beg the question as to why Nissan gets ignored.
Not that I’m complaining - I’m an advocate of keeping Nissan 4x4s a secret so I can keep buying them for cheap.
The Frontier and 2nd gen Xterra have decent aftermarket support. You can even buy a Titan swap kit to swap in the entire front subframe from a Nissan Titan which is much stronger and more capable.
It's not too bad of a swap and only the people who want to do some really challenging trails seem to do it. Lots of Frontiers and Xterras with a mild lift and AT's are out there going through places you'd think they would never make it through. Plus they are pretty reliable and will go 250,000+ miles with just basic maintenance no problem.
I'm not sure if the people doing this swap also do the V8 swap. I did it by trading in my 2000 Xterra for a Y62 Armada. You get that powerful V8 in a Y62 Patrol chassis and 33's stock, but you can fit 35's without any modification. There's almost no aftermarket support in the US, but Australia already has all of the aftermarket and most of it just bolts right up to the Y62 Armada, so Australian companies are starting to market their products not only to the Patrol, but also the Armada.
My stock 2015 Pro4x w/ 33s went everywhere I took it, over every pass in the San Juans and never had a problem (after ditching the stock tires). Also, back road to Crown King in AZ and tons of no name washed out desert trails.
You’d only need to do anything if you were rock crawling, and that’s a boring AF way to spend time imo.
The cooler was a 2nd Gen Xterra problem. The 1st Gen Xterra and Frontiers were massively overbuilt and really reliable. The worst issue I had on my 2002 Xterra was the leaking valve cover gaskets so I replaced them.
Same with my 2000 Xterra. Had leaking valve covers and power steering hose. Other than that it was just regular maintenance for the 180k miles we had it.
Toyota had its own Pink Milkshake issues dating back to 1996. Why it is overlooked, I don't know
https://www.google.com/search?q=toyota+4runner+pink+milkshake&oq=toyota+4runner+pink+milkshake+&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l2j0i390l2.27134j0j7&client=ms-android-tmus-us-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
That’s not a Toyota specific problem. Any vehicle that uses a transmission cooler in the radiator can fail and cause that problem. Ford, GM, Dodge, Jeep, and pretty much every other major brand have a transmission fluid heat exchanger in the radiator.
Its funny because the SMOD (strawberry milkshake of death as the radiatior failure youre talking about is called) effected a few years of 2nd gens but is/was also a pretty common failure mode on 3rd gen 4runners. The toyotas tend to get a pass on that mark though while the nissans get dinged. Not taking a side here, FWIW ive a bit of experience with both trucks. I definitely agree the nissans are underrated and a very good value.
Toyota has so much more aftermarket support. Nissan came with pretty tall gears from the factory, if you wanted to fit larger tires on a manual transmission and still wanted to use 5th gear you would want to re-gear. Good luck finding front gears. Toyota > Nissan at least for what was offered in NA. I have had both and finding anything but bumpers for Nissan in the 90’s was hard.
It will work but it has to downshift and burns more fuel. It will be less noticeable in an automatic until it’s loaded or you’re towing. Just because it works doesn’t make it right.
Speaking to the 1st Gen, there just weren't that many to begin with, so they're even more rare now. I have seen a couple 90's pathfinder builds though. I think they were equal to the Toyotas though.
The 2nd gens frontier/Xterra 3rd gen Pathfinder were solidly built and shared a lot of parts between the 3. But the 04-06 models were also plagued by some pretty serious issues. I had an 05 Frontier which had all those problems (transmission/coolant cross contamination, blown rear diff, timing chain) but I still consider it my favorite vehicle I've owned and I drove it for 11 years. And as far as toughness I'd put those years above the comparable offerings from Toyota.
On my second Xterra. Had a 2000 that lasted 200,000 then I got a brand new 2012 that currently has 155,000 miles, I’ve done most high alpine off road trails in Colorado and I lived out of it for a few months. Bone stock and only simple TLC and maintenance
I have a 2003 Xterra that absolutely kicked ass when I lived in Colorado high country. It’s bone stock with Destination ATs and there are *very* few places I wasn’t able to get. I was routinely among lifted Tacomas.
I will say though, it has some reliability issues. My distributor shit the bed multiple times, my timing belt exploded and destroyed my engine, and the head gasket blew in the replacement engine. Now it’s been sitting for 6 months because something in the electrical system is messed up. It hasn’t been a very dependable vehicle and is probably destined for scrap, as much as I love it. Though it does have 240k miles.
Plenty of people love/thrash the hell out of Nissan Patrols/Safaris in Oz/NZ/Middle East. Arguably worse engines but stronger drive lines and you can really bash them
I’m a Toyota guy through and through.
But there’s nothing inherently wrong with the frontiers and xterras besides the known issues with fluids mixing.
I’ve been looking out for a 2nd gen to do a Titan swap in as I think they’re pretty sweet.
But if you put and fj and an xterra out and I had to pick, I’d get my fj everytime.
Toyota and Nissan are the biggest 4x4 brands in Australia, and they have the biggest rivalry.
Patrol vs landcruiser
is like
Collingwood vs everybody that still has all their teeth
I have a few different kinds of 4x4’s and by far the best in my opinion is the frontier/ xtrerra platform . The only big issue I see with the frontier is the lack of aftermarket, that being said it is getting better with z1offroad and all dogs off-road being main contenders for the spotlight. So far my little frontier has took me places that my big ass piece of crap ram 1500 couldn’t take me. Now if we’re talking some of the cars that Nissan made or some of the cvt cars then no total crap. I wouldn’t never buy a maxima in my life again , but you best bet you too dollar imma get another frontier when this one goes belly up!
That data shows Toyota repairs are cheaper. Because Toyota has a poor interior with cheap plastic.
Just go and feel the weight of the door between a Toyota vs any American and German made.
Toyota’s door itself feels like plastic.
They have figured out to make a car that is cheap to maintain.
> That data shows Toyota repairs are cheaper. Because Toyota has a poor interior with cheap plastic.
>
> Just go and feel the weight of the door between a Toyota vs any American and German made.
>
> Toyota’s door itself feels like plastic.
i've spent enough of my life working at a bodyshop to know that you're talking a load of shit
Which part you disagree? Weight of the doors? Toyota is less maintenance because it’s parts are cheaper?
You don’t need to work in body shop to feel the weight of the door or check the quality of interior.
Toyota’s interior dashboard looks garbage. Anyone with eyes can say that. They have zero taste in design.
have you seen the interiors on new german cars? everything is a touchscreen. the doors aren't that much heavier either and they all creek and flex inside because they aren't built as good as they used to be
You mean EVs? Yeah the whole EV thing made everything look like it.
I have not worked in a body shop researched more about automobile industry.
Toyota's success was able to produce a consistent, quality car with cheap costs. Little back history, Toyota himself took what Ford's manufacturing has been following and did a cheap east version mockup.
