Nissan Frontier Crew Cab vs Ford Explorer Sport Trac - III

cncman

Got a loaded out desert runner SC yesterday, all I have to say is WOW! This thing is fun to drive, I definitely recommend checking it out. One thing I noticed that the magazines did not mention was that the engine is defintiely quieter on hard acceleration. There is no more groan at full throttle like the regular 3.3l, but I did hear the whine from the supercharger, not too bad though, sounds alot like the twin turbo Z car. Very smooth acceleration too, unfortunatley, I think these are going to be harder to get than the Xterras when they first came out, I won't get another one until December, it is a Crew Cab, and then I think we get 2 in January, so if you want one definetley order soon.

desertrunner24

Can you tell me where this SC is? What options? 5-speed or auto and price? color? thanks

cncman

desertrunner,
it is in my inventory in the Houston area, red, auto, SC value package, mats, bedliner,
leather, sunroof etc. MSRP is $23,496.

ricpr

Well, I haven't been keeping up, but I have been active at car lots! Last week I made my purchase. I considered the four door truck the front runner due to the flexibility/family thing. Due to proximity in price, I chose a Tundra. The four door trucks, particularly the ST, have prices that are suited for the full size realm. Additionally, the back seat removes a big part of the flexibility. And the Nissan backseat as well as lack of attention to detail of finish sealed the deal for me. I considered the Nissan the most due to price, but even this bargain was too close to a Tundra price. Not to mention that Toyota does not lack in attention to detail. While the ST is the obvious best in class as far as interior comfort, Ford is definitely proud of the ST. Ford's pride keeps the ST to a minimum on roads. Ironically, I think that people probably go to Ford to buy ST's only to upgrade to the SuperCrew. The SuperCrew is all over the place. It's been good discussing with you guys. I guess I better hit the road and fly by those Nissans and ST's with my V8,which incidentally gets the same mileage as the 4 doors. As for the smaller vehicle handling, how much time do you spend parking?

scape2

LOL!! A Tundra owners trying to say the backseat of the Tundra is as large and as comfortable as the ST??!! Come on man, the Tundra backseat, if that is what they call it, is one of the worst in the industry. This is plastered over all reviews and even here at Edmunds......

mahimahi

Vince, I think I agree with you on that point, the Tundra as a whole is very tight for the class it's in. In fact, it feels more cramped than my Frontier. IMHO, if there's a joke of a truck on the market today it's got to be the Tundra! Priced about the same as the Frontier????
Ricpr,
C'mon man, who do you think your writing to here? We've all shopped these trucks to death and your the only dumb @## trying to bring up the argument that the Tundra and the Frontier are in any way shape or form comparable! Please find another topic like the Tundra topics to make yourself fell good about paying over 30K for a mid-size truck, hahaha! Not to mention 30K for a 5.0L sized V-8! Oh, and if you have 2wd then hope you feel good about spending more than 28k! Toyota knew it was going to sell because there were so many Toyota truck owners sitting there for so many years, salivating for a bigger(not full-size, because it doesn't deserve this title)pick-up that if they made one close they knew their faithful would jump all over it! We'll wait to see what Nissan does it's supposed to embarass the Tundra...not hard to do at this stage(especially with as many recalls it has).

mpruitt

Sorry to interrupt the Nissan/Toyota/Ford comments, but I am requesting information on what'a available for my two-week-old Nissan Crew Cab, in terms of what can I use for dry storage in the bed? Should I buy a locking square box and bolt it to the bed, get a tonneau cover (which one? and where do I get info on this?) or a cap (which until now, I've never considered?) Can anyone help me, starting at the beginning?

BTW - I love the truck. Came from a '00 Ranger X-cab and the build quality between that and my new Nissan should go a long way in answering any of the justification discussions posted here...

keanec

My suggestion is a cab high cap. You can get it color matched to your truck and it makes it really look sharp! There is a couple of pictures posted on Mahimahi's website - hopefully he will read this and post the location because I forget.

The cap gives you much more space and it only takes 2 minutes to take off (with two people). Depending on your life style it can really make a difference. I have two kids and they take up the back seat so I am always using the cap. At one point Fordst said there was a cap that hooks up to your power locks! Boy would I like that feature!! Being from the North - the locks freeze and the power locks would be a godsend!

The cover is okay, but lacks room.

Hope this helps!

As to the Ranger build quality - hopefully Vince8 doesn't read your comment because he isn't going to like it! and that means we will have to hear him harp again! Oh well, he has been quiet lately and since it is the season to be charitable...

mpruitt

...I guess it's counterproductive for me to post my highly subjective observations...especially when I am really here asking for help.

