Nissan Frontier vs Tacoma TRD Sport

Again, Extended cabs? I'm seeing 34 Crew-cabs.

 

Had I not gotten the deal I did on my 18 trd ormt I would have driven to Ft. Collins to pick up a new PRO4x mt. It is about a 9hr drive but that was the closest one to me that wasn't black. If you think MT is hard to find in a taco, good luck on the PRO4X. Seems like they all were in Colo and Utah. I test drove a black automatic here and it drove well. The cab is definitely dated but it is also has a roomier feel and better visibility. The bed track system is cool on the Nissan with the rails on the floor. I think they told me $29,500 on the black auto(that didn't have a towing package) I test drove and I ended up getting my taco for 31,500 with no regrets.

 

https://m.iihs.org/mobile/ratings/mobileratings/photos/nissan/frontier-crew-cab-pickup/2019

Any questions?

 

Yeah, like I said before: Frontier king cab + 4wd + 6spd manual is not available after 2017. You have to buy the crew cab 4 door. I've looked.
Seems some are confused about the door configs. Frontier "king cab" = 2 normal + 2 half doors; "crew cab" = 4 normal doors.

 

I used "Extended cab" thinking some Taco guys may not know the "King cab" Nissan jargon.

 

I was originally looking for a Frontier then decided on the Tacoma. Even afterwards when I was experiencing the poor transmission tuning I was considering trading out for a Pro-4X.

Driving the Frontier definitely feels like you're driving an older vehicle. Sure the odo says the thing hasn't been driven but it's a truck more at home in 2009 2019. But maybe that's what you want. The truck itself is nice though and for the price you can't really say much bad about it. It spanks every other mid-size except the Tacoma in my eyes and by now they've pretty well worked out all the kinks in these babys.

Ultimately I decided not to go for the Frontier because I was attached to the Tacoma despite it's flaws and the difference in resale value isn't a joke. You can't go wrong with a Frontier though but make sure to at least get PRO-4X. The lower trim Frontiers feel like crappy fleet vehicles in this day and age.

The real shame with the Frontier is that Nissan hasn't even given a half-assed effort to refresh the styling. They literally left it exactly the same since 2005 and it's a bit jarring considering Nissan goes crazy on styling for other models.

 

I came very close to getting a Frontier when I got my 2015 SR5 Access Cab V6 Tacoma. The Frontier with similar options as an SR5 was less money and the options were better. The Frontier even had heated seats. I went with the Tacoma mainly because it had more room in the cab. I've since traded my 2015 for a 2017 SR 4 cylinder manual.

 

Other than a bit of age...I see nothing wrong with the Frontier. Besides...my '15 was penned back in '03. Who am I to judge

 

Had a 2010 Fronty. CCLB. Biggest issue was a fan clutch. Moved cross country, towing a loaded trailer, @122k, and never worried about it.

Biggest gripe was huge turning radius.

Biggest upside? They havent changed squat in years.
2nd biggest downfall(after turning radius)... they havent changed squat.
The platform simply works.
I was on the fence between my TRD OR, and a Pro4x(or even a SV with a 6mt, since it has the bigger rear diff, and a trutrac can be had)...
Figured I would try the taco, and since I may not keep it more than a couple few years(thought at the time), resale one that battle...

Truth said I like both trucks, and MIGHT end up in another, especially since my wife keeps stealing my truck.
Test drive it. Fit and finish goes to the taco.... but.....

 

I have put 17K miles on my 2017 TRD Sport with no problems other than a bad battery. Really don't like the torque curve of this 3.5L motor which has no balls until 3,500 rpm. The 4.0L liter Nissan motor is of normal design and should have better low end torque. The Pro versions are priced at around $30K which got my interest. I am dated so 2005 design is OK with me. From all the posts it seems some approve and some disapprove of the Frontier. Guess I will need to do a test drive.

 

Not quite the same thing, but I had an 05 Xterra Off-Road, before PRO4X was a thing, with a 6 speed. The 4.0 felt like a proper truck engine with good low end power. I liked that engine better than my 4.0 and 3.5 Tacomas and my Pentastar Wrangler. I think I averaged roughly 16 mpg if that's of any concern. I only see 16-17 in my 17 Tacoma, so they're pretty close with the manual. The interior is definitely dated, but if that doesn't bother you much they're nice trucks. They still look good IMO.

 

Before I got my FJ, I test drove an Xterra. Before I got my 3rd and 4th Tacoma, I test drove Frontiers. Like others have said, Toyota is at another level when compared to Nissan. And after seeing those crash test results a few posts back, I wouldn't even waste my time driving another one.

