Automakers are obsessed with progress—sometimes to the point of excess. Every year, new models roll out with increasingly complex powertrains, cutting-edge tech, and price tags that make you wonder if you’re financing a truck or a small condo. But sometimes, simplicity wins. The Nissan Frontier proves that you don’t always need hybrid wizardry or turbocharged trickery to sell a solid truck.
In a market where mid-size pickups are fiercely competitive, the Frontier has managed to carve out a respectable niche. While rivals like the Toyota Tacoma saw a dip in sales for 2024, the Frontier actually gained ground, posting a 17 percent increase. It’s still far behind segment leaders like the Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado, but it outsells models like the Jeep Gladiator, GMC Canyon, and Ford Ranger, trucks with more modern tech but evidently less appeal to a certain group of buyers.
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Keep in mind that the Frontier is managing that success without the use of many tactics employed by the competition. There isn’t a hybrid version of the Frontier. Buyers can’t find one with turbochargers or a supercharger either. In fact, Nissan offers it with two cab sizes and two bed sizes, which is kind of old-school all on its own.
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Instead, this newly updated mid-sized pickup appears on paper as though it’s a call back to the days of simple straightforward work truck engineering with some modern-day flourishes for the cabin and driving experience.
To find out just how true that is or isn’t, we tested the Frontier for two weeks as though it were our own. We drove it off-road, all around the city, and into the hills to find out what’s what. At the end of the day, this might be the most humble and honest truck in its segment and though it’s far from perfect, it reminds us of what we’re leaving behind.
Powertrain and Range
The Nissan Frontier rumbles to life with a familiar tone. The VQ38DD V6 under the hood is a branch of the long-lived VQ engine lineup that includes the 350Z. The biggest change, other than additional displacement, is the addition of direct rather than port injection. As a result, it makes 310 hp (231 kW) and 281 lb-Ft (380 Nm) of torque regardless of what trim one might buy.
That power routes to either the rear tires or all four via a nine-speed automatic gearbox (JR913E) built by Jatco. Notably, the design of the gearbox is licensed from Mercedes-Benz (9G-Tronic) and while that might have some wondering about reliability, nothing major has popped up since Nissan introduced it in 2019.
These components offer better power and smoother operation than in the previous generation of the Frontier. What they don’t offer is better fuel economy. This latest Nissan mid-size truck gets just 19 mpg in the city, 24 on the highway, and 21 mpg combined at its very best. In our testing, we managed 20.1 with slightly more highway driving than in-city miles.
The Frontier can tow up to 7,150 pounds with the base S trim and rear-wheel drive. Every other trim has a lower rating but none dip below 6,310 lbs and most are above 6,850 lbs. Max payload for the Frontier (1,460 lbs) actually is available from the base 4×2 version too. All trims have a payload capacity of at least 1,150 pounds or more.
Driving Impressions
Piloting the Frontier also feels a bit archaic. The steering is very heavy compared to every other truck on sale today. That’s in large part due to the fact that Nissan doesn’t employ any sort of electric assist. The throttle and brake pedals also feel a touch heavier than in other trucks. In short, expect to put just a little more effort into the controls of this pickup.
That’s okay, though, because these controls also provide excellent linear feedback. Throttle modulation is a breeze and bringing the Frontier to a stop is no issue at all. In terms of ride quality, the Frontier behaves like an old truck in that it feels best when it’s carrying a load. Driving it around with nobody else or nothing else of substantial weight in the cab or bed results in a bumpy ride.
Drop a couple of sandbags, or in our case, a bag full of hockey gear, in the bed, and the truck settles down and feels smooth. At higher speeds, it handles well, too, and is easy to direct. At lower speeds, it feels less agile and more of a handful. In fact, here’s where two aspects of the Frontier come together to make it feel too old for its own good.
First, the turning radius of the Frontier is over 42 feet, which isn’t exactly small. For reference, the GMC Canyon’s turning radius is just 39.3 feet. That might not sound like a lot, but it can be the difference between making a U-turn in one go or having to Austin Powers one’s way out of the road.
