Review: 2011 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X

2011 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X - Click above for high-res image gallery

There was a time when body-on-frame SUVs dominated American roads, with nearly every major automaker offering some kind of four-wheeling fighter to suburbia's off-road pretenders. Nissan was no different, and at its peak in 2000, the eminently capable Xterra sold some 88,000 copies – the same year our colleagues at Motor Trend crowned it Sport Utility of the Year.

But unlike so many hardened off-roaders that have evolved into unibody crossovers, the Xterra has soldiered on nearly unchanged since its refresh in 2005. And according to our sources, this latest variant – the Pro-4X – could be the last of an orphaned breed. We got our hands on Nissan's most capable SUV for a week of highway drudgery, big-box shopping and even a little time off the beaten path to find out if it deserves to live on.