 

It's not the engine's power curve; it's the factory throttle mapping. Get a pedal commander; use it; if you don't like it, send it back. I hated the way my truck accelerated; PC changed my mind.

 

I had a Frontier as a rental for a week a few years ago while my 2nd gen Sport was in the body shop, I liked the engine, the rest of the truck just felt dated even compared to the 2nd gen. Especially the interior. And boy was the suspension on that (low end rental spec) truck soft and squishy compared to my Sport. I was happy to get back into my Tacoma. That said, I think they are a better buy money wise on the used market than a Tacoma. I could live with one if I needed a late model mid size truck on a budget.

 

I posted my thoughts about going from a Frontier to a Tacoma here:

https://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f12/2019-toyota-tacoma-352009/index3.html
(post number 22)

Keep in mind that I had the Frontier for about eleven years so may have gotten used to it or am biased for it.

But in short, I think the Frontier is an incredibly well thought out vehicle from a driver/user's perspective. With the way it was designed, the options, etc. Detailed in the thread above.

What I didn't say on there was that I did have some concerns about build quality. So while I loved my Frontier it was hard to recommend based off of the issues I had with mine, which was a 2007 built in 2006. Nothing major and it might've been from being an early year model. It sounds like from 2012 and on the Frontier should be pretty solid. And I was still willing to consider one this time around but the main issue was I couldn't find the model/color/options I wanted at any of the the dealerships within thirty or forty miles from me.

While I like the design of the Frontier better I'm hoping to find that the Tacoma has a better build quality and is easier to work on. Where some things are:

-For the Frontier, I didn't like how everything seemed to be crammed into the engine bay. And I had to at times put parts back in blindly and by feel because could only fit my hands in tight places and couldn't see in there while reaching down at the same time. I don't like how big the Tacoma is but it does look like there is more room in the engine bay when I took a quick look before.

-When I was in a diy mood, it quickly went away when I found out how much work is involved to remove the sparkplug towards the rear passenger area of the Frontier. I ended up not trying and even my mechanic mentioned afterwards how much work was involved in getting to it.

-Things like how the Tacoma sounds like it comes with a serviceable u joint whereas the Frontier does not, makes me wonder if those types of differences account for the price differences between the trucks.

Although as I mentioned in that thread above, I already don't like the idea of how changing the Tacoma's oil involves removing the skid plate and dealing with the cartridge oil filter assembly. Haven't actually tried changing it yet. So we'll see how the Tacoma does in regards to ease of maintenance.

I side on the side of preferring barebones and simple. So don't have any issues with the Frontier being "outdated". But based from looking on the website, it looks like the SV value truck package for crew cabs have come a long way since when I got my truck, with offering dual climate control zones and all of that. Also the Nissan website is pretty useful for searching for inventory compared to Honda and Toyota, which I think both basically say to go contact the local dealer for their inventory.

I think one of the rumors or thoughts is that Nissan held off on introducing their new Frontier because they didn't want to get overshadowed by the Ranger. But there have been rumors about the third generation for the last several years already.

 

agreed, and wont argue that either. at some point, the trade in value would surpass the initial price difference. i wonder what point that would be?

 

Owned a 16 Frontier. Only complaint was leg room and only became an issue if you were doing a 400+ mile road trip in a day. Other than that, I found it to be a capable truck but just different in a good way. Only reason I got rid of it, was I just got bored with it. If one is still nostalgic for simple and old school or shopping for the cheapest bare bones mid size truck, I would recommend the Frontier with no issue.

 

I had a 2005 Pathfinder for a couple years. I test drove a Frontier before my Tacoma. Nothing wrong with the Frontier, but my local Nissan dealer wanted over 28K for a base 6 cyl 4x4 with manual windows and locks and would not budge on the price. I also felt like I climbed back into my 2005 Pathfinder 11 years later, they were almost identical.

 

I am only 5'7". I have made trips of 700-800 miles in a day. Had plenty of leg room but will admit I got tired of sitting after 600 miles.
You summed up the current Frontier well. With Toyota coming out with a refresh it will be interesting is Nissan will have the Frontier out in 2020. Nissan keeps saying a new one is on its way.

 

Test drove a Pro4x Crewcab with a MT. Really liked that it didn't have all electronics, loved the motor, clutch. But the shifter felt very odd, almost like the shift rods were made out of plastic... But I couldn't justify trading in my current MT taco and taking a hit financially, just to lose my bullshit TSS.