The second issue is that without the electric power assistance, it feels like dramatically more work than it should to get the Frontier from lock to lock. Again, for reference, the new Toyota Tacoma actually has a larger turning radius (45.8 feet) but it feels easier to use in the real world.
Speaking of the real world, one of our test trucks, the Pro-4X, made light work of the real-world off-road conditions we piloted it on. The Frontier boasts at least 8.6 inches of ground clearance and most trims offer 9 inches or more. The Pro-4X offers 9.5 inches, which is close to trucks like the Tacoma Trailhunter (11 inches).
The Frontier Pro-4X also has a 32.3-degree approach angle and a 23-degree departure angle which, again, is similar to what Toyota offers with the Tacoma. In a day of driving the Frontier all around trails in western Little Rock, nothing stopped or even slowed it down really. The steering didn’t hamper anything either.
Interior
Nissan’s approach to the cabin of this truck is akin to its attitude toward its powertrain. The seats are wide and comfortable in the front row and the dash is all about familiar placement. Forget fussy touchscreen interfaces here because Nissan isn’t having that.
It provides physical buttons, switches, and knobs for climate control. The steering wheel also gets physical controls rather than haptic ones. In addition, the 12.3-inch infotainment system incorporates several real controls for the media and navigation. That can really come in handy for, say, the hand of a gloved worker in the middle of a shift. Android Auto and Apple Carplay are available too.
The center console is also focused on workers. Open up the storage area and you’ll find two pen holders and a sharpie holder for quick notes on the job site. The wireless device charger has a clear indicator of when it’s on to remove the guesswork.
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The rear seats aren’t as accommodating though. For adults, legroom is less than one might desire. That’s not too surprising in this class, but still a disappointment for those who hoped to fit four adults in this truck regularly. What we do like is that Nissan leverages the space under those seats to provide additional cargo storage and, in the case of the PRO-4X, a Fender subwoofer that sounds great.
The bed of the Frontier is a positive feature as well. It’s available with a spray-in bedliner, a 120-volt power outlet, and what Nissan calls the Utili-Track system with adjustable tie-down cleats. The tailgate itself doesn’t feel overly heavy or cheaply flimsy. Again, the availability of a six-foot bed helps the Frontier stand out.
Competition
Speaking of standing out, that’s not too easy to do in this market. The Toyota Tacoma continues to reign in this segment and the Chevrolet Colorado, while far behind in sales, offers more content overall than the Nissan. The Chevy also offers more towing capacity and better fuel economy, which could prove to be a problem for the Frontier over time.
Other competitors like the Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator have their own niches where they excel over the Frontier too. At the same time, they box buyers in with fewer configurations, controls baked into touchscreens, or both.
The Frontier isn’t the king of this segment but it caps out at around $45,000 for the very nicest example. The Ranger, Gladiator, Colorado, Canyon, and Tacoma all have far more pricey trims in their lineups. That’s good for those willing to spend that much, but the Nissan excels at offering what a truck owner needs without overdoing it.
Final Thoughts
So many vehicles today try to be everything to everyone. Even the pickup segment is full of options like that. Making a truck handle like a car, tow small moons, and do so while offering seven feet worth of screens makes the final product quite pricey though. For an example of that, look no further than the Toyota Tacoma selling for nearly $70,000, or the RAM 1500 with a trim that can easily crest $90,000.
The reality here is that the Frontier is a great choice for people who need a truck for their regular life. Nissan very clearly thought hard about serving the people who use such a vehicle to transport goods or go over rough terrain, and who sometimes have to work incredibly hard just to make ends meet.
No, it doesn’t match or exceed some of the luxury or fuel-economy benefits that rival trucks offer. At the same time, that allows Nissan to offer it at a lower average price and with a drivetrain that will likely be more serviceable by the average shade-tree mechanic over time. On top of all that, this is one of the few trucks that buyers can configure so widely with different cabs and beds.
The future will certainly bring a hybrid or turbocharged (or even perhaps an all-electric) Frontier to the market. Til then, there’s nothing wrong with appreciating the elegant simplicity of a pickup that knows what it is and strives to be good at it.
