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Toyota Tacoma vs Nissan Frontier

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Comments

  • critter1critter1 Member Posts: 104
    Go to 2005 Consumer Reports Autos & Trucks. The Fronty is really good, But thats where the Tacoma edges it out. Repairs/Reliability for Tacoma are close to excellent. In a new truck the 2 to $4000 price difference,is it worth it to you. I have
    94 Nissan 4X4 with close to 140,000 miles only left me once in that time. Electrical relay went bad. You have to decide for yourself. Hope this helps!

    Surf Fish'in Critter! :)
  • time2time2 Member Posts: 25
    Remember, these are technical service bulletins, not recalls like the Tacoma has.

    For instance, the TSB for the bed discoloration doesn't apply to my 05 Frontier because my bed liner has stayed perfect. Truthfully, my 05 Frontier which now is getting close to 6K has been totally flawless, just like my 93 Nissan truck that ran for 13 trouble-free years.
  • toykicktoykick Member Posts: 104
    convince somebody ? lol i'm not trying to convince anybody... this is one of several times of said this but i guess you guys are so hard headed to know what i'm trying to say...

    The Title of this Forum is called 05 toyota tacoma vs. 05 nissan frontier... I'm not here to justify my purchase... i'm here to post facts which in the end i get personal attacks and B.S. info from people who cant back up their opinions...

    No body cares how many trucks you've test drove and compared... or what previous cars you've had with certain amount of miles or problems... its pointless since nobody knows you on a forum... Its kinda retarded taking a pissing contest if you dont have any credible source to back it up... Since people like to call C&D , edmunds, motortrend, trailer boats, Safercar.gov and other government tests rag mag write ups well i agree... but whos opinion is more valuable....yours?
  • pschreckpschreck Member Posts: 524
    I care. That's why I'm here. And I own a Toyota. A Sequoia. Good rig.

    BUT IT'S NOT A RELIGION.

    By the way, you only need ONE period at the end of a sentence.
  • driver56driver56 Member Posts: 408
    Gee, toykick, lets not get ourselves in a knot. Facts and opinions sometimes become blurry. In other words, an opinion is sometimes construed as a fact -regarding some, if not all, magazine articles. It is up to us to sort through all the info we read and hear. I for one like to hear from whomever on these forums if for nothing else than to be entertained.
    I enjoy reading through the yearly Consumer Reports auto issue, but I have also learned how to read into it ( between the lines ). The reliability ratings are based on info sent in by owners of certain vehicles on an honour system and only represents a small fraction of all vehicles. But, that has become a Bible for some. You can argue all day about the merits of this, that, or the other thing, but at the end of the day most of what we take in is nothing but opinion.
    Emotion plays a huge part in how we perceive things and in turn rate them.
    Long live the Forums!
    By the way, my opinion is still the most important one to me.
  • time2time2 Member Posts: 25
    Toykik the "internet expert." Internet experts = crap

    and again

    Classic pot calling the kettle black!

    Wow! You must have some serious repressed buyer's remorse.

    Too bad.

    You lost!
  • streaksstreaks Member Posts: 64
    Again, some us here just can't seem to play nice!!
    Take your "My truck is better than your truck" and go home....and the rest of us will help this young lady find a truck for her and her family.
    Be it a Toyota, a Fronty, Dodge...Whatever!!
    Helpful posts coming soon...don't touch that dial!
  • bjw1bjw1 Member Posts: 152
    I have been reading these posts for awhile now and noticed a bunch of bickering back and forth and what truck is better, let me start out by saying that every manufaturer has defects of some sort on 1 out of 5 vehicles made(not official), but look at the number of recalls for everybody, they are making cars too fast and not checking for errors, just because you have a taco or frontier thats has a defect does not mean ones better than the other. I have a taco(2005) have 12000 miles on it and have had 0 problems, and I love my taco, but I am open to specs on which one has better ratings, but for my point of view i am very satisfied with my purchase, but does not mean I wouldn't with the frontier either, granted I did not test drive a frontier because I actually traded in an 2004 taco while at the dealer for service, but i am not the one that is picky on my needs, i mainly use my taco for commute and pleasure, with very limit offroad. Everybody has different taste for me i like the taco better than the frontier, just by the looks, but if i needed a truck to fit my needs and the frontier gave has the ability to acomplish those needs i would choose one over the other, this is just a mutual point of view with no bias towards the taco or the frontier ;)
  • edsnurideedsnuride Member Posts: 3
    my apology toykick. I jsut skimmed through posts and assumed from reading yours that you were trying to convince yourself and other people that you gotta be an idioteee to not choose 05tacoma. Remember the saying," assuming makes an [non-permissible content removed] out of U and ME. in this case me.

