20 Cars Similar to the Nissan Xterra

Nissan ceased the production of the Xterra SUV in 2015, fifteen years after it made its debut. The most recent model was a 261-horsepower unit that also had a torque rating of 281. As the Japanese automaker puts the Xterra into retirement, fans of the brand’s SUV will now have to look into cars that are similar to it. There are potential units that make the grade that’s been listed in this article.

The Xterra’s 2015 model featured a fuel efficiency rating was sixteen miles per gallon in the city and twenty-two miles per gallon on the highway. Its manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) began at $23,390.00 USD. This five-passenger seater also had a 65.7 cubic foot storage capacity. It came either as a rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, along with the option of an automatic or manual transmission.

The reason why Nissan discontinued its midsized Xterra was due to the declining interest in an SUV that was designed for off-road adventures. Between safety issues and increased demand for vehicles to become more fuel efficient, the Xterra started to become obsolete in the eyes of the consumer.

The 2022 Lineup

The 2022 lineup of the Nissan Xterra is based on the Nissan Terra models that are popular in certain Asian markets. Granted, the 2022 model has a 165 horsepower engine, which is nearly a 100 horsepower drop from its 2015 lineup. At the moment, only the Middle East market currently has access to the newest Xterra models.

Another notable change with the Nissan Xterra is the size. In 2015, it had a five-passenger capacity. The latest models now come as large as three rows, capable of fitting seven passengers. So, when comparing what’s similar to the Nissan Xterra, this depends on which model year you wish to make the reference to.

This list looked at compact and midsize crossover SUVs that were most commonly referred to as suitable alternatives to the Nissan Xterra.

1. Chevrolet Blazer

The Blazer was a favorite brand name for Chevrolet and GMC ever since it was first introduced in 1969. As the Chevrolet K5 Blazer, it was a full-sized SUV. From 1983 until 2012 there was the S10 Blazer. In 2019, the midsize Chevrolet Blazer came out as a crossover SUV as if answering the call to cater to the rising demand by consumers.

Nissan had yet to bring back the Xterra at this time, so Chevrolet brought forth this particular Blazer as a similar solution. As an SUV with all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive options, it also has the capability to shift into four-wheel drive mode.

Now going into 2023, the newest edition to the Blazer starts at $44,800.00 USD. The fuel economy rating is nineteen miles per gallon in the city and twenty-seven miles per gallon on the highway. For storage, there are 64.2 cubic square feet to work with. The wheelbase is measured at 112.7 inches, which is just a fraction larger than the 2022 Nissan Xterra’s 112.2 inches.

2. Chevrolet Trailblazer

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer starts at $22,995.00 USD. For the price, you get the same kind of SUV as the Xterra. It’s a midsize crossover, just like Nissan’s model. It also comes with an all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive with four-wheel drive features. The Trailblazer is also off-road capable. Trailblazer’s fuel economy rating is twenty-nine miles per gallon in the city and thirty-one miles per gallon on the highway.

3. Ford Bronco Sport

Since 1966, Ford Bronco has made its mark as Ford’s answer to the world of sport utility vehicles. Due to the popularity of the Bronco, it’s not easy to get your hands on the latest models. The Bronco Sport has closer ties to the Nissan Xterra in size and performance. Starting at $28,815.00 USD, the base model shares the off-roading capabilities with its G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) design.

Like the Xterra, the Bronco Sport is built to fit five passengers. Its cargo capacity is measured at 65.2 cubic feet. The wheelbase is 105.1 inches, which is just a tad shorter than Xterra’s 106.3-inch measurement. It also shares rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive options, just like Xterra.

4. Honda CR-V

Starting at $26,800.00 USD, the CR-V is Honda’s answer to an alternative to the Nissan Xterra. Its midsize frame is also built to be a capable off-roader. The fuel economy rating of the CR-V is twenty-eight miles per gallon in the city and thirty-four miles per gallon on the highway. Like most other SUVs made today, it comes as a hybrid.

The latest lineup of Nissan Xterra models is based on its Terra series, which also comes as hybrids these days. Its 190 horsepower rating is comparable to the 2022 Xterra lineup, as well as the all-wheel drive feature. The 2022 Honda CR-V has a seating capacity of up to eight passengers within its three rows. As far as SUVs similar to the Nissan Xterra, it’s the Honda CR-V that has the highest critic and consumer ratings. As 2023 approaches, the CR-V is about to go into its sixth generation as an SUV.

5. Hyundai Tucson

From South Korea, the Hyundai Tucson starts at $25,800.00 USD. As an Xterra alternative, the fuel mileage rating is superior but this should be expected. The reason why Xterra was pulled from the production line in 2015 was due to complaints about how much it cost on fuel. If Nissan either continued or brought back the Xterra and accommodated the consumer demands in the process, the fuel economy rating would likely be closely matched.