Does anyone have a source for caps, tonneau covers or boxes for the bed of a '01 CC? Or any information would be appreciated. Thanks.

keanec

I think you misinterprated my comment about Vince8. I liked your observation as it jives with mine. If you check back in this hall & others you will see that Vince8 kinda has weird views and wants to force them on any and all others. He drives a Ranger and thinks highly advanced aliens built it and nothing else on earth comes close to it. It was very nice seeing an outside opinion from somebody who isn't just trying to pull Vince's tail.

steve234

A.R.E. (www.4are.com) offers an electric lock kit for the Z top series.

fordsporttrac

Ok, just got my subscription to CR and they say over the next few months they will review the ST and CC among others. Since most of you previously stated you trust CR more than the trade rags we'll have some other input in a few months.

cncman

mpruit;
actually, Nissan makes a hard and soft cover for the frontiers, but you can probably get a better price going through a local custom truck shop.

Everyone;
Just got back from my trip to Italy, it was great! I saw a lot of very neat vehicles there, I did not know it but mitsubishi has a compact crew cab truck there, does not look like it was the same platform as the dakota, looked pretty sharp, wonder why they haven't brought it here? Also saw the new MG, very, very nice, too bad we can't get it here, looks like a mini ferrari convertable, hope they have fixed all of the problems that my old one had! I'll bet it isn't as easy to work on as my 72 though! Saw a very nice looking ford compact called a KA, it had black plastic bumpers and fenders, same stuff as the CC, I asked a guy about it, he said he liked it because of the tight parking everywhere it did not get damage from the other vehicles as bad. All of these cars are smaller than a focus or sentra! Some can even park perpindicular to the curb and not stick out, there also was that mercedes A class, it was called a smartcar there, it looked really neat, but I did not like the high/short look of it. Just be thankfull we can drive trucks, I did not see one regular truck there, just a golf cart with a bed on the back and the mitsu Crew cab. Saw alot of the Renaults out there, fiats and renaults were the most I saw, then some fords, Lancias, BMW's Mercedes, and a couple of Hondas and the Nissan patrol SUV and a small van, also saw the scenic van from renault, these were both nice, but small.
I don't think I will complain about a car being too small anymore! Other than that, great trip, but glad to be home, I thought maybe they would have everything straigntened out in Florida while I was gone, it was nice to not know anything about it while I was there, well, take care everyone, look up some of these cars if you want something neat to look at.

fordsporttrac

Anyone else getting a headach using this new interface?

brians7

CAN SOMEONE DIRECT ME TO A SITE OR LOCATION THAT I CAN GET A LOOK AND PRICE ON A CAB FOR BACK OF A FRONTIER CREW CAB..... THIS WOULD SOLVE THE STORAGE ISSUE FOR ME.

gooba

First,please drop the use of CAPS.It denotes shouting.Second,to answer your question,try ARE and Snug Top.

[Deleted User]

Can someone tell me what kind of gas mileage these get? I think I've convinced myself I could switch from a Toyota to a Nissan, purely because I love the way the CrewCabs look. I'm on vehicle #49, and get bored with them quickly... have had or driven just about every truck you can mention... and they all have their bad sides. Last truck was a 97 GMC ExtraCab Z71, current one is a Tacoma SR5 XtraCab 4cyl 5 speed 2WD. Hated having to park and feed the Z71, but am bored to death with the 2WD Tacoma... so I'm out shopping again. I used to sell cars, and help all my friends buy theirs, because I know the market. The dude that said the Tundra was the best buy is right... if u want to PARK that much truck. You can buy a Tundra SR5 2WD with a 4.7 for about $1,000 more than an XE Crew Cab, if u know what you're doing. It really annoys the hell out of me that manufacturers won't build a real quality small pickup, with power and economy for a reasonable price (something small with a V8 that gets over 20 MPG for under $20K)... something like the El Caminos I had in the 60s-70s. The new 2001 CC is as close as I've found, but it needs the Pathfinder 240HP engine to be a winner. Superchargers flogging a wimpy engine don't make it. But... I'm looking for a 2000 CC because Nissans don't hold their resale value worth a damn (not unlike Fords vs Chevys), and I can buy a year old one at a great price. And though the Tacoma Double Cab is the better truck, since they're so new, you can't get a good deal on them yet, and I SURE WISH TOYOTA WOULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO BUILD SOMETHING EXCITING ! ! !

akg

Just checking to see if this posts..........I'm having trouble posting.

akg

Okay, now that this works better...........Superglide, you are 'on the same page' as me with confusion on what to buy. I am also curious about gas mileage on 4x4 crewcabs. I had a '96 Tacoma 4x4 extra cab, and it was so unstable I sold it. I am still driving around my old '90 Subaru Legacy with 145K on it, and do I really want to spend thousands more on a truck that maybe will be what I want?

