Very nimble with manual 5 speed. Very effective power to weight ratio. My 95 Pathfinder, in tune and in very good condition, always searched for the right gear on one long, reasonably gentle grade. The xD cruises it in 5th gear, all other things equal.
Extremely good braking without a hint of fade when I must stop quickly. The only option I took was the electronic stability feature and everything feels solid and stable, so far. All inside are surrounded by airbags plus the car is structurally sound.
"Available" at no extra cost - standard in other words. The strategy was to build the car with everything included at the base price. Everything I wanted, anyway (except the stability control which I added and, I think, is now standard in 2010).
