2008 Nissan Xterra Quality Review

The 2008 Nissan Xterra rates highly for usable space, but a plasticky cabin and noisy mechanicals push its comfort ratings south.

When it comes to seating, Cars.com finds that "five occupants fit inside the Xterra," and rear comfort isn't all that bad. Up front, the Nissan Xterra offers "good headroom and legroom," says ConsumerGuide, and other reviews read by TheCarConnection.com agree. However, aside from the generous amounts of space, the 2008 Nissan Xterra suffers from uncomfortable front seats, which ConsumerGuide says need "a bit more padding for optimal long-distance comfort." In the rear of the vehicle, Cars.com reviewers say to expect "a small door opening when entering and exiting," but "once situated, the rear bench seat is OK, thanks to a nicely reclined backrest, and headroom is plentiful." Kelley Blue Book adds that the Nissan Xterra offers "ample headroom and legroom for every passenger, front and back."

As a practical vehicle, the Nissan 2008 Xterra excels when it comes to available storage space. Cars.com mentions that the Nissan Xterra's "cargo area measures 35.2 cubic feet, which is a sizable amount of space," while "folding the second-row bench seat nearly doubles the total cargo area to 65.7 cubic feet." ConsumerGuide adds that "good space becomes generous with the rear seats folded," and an "available fold-flat right-front seat allows carrying objects up to 9 feet long," although the "lack of opening tailgate glass is a minus." On another practical note, Edmunds writes that the 2008 Nissan Xterra features "an easy-to-clean floor and a total of 10 utility hooks." Inside the cabin, ConsumerGuide reviewers find "useful small-item storage."

Materials quality and assembly are rather Spartan, a visual reminder of both the price range and the intended use of the 2008 Nissan Xterra. Cars.com testers noticed "a few large gaps between the panels" of the interior, and "like the Dodge Nitro, the dash is made of hard plastic." Other reviewers mention the materials as an overall minus as well, with Edmunds writing that "there's more hard plastic than [they'd] like" and Consumer Guide saying that the interior looks "especially cut-rate." Build quality issues arise on the ConsumerGuide test models as well, as one "suffered rattling front-door windows and an irritating squeak from the cargo area."

Those build-related noise issues on their vehicle aren't the only sounds you'll notice when driving the Nissan 2008 Xterra. ConsumerGuide says that "the V6 has a gruff, fairly loud growl at full throttle, plus an annoying bellow between shifts with the manual transmission," and "wind rush and road rumble sometimes annoy." Car and Driver also mentions that the "noisy rear suspension" can become tiresome and irritating.