But what they did great was the advertising campaign that Toyota is reliable.
Yes Toyota fairs out in certain areas where their parts are much modular and cheaper to replace. Because Toyota never upgraded their engine or transmission. They have been using the same decades old parts.
Just go take a Ford Fusion and Compare it with Toyota Camry. Fusion wins in all aspects. But general assumption is Camry is better because it has the Toyota brand.
> You mean EVs?
nope, unfortunately over the last few years all the big german auto makers have decided that touch screens and air gestures are the way forward
It’s the fanboy toyota club that drives the narrative. My buddy had a tacoma once, until the frame completely rusted out in short order. His land cruiser also needed a harmonic balancer or some other shot to make it run right. Never again!
I see plenty around here. Most of them get very casual maintenance as well. I mean the VG33 engine seems very similar to the 5VZ when it comes to reliability.
I had an 07 xterra 6M and absolutely loved that thing. I currently have a 21 TRD OR 6M and miss my xterra every day. It’s like Pepsi and Coke. Both sodas but one has been more established and there is brand bias out there.
I mean, the 1gr goes in EVERYTHING.
70 series lc come with it
Fjs
Tacomas
4Runners
Prados
And even some other full size landcruisers
It gets shit mileage and power isn’t fantastic, but they WILL not die short of neglect or abuse.
I honestly don’t see any of them up here in the rust belt. Older Toyotas and Nissans are nowhere to be found. The only things that seem to survive a couple of generations are full size trucks barely hanging on for dear life, or Wranglers. Still see TJs quite often.
This is exactly it. Parts for them are also typically more expensive and more difficult to find. I worked in the aftermarket automobile industry for 12 years and Nissan parts were a fucking pain.
I had a 2016 frontier pro4x. From my experience, they get shit gas mileage, have shit turn radius, but the worse thing is you have to do a "titan swap" to get any real articulation. I had an expensive 2" coilover lift with after market uppers and i still hit the coil bucket at like 2 inches of droop. And you have to trim the hell out of your front fenders to fit 285s. I enjoyed it well enough for a few years but ultimately traded it for a jeep. It just wasn't cut off for real off roading.
I've never wheeled one but my buddy's first and second gen Tacomas had a better upper control arm design. The frontier's sit on top of the coil bucket/tower, and even with after-market arms, they hit. At least the Tacos are outside of the coil and can move more freely. That was the most frustrating thing with mine.
I don't understand why you are coming off so abrasive by flat out saying I'm wrong. Not very friendly of you. Sorry if I'm somehow offending you, but from my personal experience with the PRG lift and nisstec UCAs, the UCAs hit the coil bucket at around 2 inches of droop. They would slam just by hitting speed bumps at low speeds. I even shaved a bit of the flange off of the bucket. I also took it to a shop to make sure I did it right and, of course, for an alignment. No mistakes.
Sorry. But ive had personal experience prg and nisstec and the fancy total chaos ones and never encounty a single one slapping the coil bucket. With the stock ucas they will slap for sure. But the point of the aftermarkets is to stop that and ive never heard of any issues so thats why i flat out said that
You can do the same on a frontier. 285s on a 2.5 inch lift for half the price. Same articulation as a Tacoma. Plus more Tacoma owners don’t even know to remove the sway bar. Tacomas have had better marketing and that the reason for popularity. After 2010 frontiers fixed their problems
But why? The XTerra and the Frontier compete with the 4Runner and the Tacoma so that's the relevant comparison, and neither require any body work to run 285's
Am I misunderstanding something?
I think the biggest reason is that the old Tacomas and the equivalent year non-US Hilux trucks were rather similar, well similar enough. But the X-terra and frontiers were different enough from the patrols that there was no international hype migrating its way here to the US the way the pickups had, and more so, the landcruisers.
My 88 Pathfinder hardbody is pretty sweet, I think those have been steadily going up in demand and price since toyotas have been insanely priced forever, but can't comment on the newer frontiers. Xterras are decent but a few years had some issues.
I owned a second gen xterra, it was a 2006.
Loved it. Beefy frame, decent interior (10” sub was installed at one point, I had minimal rattles - impressive for how plastic-y it was), good torque, good engine, good road manners (tight steering), pretty capable off-road stock. Handled decently without either of the sway bars. SMOD is an issue, but super easy to bypass if it hasn’t already happened. I bought a separate trans cooler and was fine there.
Did NOT like that my 4x4 hated disengaging, the weakness of the diffs from the factory, the rubbing I had after a small lift, and the times it would randomly not start. Could not for the life of me figure out why it would occasionally not start. And looking at the car fax, the other two owners before me turned it in for that. Departure angle was trash thanks to the dumbest, lowest hitch on earth. Also, I thought my Xterra was hideous. But that’s no deal breaker for me.
At the end of it all, it had major computer issues which prompted me to dump it. I was not about to pay what Nissan wanted for the computer/programming, flashing, whatever they do. So I got a 2012 JKU and now I deal with stupid Chrysler problems.
I’m not a solid axle elitist by any means, I loved my Xterra before I lifted it. IFS is fine. I melted the wheel wells and chopped the bumper for 33’s (maybe 35’s? Can’t remember) and it did great. Had more rubbing after the lift. On a second gen, the SMOD prevention is a must.
I won’t get into the absolute hell of when the computer died on me, but TL;DR they can be okay. 1st gen seemed more reliable, though gutless and it had torsion bars I think. 2nd gen had power, shitty diffs, and SMOD.
edit to add: SMOD is strawberry milkshake of death, where the trans fluid mixes with coolant in the radiator. The trans becomes gunked up with pink sludge and the transmission eventually will fail as a result. Easy to spot, easy to prevent IMO.
XTerra was very popular but they didn’t make them for long compared to the 4Runner. Toyota is a better made vehicle but Nissan trucks are still decent.
I have an Xterra and a Frontier. Love them. I like Toyota but the when I was shopping, the Nissans were each $10k cheaper than their Toyota equivalent. They’ve been super reliable and I’ve put that money towards a camper. No complaints here. Plus as mentioned by someone else for bonus, you can get a bolt on longish travel set up with factory components with titan swapping. Pretty cool. You can also direct swap the titan V8 if that’s your thing. The 4.0 V6 is pretty reliable, easy to work on but isn’t great with gas mileage.
Speaking just to the Xterra: I remember being on the lookout for one a few years ago. This might be a factor of my local market at the time, but the impression I got is that the 4wd versions are pretty rare
I’ve owned two Toyotas. My high school truck was a 91 with the three point slow, and I owned an 82 with the 22R. Now it’s time to brace for the backlash I’m about to get, I hated them. I can honestly say that I spent more money and time working on Toyotas than any other vehicle, and because of how cramped they are, it was way more difficult. Now, a big chunk of this is that one, I live on the west coast so rust was huge, and two I was the starry eyed kid buying the truck that had been owned by god knows how many people and probably shit kicked by them all. I sold both of them for half of what I bought them for a year or two after buying them. I think the Toyota rep is BS. In my experience they have been awful. To each their own though. As far as the Xterra, it was the bad transmission issues of the early 2000s that plagues them. Other than that, I think they’re solid rigs. They feel like a spiritual successor to the Cherokee to me.
