…… HELP Thinking about buying a 2023 or 2024 Nissan Frontier Looking for advice

[tm1439m]

So my truck is a 1999 F150. Been a good truck but I think its time to move on one more time. I have looked at lots of vehicles and I am not impressed with anything new period. However this Nissan truck is about as old school as you can currently purchase.

I tried the newer Tacoma's and there is just not enough leg room for myself at just over 6'1" or my son at 6'4". Sat in a new Frontier today and I actually fit.

What I would like to hear is any advice based on experience with these trucks.

Its hard to weed through all the social media posts on any vehicle. People are partial to one brand or the other and will defend it to the end ha ha.

Our local dealer has a lifetime warranty on the engine and drive train which is a big plus provided they actually honor it in the future. They have been around for many years so I feel they will be around for many more.

Thanks in advance for any pros and cons you guys can provide!!

 

[bassgirl]

Check with Alpha Man he does something with the auto mobile industry and can tell you.

 

[TheSearcher]

Honda Ridgelines are roomy. With the AWD option, it'll tow 5000 lbs. Not bad for a truck on a unibody.

My first car was a 1981 Nissan, and it served me well. I've seen more recent models not so trustworthy. YMMV.

 

[Repairman-Jack]

Not entirely relevant to your situation but my Nissan experience.

I had a 2012 Frontier Pro4x - I had leased it (only vehicle I had ever done that with, my expedition was dying quick fast and in a hurry and I couldn't decide what to buy)

I'm 6'4"... leg room wasn't terrible, but not sure I'd want to take it on a cross country trip. At the time there was some aftermarket options but as it was a lease I didn't do anything.

About a year into the lease I noticed things...like it was woefully behind in tech, still had the simple LCD display for radio, phone could not play through radio, and my biggest pet peeve was the low beam headlights absolutely SUCKED, I drove with fog/driving lights and used high beams whenever possible.

I believe the lease was supposed to be 38 months or something slightly over 3 years...I still didn't know exactly what I wanted, other than Full size so it was either an F150, Tundra or possible Titan, the Titan however was in its transition period and they were real expensive as first of the new line was Diesel (note 2024 is last year for Titan).

At some point the now ex wife was at the dealer and the Sales manager mention the 2015 Titan Pro4X Demo they had and the lot. Made me a sweet deal, he was also surprised they didn't start harassing me about turning in my lease..."don't know they kept sending the bill, I kept sending them a check."

In general the Titan has been a good truck, biggest complaints:

Lack of after market parts (brush guards, bumpers etc...)
Metal bumpers...I think its more rare these days and PA winters = rust
Same for the stupid compartment behind rear driver side...rust

It's been paid off for a few years now, runs great, I've done all the scheduled maint and plan on driving it for at least another year or two.

My Father is looking to turn his Tacoma in on a Frontier, I told him he's crazy <shrug> but he wants one last "new" car before he retires in a few years.

Other Nissans in my life:

85 Nissan Pathfiner - loved that truck/suv. 5spd stick, went great in the snow.

The ex had two Xterras - They were great vehicles
Stepson had multiple nissans, all good

They do seems to have a history of killing off lines. IMHO they crapped on the pathfinder when they gave it the "maxima" suspension. They killed off the Xterras, and now the Titans.

 

[Firebird]

I would also recommend checking with Alphaman, he is an excellent resource. I think I remember reading somewhere that Nissan trucks are the lowest rated out there, but he would be able to confirm if true.

 

[Marthanoir]

85 Nissan Pathfiner - loved that truck/suv. 5spd stick, went great in the snow.

The old Nissans kicked arse, especially if you stick a Merc OM606 engine in em

500BHP GU PATROL OM606 DIESEL , 4-WHEEL BURNOUT!!!!! SOUNDS SWEET!!!!​

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hBXCT5MGc6A&pp=ygUdbmlzc2FuIHBhdHJvbCBtZXJjZWRlcyBlbmdpbmU%3D

 

[CaryC]

IMHO while leg room is a big deal, the just as important is the what you are going to be doing with it.

So engine size would be on the plate too.

That probably seems like a duh comment, but engines have been trending down ward in size and power.

The local Plant Manager of the Toyota manufacturing plant bought a Nissan due to engine size. Could not get one big enough in the Toyota.

The Nissan Rouge is a 3 cylinder.

So once you get one the right size for your legs, check out the engine to get the right size for that too.

Nissan have a rep. for being long lived. Had a Maxima for 13 years with no problems.

 

[Fake Shemp]

Currently have this one since new for the last 22 years. Go ahead and buy it.

 

[Repairman-Jack]

IMHO while leg room is a big deal, the just as important is the what you are going to be doing with it.

So engine size would be on the plate too.

That probably seems like a duh comment, but engines have been trending down ward in size and power.

