I paid just under 28K with 4 miles on mine. Took about 3-4 months to build how she sits now. I was planning on going with a 4runner, but for the price they were asking it was nuts. Even with everything I have done, Im still under what Mark Miller Toyota quoted me for the 4runner. There is plus and minus's to everything. Xterras heavily modded are few and far between, but when you see one, it draws attention. I get asked questions and stuff all the time. After market parts a harder to find for the X's since they aren't as common as say Jeeps where you can find something every few blocks in a big city. Xterras do not have the cult like following as Toyotas, and to be honest, I think the new ones are overrated off the legacy of the old one, but they are nothing like the old ones. But opinions are like A holes, everyone has one and some think others stinks....
That being said, they are great little rigs, can be found for good prices used, even when you could get one new, they were a dam good value for what you got. A few things to watch out for SMOD, Strawberry Milkshake Of Death, IE, radiator leaks into tranny cooler, contaminating tranny and costing you big time. The easy way to get around this... get a manual. No tranny cooler. If auto, check the radiator data and upgrade as needed. But check for prior early warning signs first.
Rear leafs go flat fast, cats are a problem spot, but the X generally just works.