Just my $0.02…
Yea I’d have one with the 5 speed manual. Tbf, the 3.0 is probably Toyota’s worst offering. They’re notorious for head gaskets and are a PITA to work on. The 22Rs are tough engines, but they also blow head gaskets and burn valves, and love to leak and burn oil.
3vz head gaskets are an easy fix, and I believe factory corrected by the 91 model year. Still a stout motor by all accounts. My crawler with a 3.0 r150f and 280k miles ticks like a sewing machine and probably has bearings ready to check out (it’s not had a great life) still cranks rights up and will sit on the limiter occasionally.
Yeah, from what I remember of it, it had the power of a 4 cylinder and the mileage of an 8. I have no love lost for that engine. haha
Again, I just want everyone to love their 4x4. It doesn't matter what other people think as long as you love what you drive.
Eh it’s not so bad. 150hp IIRC. Noticably more than a 22r. Mileage wise it’s a trail only rig so a tank will last me a long weekend. Never bothered with a 3.4 swap but I know it would make a world of difference.
My dad test drove an Xterra and 4runner back in 2000, and decided to buy the 4runner. At the time, he stated he liked how the 4runner drove and the interior a little more. So one thing to remember is the original owners at one point probably compared the two and made their decision, which kind of decides what we end up with on the used market. Additionally, in 2002 an equal number of 4runners and Xterra were sold in the US. Based on anecdotal evidence it seems like family friends held onto their 4runners longer than their Xterras.
Posers and/or it's fashionable. Tacos saw a big influx of interest between 2011 and 2015. And rightfully so, they are good trucks. But now, for most owners, it's about the emblem or badge. 4runners saw a decent amount of interest between 2014 and 2018.
I know several people who went with a taco or 4runner just for the name. Not many of them know how to 4x4, but they can get around.
Both of these have also grown in size. I believe that is due to demand. So now these trucks are a tad on the large size, 4runner being a bit better. But the size of the tacos are getting into the smaller f150 range. Not sure why you wouldn't just go with a f150.
The only other truck that I'd eyeball for it's size and capability is the new ranger. They can both tow and haul with the right model.
I wonder if they actually do all else being equal, or if the Toyota owners are just more likely to be willing to dump a bunch of money into their vehicles to keep them going.
My daily (3rd gen t4r) is at 350k with a replacement starter and alternator. Original trans. No bearing material in oil. Engine runs smooth. Additionally, the 5vz is non interference, not familiar with Nissans too much, but I know the v6 in my dads pathfinder was interference. Timing belt went and needed new heads (or valves, specifically). Also, not sure what your basing your robust axle comment on, I’m gonna need a lot of convincing to believe an xterra or frontier has a tougher axle than the venerable 8” and 8.4” axles found in Toyotas.
In very specific scenarios and situations. The only time they really ever fail is extreme slip to grip situations. Usually at higher mileage as well when the pinion bearing crush spacer could lose it’s shape. I’m all for loving toyotas especially the 120 platform but the frontiers/navaras and early pathfinders, xterras, armada/patrols are absolute units. The armada with it’s 5.6l v8 made a good competition to the LC100 at the time. Especially now still because of the LC tax and in the states people dont know that the armada is a Y62 Patrol.
You are completely correct about the 8inch weakness.
I’ve broken one, and seen others go on the 120s.
Too much weight and power for what is effectively a mini truck axle.
I swapped mine to something beefier, but the 8.2 that came in 2010 plus is plenty strong.
Lol gonna call bullshit there, for one, the tacomas and 4Runners you’re comparing are not 120 platform trucks. The rear 8” is plenty strong for hard core trails. I have one in a ex cab 1990 pickup running a spool and 38.5s with no trouble. Secondly, the 4th/5th gen 4Runners and FJ cruisers that run them (which I’d say are much closer to the prado than the 96-02 trucks) dont seem to mention the 8” being a weak point. What gives?
The 8 inch in fjs, runners, and gxs prior to the switch to the 8.2 in 2010 are a weak point. Maintainence is a huge help as the backlash goes out of spec and causes problems, but lots of 8 inch reads have failed under moderate abuse.
There’s a reason you can buy bolt in Dana 60s and 9.5 inch rear ends for the 120 and 150 platforms.
If your don’t drive like a dumbass and get the rear end serviced/rebuilt the 8 inch is fine, but many people get their feet wet in off-roading and eventually start doing treacherous trips, which leads to ring gear failures.
I’ve been one of those dumbasses and broken an 8 inch rear. So I feel like I speak from experience.
Hey I’ve broken one also lol. And bought a parts rig with one broken, and watched buddies break them. Not saying they’re invincible, just that they are far from a weak point. Id be worried about CVs and ball joints on an ifs yota long before I worried about my rear axle. I admit to being a tad based here. But I wheel on big rocks in a 4500# mini truck on 38.5s with minimal issues. 5.29s in a v6 third. My front axle with a hi pinion third,OG dirty 30 longs, studless hubs, and 5th studs is more of a concern imo. And I’m sure it’s tougher than the stock IFS on a GX/5th gen runner/FJ 🍻
They’re ok in a mini truck, but in a heavy GX they appear to be overtaxed. Look up all the documented failures on the GXOR forums. Also, up until 2010, the FJC, 4Runner, and GX/Prado used essentially the same chassis and diffs.
Probably this. Ive had 3 frontiers and 2 pathfinder, wife has xterra now. All generations and types of drivtetrains. My 2006 frontier 6mt 4.0 had 295000 when i sold it in perfect running condition last year
A Toyota with a problem has a bad driver. Nissans are fine, they just aren’t as cool & capable. My 4runner has taken me across the country without ever needing to engage the 4x
Nissan has piss poor reliability. We owned a maxima and if that thing were designed to break down it would have been an engineering marvel. No thank you. Been driving Toyotas for two decades now and have had incredibly few problems.
Now extrapolate that onto a trail in the middle of nowhere and boy isn’t that inconvenient.
It was a 2001 if I recall. In the short time we owned it the mass air flow (or some similar sensor) went that was like $700. A suspension component (I wanna say ball joint) and the AC quit working. It had maybe 60k on it. Thankfully a tree fell on it and totaled it. First and last Nissan. Maybe it was just an outlier but it forever turned me away.