The local Plant Manager of the Toyota manufacturing plant bought a Nissan due to engine size. Could not get one big enough in the Toyota.

The Nissan Rouge is a 3 cylinder.

So once you get one the right size for your legs, check out the engine to get the right size for that too.

Nissan have a rep. for being long lived. Had a Maxima for 13 years with no problems.

Thread had me curios so I took a look.

Looks like all Frontiers are now sporting a 3.8L V6. My 2012 had a 4.0L

Also 9 speed auto trans with 22/18 mpg (4x4 model). Mine was getting about 14mpg and oddly my Titan gets better mpg.

 

[Big Bob]

Scotty Kilmer on you tube has a video praising Nisson Frontiers. He does many auto related videos. I have no other knowledge of Nissons.

 

[rob0126]

I had an 07 Xterra 2WD. Was a great truck but I never wanted to do internal engine work.
The complexity of that motor was ridiculous to work on. (timing chain job is monumental)

However, it had some get up and go, and it handled the snow quite well.
14-16 city, 22-24 hwy.

Not sure about the new 3.8 V6 though. Haven't done any research on it.

 

[zealotbat]

Youtube....Scotty Kilmer, says it's a solid choice.

 

[Dennis Olson]

For many of their models, Nissan was very late with the latest tech upgrades. I believe that issue was put to bed with the 2019 model year rollouts.

 

[tm1439m]

For many of their models, Nissan was very late with the latest tech upgrades. I believe that issue was put to bed with the 2019 model year rollouts.

One of the main reasons I am considering Nissan is that they are one of the most old school ha ha. I really wish I could get a truck with hand crank window. No power anything. Just get in and go down the road. I don't need the truck telling me I am crossing lanes because I actually watch the road as I drive unlike this new generation who is buried in their phone while driving down the road at a high rate of speed, lol. I don't need buttons on the steering wheel for changing channels on the radio. People have gotten careless and lazy.

 

[CaryC]

I had an 07 Xterra 2WD. Was a great truck but I never wanted to do internal engine work.
The complexity of that motor was ridiculous to work on. (timing chain job is monumental)

However, it had some get up and go, and it handled the snow quite well.
14-16 city, 22-24 hwy.

Not sure about the new 3.8 V6 though. Haven't done any research on it.

That Nissan Maxima we had, was a 3.7 V6 with 295 horses. Front wheel drive with Z rated low profile tires. Could smoke em. And still got 26 HWY MPG. Doing interstates at 2 AM was a smooth ride, even at...........MPH. Took Ethel gas.

The thing with a truck is pulling weight. If that is even in the arena. And if there will be a lot of that. IMHO one can overwork an engine, (and transmission) so there is that to consider. A 4 cylinder that is turbo charged to pull weight seems like the life of the motor when pulling a ski boat every weekend, would diminish.

But that is me.

The 2023 Rav 4 is a 4 cylinder and we don't do much with it, only 3800 miles in a years time, seems ok. A couple of 90 mile trips, and no pulling even though it does have a receiver.

And concerning the OP leg room is important. We switched from the Nissan to the Rav4 so we could get out of the thing without a hoist.

 

[Hognutz]

One of the main reasons I am considering Nissan is that they are one of the most old school ha ha. I really wish I could get a truck with hand crank window. No power anything. Just get in and go down the road. I don't need the truck telling me I am crossing lanes because I actually watch the road as I drive unlike this new generation who is buried in their phone while driving down the road at a high rate of speed, lol. I don't need buttons on the steering wheel for changing channels on the radio. People have gotten careless and lazy.

One of my buddies, special ordered one like you talking about. Even got the 5 speed manual transmission….

 

[tm1439m]

That Nissan Maxima we had, was a 3.7 V6 with 295 horses. Front wheel drive with Z rated low profile tires. Could smoke em. And still got 26 HWY MPG. Doing interstates at 2 AM was a smooth ride, even at...........MPH. Took Ethel gas.

The thing with a truck is pulling weight. If that is even in the arena. And if there will be a lot of that. IMHO one can overwork an engine, (and transmission) so there is that to consider. A 4 cylinder that is turbo charged to pull weight seems like the life of the motor when pulling a ski boat every weekend, would diminish.

But that is me.

The 2023 Rav 4 is a 4 cylinder and we don't do much with it, only 3800 miles in a years time, seems ok. A couple of 90 mile trips, and no pulling even though it does have a receiver.

And concerning the OP leg room is important. We switched from the Nissan to the Rav4 so we could get out of the thing without a hoist.

My son has an F150 with the 5.0 V8 so any heavy towing would be done with his truck. I would mostly carry my grand babies around in the Frontier ha ha. I have a 4.5 year old grandson and a 6 month old grand daughter. I plan on showing them the world. This is the main reason I want a new vehicle. I want a more reliable vehicle and the truck is perfect for camping, trips to the mountains or just any old place. Put a cover on the box and we would have all the room we need.

