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Comments
Do Nissan pickups have a quick-release mechanism on their gates?
like i said earlier...you didnt order one because the salesman said they dont actually make them that way...sounds like WAAAAY too much trust in a sales jack.
you could have had one back in 2002 if you would have insisted on ordering it.
there are no limitations on regional equipment unless you go outside the US. ordering SAB/ABS pkg. is no different on the allocation list than having fog lights added.
Pretty happy with the Highlander so far. Getting about 25mpg with mostly highway driving. And it is a very nice, smooth, quiet ride. I do miss the manual trans though. Ahh, life is full of compromises.
I'd like to see the following details:
-Ride quality
-Gas milage
-Interior likes/dislikes
-Comments from family, strangers
-Power impressions
-Seat comfort
-Bed tiedown system usefullness
-Other
Anyone care to comment for us still waiting in the wings?
I gave an initial report on my 05 Frontier a few weeks back. I've had the truck about 3 weeks now. . .
Ride Quality - Really nice - My wife has a 04 Xterra and I find that the Frontier is a smoother ride than the Xterra, but still feel the ride nicely. The bumps are as sharp in the Frontier as in the Xterra.
Gas Mileage - I am just over 19 mpg.
Interior Likes/Dislikes - I don't have any dislikes so far.
Comments from family/strangers - Mother visited 2 weeks ago . . . plans to trade in her Plymouth Voyager for an '05 Frontier CC as soon as the snow has passed in MA.
Power impressions - Excellent and huge improvement over past vehicles (91 Nissan PU, 02 Dakota) as well as my wife's 04 Xterra. The 05 engine mated with the manual transmission is the best package I have ever driven for power, control, ease, etc.
Seat Comfort - First time I have NOT had bench seats in my vehicle. What can I say . . . bucket seats are more comfortable than vinyl bench seats!
Bed Tie down system - The parts are still in the sealed box in the back seat foot well. Seems more complicated that it needs to be, but then again - it may not be complicated at all - How would I know, its still unopened.
Other - The one overall problem I have encountered is that only the driver's side door can be unlocked from the outside. Power package does not include remote keyless entry. It is a real hassle when in a parking lot with 2 kids to have to dance around the truck - first unlock driver's door, then walk to other side to get one kid in the car seat, then walk around to get the other kid in the car seat then get in and drive away. Seems like keyless entry should have been standard (or at least a key lock on both front doors).
My CC is 2WD with the Limited Slip Diff. - I got to drive it in the snow a couple times in the past week. It handles very well, assuming you are not plowing through drifts. No unexpected slipping/sliding and actually drove through 6 inches slushy snow on the streets without ever thinkin, "I need 4WD for this." My past trucks couldn't climb a snow dusted speed bump without going into 4WD.
Jason
I like them both but I like the Nissan more. The back seat does have less room than the taco but it should still comfy for kids and small adults. Now I just need to wait for a dealer who is willing to deal.
Great update on your Frontier ownership experiences so far.
Huh - the remote only opens the drivers side eh? That can't be right. Usually a second press on the "Unlock" icon on the key fob opens the rest of the doors after the first press pops the drivers side.
I'd ask the dealer about that one.
Good description of driving the manual tranny. I like the flexibility of a stick, being able to hold the vehicle in its power band to extract the most performance from the engine. Automatics have their appeal too... I will probably go with the auto, simply because I've been driving a stick for over 30 years and with the manualmatics now, one can "sort" of enjoy the benefits of both transmissions.
Thanks,hope all of you who own them have good luck!!!
Thanks for clarifying.
Jason
Surprised though, that a truck in this price range SHOULD have keyless entry - having to go to the loaded up LE (loaded up with with not very useful gadgets, IMHO) just to get keyless entry is a rip.
no, there isnt. there is only 1 factory (2 now) that makes accords. if you order it, it will come.
Buying Experience:
Excellent. Sales guy put up with my wishy-washy decision making, and was working to get the right vehicle for me, not just push current inventory. Almost ordered an LE, but the NISMO with my must-haves was available at another dealer, so I got that instead of waiting. This was my choice, the dealer's attitude was "either way is fine with us." Final price was 500 over invoice. Not stellar, but not bad. I did not purchase an extended warranty: $1600??!!?!!?!!? I'll take my chances since my brother in law is a mechanic.
Ride Quality:
Stiff. The LE has a much softer ride, so if that's important, don't get a Nismo. I kind of like the stiff ride, which is why I got the Nismo, even though I was going to order an LE. To compare, it rides just slightly more stiff than my Ranger, and feels like a caddy compared to my dad's Dodge 3500 dually. However, there will be no mistaking that you are riding in a truck.
Handling/Power:
I had no trouble in the snow even in 2wd. Power output is predictable, so fishtaling wasn't a problem even with 6" of white stuff under the wheels. I did put it in 4wd to explore the used car lot to see what they were listing my ranger for and it was a smooth engagement, and it got me through the 4' drift with very little additional power or head of steam. I'll admit I won't use 4x4 often, but its a nice to have here in the frozen north. I can't give a detaling of how the 4x4 lo or the locking differential work since I haven't used them. Power has been pleasant, and I haven't felt like I had to punch it to move steadily through the traffic lights. When you want it, its there, especially at lower speeds. At higher speeds, it takes a bit until it kicks down, but I haven't pushed it too hard since its still a new engine.
Bed/Tiedowns:
So far I haven't used the bed system and the tiedowns are in the cargo bin under the back seat.
