If you're looking for changes to the 2005 Nissan Xterra, get behind the wheel and turn the key. Under the sheet metal, this is a different beast, one with more power, grunt and athleticism. The power comes from a 4.0-liter V6 engine mated to a choice of a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission - both of which capably motivate the Xterra. In its previous life, the engine was the 3.5-liter dandy ratcheted into the Nissan 350Z, but the engineers got hold of it and made it squeal. With 265 horsepower and 284 lb.-ft. of torque, there's enough grind and grunt for a pig farm. This engine is also available in the 2005 Nissan Frontier and 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, and it represents such a critical improvement over the previous Xterra, which was equipped with a weaker 170-horsepower 3.3-liter V6, that it's useless to compare the two.

Rather, it's better to compare it to the other SUVs on the market. Out on the plains and in the canyons of Texas, the 2005 Nissan Xterra served notice that it was no longer the weak sibling of the SUV family. In fact, little 'bro has grown up to become quite a bruiser: lined up against potential competitors such as the Jeep Liberty, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Kia Sorento and others, the 2005 Nissan Xterra offers a significant bump in horsepower. It's amazing, the things you can do when you have a great engine to put inside a car.

It's also amazing when you've got a great frame on which to build. The previous Nissan Xterra featured a generally grumpy attitude on pavement. That's much improved with the 2005 Xterra, because, well, it's a different SUV, built on the new platform named F-Alpha - and no, that has nothing to do with dogs or males. This new, fully-boxed frame is stiffer than before and the wheelbase is stretched two inches, which improves the Xterra in two or three critical ways: First, it flattens out the ride on a road, making the Xterra less jouncy and certainly more car-like. It also improves off-road capability, as well as handling.

As far as suspension goes, an independent double wishbone front suspension is combined with a leaf spring rear suspension, and the Xterra Off-Road model includes high-performance gas-charged shocks for better off-roading. Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes that include Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA) handle stopping. Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) is standard on Off-Road and SE models, and optional on the base Xterra S models.

Apparently, many of the crazy people who take their cars off the beaten path, and aren't so sure they need VDC, are younger and more daring - and quite a few have bought into the Xterra's promise of "everything you need, nothing you don't." That includes a first-aid kit in the back, which pretty much says it all in terms of where they want to take their little SUVs. For 2005, the Xterra will let them drive out a little farther, thanks to the F-Alpha frame, greater ground clearance and a reduced approach angle. Available off-road features include Hill Descent Control, which controls engine braking while navigating down a steep hill; Hill Start Control, which enables the Xterra to begin moving on a hill with no backward motion; and a locking differential for serious off-roading.

With polite company and on pavement, the 2005 Nissan Xterra, for all its improvements, still experiences air whistles over 70 mph. The wind noise is noticeable at anything higher than that speed, and road noise is also a minor factor. In context with the previous version, however, the new Xterra is improved. Aside from that, from the available power to its construction, the Xterra is a brand new vehicle - one with a look that provides sweet recollections of the old Xterra.