2021 Redesigned Nissan discussion mega merged thread on a Tacoma site

I think pictures dont do the frontier justice I used to have one and loved it, they look good in person imo. They are also underrated, I had a front diff from a titan in there, it shares motor mount with the titan aswell so throwing a v8 in there is easy. Yea aftermarket is lacking but you can get mostly everything you need lockes, armors, skids, etc...

Hope you enjoy your frontier!

 

I do enjoy the frontier. I don't do lifts, etc. The truck is basically stock. It meets my needs.

I do have my bed mat from my 06 Tacoma that I kept and used in my Ram.
When I got the Nissan I had to cut the mat a bit to get it to fit in the Frontier. I get some laughs when friends look into the bed and see Toyota.

 

What are all these taco lover gonna do when Toyota finally drops the MT more than likely this is the last generation for the MT. I guess they will all be jumping ship to Jeep or Bronco

 

Ehhh won't have to worry about Toyota dropping the MT for another 3 years.

 

Sad to see the MT absent for 2022. I'm still impressed with my 2010 4.0L 6MT Pro-4x. The FS6R30A transmission is solid, the dual mass flywheel makes it very forgiving to drive and it's quite a bit more fuel efficient than a 5AT truck. It would be nice if they reintroduce it, better yet an improved version but.. I don't see it happening.

The 2nd gen got the new VQ38DD and 9AT for 2020-2021, general consensus is it's very refined and fuel efficient. 1st gear makes for an excellent crawl ratio, I think only behind the Gladiator Rubicon.

It's nice to see Nissan competitive again. I'm not a huge fan of their regular cars and crossovers but their trucks and sports cars have always been good.

 

Not a bad looking truck ,but I would never buy Nissan Wife has had 2 and I don’t like them .

 

I like the exterior and think it looks nice which isn't surprising since it reminds me a lot of the Tacoma. The interior on the other hand already looks kinda dated and cheap. Nissan could have done better.

 

Looking at their current models, They easily could have done a lot more. I have a feeling they are looking to price this thing aggressively.

One thing I keep hearing is "About time! We have been waiting for this for 17 years!!". Reallllllly.. so you've been waiting since the day the 2nd gen went on sale? I don't think so. It only started feeling stale around 2015-2016 when GM and Toyota brought out new midsize trucks and Nissan added....a 7" screen to the SV but not the Pro-4x.

 

If they price it aggressively, it'll be an enticing package for sure. I feel like the current crop of mid-sizers are getting too expensive and encroaching on full size prices.

 

I would rather they had spent the money on improvements to the existing platform. I just really like the looks of the old one

 

they have been improving the existing platform for 17 years... its time to move on.

 

One of Nissan's biggest problems (at least here in metro Atlanta) is their dealership network is dog shit. Every dealership is the epitome (in the worst possible way) of car salesman con man. They all ooze gimmicky rip off artist of the lowest ilk.

 

yep, Nissan of lithia springs is garbage. Walked in there once and regretted it.

 

Trust me, it needs more improvement on the inside. The competition is stiff today. The current platform is no match for the TACO and the Ranger is another reliable platform. So if they are making a skin deep change, well, good for the mall crawler crowd I guess.

 

isnt that basically what tacoma did with the 3rd gen? same frame/platform different powertrain, exterior and interior?

 

No. Lots more changes than that you think.

----Mike Sweers, chief engineer for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma pickup, said his team turned to steel to meet aggressive targets to improve body and frame rigidity and strength while reducing mass. “We looked at the design; we looked at the materials, and together, with our different groups, we realized that the solution was clear,” he said. “High-strength steel and ultrastrength steel helped us to optimize our design and reduce the mass of our vehicle.” ---- a huge improvement

---3rd Gen has larger/stronger axles than 2d gen--- another huge improvement

---- Multi-Terrain Select system ---- another huge improvement.

Small improvements and I am sure I am missing some.
---3rd gen seats are much more comfortable.
---Gas mileage is considerably better.
---The Ride is way better on highway.
---The interior on the 3rd Gen is a huge improvement over the 2nd gen including less noise.
---Bed light.
---Added length in front for off-set crash safety.
----2nd generation taco tailgates are very weak. Toyota made the 3rd gen much stronger and lockable.

And even with all these improvements, the 2nd gen Taco is still a better choice than the frontier.

So again, I hope that Nissan makes the much needed internal improvements to go with the new skin. Because if this is just a reskin job, it will not do well.

 

It definitely had its own, unique look.

 

Actuly not really, from when I owned by previous frontier:

Fully boxed frame from a titan(shorter)

Same transmission, rear diff (dana 44 super duty), transfer case, from the titan as well that are beefy.

Shitty front axle (dana 30s) but I believe equivalent to the tacoma, however a titan diff bolts right in so 300 dollar at a junkyard gives you a dana 44 variant front.

10.1 inch ground clearance (pro4x), Stock has 7 inchs fron suspension travel and I believe rear is 12 inches suspension travel, control arms from a titan can be squapped in for 12 inches of front suspension travel.

So what exactly needs to change other than the front diff?


I hate to sound like a nissan fanboy, but I am not sure why folks think the frontier isn't that well its def underrated. I think it has the best interal components and if it had looked more modern I would have kept it over my taco

 

Nothing wrong with being a fanboy, but After driving both for half a day I went with the Taco. So much more refined in every single way. both myself and wife agreed that the extra cost of the taco was well worth it. I could have bought either truck in December and fully expected to buy the pro4x. I ended unexpectedly getting the TRD and I have zero regret. I know I would have regretted the pro4x purchase.

As for structural. Lots of talk of frames and stuff. As proven by crash test worthiness, the Taco is stronger. https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/four-small-pickups-earn-top-rating-in-iihs-small-overlap-front-test

TACO 2017



Frontier



I like the Frontier and wanted one and even though I went with the better truck in the Taco, I would still likely pick the frontier over a chevy or dodge. I am hopeful about the new Ranger and fords tend to be the best american trucks so that one may be in my future.

 

Actually, I think this is incorrect. The 2016 TRD Off Road has an 8 inch front which is larger than the first generation Tundra. Pretty sturdy for an IFS. Solid is always better of course.

But the front axle is truly the Nissan weak point. Aluminum weak case with known failure point. Replacing an axle with a titan unit is something few people will want to do and in the end the Titan axle is no great shakes either with many failures. Certainly better than the frontier front though.

So, no they are not equivalent from what I have read.