 

[Dennis Olson]

One of the main reasons I am considering Nissan is that they are one of the most old school

Nissan builds their cars to be strong IMO. I’m seeing a lot more Nissans around lately. I’m very happy with my Murano, even though I didn’t shop other cars because I just didn’t have the stamina. And Nissan has some of the most comfortable seats of any car manufacturer. My “zero gravity” seat is more comfortable than my recliner. The lumbar support is perfect, and really helps my back.

Oh, I read a week or so ago that “Nissan” translates to “Japanese made.”

Historically, I’ve had the hots for Mitsubishi cars too. I love their style, but I never had the money to buy one because they’re so expensive.

 

[paul bunyan]

I just read: Nissan best in safety
Nissan worst in resale
YMMV

 

[naegling62]

So my truck is a 1999 F150. Been a good truck but I think its time to move on one more time. I have looked at lots of vehicles and I am not impressed with anything new period. However this Nissan truck is about as old school as you can currently purchase.

I tried the newer Tacoma's and there is just not enough leg room for myself at just over 6'1" or my son at 6'4". Sat in a new Frontier today and I actually fit.

What I would like to hear is any advice based on experience with these trucks.

Its hard to weed through all the social media posts on any vehicle. People are partial to one brand or the other and will defend it to the end ha ha.

Our local dealer has a lifetime warranty on the engine and drive train which is a big plus provided they actually honor it in the future. They have been around for many years so I feel they will be around for many more.

Thanks in advance for any pros and cons you guys can provide!!

Best place to formulate an opinion:

Car Problems | CarComplaints.com

Mobile-friendly version of CarComplaints.com. What's wrong with YOUR car?

m.carcomplaints.com

 

[AlfaMan]

So my truck is a 1999 F150. Been a good truck but I think its time to move on one more time. I have looked at lots of vehicles and I am not impressed with anything new period. However this Nissan truck is about as old school as you can currently purchase.

I tried the newer Tacoma's and there is just not enough leg room for myself at just over 6'1" or my son at 6'4". Sat in a new Frontier today and I actually fit.

What I would like to hear is any advice based on experience with these trucks.

Its hard to weed through all the social media posts on any vehicle. People are partial to one brand or the other and will defend it to the end ha ha.

Our local dealer has a lifetime warranty on the engine and drive train which is a big plus provided they actually honor it in the future. They have been around for many years so I feel they will be around for many more.

Thanks in advance for any pros and cons you guys can provide!!

I inspect vehicles of all makes daily in my job. I've looked at a number of brand new, nearly new and older Frontier pickups.

My short and sweet advice? Buy it, enjoy it and don't look back.

The D41 generation (the current US model) is a well screwed together truck. Fit and finish is very good, I'd say better than the new ugly as sin (to me) Toyota Tacoma (which we call Tacos, because of all the ones we've looked at with rusted through frames-they bend up like a taco shell Frontiers are HSS high strength steel frames from front to rear (39,000 PSI loading if I remember training). The frame is a holdover from the last D40 generation just redone in HSS. It's a stout frame.

They're American built for the north American market, think it's built in Spring Hill TN in the old Saturn plant. Maybe Columbus MS, don't remember offhand.

The motor is a 3.8 V6 with 310 horses. A solid motor, basically a 5.6 V8 minus the rear cylinders. It will smoke the tires easily. The 4 wheel drive components are the same as used in the rest of the world Nissan Frontier, which is known as the Nissan Navara. Tough as nails, Aisin sourced gear sets I believe. A good sized axle size for a midsize truck actually. If I remember a 9 speed automatic (think Z car unit) and the tires on new units I've seen Firestones, Connies (continental) and Nexen tires. If you get connies or Nexen tires, swap them out. They wear too quickly and they're nothing more than rim wrappers.

The interiors and electronics hold up very well. Zero issues noted on any new models I've looked at. I've inspected 5 22-23 Frontiers so far, 2 were total losses. The front is particularly well "armored"-they got good crash ratings and its' easy to see why. The core support is one piece and welded to the aprons-when they're in a wreck they tend to "ramp up" . The bottom part is thicker to help enable this (and to prevent frontal frame damage, making it less likely to be totalled out). Saw one where the A pillar on the passenger side was solid as a rock-no deflection-yet the sheetmetal was essentially ripped from the attach points.

Sheet metal is slightly thicker than the Taco; it's also the beneficiary of Nissan's killer thin 2 stage paint jobs. (They have one in a darker OD green I really like). The Pro 4X super duper high end model is also around 10k cheaper than the equivalent Tacoma. paint thickness to be 3.5-4.5 mils with little deviation between front and rear of panels (no drunk robots at Nissan plants).

All in all, a good truck that's a good value.

Hope this helps.

