The Pathfinder went the luxury route as a cross over, the Xterra stayed butch. No shame in that.

I disagree the segment is dying....but the Xterra needed more comfort and better mileage. Not luxurious, mind you, but perhaps a power seat, sunroof, and a 5-7 speed transmission to eke it to 20-22 mpg on the highway. 15 years later, these still look pretty good to me....