2001 Nissan Xterra Interior Review at Automotive.com
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Nissan
Xterra
2001

2001 Nissan Xterra Review: Interior

Below is a full, detailed 2001 Nissan Xterra review and road test from New Car Test Drive. A full evaluation of price, equipment, the driving experience, and specs are all here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with limitless ...     read more
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2001 Nissan Xterra Review

Why mess with a winner?
Interior
A new instrument panel is the most significant change in 2001. It is stylish, but ironically it's less functional than the old panel. And its style is a matter of individual taste. The instrument background is a striking shade of gunmetal, two shades actually, and looks slick. At night the numbers illuminate, but because they're outlined in white instead of being bold, they're difficult to read. The tachometer is new for 2001, stretching to 8000 rpm despite a power peak that comes at 4800; the redline begins at 6000, which makes you wonder if the big eight-grand tachometer is just an excuse to have a touch of flair on the panel, in the form of thick fluorescent red line.

The digital clock is positioned so it's virtually impossible to read in the sunlight, which is annoying, and little green lights indicating the air conditioning is on are so dim and tiny you simply don't know by looking, although the AC itself is very good.

The console layout is very tidy and handsome, appropriately spartan. A new CD changer holds six CDs, which can be selected with the six radio station buttons. There are two cool buttons for the four-way flashers and rear window defogger, rectangular and totally flat on the face of the aluminum-looking panel. The heater controls are three big switches with wings. There are front and rear auxiliary DC outlets in addition to the cigarette lighter, and big fixed cupholders front and rear. Cruise control and radio controls are located on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, with wide spokes located at 3, 9, 5 and 7 o'clock. The whole padded center is the horn, the best and safest operation because of quick access. The horn is tinny but strong, a no-frills statement.

The bucket seats fit well and provide good lumbar support; we made one five-hour freeway run with no aches. We also took the Xterra windsurfing, and missed the cool accessory seat covers made of wetsuit material. Other nice available cabin details include the side window demisters and rear heat ducts, smart storage crannies, as many as 10 cargo hooks on floor and ceiling, and a strap on the tailgate to close it from the inside.

The roof is raised over the rear seats to allow for their elevation, which is good because with a nice view through the windshield, back-seat passengers might not notice how little legroom exists-an inch less than the smaller Toyota RAV 4. Because it's built on the Frontierpickup truck platform, Xterra's engineers must have been challenged to squeeze everything in, while providing the good 65.6 cubic feet of cargo space. When the 50-50 rear seatbacks are folded down, the seat bottoms must be removed, or else the front seats must be jammed impossibly close to the dash. So, depending on circumstance, you either leave them in your garage or they become loose cargo of their own. At least they're featherweight. Next Page


2001 Nissan Xterra