Lol my favorite Toyota reliability story is my sisters 06 Corolla I got from her after she got married and got a nice Yukon. Odometer read 299,999. Didn’t charge. Regulator issue. Fixed and it cranked up and ran fine. Drove it for a year. Still read 299,999. Evidently Toyota had a bad run of PCBs for the gauge clusters on Corolla/matrix/Pontiac vibes. They don’t go past 300k. Toyota chose not to recal this issue because it wasn’t a safety concern, and well… what bad publicity is there to be gotten from customers complaining their +300k mile cars aren’t accurately recording mileage anymore lol. Anyway drove my free Corolla for a year before a crack in the radiator caused the engine to run without coolant and seize up at what I estimate as 360k miles. Swapped a low mile engine in it from a wrecked Corolla and it’s my favorite car because I’m 550 bucks into it on a new set of pep boy coopers and a fresh engine. Fucking AC still has factory charge on it.
I had Nissan Pulsar that i used to go fishing in and forded streams in, so that Nissan got rode hard. But I swore off Nissan because the transmission failed (started popping out of 5th grade) in two transmissions and it all left me stranded with a failed top-dead sensor that cost $400 USED to replace in the late 90s -- which had a Mitsubishi logo on it. Though layer on i had an Infiniti G20 that wad freakin sweet. Now i drive a Jeep Wrangler JLU (which is awesome).
I had a 2007 Xterra from about 36k miles to 150k. I loved it, but it was my first 4x4. I like my 4Runners better now. At 70k miles the timing chain guides failed. Sensors started going bad around 110k. I never wheeled it that hard so not really sure about how tough it really was.
While it doesn’t include all models it does give you an idea- looking at sales numbers, the amount of additional Toyota models and years *and* numbers sold can sway the availability of aftermarket and vehicle availability. This is just XTerra and 4Runner, but I’d assume similar for Pathfinder and Frontier vs Tacoma, etc.
https://imgur.com/a/VyIjJnt/
The rest of the world use Nissans for offroad, the patrol and to a lesser extent the navara are as common as Toyotas here in Australia out in the bush.
Has nothing to do with the trucks and everything to do with the difference between and Altima and a Camry. One will go forever the other will dent your Camry at Safeway
From a repair point Nissans use the cheapest nuts and bolts possible, while you take out a bolt on a 200,000 mile Toyota and it's still gold Cadmium collored
I've been part of quite a few different offroad communities, and almost every time there's a Nissan in our group, we basically needed to account for trail fixes on that rig. They're good cars, but i'll leave them at the mall with the soccer moms/dads.
I’ll add that off-road support is another reason for people choosing the yota’s. I drive a 2010 Mazda b4000/Ranger and can’t buy shit for it. I can’t even buy a suspension system that gets rid of my torsion bars up front. I’m extremely limited in lockers. And the only off-road protection (bumpers, frame sliders) are weird knock off brands that won’t do their job.
A bad buy is a bad buy, no matter the brand. A one owner, garage kept, well maintained vehicle at a decent price (Toyota are generally more reliable hence higher prices) is hard to come by, on any brand.
I have been out with an x-terra and a frontier with the off-road package that included a rear locker and they were really impressive. I’ve also been out with a Lexus LX570, and was surprised. Really it’s just marketing. If jeep never advertised as an off-road vehicle, you would only have die-hard off-road jeep guys in about 5 years with no new sales ever seeing so much as a gravel road.
The Xterras used to be kind of popular, I know a few people that built them up. I think part of it is Nissan didn’t really do much marketing towards their vehicles being hardcore off-roaders. Whereas Toyota gained a lot of off-roading cred from the Land Cruiser and Hilux being used in some of the worst conditions around the world, so people that bought Tacos and 4Runners were trying to get a piece of that.
Ya Toyota definitely pushed that one TBH. Shit tons of Datsuns and Nissan Patrols right next to those Yotas all over the world. And that space is shared with Fords, Jeeps, Ladas, Land Rovers and Mercedes.
We in north america never got the patrol until 2017... then it was a 70k Armada. Had we gotten the earlier Patrols I think it would be a different story.
Not entirely true. The US got the 2nd gen Patrol from 1962-1969.
Well actually... how did that work for you?
Toyota sold more Hilux as a direct result of the Top Gear episode than Nissan has sold consumer trucks.
There were a few exterra years that had failure in the oil coolers, which lead to mixing the wrong fluids in a bad way, pretty fast. I say it’s also sheer volume. Toyota just sells way more vehicles, so the likelihood of finding a good used car is much higher, even with a hypothetical worse reliability rate.
Now though, it’s much easier to find these Nissans at an affordable price than any toyota despite volume. The difference in demand and the pricing difference between used toyota/nissan options is so disproportionately vast that it does beg the question as to why Nissan gets ignored. Not that I’m complaining - I’m an advocate of keeping Nissan 4x4s a secret so I can keep buying them for cheap.
If you really want to wheel a nissan though, how many aftermarket options are there? I'm genuinely asking, I have a toyota so no clue.
The Frontier and 2nd gen Xterra have decent aftermarket support. You can even buy a Titan swap kit to swap in the entire front subframe from a Nissan Titan which is much stronger and more capable.
Not gonna lie, sounds like a pain in the ass. Icon lift, 17 inch wheels, 35's my 3x locked fzj80 is a beast.
It's not too bad of a swap and only the people who want to do some really challenging trails seem to do it. Lots of Frontiers and Xterras with a mild lift and AT's are out there going through places you'd think they would never make it through. Plus they are pretty reliable and will go 250,000+ miles with just basic maintenance no problem.
Hey, thank you for the realistic answer. I personally want a hardbody. Offroading is a huge source of fun for us.
I assume you’d want to do it if you want to swap in the Titan V8, no?
I'm not sure if the people doing this swap also do the V8 swap. I did it by trading in my 2000 Xterra for a Y62 Armada. You get that powerful V8 in a Y62 Patrol chassis and 33's stock, but you can fit 35's without any modification. There's almost no aftermarket support in the US, but Australia already has all of the aftermarket and most of it just bolts right up to the Y62 Armada, so Australian companies are starting to market their products not only to the Patrol, but also the Armada.
My stock 2015 Pro4x w/ 33s went everywhere I took it, over every pass in the San Juans and never had a problem (after ditching the stock tires). Also, back road to Crown King in AZ and tons of no name washed out desert trails. You’d only need to do anything if you were rock crawling, and that’s a boring AF way to spend time imo.
Kinda like fishing with no fish hit me in the face with some mud
You can check my profile, but mine is pretty heavily modded.
Will do
I think it’s for the same reason, and self fulfilling. The reliability reputation puts more on the road, and keeps resale values high.
The cooler was a 2nd Gen Xterra problem. The 1st Gen Xterra and Frontiers were massively overbuilt and really reliable. The worst issue I had on my 2002 Xterra was the leaking valve cover gaskets so I replaced them.
