1st Vs 2nd Gen Inquiry

[Aaronmc]

What is up Xterra nation? Just joined this site but have been a member within multiple groups on Facebook regarding the X community.
Besides that, I have owned my 2004 Supercharged 4x4 since early 2017 and have loved (almost) every minute of it. I do daily it and occasionally hit some medium to light trails with it. It has been very reliable and I love driving it but as of late, I've been thinking of upgrading to a 2nd gen. I understand that the 1st gen may be tougher in aspects where the 2nd gen is not, but I wanted to get everyone's opinion on it. I understand that this has probably been asked a million times, but I struggle to find anything online that gives a deep analytical comparison between the 2 vehicles (drivetrain, powertrain, comfort, off-road, daily driving etc.). My reasoning for upgrading would mainly be for comfortability, better aftermarket, and a more modern feel.
I would appreciate any insight related to this. Thanks!

 

[reaver]

I can give you some insight here, as I own both a 2013 Frontier Pro-4x and a 2003 Xterra.

The driving experience is no comparison. The first gens are slow, and unrefined. 2nd gens are a much nicer ride hands down. Other than the heated aspects of the seats, I'd say the 2003 seats are a bit more comfortable. The 2nd Gen seats aren't uncomfortable, but the first gens are better.

As far as durability, I'd say that's a toss up, if they're both stock.

The drive train on the first gens is damn near unbreakable. D60-esque rear end, solid front end.

2nd gens have more modifications available.

I love both, but I almost prefer my 03 offroad, due to the shorter Wheelbase, and the build out I've done.

You can't go wrong with either one.

 

[Prime]

I can give you some insight here, as I own both a 2013 Frontier Pro-4x and a 2003 Xterra.

The driving experience is no comparison. The first gens are slow, and unrefined. 2nd gens are a much nicer ride hands down. Other than the heated aspects of the seats, I'd say the 2003 seats are a bit more comfortable. The 2nd Gen seats aren't uncomfortable, but the first gens are better.

As far as durability, I'd say that's a toss up, if they're both stock.

The drive train on the first gens is damn near unbreakable. D60-esque rear end, solid front end.

2nd gens have more modifications available.

I love both, but I almost prefer my 03 offroad, due to the shorter Wheelbase, and the build out I've done.

You can't go wrong with either one.

You covered it beautifully.

I've also owned both. 1st gens are rock solid reliable. 2nd gens after 09 are also rock solid reliable. 05-08 had some issues. SMOD on autos and all the VQ40 engines up to 09 had timing chain shoe defects. Once you resolve those issues, no worries.

 

[domindart]

I enjoy driving mine.. it's a tough truck. But a newer xterra would be nicer..

 

[TerryD]

My wife is 5' tall and has short arms and legs. We shopped for an Xterra several years ago as her Mommy vehicle. She prefers the 1st Gens for the smaller interior spacing because she can reach everything easier.

I went with a 2nd Gen as my vehicle because of the higher power and larger interior space so we could comfortably haul our 3 kids.

 

[reaver]

My wife is 5' tall and has short arms and legs. We shopped for an Xterra several years ago as her Mommy vehicle. She prefers the 1st Gens for the smaller interior spacing because she can reach everything easier.

I went with a 2nd Gen as my vehicle because of the higher power and larger interior space so we could comfortably haul our 3 kids.

My wife on the other hand is only a few inches shorter than me, and likes driving both mine, so if you're wife isn't 5 feet tall, she likely won't have an issue.

Another thing I should mention is turning radius. My frontier has the turning radius a school bus. Part of that is Wheelbase, but it's more related to rack and pinion vs the centerlink and steering box setup the first gens have. If you do a lot of very tight trails, you're going to have to manhandle the second Gen a bit more to get it to go where you want it to.

If you're more into overland style offroading though, this probably isn't all that big of a deal.