A video of a Nissan Xterra crossing a river in front of two Jeeps has off-roading enthusiasts in a heated debate. 

Djcharly Reyes posted a Facebook Reel, which has amassed over 3,400 likes as of Saturday, showing a Nissan Xterra powering through a rocky river crossing far beyond where two Jeep SUVs had stalled.

“Xterra showing how to do it,” wrote the video’s text overlay.

Many of the comments echoed the video’s enthusiasm for the Nissan Xterra. “The other guys said Xterra go first if you can’t make it we will just go home,” wrote one comment.

How Adept Is The Xterra For Off-Roading? 

The original Nissan Xterra, produced from 1999 to 2015, was built on a rugged, body-on-frame platform shared with Nissan’s Frontier pickup and equipped with part-time four-wheel-drive, locking rear differential options, and available hill-descent control. These aren’t just marketing bullet points, but core features that let the SUV traverse mud, stream crossings, and washouts with confidence, even without the three-piece hardtop and modularity that Jeeps popularized.

Owners and off-road communities often praise the Xterra’s functional off-road design. Specifically, fans love its high-mounted roof rack and chassis built for aftermarket trail gear. This gives the vehicle genuine capability on forest roads and riverbeds alike. Many drivers with properly equipped Xterras report tackling moderate to difficult trails without mods that some Jeep fans assume are necessary.

How Does The Xterra Hold Up To Jeeps For Off-Roading?

When you start stacking spec sheets side by side, the areas where Jeeps typically excel come into focus.

Classic Wrangler variants, especially Rubicon and equivalent trims, boast greater ground clearance, stronger approach and departure angles, and a long heritage of off-road-centric engineering that’s made them favorites on rock courses, desert washes, and stream crossings alike.

Jeeps also tend to have four-wheel-drive systems with low-range gearing, which multiplies engine torque for improved crawling ability in demanding terrain. They also have wider aftermarket support for things like locking differentials and suspension lifts that push their terrain envelope further.

Still, in real-world comparisons between the two platforms’ older generations, the gap isn’t as wide as some might assume. Engines and drivetrains on the 2010s Xterra and Wrangler both produced respectable power and torque, and fuel economy and highway range were often comparable. What the Xterra sometimes lacked in high-angle rock crawling, it made up for in rugged simplicity. This is a trait that can be a blessing in remote situations where reliability and ease of repair matter.

MotorBiscuit reached out to Djcharly Reyes for comment via Facebook Messenger.