This isn't a "one truck is better than the other" thread. But after owning the Xterra for a little while, I thought other car-obsessives on the board might be interested in hearing about some of the little things that the interior of each does better than the other. I'm not talking about major design choices (fixed roof or solid front axle). But small areas where each is simply better designed. Engineers from both companies could learn a thing or two from each other.

JK

* Cargo net in front of shifter is very handy if you use a parking access card every day. Xterra doesn't have anything like it.

* Center console locks. Xterra doesn't.

* Has external temperature gauge. Xterra (rather shockingly) doesn't.

* Cruise control holds speed much more accurately, despite having 59 fewer hp.

* Integrates keyless entry onto the key. Xterra has a separate clicker.

* Speedo goes to a believable 100 mph. Xterra's goes to 140, and it uses very small increments. 120 would be more realistic.

*Gear stash cannot be accessed unless tailgate is open, making it virtually impossible for thieves to break into when tailgate is locked. Xterra's can be, making it less secure.

* Room under seat for Tuffy Drawer. Xterra has an amp (passenger) and sub (driver) mounted under the seats.

Xterra

* Has voltage and oil pressure gauges. JK did not.

* Lighting is all one color (orange) rather than the half-green/half-white set-up on the JK.

* Lumbar support! (Maybe the JK has this on Rubis; my JK-X did not.)

* Plastics are more durable. JKs were almost like butter and scratched easily.

* Has an upper and lower glove box. That's handy.

* Has an open storage bin on top of the dash. I never understood why the JK didn't.

* Head rests are padded, rather than rock hard.

* Has a substantially larger jack than the JK (in case anyone is curious, the AEV jack base WILL work with the Nissan jack).

 

Some of those features I would like to have, like maybe the glove box, and open storage. Others I can live without, I don't care about oil pressure and voltage. Volt gauges are not accurate anyways and only tell you your battery is charging, if your alternator is on it's way out, it likely will not show up on your gauge first as an indication or if you would even notice. The oil light takes care of the oil pressure problem, light comes on....turn your engine off, most people don't know what proper oil pressure is for gas/diesel engines anyways.

The JACK, I agree that the JK one is inferior. Until you mentioned it.....I didn't even think to check for lumbar! I think this is the first vehicle I have owned that does not have it.........

 

Not to mention one other feature that is really nice that I wish the JK had is the "Fold Flat" front passenger seat option. I loved this on my 2006 Offroad Xterra I had. It really helps with more "Usable" interior room when hauling some things inside the vehicle.

 

I hate to say this guys. I just traded in my JK U X on a 2010 Xterra. Divorce/kids/too many bills led to this. I do love it though. The Jeep is 100 times better offroad, and the topless/doorless will be missed. But as a daily driver, the Xterra is amazing. Now its not really fair as I have the Xterra SE with leather ($33K) vs my JKU-X ($22K), but the Xterra is awesome. I wish I could have both, then the problem would be solved.

 

Too many bills led you to purchase a more expensive vehicle? I need those kind of problems.

 

That one has me scratching my head too!

 

The answer might be in this thread
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...leJeep-is-gone.

 

I had an 06 Xterra before I bought the JK and it was great for power etc but sucked having not sunroof and also it had huge rust issues from the first week I had it. Sold it after 1yr and bought the JK and no regrets. If the JK had the Xterra motor it would be the best truck ever !!

 

How about a place to store change in an organized manner? Doesn't the xTerra have that? I can't believe such a simple, useful thing is not include in the JK (and please don't point out that weak excuse of a change holder molded into the plastic of the center console storage compartment--the change can be placed there, but it won't stay, and retrieving it when you have that compartment filled with other necessities means most of the change ends up under those other items). I just drove from OKC to Maine and back, and having change handy for the eight or ten toll booths I stopped at each direction would have been nice.

 

The Nissan DOES have places to store change, but all the open bins are just hard molded plastic with no liners. So your change rattles around like crazy. Better than the JK but hardly ideal. Shouldn't have been too much to ask for in a $30k (sticker) vehicle.