The Jeep Liberty has many similar off-road abilities and is available with more luxury features, but it has a weaker powertrain and the interior is cramped and poorly made. The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is even more capable off road and offers a removable top for open-air fun, but gets expensive and doesn't stay composed on the road. The Toyota 4Runner has more space and available features with good off-road ability, but it costs much more and is cumbersome to drive on the road. And a Land Rover LR2 is more refined on road and has decent off-road ability, but it costs much more and isn't as rugged looking as the Nissan.
The Xterra is definitely a good buy for those who need something to match their high-adventure lifestyle and want an SUV that definitely won't leave them stranded. There are far better choices for people who want to pose in town and look active, and even some off-road minded competitors offer comfort features and better availability of modern features like Bluetooth and satellite radio, but as a package the Xterra is tough to beat if you also need your SUV to be tough.