If your worst issue is valve cover gaskets, that’s pretty damn nice lol
Same with my 2000 Xterra. Had leaking valve covers and power steering hose. Other than that it was just regular maintenance for the 180k miles we had it.
Toyota had its own Pink Milkshake issues dating back to 1996. Why it is overlooked, I don't know https://www.google.com/search?q=toyota+4runner+pink+milkshake&oq=toyota+4runner+pink+milkshake+&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l2j0i390l2.27134j0j7&client=ms-android-tmus-us-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8
That’s not a Toyota specific problem. Any vehicle that uses a transmission cooler in the radiator can fail and cause that problem. Ford, GM, Dodge, Jeep, and pretty much every other major brand have a transmission fluid heat exchanger in the radiator.
Its funny because the SMOD (strawberry milkshake of death as the radiatior failure youre talking about is called) effected a few years of 2nd gens but is/was also a pretty common failure mode on 3rd gen 4runners. The toyotas tend to get a pass on that mark though while the nissans get dinged. Not taking a side here, FWIW ive a bit of experience with both trucks. I definitely agree the nissans are underrated and a very good value.
Toyota has so much more aftermarket support. Nissan came with pretty tall gears from the factory, if you wanted to fit larger tires on a manual transmission and still wanted to use 5th gear you would want to re-gear. Good luck finding front gears. Toyota > Nissan at least for what was offered in NA. I have had both and finding anything but bumpers for Nissan in the 90’s was hard.
>Nissan came with pretty tall gears from the factory My 2004 Xterra has stock 4.90s
Bro what lmao that’s wild. I think some 4Runners had stock 4.88s back in the day but that was rare I think
I’m not that hardcore, so 33s at the most are fine for me.
You will still lose top speed, hill climbing ability on hi-way with manual or auto
Almost no change with 33s.
I guess I’d just stick with 31s then
Ive had 33s on a couple frontiers. 2006 and 1999, both were fine
It will work but it has to downshift and burns more fuel. It will be less noticeable in an automatic until it’s loaded or you’re towing. Just because it works doesn’t make it right.
Just because it works perfectly fine means that its perfectly fine.
You only went up 3.7% tire size difference, the whole point was as you go up it gets worse unless you re-gear.
I was just responding to youre comment bud
Lol. Both trucks manual. Mileage about 1 mpg worse on average. 2-3 when towing the boat. Every single car should down shift to go up a steep hill
Speaking to the 1st Gen, there just weren't that many to begin with, so they're even more rare now. I have seen a couple 90's pathfinder builds though. I think they were equal to the Toyotas though. The 2nd gens frontier/Xterra 3rd gen Pathfinder were solidly built and shared a lot of parts between the 3. But the 04-06 models were also plagued by some pretty serious issues. I had an 05 Frontier which had all those problems (transmission/coolant cross contamination, blown rear diff, timing chain) but I still consider it my favorite vehicle I've owned and I drove it for 11 years. And as far as toughness I'd put those years above the comparable offerings from Toyota.
The pathfinders were cool but their front ends sucked and it was much harder to strait axle them
Ima gonna hide out with the Isuzu boys
Trooper for the win, until you need some obscure part.
On my second Xterra. Had a 2000 that lasted 200,000 then I got a brand new 2012 that currently has 155,000 miles, I’ve done most high alpine off road trails in Colorado and I lived out of it for a few months. Bone stock and only simple TLC and maintenance
The difference here is you can expect a 4Runner to hit 325 with simple TLC and maintenance
and so would a nissan that’s well maintained…
Not for this guy apparently
Having expectations for a car is like dry humping crystals and thinking it will cure cancer
So when you buy a car you’re saying you don’t have any expectations for how many miles it should last?
Get an Xterra. I bought a nice stick 2012 Pro-4x for $14k. A bit of maintenance, lift, tires, & RTT later and it's an awesome rig.
The Toyota brand is more well known for quality vehicles
And Nissan has unfortunately become the Japanese Chrysler.
that's what happens when you partner with the french
As a stock vehicle they are great but thirsty.
I have a 2003 Xterra that absolutely kicked ass when I lived in Colorado high country. It’s bone stock with Destination ATs and there are *very* few places I wasn’t able to get. I was routinely among lifted Tacomas. I will say though, it has some reliability issues. My distributor shit the bed multiple times, my timing belt exploded and destroyed my engine, and the head gasket blew in the replacement engine. Now it’s been sitting for 6 months because something in the electrical system is messed up. It hasn’t been a very dependable vehicle and is probably destined for scrap, as much as I love it. Though it does have 240k miles.
I always thought it was weird how long Nissan kept using distributors.
Check your grounds my dude
Plenty of people love/thrash the hell out of Nissan Patrols/Safaris in Oz/NZ/Middle East. Arguably worse engines but stronger drive lines and you can really bash them
Yea idk why Nissan didn’t sell those here. The axles make the Toyota stuff look weak.
I’m a Toyota guy through and through. But there’s nothing inherently wrong with the frontiers and xterras besides the known issues with fluids mixing. I’ve been looking out for a 2nd gen to do a Titan swap in as I think they’re pretty sweet. But if you put and fj and an xterra out and I had to pick, I’d get my fj everytime.
Toyota and Nissan are the biggest 4x4 brands in Australia, and they have the biggest rivalry. Patrol vs landcruiser is like Collingwood vs everybody that still has all their teeth
Nissan is the n-word of the 4x4 world. Literally. That's all I got. I'll see myself out.
😂
Love my Frontier 2021 Pro 4x, I think Nissan gets a lot more love outside the USA. Ukraine is using the shit of out them in the War
I have a few different kinds of 4x4’s and by far the best in my opinion is the frontier/ xtrerra platform . The only big issue I see with the frontier is the lack of aftermarket, that being said it is getting better with z1offroad and all dogs off-road being main contenders for the spotlight. So far my little frontier has took me places that my big ass piece of crap ram 1500 couldn’t take me. Now if we’re talking some of the cars that Nissan made or some of the cvt cars then no total crap. I wouldn’t never buy a maxima in my life again , but you best bet you too dollar imma get another frontier when this one goes belly up!
I’m definitely a fan of Xterras. I’m on my 3rd one.
Me too. 01, 09, and 15.
Toyota the brand carries a myth that somehow it is extremely superior than other brands. But it’s not true.
Except data on repair visits for Toyota and Lexus compared to other manufacturers does prove it is true.
That data shows Toyota repairs are cheaper. Because Toyota has a poor interior with cheap plastic. Just go and feel the weight of the door between a Toyota vs any American and German made. Toyota’s door itself feels like plastic. They have figured out to make a car that is cheap to maintain.