 

[naegling62]

I inspect vehicles of all makes daily in my job. I've looked at a number of brand new, nearly new and older Frontier pickups.

My short and sweet advice? Buy it, enjoy it and don't look back.

The D41 generation (the current US model) is a well screwed together truck. Fit and finish is very good, I'd say better than the new ugly as sin (to me) Toyota Tacoma (which we call Tacos, because of all the ones we've looked at with rusted through frames-they bend up like a taco shell Frontiers are HSS high strength steel frames from front to rear (39,000 PSI loading if I remember training). The frame is a holdover from the last D40 generation just redone in HSS. It's a stout frame.

They're American built for the north American market, think it's built in Spring Hill TN in the old Saturn plant. Maybe Columbus MS, don't remember offhand.

The motor is a 3.8 V6 with 310 horses. A solid motor, basically a 5.6 V8 minus the rear cylinders. It will smoke the tires easily. The 4 wheel drive components are the same as used in the rest of the world Nissan Frontier, which is known as the Nissan Navara. Tough as nails, Aisin sourced gear sets I believe. A good sized axle size for a midsize truck actually. If I remember a 9 speed automatic (think Z car unit) and the tires on new units I've seen Firestones, Connies (continental) and Nexen tires. If you get connies or Nexen tires, swap them out. They wear too quickly and they're nothing more than rim wrappers.

The interiors and electronics hold up very well. Zero issues noted on any new models I've looked at. I've inspected 5 22-23 Frontiers so far, 2 were total losses. The front is particularly well "armored"-they got good crash ratings and its' easy to see why. The core support is one piece and welded to the aprons-when they're in a wreck they tend to "ramp up" . The bottom part is thicker to help enable this (and to prevent frontal frame damage, making it less likely to be totalled out). Saw one where the A pillar on the passenger side was solid as a rock-no deflection-yet the sheetmetal was essentially ripped from the attach points.

Sheet metal is slightly thicker than the Taco; it's also the beneficiary of Nissan's killer thin 2 stage paint jobs. (They have one in a darker OD green I really like). The Pro 4X super duper high end model is also around 10k cheaper than the equivalent Tacoma. paint thickness to be 3.5-4.5 mils with little deviation between front and rear of panels (no drunk robots at Nissan plants).

All in all, a good truck that's a good value.

Hope this helps.

I think Scotty likes them.

 

[Dennis Olson]

I just read: Nissan best in safety
Nissan worst in resale
YMMV

That “worst in resale” allowed me to get a much better replacement than I would otherwise have been able to afford.

 

[tm1439m]

I inspect vehicles of all makes daily in my job. I've looked at a number of brand new, nearly new and older Frontier pickups.

My short and sweet advice? Buy it, enjoy it and don't look back.

The D41 generation (the current US model) is a well screwed together truck. Fit and finish is very good, I'd say better than the new ugly as sin (to me) Toyota Tacoma (which we call Tacos, because of all the ones we've looked at with rusted through frames-they bend up like a taco shell Frontiers are HSS high strength steel frames from front to rear (39,000 PSI loading if I remember training). The frame is a holdover from the last D40 generation just redone in HSS. It's a stout frame.

They're American built for the north American market, think it's built in Spring Hill TN in the old Saturn plant. Maybe Columbus MS, don't remember offhand.

The motor is a 3.8 V6 with 310 horses. A solid motor, basically a 5.6 V8 minus the rear cylinders. It will smoke the tires easily. The 4 wheel drive components are the same as used in the rest of the world Nissan Frontier, which is known as the Nissan Navara. Tough as nails, Aisin sourced gear sets I believe. A good sized axle size for a midsize truck actually. If I remember a 9 speed automatic (think Z car unit) and the tires on new units I've seen Firestones, Connies (continental) and Nexen tires. If you get connies or Nexen tires, swap them out. They wear too quickly and they're nothing more than rim wrappers.

The interiors and electronics hold up very well. Zero issues noted on any new models I've looked at. I've inspected 5 22-23 Frontiers so far, 2 were total losses. The front is particularly well "armored"-they got good crash ratings and its' easy to see why. The core support is one piece and welded to the aprons-when they're in a wreck they tend to "ramp up" . The bottom part is thicker to help enable this (and to prevent frontal frame damage, making it less likely to be totalled out). Saw one where the A pillar on the passenger side was solid as a rock-no deflection-yet the sheetmetal was essentially ripped from the attach points.

Sheet metal is slightly thicker than the Taco; it's also the beneficiary of Nissan's killer thin 2 stage paint jobs. (They have one in a darker OD green I really like). The Pro 4X super duper high end model is also around 10k cheaper than the equivalent Tacoma. paint thickness to be 3.5-4.5 mils with little deviation between front and rear of panels (no drunk robots at Nissan plants).

All in all, a good truck that's a good value.

Hope this helps.

That gives me confidence. Thanks!!