Nissan has completely re-engineered the Frontier. It's more than six inches longer and a half-inch wider
than last year's model. Overall, the new Frontier looks rugged, though it doesn't have any singular design
elements that stand out such as the Dodge Ram's aggressive fenders. Its flowing body lines are designed to impart
a feeling of substance, strength and originality. The front is designed to look thick and brawny, while the tail
lights and rear bumper are designed to look aggressive. Fender flares are standard on all SE and 4x4 models.
Seven models are available, Standard regular cab 4x2, XE, XE King Cab, SE King Cab, XE 4x4 regular cab, XE 4x4
King Cab, and SE 4x4 King Cab.
That's a lot of choices, so we've focused on a popular model: the SE 4x2 King Cab. More than 80 percent of all
compact truck buyers opt for two-wheel-drive models, according to Nissan. Unless the truck is strictly all work and
no play, an extended cab adds a great deal of convenience and versatility.
Granted, hauling a lot of passengers is not the King Cab's forte. The jump seats that are mounted on the sides of
the cab facing each other are really suitable only for children. But flip those jump seats up, and a cavernous space
is revealed that's useful for stowing stuff and carrying items that would need to be tied down in the bed.
The Frontier's bed is the largest and deepest in its class and features double wall construction so dents and dings
in the bed won't show up on the exterior. Inner tie-down hooks are standard. Grooves cut into the walls of the pickup
bed are designed to support pieces of plywood that can be arranged to form partitions for small items. A sheet of
plywood can then be laid horizontally to cover the compartments. This feature should be particularly popular among
owners who use their trucks for work.
The SE trim line comes with a sliding rear tinted window, fender flares, cruise control, and a tilt steering wheel.
Nissan's 2.4-liter, double overhead-cam, 4-cylinder engine is rated at 143 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 154 lb.-ft.
of torque at 4000 rpm. A 3.3-liter V6 will be along later. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, a four-speed
automatic is optional. The automatic has been refined to reduce harsh shifting and gear hunting on steep grades.
The towing capacity is 3,500 pounds with the manual transmission, 2,000 pounds with the automatic. Standard payload is 1,400 pounds.
The front suspension is a double wishbone design with torsion bars and a stabilizer bar. The rear suspension is a traditional truck rigid axle with leaf springs. There are disc brakes in front, drums at the rear. A two-wheel anti-lock braking system (ABS) is standard.
The operative theme in truck interiors these days is "car like," which means if you don't look in the rear view
and see the truck bed out back, you won't know you're in a pickup. After years of Spartan efficiency, truck interiors
now have softer edges, better upholstery, thoughtful ergonomics and (gasp) comfort. Nissan's Frontier has it all.
Frontier SE comes standard with bucket seats and a center console with cup holders. Other niceties in the SE
package are dual overhead map lights, driver vanity mirror, front door map pockets, cruise control, premium carpeting
and variable speed wipers. A flip-up glass sunroof comes with a sunshade. A power package, standard on the SE,
includes power windows and door locks with keyless entry and dual outside power mirrors. There is a shut-off switch
on the console for the passenger air bag.
If you want to go for bragging rights with your truckin' buddies, you can add fog lights, Frontier logo floor mats, rubber bed mat, convenience net, tailgate net, 3- or 6-disc CD changer, chrome rear bumper and receiver tow hitch with hitch ball and lighting harness. Also available are a cellular phone docking station, engine heater, battery warmer, splash guards and the ever-popular chrome exhaust tips. The Frontier can be anything you want it to be.
We drove the Frontier over a wide variety of terrain in the Nashville area and down a good cross-section of
roads. We took smooth Interstates and lumpy, twisty backcountry roads through towns with names like Tullahoma
and Wartrace. We think Frontier owners will be very pleased using them as daily drivers. The Frontier doesn't
really do any one thing spectacularly well, but it does almost everything very well.
Visibility is quite good, although the thick B-pillars present some blind spots. The ride is not truck-like,
which we appreciated. Wind noise and road noise are minimal, impressive given the big P235R15 tires. After a full
day of driving, we were none the worse for wear. This is a truck that is suitable for long-distance driving.
The power-assisted recirculating ball steering provides the right amount of road feel. Although the rear suspension
design is nothing new, there was no tendency for the tail to move around over the rough bits--a problem with pickup
trucks and leaf-spring suspensions. The brakes also worked well.
When we comment on air conditioners, it's usually because they're not up to par, but Nissan deserves credit for
giving the Frontier a unit that can frost your Ray Bans. It was nearly 100 degrees and felt like 100 percent humidity
in Nashville and we left our Frontier baking in the sun for quite some time, but we still had to turn the air
conditioning down after just a few minutes.
The only flaw in this otherwise delightful picture is the engine. Despite its relatively large displacement (2.4 liters) and sophisticated technology, it doesn't make much horsepower and torque. Nissan points out that it is the most powerful four-cylinder engine in the segment. But it feels slow off the line at full throttle, and easily looses momentum on grades. Passing on two-lanes was a decision not lightly made. And the engine is noisy. But we've been spoiled by the proliferation of V6 engines and Nissan's 3.3-liter V6 will make a big difference.