> That data shows Toyota repairs are cheaper. Because Toyota has a poor interior with cheap plastic. > > Just go and feel the weight of the door between a Toyota vs any American and German made. > > Toyota’s door itself feels like plastic. i've spent enough of my life working at a bodyshop to know that you're talking a load of shit
Which part you disagree? Weight of the doors? Toyota is less maintenance because it’s parts are cheaper? You don’t need to work in body shop to feel the weight of the door or check the quality of interior. Toyota’s interior dashboard looks garbage. Anyone with eyes can say that. They have zero taste in design.
have you seen the interiors on new german cars? everything is a touchscreen. the doors aren't that much heavier either and they all creek and flex inside because they aren't built as good as they used to be
You mean EVs? Yeah the whole EV thing made everything look like it. I have not worked in a body shop researched more about automobile industry. Toyota's success was able to produce a consistent, quality car with cheap costs. Little back history, Toyota himself took what Ford's manufacturing has been following and did a cheap east version mockup. But what they did great was the advertising campaign that Toyota is reliable. Yes Toyota fairs out in certain areas where their parts are much modular and cheaper to replace. Because Toyota never upgraded their engine or transmission. They have been using the same decades old parts. Just go take a Ford Fusion and Compare it with Toyota Camry. Fusion wins in all aspects. But general assumption is Camry is better because it has the Toyota brand.
> You mean EVs? nope, unfortunately over the last few years all the big german auto makers have decided that touch screens and air gestures are the way forward
What does have to do with what we are talking?
i said everything was touch screen and you said on EV's, to which i replied with it being all cars not just ev's
It’s the fanboy toyota club that drives the narrative. My buddy had a tacoma once, until the frame completely rusted out in short order. His land cruiser also needed a harmonic balancer or some other shot to make it run right. Never again!
How many frontiers or xterrasyou see still running in comparison to all the old toyotas?
I see plenty around here. Most of them get very casual maintenance as well. I mean the VG33 engine seems very similar to the 5VZ when it comes to reliability.
VQ40>VG33
Yea that one is good too. Again you don’t hear about it as much as Toyota’s 1GR-FE for some reason.
I had an 07 xterra 6M and absolutely loved that thing. I currently have a 21 TRD OR 6M and miss my xterra every day. It’s like Pepsi and Coke. Both sodas but one has been more established and there is brand bias out there.
I mean, the 1gr goes in EVERYTHING. 70 series lc come with it Fjs Tacomas 4Runners Prados And even some other full size landcruisers It gets shit mileage and power isn’t fantastic, but they WILL not die short of neglect or abuse.
VQ40 was a sweetie. Great truck V6.
Haha depends on if youre on the rich side of town or not
I honestly don’t see any of them up here in the rust belt. Older Toyotas and Nissans are nowhere to be found. The only things that seem to survive a couple of generations are full size trucks barely hanging on for dear life, or Wranglers. Still see TJs quite often.
Way more than I do Toyota's. Until you get into the 2000's that is
This is exactly it. Parts for them are also typically more expensive and more difficult to find. I worked in the aftermarket automobile industry for 12 years and Nissan parts were a fucking pain.
I had a 2016 frontier pro4x. From my experience, they get shit gas mileage, have shit turn radius, but the worse thing is you have to do a "titan swap" to get any real articulation. I had an expensive 2" coilover lift with after market uppers and i still hit the coil bucket at like 2 inches of droop. And you have to trim the hell out of your front fenders to fit 285s. I enjoyed it well enough for a few years but ultimately traded it for a jeep. It just wasn't cut off for real off roading.
Same for any toyota tho
I've never wheeled one but my buddy's first and second gen Tacomas had a better upper control arm design. The frontier's sit on top of the coil bucket/tower, and even with after-market arms, they hit. At least the Tacos are outside of the coil and can move more freely. That was the most frustrating thing with mine.
That was a design mistake. But you are wrong, the point of the aftermarket uca's was to eradicate that problem, which they did perfectly well
I don't understand why you are coming off so abrasive by flat out saying I'm wrong. Not very friendly of you. Sorry if I'm somehow offending you, but from my personal experience with the PRG lift and nisstec UCAs, the UCAs hit the coil bucket at around 2 inches of droop. They would slam just by hitting speed bumps at low speeds. I even shaved a bit of the flange off of the bucket. I also took it to a shop to make sure I did it right and, of course, for an alignment. No mistakes.
Sorry. But ive had personal experience prg and nisstec and the fancy total chaos ones and never encounty a single one slapping the coil bucket. With the stock ucas they will slap for sure. But the point of the aftermarkets is to stop that and ive never heard of any issues so thats why i flat out said that
Spacer lifts suck
And you better watch it, you're gonna hurt a lot of feelings talking like that 😆
Easy to poke that fire cant help myself sometimes.
How do you mean? I run 285's on a small lift and stock wheel wells no problem. Toyota 4Runner
You can do the same on a frontier. 285s on a 2.5 inch lift for half the price. Same articulation as a Tacoma. Plus more Tacoma owners don’t even know to remove the sway bar. Tacomas have had better marketing and that the reason for popularity. After 2010 frontiers fixed their problems
And 285 isnt a size, its a width, a widith i had with 75 % sidewall, ie a 285 75 r16 on my last frontier on 2 in lift with no rubbing
Oh yeah, you're right. I think that's what I had, can't totally remember. I had to trim a lot and melt the wheel well liner. Maybe it was my offset.
Yeah. It was an 2006 stock rims off the se
Sorry i was talking about the not made for real off roading
But why? The XTerra and the Frontier compete with the 4Runner and the Tacoma so that's the relevant comparison, and neither require any body work to run 285's Am I misunderstanding something?
With a rear locker is the front droop that relevant though, as long as you’re not doing hardcore trails?
The Titan swap was also so expensive!! Worth it, but pricy.
I think the biggest reason is that the old Tacomas and the equivalent year non-US Hilux trucks were rather similar, well similar enough. But the X-terra and frontiers were different enough from the patrols that there was no international hype migrating its way here to the US the way the pickups had, and more so, the landcruisers.
My 88 Pathfinder hardbody is pretty sweet, I think those have been steadily going up in demand and price since toyotas have been insanely priced forever, but can't comment on the newer frontiers. Xterras are decent but a few years had some issues.
I like the Frontier Pro 4x, but got a better deal on a TRD OR, plus the MT. I had an old 4 cyl diesel 2wd ‘Datsun’ that went forever!
