Talk about a home run. Nissan hit one out of the park when it introduced the Xterra just a couple of years ago. The Everything You Need, Nothing You Don't strategy struck a chord with a lot of buyers of both sexes who wanted something smaller than a Pathfinder, more capacious inside than a pickup but more rugged than the cartoonish compact SUVs that were out at the time. Here here. Let's go dirtin.'

The Xterra is as utilitarian as it looks, at least in base form. Call us snobs, but it's becoming strange to get into a car or truck anymore that doesn't spoil us with power accessories and keyless entry. Not that it's uncomfortable, it's just, well, unlavish. You can, however, get a leather interior and a Harmon Kardon stereo, among many other things, if you must.

The standard 170-HP V-6 powering the Xterra does an okay job moving it around, but saddled as it is with about 2 tons of weight, it can hardly be characterized as enthusiastic about its job, especially when equipped with 4-wheel drive. Opt for the 210-HP supercharged Xterra and things will pick up considerably. The best thing about the Xterra, then, is that you truly can have it your way: the barest of the SUV essence or well equipped as any of the others.