One issue of initial quality: There is a bolt in the tailgate that is stripped. This is one of the bolts that holds protects the gate when its down. Other than that I haven't had any quality issues, and the dealer says they will fix this when I bring it in for the first oil change unless I want to come in sooner.
Mileage/Range:
I've only done city driving and haven't gone through a tank yet. I'm at just over 1/4 of a tank left with 220 miles of city driving. I'm guessing this puts me somewhere around 16 mpg. Not bad since my '01 ranger 4x4 4.0l got 13 in similar driving.
Interior:
I like the dead pedal and love the stereo. Noise is not a problem. Everything is pretty simple to use, and all the dials etc are usable even while wearing winter gloves. My dislikes are the auto window (only auto down. Our Maxima has auto up and down and I've been spoiled.). This is a minor gripe. Also, I don't like that the center console is to low, and I want something to use as an arm-rest for my right arm. Another minor gripe. The cupholders work well with bottles, cans and med size fast food drinks, and the liter bottle holder in the door is perfectly sized for my water bottle. The back seats are too upright and the seatroom is a bit cramped for adults my size (5'11") but my wife thinks legroom is fine, even sitting behind me as the driver. This didn't matter to me when buying though, since the back seat passengers will be coworkers for a trip to lunch or kids who ride in car/booster seats for at least another 6-7 years.
Keyless entry: My Nismo has Keyless entry. Lock/unlock driver door, unlock all doors (2 clicks). The tailgate is independent of the keyless entry, so you must use the key. Kind of a bummer, but no big deal.
I have no buyers remorse, and am still glad I bought this truck rather than a tacoma/dodge or even waiting for an LE. The only thing I would have rather had was a Titan, but the wife and the garage both said that a Titan is too big.
After I put a few more miles on it, I'll give better mpg details and give updates on any issues I have.
Thanks from all us.
Has anyone seen any XE Frontiers out yet? I'd like to see a write up on the entry level model. Even though it does not have that wonderful V6, still the in-line 4 is no slouch (would have to have a stick though).
Good luck Man!!
Power: Are you kidding? After flogging that Ranger 3.0, I feel like I'm driving a AA fuel dragster! I don't tow anything other than a motorcycle trailer with this truck, but for my driving style it has more than adequate torque and a very smooth power delivery. A+
Driveability: I'm a little disappointed in the low-speed steering effort--it's really heavy. At speed the steering effort is just fine, but in parking lots and on pasture roads it takes a little muscle to maneuver. Highway driving is great in the SE--if I don't watch my speed I'll look down and see that I'm cruising at 80-90. Smooth as silk. B+
Utility--I use this truck for hauling stuff around the ranch, and the Utili-track system is great. I like the spray-in bed liner and rail caps. Storage room inside the King Cab is just adequate, but I really like all the storage compartments and cup holders. A
Accessories: I'm not an audiophile, so the stock radio/single CD works for me, and I like the fact that it is placed high on the dash and is easy to see and operate. A/C and heater controls are simple and easy to use, as are the cruise control buttons. Windshield wiper controls took a bit of getting used to. A-
Service: I do all of my own maintenance, so I crawled under the truck to check out accessibility. I was pleased to see the undercab design--everything was tucked up into the frame rails, leaving no parts hanging down. That clearance is important when you're driving in pastures. The oil drain plug is easy to reach, but the filter is a little tougher--you have to remove a small cover plate to access it. It is located right on the front of the engine, though, and is easy to reach from below. Under the hood, all of the service items (fluids, battery, etc) are very accessible. I'm not wild about the dipstick placement, as it is low and hard to see. B-
Mileage: On the first couple of tanks I'm getting about the same as I did in my Pathfinder, which is very close to the 15/20 EPA estimate. I am using 87 octane now and am experiencing no problems. B+
Quality: Initial impressions have been very good, and I have found zero defects. I hope that it is as reliable as my Pathfinder, which is three years old and has NEVER been back to the dealership. A+
Nary a rattle or squeak thus far--I'm amazed at how far truck quality has come since I owned an old '65 Ford "Twin I-Beam". When I say that I managed 20MPG highway, please take into account that it was driving on Texas county roads at 65-70 MPH with no traffic. Stop-and-go city traffic will probably net me 13-14 MPG. The center console doesn't extend as far forward as I would like, but I do use it as an armrest and it works fine for me.
Need some ifo still.
THanks
Badness,NJ
http://www.reverendbiker.com/frontier/splash%20guards.htm
God Bless
I've got a Mazda B4000 4X4 which came with hard plastic mud flaps, which I could not understand. I've already trashed the two front ones going off road. No, I am not a recreational rock crawler either, I was just looking at property for work. I see more and more SUVs and 4x4 pickups with hard plastic mud flaps, and it makes no sense to me.
Sorry, I guess I need to get off my soap box. I love your truck.
jack <>< http://www.reverendbiker.com/frontier/frontier.htm
spray in liner/sliding tie down package in place. My question is, what type of tie hooks are there in the standard SE/XE bed? Are there mounting
holes along the bed sides and front for the sliding hook package if one were to purchase it
later? Thanks in advance!
Jason
I'd love to be wrong about this, and if the brochure has been up-dated, I'd be very happy.
Thanks.
if you want the same-as-factory liner, have it done by line-x.
so I don't know how their beds are set up, especially what mounting points they have instead of the Utilitrac.
I suspect no one would.