04 XTerra vs 02 4dr Tacoma LTD ??

No, No, No. I've had two Nissans and recently learned more about them. The gas mpg sucks, the resale is terrible, lastly mechanical/transmission issues. I experienced all these and have learned this is not a unique experience.

If you want a SUV go with a 4 Runner.

FWIW: I've had two Toyotas and 3 Hondas with superb service.

 

I wouldn't do it if it were me. I sold my 03 Xterra to get my Tacoma and haven't regretted it one bit. I put a ton of mods on my Xterra, intake, exhaust, headers, jet chip, lift, tires, bigger cams, different injectors, tbs, all kinds of chit and all it did was make a loud, gutless gas hog. When we would go camping, loaded with gear, I would have to floor it up the canyon and would be lucky to get up to 65mph. All the while I would get 12mpg due to the lack of power. With the same load of gear in my taco I can easily go 70mph and still get 20mpg!
The 3.3L V6 in the Xterra is a solid engine and will last a long time if taken care of, but it leaves much to be desired in overall performance.
One thing that really pissed me off, to change the front rotors you would have to completely disassemble the hub first. Wouldn't be such a big deal if it weren't for the fact the brakes were severely under sized and would warp a rotor in less than 5k miles! Also, the spark plugs are a huge pita to change! If anyone here has done it on the Xterra they will side with me for sure. Anyone who complains about doing the plugs closest to the firewall on the 2nd gen should have to do the same plug on an Xterra! They will never complain again!
If you like the mud much, you won't care for the X either. The wheel wells were not designed to let the mud clear causing you to get stuck all the time. The lack of power also plays a huge role in this too.
This is just my opinion and to each his own but if it were me I would not do it. You might like the Xterra, you might not but you would be better off fixing your Tacomas issues and keeping it in my opinion.

OH! And if you think the Tacomas have a noisy engine tick...

Side note: I bought my 2003 X in 2005 with 30k on it. Sold it in 2008 with 77k. So I gave it an honest try.