OPEN - A Tree Falls and Smashes Our Cars, Which Leads To This 2nd Generation Nissan Xterra ReviewFirst, an apology... sorry for the very late delivery on this episode! It's been a heck of a week here at Casa de Crenshaw as my podcast prep time was suddenly taken up with debris removal and car insurance hassles. That's because at the beginning of the week, an 80' tree snapped off in high winds and smashed three of our cars. One is totaled, one will need paint work and the third... well, that one is just going to live on with battle scars. Originally I was planning a different episode this week, but out of the unexpected "Driveway Apocalypse" came an opportunity to review the 2nd Generation Nissan Xterra. What follows is a story about truly helpful neighbors and a great SUV, so enjoy! 00:42 - INTRO - Helpful Neighbors Help Cut Our Cars Free After a Tree Falls On Them In A WindstormI am so grateful to our neighbors who came to our rescue with chain saws, trucks, trailers and several hours of sweaty work to help free our cars after they were crushed by a fallen tree. What follows in the next 10 minutes is a recap of what happened. That event lead to this week's podcast, because in addition to all the help cutting away the tree debris, we also had the opportunity to drive a neighbor's 2011 Xterra while we sorted out our car situation. That generosity promoted this week's episode. I was planning to review the second generation Xterra at some point, but the opportunity to drive one this week reminded me why I like Xterras so much, so I dropped my other podcast episode idea, turned lemons into lemonade (or maybe Limoncello) and created this last-minute review of the 2nd Generation Nissan Xterra. Again, sorry it took so long to get this recorded and posted, but I had to take care of our family disaster cleanup first. 11:25 - Background On The Nissan Xterra   First Gen Xterra (2000-2004) Overview1st Gen Xterra was a big hit with outdoor enthusiasts  Named Motortrend’s SUV of the year in 2000Featured rugged, no-frills styling that still looks great today Body-on-frame design offered solid off-road capabilityDrivers had a choice of either a 4-cylinder or a 6-cylinder engine2.4-liter 4-cylinder made 143-hp3.3-liter 6-cylinder made 170-hp (bumped to 180 hp in 2003)Available in 2WD and 4WD with automatic or manual transmission Second Gen Xterra (2005-2015) Overview Styling in original Xterra was a hit, so Nissan just enhanced it in the 2nd Gen XterraRugged good looks of the original are still attractive today. 2nd Gen Xterra is larger in every dimension & considerably more powerful than previous generation (more room inside for people and gear) Still an affordable SUV targeted towards outdoor enthusiastsBuilt on Nissan’s sturdy F-Alpha platform used in the Frontier and Titan pickups4-cylinder option dropped. 6-cylinder is the only optionNew engine is a 4.0-liter VQ-series 6-cylinder that makes 261-hp and 281-lb.ft of torque (engine was rated at 265-hp & 284-lb.ft. initially, but SAE revamped their power certification rating, so the hp & torque numbers were changed to 261-hp & 281-lb.ft for 2007 model year)This new VQ-series engine is similar to the 3.5-liter motor in the 350Z, but it has a longer stroke to make it 4.0-liters displacement, delivering more low-end power & torque better suited to an SUV.  15:15 - Some Reasons Why You Might Want A 2nd Gen Nissan XterraRugged good looks are as appealing today as when newUnique design touches, including fender flares, locking top storage box, footholds in the rear bumper to reach the rack and...