    Now, come to realize it, I think maybe some of these others are purposely trying to rile you up with there responses.

    I believe it does boil to my own opinion being the most valuable along with the rag mags and other peoples opinion which, btw i read some very good informative write ups. these are the ones who has actually test drove both frontier and toyota and gave there pros and cons and why they chose the frontier or the toyota.

    I bought my 05 frontier because of all these valuable resources and after testing both, I found that frontier fitted my life style. I didn't know about the tsbs on the frontier until after I bought it but turns out I'm very fortunate, 11,560miles only 1 PROBLEM:my right side chrome bumper is1/4" lower than my left.didn't know this until a friend of mine ran her fingers across the bumpers. Got that taken cared of.

    again i'm sorry. i really appreciate these opinions in these forums.I am now reading it for entertainment and informations and hopefully be helpfull in giving my own constructive oppinion.
  • critter1critter1 Member Posts: 104
    :mad: ???????????? what! Who's doing that,just gave my research and past experinces!
    You some kind of NUT! or what. It's about exchanging views and info!

    Critter @ the Beach Fish'in
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    tongue in cheek, but let's not get too far into the name-calling...

    kcram - Pickups Host
  • streaksstreaks Member Posts: 64
    critter1,

    My post was just a continuation of the thread "Re: Reliability off-road", which I believe the young lady started . You were just the last poster. ( i.e. Replying to: ) Sometimes the original topic gets tossed aside by those who must vent. I was simply trying to get back it back on track.
    My comments were directed only at those in here who continually blast each other and their trucks.
    Your post was fine. Sorry for any misunderstanding.
    Beers are on me...beach or trout stream..all good!!
  • toykicktoykick Member Posts: 104
    wheres the helpful posts??!! :P

    p.s.

    BUMP
  • critter1critter1 Member Posts: 104
    10-4 Streaks! OK after all it's info and exchange of experinces and viewpoints.
    Being of a median to modest income bang for the $$$$ is always a my big concern,so I spin from that direction. It's all very Subjective!

    Surf Fish'in Critter :)
  • wooddorkerwooddorker Member Posts: 300
    I was recently at a local Nissan dealer with a coworker who needed cabin air filters for his Maxima.

    A bunch of the dealership tech's were outside, swooning over one of the tech's new truck.

    It was a 2005 Pre Runner... :surprise:

    I saw it with my own eyes, otherwise I wouldn't have believed it!
  • jonboy13jonboy13 Member Posts: 1
    Hey everyone!! I have been reading this forum for about a month now and appreciate all the info. I will be getting a truck once I am back in the states from my deployment and was deciding between tocoma or frontier. I have choose to go with the Nismo. No offense to all the Toyota guys here, it just seems to suit me better overall.

    My question is, if you had to back and get your Frontier again, what options are a must and which can be skipped. I planned on the Nismo Crew Cab, with the Auido/Traction/Tow package. Thanks! :shades:
  • hawaiian1hawaiian1 Member Posts: 3
    After 15+ hours of research and test driving all midsize trucks-Taco-Nismo finalists--Taco better interior;mileage;long bed option-Nismo better brakes;power;bed/liner/utilitrak;exterior;tires/rims;sounds(Fosgate);ground clearance;reg gas recommended;electric diff--I bought the Nismo!!!
  • hungkhungk Member Posts: 14
    Im gonna sit back after this but thought I should say this bfor I go..
    accidently fell into this forum and had some with it,
    I love my horsie fronty and still gettin arround 20 - 21 mpg and happy with that
    I bought a CC for the short length but roomy , for wal mart parking lots , and out in the woods . rock climbing sometimes, to get wher I wanna go , cant imagin it with a long box , but for work , and thats just different , I need a truck thats dependable, an still comute to work , but go four diggin on the weekends sometimes , but dependibility and reliability is first and formost !!! with me
    b. PRIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCCCEEEEEEEE !!

    maybe just gettin old , (over 40 )