A 2022 Hyundai Tucson allows twenty-six miles per gallon in the city and thirty-three miles per gallon on the highway. As for its 2015 predecessor, it was twenty miles per gallon in the city and twenty-five miles per gallon on the highway. Still superior to the Xterra in that regard, but it shows how much the two had in common, even back in the day.

6. Jeep Compass

The second generation of the Jeep Compass began in 2016 and served as a replacement for the Jeep Patriot as a crossover SUV. It also seemed to have taken a page out of Nissan Xterra’s book and improved upon it when it came to performance levels. Measured at 103.9 at the wheelbase, the overall size of the Compass was very similar to Xterra.

Just like the Xterra, the Compass can either be driven with an automatic transmission or manual. It comes either as a front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, along with the four-wheel drive system. There are very few automakers that excel at off-road SUV units and Jeep happens to be one of them.

Nissan has been a longtime competitor whereas Xterra was purposely designed to serve as a direct competitor against Jeep’s lineup. The Compass was redesigned in 2016, right after Xterra made its exit. Careful observation of the Compass has given fans of Nissan food for thought as it capitalized on what the Japanese brand chose not to do for Xterra at the time.

7. Jeep Patriot

From 2006 until 2016, the Jeep Patriot was in production as an intensely close competitor to the Nissan Xterra. Like the Xterra in 2015, it was phased out as 2017 marked the final model year of an SUV that was replaced by the second generation of the Jeep Compass. The compact crossover SUV shared the same four-wheel drive standard as the Xterra, as well as the option of an automatic or manual transmission.

In measurements and performance, there wasn’t much difference between the Patriot and the Xterra. The basic 2015 Jeep Patriot model had a fuel mileage rating of twenty miles per gallon in the city and twenty-two miles per gallon on the highway.

8. Jeep Renegade

When it comes to off-roaders, this is Jeep’s primary niche. The Renegade may be the new kid on Jeep’s block as it only made its debut in 2014 but it has rightfully earned its place as a top SUV qualifier. As a Nissan Xterra alternative, it shares the four-wheel drive option. However, this one is also a front wheel, not a rear wheel. It also offers an all-wheel drive option. These are the only key difference between these two models. When the Renegade first came out it was thought to replace the Jeep Compass and the Jeep Patriot. It was also the smallest Jeep SUV to date. While the Patriot did indeed make an exit in 2017, the Compass remains.

9. Jeep Wrangler

The Nissan Xterra and the Jeep Wrangler competed as rivals from 2000 until 2015. If there was an SUV unit that came closest to Xterra’s design from bumper to bumper, it was the infamous Wrangler. This boxier version of the compact crossover SUV has mostly kept its original appearance ever since it made its intro in 1986.

The Wrangler has been among the kings of off-roader SUVs since its beginning and it’s not about to step off the throne anytime soon. Of all the SUVs on the list here, the Jeep Wrangler is an icon.

Starting at $29,995.00 USD, the Wrangler still remains a sportsman’s ultimate SUV experience. If you’re looking for a vehicle that’s friendly on fuel, the Wrangler is not it. The base model has a seventeen miles per gallon rating in the city and a twenty-three miles per gallon rating on the highway.

10. Kia Sorento

In 2002, the Kia Sorento first entered the crossover SUV market in the compact category. In 2009, it made the jump to mid-size. This was the same thing that happened to the Nissan Xterra, as well as many SUV models. The shifts came about as a means to accommodate the demands of the average consumer.

Today’s Kia Sorento is very similar in size to today’s Nissan Xterra. It can seat up to seven people and drive around as an off-roader. There’s the option between all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive, both allowing the shift to four-wheel as needed. The starting price of the Sorento is $29,590.00 USD.

11. Kia Sportage

Designed as a crossover SUV, the Kia Sportage shares much of what Nissan’s Xterra does. Since 1993, Sportage has been Kia’s answer as a sport utility vehicle in a consumer market that had an increasing demand for these types of vehicles.

The Sportage is immensely popular and for good reason. As far as fuel economy ratings go, the Sportage is among the friendliest as an SUV. Depending on the drivetrain, a driver can range anywhere from twenty-three miles per gallon in the city to forty-three. On the highway, it’s between twenty-eight miles per gallon to forty-four miles per gallon. The drivetrain options are all-wheel and front-wheel, plus the four-wheel drive feature.

12. Mazda CX-5

Since 2012, the Mazda CX-5 has been a solid fixture in the crossover SUV market. In schematics, it has much in common with the Nissan Xterra and is often mentioned in community forums as a suitable alternative to it. Just like Xterra, it comes with a front-wheel drive, as well as a four-wheel. However, it also comes as an all-wheel drive.

Its 256 horsepower engine shares the same performance level as Xterra. In size and overall performance, there isn’t much difference between these two models. Starting at $26,700.00 USD, the 2022 model does have a superior fuel mileage rating. It’s twenty-four miles per gallon in the city and thirty miles per gallon on the highway.

13. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Both Mitsubishi and Nissan come from Japan. It stands to reason Nissan’s Xterra and Mitsubishi’s Eclipse Cross would have more in common with each other than their home base location. Aside from an eight-year age gap between the two models, the two still share many similar characteristics. This is sized approximately the same and they both handle about the same.

They’re both crossover SUVs. They’re both five-passenger units that have off-road capabilities. Although the Eclipse Cross comes with an all-wheel drive as a standard, it does feature a four-wheel drive system. Its base price point begins at $25,795.00 USD. The fuel economy rating is twenty-five miles per gallon in the city and twenty-eight miles per gallon on the highway.

14. Mitsubishi Montero

Originally, it was the Mitsubishi Pajero in 1981 before the Montero was introduced in 1982. Although called a full-size SUV, the wheelbase of the current lineup is 109.4 inches. The length of the SUV is 192.9 inches. Although this does make the Montero bigger than the 2015 Nissan Xterra. When comparing it to the current Xterra models, they’re now exactly the same.

Another similarity the Mitsubishi Montero shares with Nissan Xterra now is the discontinuation of its model. As of 2021, Mitsubishi decided to pull the plug on its Monero/Pajero production. While the Pajero Sport will continue, the forty-year run of the Pajero, plus its Montero counterpart, has come to an end.

15. Nissan Murano

Introduced in 2002, the Murano was the first North American crossover SUV from Nissan’s production line. It was the only SUV of its kind until the Rogue made its first appearance in 2007. The Murano served as a bridge between the full-sized Pathfinder and the compact Xterra.

However, the Murano’s current wheelbase measurement of 111.2 inches is now smaller than the current Xterra’s 112.2 inches. These two models have more in common now than they did in 2015. Interestingly enough, when the run of Xterra came to an end in 2015, this was the same year Murano began its third generation as an SUV.

The 2023 Nissan Murano starts at $33,600.00 USD. Like the Xterra, there is an option between an all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive. The fuel economy rating for the Murano is twenty-eight miles per gallon on the highway and twenty miles per gallon in the city. It’s similar to the 2022 Nissan Xterra that’s been driving around in the Middle East. The 260 horsepower engine of the newest Murano is what the Nissan Xterra’s 261 horsepower output was in 2015.

16. Nissan Rogue

In 2007, the Nissan Rogue was introduced as the second crossover SUV to enter the North American market. It also wound up becoming the replacement SUV for the Nissan Xterra once it was discontinued in 2015. The Rogue was more attractive to North American consumers at the time. In 2016, it was Nissan’s top-selling model that saw 329,904 of its units sold. Since then, the Rogue has remained near the top as one of the world’s favorite SUVs.

The third generation Rogue has a wheelbase of 106.5 inches, which is just over the 2015 Nissan Xterra’s 106.3 inches. The Rogue remains the official North American alternative to the beloved Nissan Xterra. The 2023 Rogue starts at $24,960.00 USD if you go with its sports model. Its fuel economy rating is twenty-four miles per gallon in the city and thirty-two miles per gallon on the highway. There’s a reason why the Rogue remains a North American favorite.

17. Subaru Outback

The Outback has been Subaru’s mid-size crossover SUV since 1994. As of 2020, it has gone into its sixth generation. The 2023 models start at $28,395.00 USD as an all-wheel drive. It can, just like the Nissan Xterra, go into four-wheel drive mode when it’s time to go on an off-roading adventure.

Much like the 2015 Nissan Xterra, the 2023 Outback has a horsepower performance rating of 260. The fuel economy rating is better at twenty-six miles per gallon in the city and thirty-three miles per gallon on the highway. As an alternative, the Outback works.

18. Toyota 4Runner

The 2023 Toyota 4Runner begins at $38,805.00 USD. Its fuel economy rating in the city is sixteen miles per gallon. On the highway, it’s rated at nineteen miles per gallon. The horsepower is measured at 270. In this regard, the 4Runner is incredibly similar to the Nissan Xterra. Considering Nissan and Toyota have been competing against each other for years as Asian-based automakers, it shouldn’t come as a surprise how much these two companies come up with vehicles similar to each other.

19. Toyota Fortuner

As a midsize SUV, the Toyota Fortuner was technically introduced in 2004 as a successor to the Toyota 4Runner. Today, it is one of the global favorites as an SUV. Even in 2015, it was already winning over fans who found it was a better alternative to the Nissan Xterra.

As of 2021, the Toyota Fortuner has been banned from the United States due to the emission regulations that have been put into place by its government. In this regard, it shares Nissan Xterra’s fate as an SUV that has no trouble meeting certain regulations in markets that haven’t become so strict with its policies.

20. Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan is a mid-size crossover SUV that starts at $26,490.00 USD. In size, it’s comparable to the Nissan Xterra with a wheelbase measurement of 109.9 inches. Like the current Xterra, the Tiguan comes with an all-wheel drive with the four-wheel drive feature. This means it can perform as an off-roader, no problem. For fuel economy, the Tiguan is rated at twenty-three miles per gallon in the city and twenty-nine miles on the highway.

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