At the amazing Medina River Ranch near Bandera, Texas, journalists gathered for the unique opportunity to test-drive the 2012 Nissan Xterra over a variety of challenging off-road conditions.
Here in the Bandera area, as at my East Texas home, the 2011 drought had dried up creeks, ponds, and most of the large lake on the property. But the drought worked in favor of this special drive event, leaving the riverbed dry and rocky, with uneven areas of washed-out gravel and slippery sand, and even a little shallow water for us to drive through.
The ranch is an exotic animal hunter’s paradise, stocked with all kinds of rare and unusual game. We photographed zebra, deer, elk, antelope and numerous other animals that I cannot name! Although the Nissan Xterra doesn’t quite qualify as rare and unusual, like all the abundant game animals, it was the subject of a good number of photos: splashing through the water, descending and climbing steep slopes, navigating boulder strewn trails and leaving clouds of dust on the flat-outs.
Driving the Nissan Xterra was exciting, too! The Xterra is a rugged, capable and attractive SUV, and taking it over the course at the Medina River Ranch was fun and confidence building. There was no doubt about the ability of this vehicle to go up, down, over and around the terrain and obstacles. Coming to the top of a steep hill and having no view of the road beneath you can be scary, but it is thrilling when you act on your knowledge and belief in the engineering and technology in your hands and tip down to take the other side of the hill.
During a break in the Ride-and-Drive event, we were even treated to a demonstration by the NISMO racing team. A race driver sped towards an earthen ramp that launched a modified Nissan pickup into a long jump. Exciting and frightening!
The Xterra rides and handles well on the road as well as it does the off-road. The 5-speed automatic transmission is smooth and the cabin is quiet. The interior is designed to appeal to the outdoorsman, with a well-assembled, rugged look, but it is comfortable and convenient as well. There is abundant cargo space, whether you want to carry sports gear or luggage or shopping, it works for the hunter, the camper, the golfer, or the family.
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