Niche Vehicles: They're Not for Everyone, but Tundra, Xterra, G37 & X6 M Suit Many Fine

Most of the consumer vehicles sold in the United States fall into the multipurpose, mid-market category represented by the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Ford Taurus and so on: sensible, reliable, affordable cars meeting most needs of their many buyers.

But there are niche vehicles outside this realm designed to meet the specific needs or wants of more demanding buyers. Take as examples the three cars and one truck we tested recently; they didn’t meet our needs but might be exactly what another driver is looking for.

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Nissan Xterra S 4x4

We borrowed the Nissan Xterra, a $28,845 sport-ute, because it came with the optional tow package and is rated for the weight of our trailer with race car.

However, the wheelbase was just too short for stability with a long trailer at highway speeds. It would be fine with a shorter trailer for snowmobiles or camping equipment.

In fact, with the ripstop nylon upholstery, rubber floormats in the footwells and load bed, and a lockable ventilated box built into the standard roof rack, this car was obviously designed for the active outdoors person.

Fuel efficiency of 15 mpg city and 20 highway isn’t fantastic, but the 261-horsepower, V-6 engine with 281 pound-feet of torque obviously was installed to give the sports-minded owner a little thrill when driving. In-town driving was fine, but it was bouncy on the Interstate 280 due to that short wheelbase.

For us? No. Too sporty, too utilitiarian. However, if we spent all our time surfing, skiing and kayaking, this would be a contender.

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