Got a 2017 Nissan Frontier.......

....rental to drive while my Tacoma is in the body shop, fixing the (fairly minor) damage done by a 17 year old girl who drove into my truck while it was parked. On a wide street. In broad daylight. But anyway....

I thought I'd post some impressions. This is a black 4 door short bed V6 SV 4x4 with about 3300 miles, an identical build on the Nissan website seems to be just about $27, 600, including the bed liner and carpet mats this truck has. Which seems about right, and I'm pretty sure you can get them a fair bit cheaper if you shop around.

I drive a black 2015 TRD Sport DCSB, so this is not exactly apples to oranges in terms of equipment level. Interior seems more cheaply made though, more hard plastic, seats are definitely lacking compared to the TRD seats, I'm not sure about SR5 seats, I've never sat in them. The plastic steering wheel is nasty feeling.

Suspension feels very mushy compared to the TRD sport, which is admittedly on the stiff side, but I prefer that to the mushy feeling this truck has. Steering feel is also lacking. The tires (Hankook Dynapro HT) seem a bit squishy, but grip well. It does take bumps more smoothly.

Throttle tip in is very aggressive, hard to leave a stop smoothy until you get used to it. Engine does have a nice growly sound and feels like it has a bit more power, but it's hard to tell with the way the throttle is so touchy. Transmission does not shift as well as the 5 speed auto in my Tacoma.

It's still a nice looking truck, I've always thought the styling was decent on these.

So, to wrap up, as a budget option for a brand new 4x4 I can see the appeal, but it generally feels more cheaply built and less refined than my '15 TRD Sport, some of that is down to equipment level, if it had a leather wrapped steering wheel and some more supportive seats it would go a long way to making the interior less offensive. The stock plastic steering wheel really feels like cheap shit and the seats are mushy and have no support. But stepping up to a higher trim level would kind of ruin the point of this truck, which is cheapness, so I'd chuck on a leather wheel cover from Autozone and deal with the seats if it was mine to keep. As it is I'll be glad to get my Tacoma back.

Edit, forgot to add, there is no backup camera, which I really miss.

 

"damage done by a 17 year old girl who drove into my truck while it was parked. On a wide street. In broad daylight. But anyway...."

 

I had an 05 Xterra which is built on a similar platform.... I had a similar review that you had..... However, replace the suspension and tires, and do a couple things to it.... and it makes for a capable and fun little truck

 

I had a 2003 Frontier..... it was a pretty solid truck. Never gave me any issues, and after 7 years I traded it for my Tacoma cause I didn’t like how they changed the look of the new ones.

 

I always liked those Xterra.

I had an opportunity to buy a 2008 w/ 76k miles for 3k (nothing wrong with it). Wish I would have bought it.

 

people who by Nissans just don't wanna face the truth and buy a Toyota.

 

I had several of the old Hardbody style Nissans, and they were just as much truck as the Toyotas of the time. Had an '87 that went to 300k with the original EVERYTHING in the drivetrain. My dad bought it brand new and I inherited it. Needed a new fuel pump around 227k, and other than routine maintenance that was about it. Also had a '94 and '96 4x4 that would go everywhere and do everything that my '99 Tacoma TRD would do.

Bought a '99 Frontier and hated it, jumped into my '99 Tacoma instead. So I have zero experience with the newer Nissans, but the older ones were perfectly functional trucks and were dead reliable to boot. Same rust problems as a Toyota of the same vintage, though. Which is why I haven't picked one up to build as a funbuggy yet; everything I find for a reasonable price has more cancer than what's worth fixing.

 

I had a 2009 Frontier that I bought in Alaska. I kept it for about three years. It wasn't a bad truck and I loved it when I had it but my Tacoma is better in almost every way. The only thing better about the frontier is that it had more power. That truck never gave me any problems and got me everywhere I wanted to go but the tacoma is much more refined.

 

My Nissan decided to delink the timing chain at about 3,000 rpms after about 110,000 miles. I've owned Toyotas ever since.

 

I had a 2006 frontier SE 4x4 quad cab. I drove it for 5 years. Had to put brakes, tires, and one wheel bearing on it. Other than that it was perfect. I traded it in 2 years ago because I just HAD to have a full size truck. Traded the frontier for a super duty 6.0. Nickel and dimes me to death. Traded it in after 6 months for what I owed. Got an f-150 supercrew 5.0 4x4. Drove it a year and a half and realized I was tired of driving a full sized truck and missed my wee little truck. I’ve always wanted a Tacoma and so, this time I got one. 2008 SR5 TRD OR 4x4 DCSB, got it a month ago and I love it.

 

I went down the same road. Had a 93 truck that I loved. Bought a 2000 Tundra which is the perfect size truck, still own it with 250k miles. Bought a 2008 limited crew cab Tundra, I hated it--too big--traded it in on a 2015 tacoma 4x4 and love it.

 

OP, you should post a picture or two of your Frontier.

 

I miss a throttle with some response. That's a good thing. It's the 2nd gen and 3rd gens that have crap response. Even the 1st gen had better response at the throttle. Guessing your used to crap response and that's why it felt off to you.

 

We had an 01 XTerra for 11 years and 170k. It wasn't a bad ride, but had super squishy suspension.