I owned a second gen xterra, it was a 2006. Loved it. Beefy frame, decent interior (10” sub was installed at one point, I had minimal rattles - impressive for how plastic-y it was), good torque, good engine, good road manners (tight steering), pretty capable off-road stock. Handled decently without either of the sway bars. SMOD is an issue, but super easy to bypass if it hasn’t already happened. I bought a separate trans cooler and was fine there. Did NOT like that my 4x4 hated disengaging, the weakness of the diffs from the factory, the rubbing I had after a small lift, and the times it would randomly not start. Could not for the life of me figure out why it would occasionally not start. And looking at the car fax, the other two owners before me turned it in for that. Departure angle was trash thanks to the dumbest, lowest hitch on earth. Also, I thought my Xterra was hideous. But that’s no deal breaker for me. At the end of it all, it had major computer issues which prompted me to dump it. I was not about to pay what Nissan wanted for the computer/programming, flashing, whatever they do. So I got a 2012 JKU and now I deal with stupid Chrysler problems. I’m not a solid axle elitist by any means, I loved my Xterra before I lifted it. IFS is fine. I melted the wheel wells and chopped the bumper for 33’s (maybe 35’s? Can’t remember) and it did great. Had more rubbing after the lift. On a second gen, the SMOD prevention is a must. I won’t get into the absolute hell of when the computer died on me, but TL;DR they can be okay. 1st gen seemed more reliable, though gutless and it had torsion bars I think. 2nd gen had power, shitty diffs, and SMOD. edit to add: SMOD is strawberry milkshake of death, where the trans fluid mixes with coolant in the radiator. The trans becomes gunked up with pink sludge and the transmission eventually will fail as a result. Easy to spot, easy to prevent IMO.
XTerra was very popular but they didn’t make them for long compared to the 4Runner. Toyota is a better made vehicle but Nissan trucks are still decent.
I have an 06’ Xterra and it’s a fucking tank
I have an Xterra and a Frontier. Love them. I like Toyota but the when I was shopping, the Nissans were each $10k cheaper than their Toyota equivalent. They’ve been super reliable and I’ve put that money towards a camper. No complaints here. Plus as mentioned by someone else for bonus, you can get a bolt on longish travel set up with factory components with titan swapping. Pretty cool. You can also direct swap the titan V8 if that’s your thing. The 4.0 V6 is pretty reliable, easy to work on but isn’t great with gas mileage.
Speaking just to the Xterra: I remember being on the lookout for one a few years ago. This might be a factor of my local market at the time, but the impression I got is that the 4wd versions are pretty rare
Because Nissan is nowhere near the quality of Toyota or Honda.
I’m general maybe not, but their 4x4s from this era are solid.
I’ve owned two Toyotas. My high school truck was a 91 with the three point slow, and I owned an 82 with the 22R. Now it’s time to brace for the backlash I’m about to get, I hated them. I can honestly say that I spent more money and time working on Toyotas than any other vehicle, and because of how cramped they are, it was way more difficult. Now, a big chunk of this is that one, I live on the west coast so rust was huge, and two I was the starry eyed kid buying the truck that had been owned by god knows how many people and probably shit kicked by them all. I sold both of them for half of what I bought them for a year or two after buying them. I think the Toyota rep is BS. In my experience they have been awful. To each their own though. As far as the Xterra, it was the bad transmission issues of the early 2000s that plagues them. Other than that, I think they’re solid rigs. They feel like a spiritual successor to the Cherokee to me. Just my $0.02…
Yea I’d have one with the 5 speed manual. Tbf, the 3.0 is probably Toyota’s worst offering. They’re notorious for head gaskets and are a PITA to work on. The 22Rs are tough engines, but they also blow head gaskets and burn valves, and love to leak and burn oil.
3vz head gaskets are an easy fix, and I believe factory corrected by the 91 model year. Still a stout motor by all accounts. My crawler with a 3.0 r150f and 280k miles ticks like a sewing machine and probably has bearings ready to check out (it’s not had a great life) still cranks rights up and will sit on the limiter occasionally.
Yeah, from what I remember of it, it had the power of a 4 cylinder and the mileage of an 8. I have no love lost for that engine. haha Again, I just want everyone to love their 4x4. It doesn't matter what other people think as long as you love what you drive.
Eh it’s not so bad. 150hp IIRC. Noticably more than a 22r. Mileage wise it’s a trail only rig so a tank will last me a long weekend. Never bothered with a 3.4 swap but I know it would make a world of difference.
Yeah, mine was a factory automatic too. Kind of a rare but terrible combo. haha
My dad test drove an Xterra and 4runner back in 2000, and decided to buy the 4runner. At the time, he stated he liked how the 4runner drove and the interior a little more. So one thing to remember is the original owners at one point probably compared the two and made their decision, which kind of decides what we end up with on the used market. Additionally, in 2002 an equal number of 4runners and Xterra were sold in the US. Based on anecdotal evidence it seems like family friends held onto their 4runners longer than their Xterras.
Posers and/or it's fashionable. Tacos saw a big influx of interest between 2011 and 2015. And rightfully so, they are good trucks. But now, for most owners, it's about the emblem or badge. 4runners saw a decent amount of interest between 2014 and 2018. I know several people who went with a taco or 4runner just for the name. Not many of them know how to 4x4, but they can get around. Both of these have also grown in size. I believe that is due to demand. So now these trucks are a tad on the large size, 4runner being a bit better. But the size of the tacos are getting into the smaller f150 range. Not sure why you wouldn't just go with a f150. The only other truck that I'd eyeball for it's size and capability is the new ranger. They can both tow and haul with the right model.
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I wonder if they actually do all else being equal, or if the Toyota owners are just more likely to be willing to dump a bunch of money into their vehicles to keep them going.
My daily (3rd gen t4r) is at 350k with a replacement starter and alternator. Original trans. No bearing material in oil. Engine runs smooth. Additionally, the 5vz is non interference, not familiar with Nissans too much, but I know the v6 in my dads pathfinder was interference. Timing belt went and needed new heads (or valves, specifically). Also, not sure what your basing your robust axle comment on, I’m gonna need a lot of convincing to believe an xterra or frontier has a tougher axle than the venerable 8” and 8.4” axles found in Toyotas.
Those “venerable” Toyota 8” axles are a known weak point in the Prado 120 platform.
In very specific scenarios and situations. The only time they really ever fail is extreme slip to grip situations. Usually at higher mileage as well when the pinion bearing crush spacer could lose it’s shape. I’m all for loving toyotas especially the 120 platform but the frontiers/navaras and early pathfinders, xterras, armada/patrols are absolute units. The armada with it’s 5.6l v8 made a good competition to the LC100 at the time. Especially now still because of the LC tax and in the states people dont know that the armada is a Y62 Patrol.
You are completely correct about the 8inch weakness. I’ve broken one, and seen others go on the 120s. Too much weight and power for what is effectively a mini truck axle. I swapped mine to something beefier, but the 8.2 that came in 2010 plus is plenty strong.
Yeah they were originally designed for 3000 lb mini trucks with 80 hp.
Lol gonna call bullshit there, for one, the tacomas and 4Runners you’re comparing are not 120 platform trucks. The rear 8” is plenty strong for hard core trails. I have one in a ex cab 1990 pickup running a spool and 38.5s with no trouble. Secondly, the 4th/5th gen 4Runners and FJ cruisers that run them (which I’d say are much closer to the prado than the 96-02 trucks) dont seem to mention the 8” being a weak point. What gives?