    I know Id love a new Taco If I had one .
    but I think its maybe something like this,
    one thing Ive noticed , over the years, Is some frens of mine who drive Toyota
    exclusivly . are mor testosteroni than I ,
    and are more into getting there in a hurry, dont mind spending a lot
    on repairs , wher me being an ex mechanic . Im into just driving
    changing my oil and getting there, when I get there- ALIVE !!
    but I still need a truck thatl do what I wanna. on the weekend, and pull a trailer too sometimes , and comute to work in the snow 4x4 a lot arround here ...
    I guess at some point in time I stopped looking at the outside primarrily, and now look at the Inside of my vehicle , ( and I like the Nissan interiors , they durrable ! and clean easily , ) and dont care what others think about the outside, inside, brand, motor trend, JD etcccc. but more about the reliability aspect
    and value for your hard earned dollar , thanks
    for havin me
    thanks for participating .
  • critter1critter1 Member Posts: 104
    Fact is Fronty Nismo has most everything standard, Toy will option you to death to
    get comparable truck. I'd say 2 to $4000 more. I know I looked and did my homework. Both are very good offroad Toy TRD or Nismo.

    From the SURF Fish'in Critter.
  • saddaddysaddaddy Member Posts: 566
    I would say $1200 -$1500 would be a more accurate assessment of the price difference for the loaded trucks. Much more similar than I had expected after reading this board. Funny.
  • lumbarlumbar Member Posts: 421
    Do your numbers reflect the real, negotiated price or the MSRP difference? I found the gap wider after attempting to "negotiate" with Toyota dealers.
  • woodshop28woodshop28 Member Posts: 74
    The difference in sticker price also seems to depend on what options you want, and possibly where you live. I have an SE V6 KC 6-spd 4x4 with ABLS, Power package and a couple of other little things.
    When I compared the cost of getting some type of limited-slip 4x4, along with the 6-spd V6 in a Tacoma, it was about $3500 more. This was back in February, though.
    If I recall correctly, the difference relates in-part to having to buy large option groups in the midwest region. I think Toyota varies option groups for different areas of the country.
    For other trim levels or options, it may be less of a difference in my region, but I did not look into that.
  • saddaddysaddaddy Member Posts: 566
    My info deals with MSRP.
  • hawaiian1hawaiian1 Member Posts: 3
    I was able to get a 06 CC Nismo loaded at $1500 BELOW MSRP. I tried at Toyota and they laughed- best they could offer was a 05 Taco at $685 off MSRP-06 wouldve been MSRP+ and I wouldve been on a 200 deep waiting list!!
  • critter1critter1 Member Posts: 104
    :D 10-4 Lumbar Toy dealers are very hard to deal with, they try to stay very near MSRP. As long as people pay it they won't change,they don't need too. All things being equal, the Nismo is much better deal,at least here in MD!

    Critter Fish'in at the BEACH!
  • streaksstreaks Member Posts: 64
    mtnlover, Hope some of the info on here has helped you w/ your decision.

    Here's my take: Since I never took a good look, I stopped by the Nissan dealer yesterday to see the Frontier. It's a real nice truck!! I see nothing wrong w/ it at all. I like it inside, outside and upside down. Did I drive it? Nope. Did I even sit in it? No again. Why? Didn't feel the need. To me these trucks are both great and essentially the same.( who cares if one is a tenth faster in the quar. mile, has a inch more of ground clearance, tows a lb. more etc..etc.) It's just a Toyota/ Nissan thing. Either truck will get you where you wanna go w/ a smile on your face.

    I agree(as I've said before) you can probably get a better deal and some extra bells and whistles w/ the Nissan. But it's pretty close. Just a matter of what you like for you and your family.To me the $$$ didn't matter.
    Soon after I bought my '04 Tacoma, I saw the '05, drove it,and my decision was made.
    And I don't regret it for a second.

    My TRD Off-road 4x4 Acc/Cab V6/6M is the BEST thing I ever purchased.(Well, except my house!!) Everytime I get in, its like I just drove it off the lot.(10,500 miles)

    Look at both. Drive them. You will come to your own conclusion. Then config. your vehicle on here, and go out and woop the dealers behind!! I was able to get a pretty good deal 11 months ago on my Tacoma.

    Best of luck to you in your search and decision!!

    P.S. My truck is pretty decked out.(pics on here someday!!) and I get looks and comments everyday. You should have seen the Nissan sales ppl looking at it. They tried not to, but I caught them!!!! ;)
  • streaksstreaks Member Posts: 64
    Hey toykick,

    I' ve added some "helpful" posts.(or at least I think they are) My business is very busy right now so I did them as fast as I could.