I helped a friend buy a 2000 Nissan crewcab 5spd a month ago. The rig seemed really nice, but there definately was a certain feel of a lesser quality than the Toyota. Also on the 2001 Nissan crewcabs, they look like Robotruck!? But I guess the Tacoma looks like a Catfish these days too!

Ironically, my boyfriend just bought a 2001 GMC Z71 with all options. Nice ride, but 12-13 MPG...!?! Anyway, please keep me posted as to what you find out in your truck research. I am hoping to buy somebodies 2001, who did all the add-ons(bedliner, canopy, etc.)and wanted something else. Maybe in March. Merry Christmas.

[Deleted User]

Just went out today and drove a 2000 SE V6 AT CrewCab 4X4 with all the toys. Not unlike the 2001 XE V6 AT CrewCab 2WD that I had driven earlier... it is definitely underpowered. Driving my 4 cylinder 5 speed Tacoma home was like driving a performance car in comparison. But I'm looking for the "cool" factor. The CC definitely was good looking and fun to drive, but the interior is totally boring... totally mediocre stereo, just like my Tacoma. Even though you can get leather in the 2001, it's only available in black, and black don't make it in Sacramento when it's 105 degrees. I've found a 2000 SE 4X4 Salsa/tan interior on Automart.com that would look real sharp in my garage, if I could only rationalize the $7K difference it's going to cost me to look cool, have less performance and get worse gas mileage. So does anyone still have their window sticker for a 2000 SE V6 AT 4X4 Crew Cab with all the toys? Would be interesting to see what the MSRP was for them a year ago, so I can rationalize what one's worth today. I also need to see what was included in specific options to determine the blue book value... my email is superglidefxd@hotmail.com

akg

Hi,
I helped a friend buy a Frontier 2000 Crewcab a few months ago. I checked Kelly Bluebook Online(kbb.com)and got the invoice price. I offered them $500 over invoice(tell 'em you want to pay 'Five-up', that'll impress them)and I held firm. My friend is a whimp, and that's why I did the bargaining. Don't forget that you need to add all the extra's and the 'destination charge'..usually around $480. If they try to hit you with the 'oh poor me thing', just remember that they won't sell you the car if they are not making any money!!!! Good luck!!!

ricpr

Whoa! I haven't been around a while and didn't get a chance to respond to comments 56 & 57.

Vince 8, no I am not crazy enough to believe that the Tundra backseat is near as big or comfortable as the ST. In previous comments I have stated that the ST is the most comfy vehicle in this class and probably all trucks. But the price of the ST is too comparable to larger vehicles, particularly the SuperCrew.

MahiMahi (Comment #57) while I feel that the Nissan is a good buy at 22000-23500(without SC) well stocked, the Tundra at 24700 is even better. I do believe that the Tundra and Nissan are comparable. Both trucks have a backseat deficiency which in my case is nullified by my size, but the width of the Tundra gives it a great advantage. My last choices prior to purchase were the Nissan (1st) and the Tundra (2nd), but I could not justify the savings of the Nissan due to the advantages the Toyota provides in size, usable interior space, engine power, mileage(same for both trucks), bed size and an obvious difference in finishing touches on the interior and exterior of both trucks. IMHO I believe that Nissan is not up to par with Toyota or Ford when it comes to finishing details(limited to this class only). I find it strange that you were more cramped in the Toyota.

If you are purchasing any of the four door trucks as a base or slightly equiped model, then it can be somewhat difficult to compare 4 door trucks to full size trucks. But as you start to equip the 4 door trucks with plenty of options, the price is very close to full size trucks. This makes the well equiped 4 doors very comparable to full size trucks because your almost dropping the same amount of coin. My final choices were the SAME PRICE! The Nissan with the SC is selling near sticker price,due to demand, while Toyota, Ford, Chevy and Dodge sell full size trucks that are readily available at the same price or lower than a Nissan and with a backseat that offers the same amount of leg room. How much of an advantage ARE those additional doors when they are the same price!!!!????!!!! How much will you give up?

I don't mean to knock these trucks, I really like them and still look at them frequently. My next vehicle will be in this class as soon as my boy gets bigger. I am pretty sure that you guys are enjoying them.

skidmore1

fordsporttrac,

Did you just get a surface-mail subscription to CR or did you get the online subscription? I haven't gotten either, but I'd be _very_ interested in hearing _everything_ they have to say about the Sport Trac. So I was just wondering if this will be a print-only article or an Internet feature.

Thanks,
Chris

fordsporttrac

I read about the future story in the last paper edition of CR. It should be in the paper version which I subscribe to so I'll let you know when it comes out.

skidmore1

Thanks...

And the folks at http://www.mysporttrac.com might be interested in that article, too. (I check there quite frequently for new info as I am shopping for shuch a sport utility truck.)