2006 4x4 of the Year

Nissan Xterra Off-Road V-6
The engineering team that developed this second-generation Xterra clearly knew what they were after, and to us their recipe seems just about perfect. Right off the bat we knew the 2006 Xterra had power - lots of power! The Nissan 4.0L V-6 puts the old Xterra's 3.3L supercharged engine to shame, and the five-speed automatic transmission backs it up with all the right ratios to make the Xterra feel torquey at any speed. Through our city test loop the Xterra proved easy to navigate with point-and-throttle driving that let us pass problem drivers and dismantle traffic jams with ease. Thanks to the Xterra's stance and seating position, the Nissan still has excellent visibility (on- and off-road) even though the sheetmetal has gotten a little "tubby" in the rear. On the open road the Xterra held its own with the other 4x4s in our test and gave a comfortable highway ride, plenty of room for gear, and a stereo that lets you listen to the radio with the windows down.

There's not a lot to criticize on this vehicle, but none of our judges were particularly happy with the Xterra's steering. We felt it was too heavy, yet had a vague on-center feel. The Xterra always seemed to wander on the pavement. But somehow the steering ratio was also too slow, making the Xterra more of a handful to maneuver on the trail than the larger-wheelbase H3.

Still, in our off-road testing the Xterra consistently rose to the top of the pack. Big tires, Bilstein shocks, lots of gearing choices, and the rear electric locker practically guaranteed that it would - no matter what the terrain. It ranked best in the sand, second in the rocks, and third on the high-speed dirt and gravel roads. The independent front suspension provided great ground clearance (much better than the Commander and Grand Vitara) and it did well controlling the front of the Xterra. The rear suspension was marked down, however, because it had a tendency to bounce in rocks and bottom-out over larger ripples in the sand dunes. Perhaps some revised shock dampening or larger rear bumpstops are in order.

We're slowly (and reluctantly!) getting used to ABS-based traction control on new 4x4s. We'll concede that these systems are getting better, and clearly the Nissan team has done a better job calibrating theirs than their Hummer and Suzuki competition.

Likes
-Top-of-the-line off-road components
-Large and rugged cargo area
-Excellent power-to-weight ratio

Dislikes
-No rear trailer hitch or tow hooks
-Can't check tranny fluid. Dipstick is bolted down
-Interior is rugged but plain

Verdict
Best bang for the off-road buck by far

Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Quad Cab
Hummer H3 SUV
Jeep Commander Limited
Nissan Xterra Off-Road V-6
Suzuki Grand Vitara
The Scores and Previous Winners
The 2006 4x4 of the Year is ...