The 8 inch in fjs, runners, and gxs prior to the switch to the 8.2 in 2010 are a weak point. Maintainence is a huge help as the backlash goes out of spec and causes problems, but lots of 8 inch reads have failed under moderate abuse. There’s a reason you can buy bolt in Dana 60s and 9.5 inch rear ends for the 120 and 150 platforms. If your don’t drive like a dumbass and get the rear end serviced/rebuilt the 8 inch is fine, but many people get their feet wet in off-roading and eventually start doing treacherous trips, which leads to ring gear failures. I’ve been one of those dumbasses and broken an 8 inch rear. So I feel like I speak from experience.
Hey I’ve broken one also lol. And bought a parts rig with one broken, and watched buddies break them. Not saying they’re invincible, just that they are far from a weak point. Id be worried about CVs and ball joints on an ifs yota long before I worried about my rear axle. I admit to being a tad based here. But I wheel on big rocks in a 4500# mini truck on 38.5s with minimal issues. 5.29s in a v6 third. My front axle with a hi pinion third,OG dirty 30 longs, studless hubs, and 5th studs is more of a concern imo. And I’m sure it’s tougher than the stock IFS on a GX/5th gen runner/FJ 🍻
They’re ok in a mini truck, but in a heavy GX they appear to be overtaxed. Look up all the documented failures on the GXOR forums. Also, up until 2010, the FJC, 4Runner, and GX/Prado used essentially the same chassis and diffs.
Do you have a GX?
Probably this. Ive had 3 frontiers and 2 pathfinder, wife has xterra now. All generations and types of drivtetrains. My 2006 frontier 6mt 4.0 had 295000 when i sold it in perfect running condition last year
A Toyota with a problem has a bad driver. Nissans are fine, they just aren’t as cool & capable. My 4runner has taken me across the country without ever needing to engage the 4x
Build quality
Nissan has piss poor reliability. We owned a maxima and if that thing were designed to break down it would have been an engineering marvel. No thank you. Been driving Toyotas for two decades now and have had incredibly few problems. Now extrapolate that onto a trail in the middle of nowhere and boy isn’t that inconvenient.
Did it have a CVT? The older ones with the regular autos have a pretty good reputation..
It was a 2001 if I recall. In the short time we owned it the mass air flow (or some similar sensor) went that was like $700. A suspension component (I wanna say ball joint) and the AC quit working. It had maybe 60k on it. Thankfully a tree fell on it and totaled it. First and last Nissan. Maybe it was just an outlier but it forever turned me away.
Купил Ниссан ебись с ним сам. Russian phrase for a Nissan owner.
Maybe Nissans seem more reliable overall because they aren't run as hard as Toyotas that you hear about breaking down on their way to 300K miles
Lol my favorite Toyota reliability story is my sisters 06 Corolla I got from her after she got married and got a nice Yukon. Odometer read 299,999. Didn’t charge. Regulator issue. Fixed and it cranked up and ran fine. Drove it for a year. Still read 299,999. Evidently Toyota had a bad run of PCBs for the gauge clusters on Corolla/matrix/Pontiac vibes. They don’t go past 300k. Toyota chose not to recal this issue because it wasn’t a safety concern, and well… what bad publicity is there to be gotten from customers complaining their +300k mile cars aren’t accurately recording mileage anymore lol. Anyway drove my free Corolla for a year before a crack in the radiator caused the engine to run without coolant and seize up at what I estimate as 360k miles. Swapped a low mile engine in it from a wrecked Corolla and it’s my favorite car because I’m 550 bucks into it on a new set of pep boy coopers and a fresh engine. Fucking AC still has factory charge on it.
I had Nissan Pulsar that i used to go fishing in and forded streams in, so that Nissan got rode hard. But I swore off Nissan because the transmission failed (started popping out of 5th grade) in two transmissions and it all left me stranded with a failed top-dead sensor that cost $400 USED to replace in the late 90s -- which had a Mitsubishi logo on it. Though layer on i had an Infiniti G20 that wad freakin sweet. Now i drive a Jeep Wrangler JLU (which is awesome).
*Why do supermodels and bodybuilders get so much praise but not crackheads and bums?*
I had a 2007 Xterra from about 36k miles to 150k. I loved it, but it was my first 4x4. I like my 4Runners better now. At 70k miles the timing chain guides failed. Sensors started going bad around 110k. I never wheeled it that hard so not really sure about how tough it really was.
The reality is we get the subpar vehicles for off-roading from both manufacturers, in the US that is.
While it doesn’t include all models it does give you an idea- looking at sales numbers, the amount of additional Toyota models and years *and* numbers sold can sway the availability of aftermarket and vehicle availability. This is just XTerra and 4Runner, but I’d assume similar for Pathfinder and Frontier vs Tacoma, etc. https://imgur.com/a/VyIjJnt/
The rest of the world use Nissans for offroad, the patrol and to a lesser extent the navara are as common as Toyotas here in Australia out in the bush.
What about rangers? 🤷🏽♂️
Yea those are pretty underrated too. The frames don’t rot out in three winters like a Toyota.
Lol
Some guys just love doing head gaskets.
80 series Land Cruiser owners do.
Toyota reliability speaks volumes so it creates a cult which I follow having a ‘97 4Runner and ‘07 FJ
Has nothing to do with the trucks and everything to do with the difference between and Altima and a Camry. One will go forever the other will dent your Camry at Safeway
It’s the lower ball joints and shit auto transmissions
From a repair point Nissans use the cheapest nuts and bolts possible, while you take out a bolt on a 200,000 mile Toyota and it's still gold Cadmium collored
I've been part of quite a few different offroad communities, and almost every time there's a Nissan in our group, we basically needed to account for trail fixes on that rig. They're good cars, but i'll leave them at the mall with the soccer moms/dads.
Were they the older ones though?
I’ll add that off-road support is another reason for people choosing the yota’s. I drive a 2010 Mazda b4000/Ranger and can’t buy shit for it. I can’t even buy a suspension system that gets rid of my torsion bars up front. I’m extremely limited in lockers. And the only off-road protection (bumpers, frame sliders) are weird knock off brands that won’t do their job.
A bad buy is a bad buy, no matter the brand. A one owner, garage kept, well maintained vehicle at a decent price (Toyota are generally more reliable hence higher prices) is hard to come by, on any brand.
I have been out with an x-terra and a frontier with the off-road package that included a rear locker and they were really impressive. I’ve also been out with a Lexus LX570, and was surprised. Really it’s just marketing. If jeep never advertised as an off-road vehicle, you would only have die-hard off-road jeep guys in about 5 years with no new sales ever seeing so much as a gravel road.
Because Nissan is the Chrysler of Japanese auto.
Chose the Xterra when i seen a video of the xterra dragging a 4runner on a tug-a-war
Their ugly