“Everything you need. Nothing you don’t.” That’s the perfect advertising tagline for Nissan’s Xterra — because it fits perfectly.

Nissan is betting the Xterra’s rugged good looks and matching off-road capabilities will tap into a couple of specific niches in the SUV market — that active male who doesn’t run with the pack and wants an SUV with a strong, masculine look and cargo room for outdoor and sports activities, as well as the price conscious young, active family.

Every sport-utility shopper can tell you just how expensive new SUVs are. It seems the majority of entry-level SUVs are priced in the high $20,000 range and into low $30s when you equip them with more than the basics. The compromise is moving down to the smaller SUVs like the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV-4. This is where the Xterra hits a grand slam.

The Nissan Pathfinder originally was a rugged, no-nonsense SUV that was little more than a camper shell attached to a pickup. As the Pathfinder evolved — meaning demand forced Nissan to offer ever more features making it more expensive — the automaker decided to build a new, affordable, midsize, 4-door SUV that didn’t force buyers to choose between size and roominess or style and true, off-road capability.

And so the 2000 Xterra was rolled out, coming to market as a new, 5-passenger SUV based on Nissan’s popular Frontier pickup.

I recently drove the new, 2002 version of the 4X4 Xterra XE for the second time in about six months. I had driven it previously at a press event in the hills around Carmel, Calif., and up the Pacific Coast Highway from Big Sur. The 2002 is slightly more refined than the original and in both cases, I found the more I drove it, the more I liked it.

The Xterra is offered in both two and four-wheel-drive versions, and since it’s built on the same platform and has the same wheelbase as the Frontier 4x4 pickup, it’s also no surprise the Xterra ride is a bit truckish. It also utilizes its truck-style ladder frame chassis and sports a double-wishbone front suspension and a truck-like solid rear axle with leaf springs in back.

The Xterra gives you real feedback on the terrain, swaying somewhat through fast curves and feeling the bumps, but overall, it’s not too bad. The 15-inch wheels handle rugged off-road terrain easily, grabbing tenaciously on steep hills, and make passage on uneven, furrowed areas easily manageable.

The Xterra’s four-wheel drive system is part-time, requiring the driver to manually shift a gear lever inside the vehicle. But unlike a number of higher priced SUVs, there is a 4-wheel low gear for really tough going. The power steering is a recirculating ball setup.

The Xterra offers a generous 7.9 inches of ground clearance for those off-road treks and an overall height of almost 70 inches — even without the roof rack. This makes it one of the taller SUVs on the market and contributes to the sway on turns as well as giving strong winds a chance to buffet the vehicle more than some others.
However, its tall profile also provides excellent headroom front and rear. The Xterra offers front legroom of 41.4 inches with 32.8 inches in the rear — which is less in back than both the Suzuki Grand Vitara and the four-door RAV-4. The Xterra’s cargo room tops both of those shorter-length competitors though, with a maximum 65.6 cubic feet.

Under the hood, the base 4x2 Xterra comes with a 2.4-liter 143-horse, four-banger. However, all 4-wheel-drive Xterras are equipped with the up-level, 3.3-liter SOHC 12-valve V6. It’s the same powerplant that’s in the lPathfinder. The 170 horses and 200 lb-ft of torque at 2800 rpm are also the same for both vehicles.

It’s a good thing you don’t buy an SUV for fuel economy, because even with the manual transmission, estimates for a 4x4 Xterra are a measly 16-mpg city and 18 highway.

What separates the Xterra from the rest of the huge pack of SUVs is its absolute usefulness. It will stow and/or haul about anything, somehow, and according to one Nissan marketing executive, it has the ability to do 90 mph with a kayak on top.

An optional utility package adds a tubular aluminum roof rack with a removable basket up front that can hold up to 30 pounds of dirty, wet gear. It even has cutouts in the side so water from snow gear or wet suits can run off the vehicle. Although the beefy, brushed aluminum rack makes the Xterra somewhat distinctive, at also adds about $1,000 to the price. However, Nissan expects 90 percent of all Xterras will have it.

Inside, the cargo area has a utility package that adds six ceiling tie clips to the traditional floor hooks so multiple, and odd-sized items can be secured. The ceiling clips also work with an accessory bike rack that keeps bikes secure inside the vehicle, rather than outside on the tailgate, but adds another $200 to the price.

Whines: The power steering felt a bit sluggish for my taste in quick, slalom-like maneuvers. Once up to speed, the Xterra handles traffic well, but the 5-speed manual I drove in Calif. seemed to bottom out its torque quickly, forcing me to go through the gears more often than I would have liked. No such problem with the V6 automatic though. I’d like to see some additional upscale interior trim options offered that didn’t raise the price out of sight.

Applause: With its rugged good looks, strong off-road capabilities, and a sticker just over $18,000 for an XE with 2-wheel drive with manual transmission, it’s only about $1,000 more than the smaller RAV-4. Our V6, automatic test version, totally tricked out, was just over $27,000. Not bad at all for all the utility you get and what this vehicle can do.

Bottom Line: This is no wimpy SUV — it’s the real deal. It’s made for people with active lifestyles and has features most larger, more luxurious SUVs don’t. No matter what your lifestyle, there are all sorts of extra options to tailor the Xterra to exactly suit your needs and personality without sending the price into orbit. It’s a great vehicle and a great value.