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DRIVEN: Nissan Xterra Aces Rugged Trails
Adventure truck powers over rough Arizona terrain after we got lost in the desert.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted June 17, 2009   Phoenix, AZ
Climbing steep, rugged hills was easy work for Xterra's strong 4-liter V-6. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
The foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains north of Phoenix are laced with trails that run along the tops of narrow ridges and through gullies at the bottoms of deep gorges.

The trails are made up of jagged rocks and steep inclines, and they cut narrowly through the desert brush and cactuses, green and lush from the recent spring rains. The tall saguaros sprout flowers from their lofty tips this time of year, and even the rough-looking paddle cactuses display large yellow flowers.

Some of the stony trails hang on the edges of cliffs, in places nearly washed out by erosion.

This was where we took the Nissan Xterra, a tough little four-wheel-drive SUV that seemed ready for a day of desert four-wheeling, Arizona style. The goal was to explore some of the old mining roads that climb sharply up the hillsides, ending at ragged holes and piles of tailings left behind when the mines played out.

The compact Xterra can provide its owner with plenty of exposure to the natural world. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
Xterra is a basic sort of truck, compared with today’s breed of fancy crossovers and high-tech luxury SUVs. Body-on-frame construction, solid rear axle, rear leaf springs, basically a full-body variation of a Nissan pickup truck.

It’s kind of a throwback, really, going back to when such compact SUVs as Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Cherokee and Ford Explorer were just coming into vogue as go-anywhere, do anything wagons for both families and rugged individuals.

They’ve all moved upmarket, replaced in the tough-truck category by Xterra and a couple others, SUVs that fully function as everyday vehicles but with the capabilities of actually tackling harsh terrain.

Xterra is reputedly geared toward adventurous young drivers and their mates as they head out for hiking, biking and kayaking trips. Most often, of course, they serve as suburban runabouts with little exposure to the wild, though they do convey the image.

But here we were, slipping and jiggling over the loose stones and eroded ravines as we climbed up these old trails carved in the desert. Some of this four-wheeling is kind of hard-core with scary situations that test driving skill – or maybe foolhardiness – as well as the strength and durability of the truck.


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