Tacoma/frontier

No I never went to the dealer. Just the fact that there were so many comments on their Forum and in professional reviews as well as one person I know who owns one mentioning that. I figured it would be a waste of my time. As much as I hate Chevy's since they screwed me every time I owned one, they have two features I really liked. Light steering and real tilt steering wheel where only the steering wheel itself tilts with an easy one finger spring operated lever not the drop the entire steering column on your knees by reaching under and cranking down a tight lever to unlock the entire column method.

 

I had two Frontiers as rental cars. A ProX and a basic model. Both were great trucks. The engine and transmission were powerful and smooth. They are comfortable. Gas mileage was decent. I didn’t notice the heavy steering issue. Also the wider turning radius wasn’t an issue. I learned after pulling into the first parking space to just take a wider turn. Seems like you can get one for around $10K less than a comparable 4th gen Tacoma.

 

Well…I decided lol…Getting a 4Runner instead…works for me…

 

4r...especially the TRD OPR are getting gobbled up around my area. It's becoming the new (old) landcruiser.

 

That’s a good choice if you don’t need a truck bed.

 

How many of us really NEED a truck bed

 

I would never own a truck unless I used the truck bed. There’s too many compromises over an SUV.

 

90% of the time the 4Runner wil be enough…when it isn’t I’ve got a utility trailer to use…

 

Which trim 4Runner did you buy?

 

I’m really kicking myself in the ass for trading in my 2020 tundra crewmax 4x4 trd off-road. I love my Tacoma, but now that I have a 2 year old and another baby on the way, I miss all the room in my tundra. It’s better to have all the bed space and not need it all the time than to need it and not have it. Some day I imagine I’ll be back in a tundra (only the 2020-2021 year I can’t stand the new gen).

 

SR5 4x4

 

Nowadays, the big Nissan discounts are back on the table. $5k or more off and 0% for 60 was the deal at the end of last year.

I went truck shopping this last December, the 23-24 Frontier, 24 Tundra and Titan Pro-4x were the trucks I looked at.

I don't like 3G Tacomas, especially seeing the 4G, which I like, is around the corner. The reason I didn't wait for a 4G is the pricing, at best, may be full MSRP for at least a year, especially in my market.

For me, my biggest disappointments with the Frontier are:
Only CC shorted models can be had with LED lights and bigger infotainment. Although Nissan offers King Cab and CC Long Bed models, you can't get the LED lights, bigger infotainment or Pro-4x trim on those models. I really need more than 5' bed.

I'd say, if you're in the market for a "fancy" but still modest, reliable midsize with a Crew Cab and shorted, a nicely optioned out Frontier will be at least $10k less, if not more, than a comparable 4G Tacoma.

However, the Tacoma has way more option diversity, and to me, I would be willing to pay for that to get a TRD OR long bed which already includes a bunch of standard stuff not available on the Frontier.

Because of the end of year deals I ended up in a Titan Pro-4x. It was significantly cheaper than even a slightly used Tundra (in my Toyota loving market). Yes, the steering is heavy as it would be in the little brother Frontier.

Speaking of which, most of the Frontier drivetrain is from the bigger, heavier and more powerful Titan. I'd consider that a benefit for the Frontier.

I also have a 2007 Titan, and I never understood the perception of poor quality. I joke that it's as reliable as a Camry, because that's been our experience in 16 years of ownership (Altima are garbage, so I won't reference that car) any Nissan based on RWD architecture is actually a pretty good machine.

Heck, my wife's 2020 Corolla HB had an electric water pump circuit failure at 18k miles. The only time the CEL lit in my Titan is when someone took my gas cap.

 

Extended cab Pro-4X.

 

I definitely do, unfortunately. I'd much rather have an SUV if I could, but I've tried it and it just didn't work.

 

My '10 Pro-4x 6spd has been great. Only a few minor repairs over the years (<$500 spent). It gets used like a truck should and has held up well. With the 6spd it gets pretty decent fuel economy (18 mpg average). I always wanted to put some 285s on it but it does 22-23 mpg on long trips. There's solid aftermarket support, just look at Z1's site, even Nismo has a whole line of stuff.

 

Went from a 3rd gen Tacoma to a 5th gen 4Runner... no regrets other than buying a model with KDSS as that is potentially a $6-7000 repair down the road. But an SR5 is more than most people will ever need and is bulletproof.

Cherish and enjoy every drop of gas you burn though because the trips to refuel will be frequent.

 

I liked the 4Runner more than the Frontier and that’s what I would recommend if you don’t have a use for a truck bed. I drove both a ‘23 4Runner SR5 and ‘22 Frontier SV.

Not saying the Frontier is a bad truck though.

 

Ugh. Yah, I guess you don't need HD for a back up camera . But regardless, the price of the truck went up significantly from the 3rd gen, and yet they downgrade something like this, and something that is so obvious.

 

Sometimes the screen gets upgraded, but the cameras don't, which makes the image look worse, especially if the upgraded screen became bigger.

 

I had the new Frontier as a rental for a week. I don't think it's better than my 11 year old Tacoma in any way except it does have noticeably more power. The backseat looked painful to have to sit in for any trip longer than 20 minutes. It seems smaller than the other mid-size trucks.