    But please, help this newbie to the pc and "chat slang" out.

    Wat's BUMP mean???

    Thanks, streaks

    P.S. I'll figure it's meaning is ok to post on here, right??
  • locket3locket3 Member Posts: 1
    My husband and I have also been looking at both the Tacoma and Frontier and hands down thought the Frontier was a much better drive. I really love the looks of the Tacoma but still like the Frontier's drive better. I am by far not a Toyota hater. We just bought a Sequoia and its a dream. LOVE IT! Anyway we thought the Tacoma was a bit clunky and airy feeling compared to the the Frontier. The Frontier was so smooth, just a nice feel and alot of power. Not too fond over the cloth seats but what can you do, go with leather maybe. I say for reliability you cant go wrong with either they both have great track records. We own a 94 Nissan Sentra we are selling it for the truck and have Never had an issue with it. It still runs like a sewing machine as my husband says. That's it for anyone who wants to listen.
  • driver56driver56 Member Posts: 408
    As far as I'm concerned, that's a rip off! An 05 is a year old model so they have already depreciated. I think $1500 off msrp would be appropriate, but, it shows you what demand will do to prices. And I still say the Nissan is the BEST BUY.
  • franknlizobfranknlizob Member Posts: 1
    Listen, you should know by now dealers, both Nissan and Toyota alike vary alot in price. Depends, on location, dealer ethecis, supply and demand, etc. I test drove both the frontier and the tacoma, I loved the frontier, but I bought the tacoma. Just loved it a little bit more. However I paid 1500.00 under sticker without haggeling. It is however the third truck I bought from this dealership and salesman. Thats what I mean when I say "it depends" I waited 4 weeks.
  • badnessbadness Member Posts: 242
    just so you guys and girl who are looking at the frontiers ,their isn't that much diff. from the 2005-2006 so even thoe its a year older almost you could save a ton of money,so compare the spec's and their is a few new colors also,I went to Porter De. Nissan and would of paid 26.000 in change but as you know in New Jersey you have to pay the Tax's Man so I pad a little over $27.000, so think before you buy a 2006 or wait till 2007,since they might make a long bed,but I like the short bed the room is great and i'm 5/7 and I like sitting in the back also its very roomy I feel and plus it has cup holders in the back.The leather pkg is real clasy.The heated seats are real nice!!!I just put in xm radio,its kind of easy if you good at wiring stuff, but I let best buy do it,and I was glad I didn't mess with it. Nissan charges too much money for the satlite stereo you can do the math.the rockford stero has a great sound with the satlite.So goodluck everyone ....
  • hawaiian1hawaiian1 Member Posts: 3
    I couldve got a 05 nismo similar(but no Fosgate} for $2500 less but went for the 06 because #1-even though theyre virtualy the same truck blue book will be at least $1500-2000 higher on the 06 just because its a 06 #2-its always better to get the 2nd year of a new model(bugs worked out).#3-FOSGATE ROCKS !!!!!!!
  • mrjohnsmith99mrjohnsmith99 Member Posts: 6
    Hi -

    New poster but have been reading for a long time. For 2006, what happened to the loaded Frontier club cab? Their website won't let me configure the truck with side air bags and vdc unless I get the Nismo package, which I don't need.

    I've always complained that Toyota makes you buy options you don't want just to get the things you do. It seems like Nissan is heading down that path - or am I missing something?

    I'm looking to buy one of these trucks by next spring, and this could be a big issue. By the way, I've tried both northern NJ and north east PA zip codes.

    Thanks
  • driver56driver56 Member Posts: 408
    From what I've seen on Nissan.ca we can order a LE Crew Cab with VDC and side bags with the leather option. If we can configure that vehicle in Canada, you should be able to in the U.S.A.
  • mrjohnsmith99mrjohnsmith99 Member Posts: 6
    driver56,

