When the roads turn twisty, the Xterra is up to the job, with very little body roll. The Vehicle Dynamic Control System (VDC) does a good job behind the scenes of keeping things safe – I only noticed its influence during one emergency lane change (use your turn signals!) on a mountain road. There's a switch on the dash to disengage the VDC, though I'm not sure why you'd want to on the rear-wheel drive Xterra. With its high center of gravity, it is not a vehicle that you want to slide around the corners. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS help haul the Xterra to a safe stop.
The Xterra's truck roots show in ride comfort on rough roads. The body-on-frame construction can yield some clunks through the bumps, and the solid rear axle transmits road conditions directly to rear passenger's seats – they are pretty much sitting on it, after all.