    Thanks for the response. I went back to the site, but still can't configure the truck with both sab and vdc on anything but Nismo. On the LE, if I choose side air bags, a bunch of other stuff gets added on (leather, sunroof, audio package) and I'm prevented from picking vdc. Very strange. I don't think it was like that for the 2005s.
  • driver56driver56 Member Posts: 408
    That's what I see. It looks like you would have to order the leather package and end up taking other items you don't want, and at quite a price. I'm guessing you're not interested in the King?
  • mrjohnsmith99mrjohnsmith99 Member Posts: 6
    Interesting that they let you have both sab and vdc on the king cab le, but not on the crew cab le. I might be interested in the king. has anyone used the king cab with a child seat in the back? is it easy to install and access? What about on the Tacoma extended cab?
  • trucksrgoodtrucksrgood Member Posts: 7
    I just order my Frontier, KC, Nismo, Audio, Utility Bed. I waited until 2006 to get a better color choice. Dealer is quoting either December (if lucky) or January delivery. Anybody heard anything else?
  • driver56driver56 Member Posts: 408
    A couple of months is worth the wait but haven't heard anything regarding delivery times here on the West Coast of Canada. What was your colour choice?
  • trucksrgoodtrucksrgood Member Posts: 7
    I agree that the truck is worth the wait. Majestic Blue is my choice with a 6 speed tranny.
  • driver56driver56 Member Posts: 408
    Good choice! Enjoy, and keep us posted.
  • trucksrgoodtrucksrgood Member Posts: 7
    My Frontier is scheduled to be manufactured this month for December delivery.
  • dockeendockeen Member Posts: 68
    Holiday present eh?

    Cool!

    Wayne
  • danielacostadanielacosta Member Posts: 132
    link title
  • wooddorkerwooddorker Member Posts: 300
    Excellent!

    The Tacoma won MY truck test, the only one that really matters. :P
  • danielacostadanielacosta Member Posts: 132
    "Excellent!

    The Tacoma won MY truck test, the only one that really matters."

    Every test is important, especially when you consider the criteria used for the rankings. MT picked Tacoma based largely on its many model variations, which is undisputedly better than anyone else. C/D, 4W/OR, and many others have picked the Frontier for its superior off-road prowess and other reasons. What is significant about the Edmunds test is they have reversed their ranking from their earlier test that placed Tacoma first, followed by the Frontier. In this test, Frontier finished first. Beyond that, in both this test and their earlier test, Edmunds made it clear that both trucks are very good, so you really won't go wrong with either.

    I favor off-road ability, so I have the Frontier. Reliability, especially in first-year models, is another important consideration. Frontier has done well with the 05, but has had two service bulletins. The first regarded a noisy intake plenum, the second regards a trailer wiring harness. I don't know what specific issues the 05 Tacoma has, but do know that the main reason I bought the Frontier was that all four of the 05 Tacomas I test drove in January had serious quality problems ranging from leaking head gaskets to 4wd systems that would not engage.
  • cascocasco Member Posts: 1
    You favor off-road ability... what makes you think the Frontier is better off-raod. Edmunds clearly says that if they were choosing a truck that was going to spend it's whole life in the dirt, they would probably have chosen the Tacoma. The ONLY reason they chose the Frontier was based on it's on-road performance. Pretty lame choice considering the purpose of the comparo was off-raod ability.

    I like both trucks but the outcome of this comparo doesn't sit well with me.
  • driver56driver56 Member Posts: 408
    Actually, Edmunds wrote that they might chose the Tacoma if they were going to spend life in the dirt. They were just giving the Tacoma some credit. From everything I've read and experienced, the Frontier is superior off road and on.
  • kenudokenudo Member Posts: 1
    Comparisons are sketchy at best no matter who does them. Take the Edmunds online spec and features comparisons and how the wheel mounted cruise is unavailable on the Frontier but standard on the PreRunner. I just drove both the 2WD SE KingCab and LE CrewCab Frontier and guess what's right on the steeering wheel? Yep you guessed it, so who gets these corrected (I'll bet money there's more errors waiting) so more people aren't misled.
  • m_specsm_specs Member Posts: 2
    im debating between the frontier and tacoma as well.. i was almost sold on the frontier until i found out that the 06' frontier NISMO crewcab 4x4 didnt come in 6spd manual.

    Im thinking about the SE crewcab 4x4 6spd manual, but its missing a lot of the offroad options of the nismo. especially the locking rear diff. which i hear is really important.

    I looked at the tacoma trd sport and offroad edition today.. i love the interior compared to the frontier. its significantly more comfortable.. and i dont really like the design of the nissan steering wheel. However the price of the tacoma is significantly higher than the frontier.

    im leaning more towards the frontier.. but im still in my testing phase.. i hope to buy before the end of the year or at least by january..

    plans for the truck include offroading, desert, snowboarding, and towing.. basically a daily driver w/ the ability to have fun.

    any thoughts? i have to have a manual.
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