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Comments
I drive a 96 Mazda 626 and it also has about an 8" strip of thicker paint on the lower part of the body. I, at first, thought it was thick grime that the carwash was missing but on closer inspection found it to be thick paint with a texture. This must be to protect against dings and scratches from road debris.
I am sure it is the same as on the Frontiers. Not a bad idea I think.
Also. . .has anyone purchased or leased one of the V6 trucks yet? I would be curious to hear your impressions.
thanks
Larry
I must admit that I was hoping for more exciting styling with the redesign, but the looks have grown on me. I drive by a Nissan dealer everyday, and they seem to have a lot of them on the lot.
we meet again, I guess you couldn't get the pathfinder you wanted, sorry about that. The V-6
frontier has the exact same power train as the pathfinder and when I drove it, it felt just like
a pathfinder, smooth and powerful. Maybe you can get one of these, they are 20-23k MSRP and we're
starting to discount them! Good luck hope youfind something you like that you can afford.
Indeed, I just cannot afford a ute. I have been looking at sedans. (Accord, Integra, Passat). But I really would like a truck, maybe a Frontier of Tacoma. Wife is leaning towards sedans though. We are buying or building a house in the spring, no kids planned for a couple of years, I think a truck would be great. I guess we'll see.
but to sum it up, go with the frontier if you like it, it has a better build quality, more room and features than the tacoma and costs much less. I've been in both and it seems to me that the frontier is quieter on the highway to. Good luck
I am not sure what you are referring to unless
you mean the hubs on the 4x4 models, if so, there
are manual locking hubs on the XE 4cyl. And automatic hubs on the 6cyl.
That body coating is nothing new. I would guess that most cars have it at least underneath. My 77 320i has the same up to top of rocker panels.
Sporin, talk your wife into it!!! Tell her "We're building a house and will need it!" And you will, trust me. I had waited way to long before getting a truck. Had Utes before (89 cherokee, 89 and 96 Full Size Broncos). These days they are not worth the money. And you will spend a lot less for a Frontier than an accord, Intetgra or Passat, without the utility of a pickup. I used many of these reasons when buying mine and my girl is very happy with it.
cncman, Did you ever find torque and hp curves for the I4 engine? I have not been able to find any.
Hindsite, How is the Tacoma? I was planning on driving one, but no one had a 2wd ext cab 4 cyl in town when I was shopping. Since the Nissans were available, seemed good, good quality and a lot less $, I bought Frontier. I have had no reason to look back yet. From what I see, the quality of the product is still very good (JD Power award for best initial quality in compact p/u's) even though the Company seems to have lost some sales. Maybe its better now since the workers have more time to work on the truck?
I am not sure about your assumption on the trade in value. In edmunds editorial section, under Views, is an article about Americas Best Values. In 1994 truck list, 5 utes led, including 2 Toyotas, and then Chevy S10, Chevy c/k, and Nissan king cab held 80.##%. You may get more on trade in, but that is because you paid more when you bought. Anyway, that is the way I looked at it.
But I don't know why specifically the shift on the fly should be less than 25. It could be a small pain in the butt. I didn't bother with 4x4 this time.
Dave
Hindsite, I am not sure about the ability to shift into 4x4 at 50 in the tacoma, that seems kind of dangerous to me, I would check that again for your own safety, I know that manufacturers suggest not travelling at more than 50-55mph in 4x4 mode, maybe this is what you saw? The Tacoma is a great
truck to, just too much money for a smaller truck
with a lower build quality and higher maintenance.
So far as resale value, I am working two deals on trading in 98 frontiers, both are happy with the truck except for the size, they need a Quest! One was an automatic XE king cab with the comfort package with 5k miles and we gave ACV of $12,800,
the other is an SE automatic with 6500 miles and we gave $13,500 for it, it needed a little reconditioning, dents, scratches etc. Not bad when you consider we own a new 98 SE for a little over $15k. So the values do hold on the frontiers, also this was in line with what they are bringing at auction.
Daveperc;
hey again Dave,
The ratings on the four are, 143hp@5200rpm,
154 ft-lbs@4,000rpm hope this helps. BTW I think I am finally learning how to drive my frontier, I was shifting way to early before like in a car,
now that I have found the "sweet spot" she's actually scary on the acceleration.
Bobs;
I haven't noticed a problem with mine, the only thing I can think of is if there is a cross wind from your left, you will probably notice some noise from the air going over your mirror, if this happens again, roll down the window and move the mirror so it is folded flat against the truck and see if it helps, that will let you know if it is it. Good luck
CNC no the Toyota Tacoma can shift on the fly up to 50 mph and that is no mistake. It is right in the owner's manual. I need a truck that can shift on the fly, but not a 25 mph as the Frontier is limited to. In regards to the price I think Nissan was lower by $500 to be honest when I bought the Tacoma, but then again the Tacoma I have puts out 190 bhp while Frontier puts out 170 bhp. Same goes with torque. No I am not trying to bash Nissan CNC, but the bottom line is Tacoma is a better product for me than Frontier.
I was looking for the curves. I already had the ratings, but have not seen the curves anywhere.
Switching to 4x4 at 50 is not really dangerous unless roads are slick. The thing that does not make sense is that some feel that the 4x4 makes the car have better control in this situation. Not really. It will help get you out of the ditch when you go off the road though!! If they bought it, they might as well use it.
Bob,
It may be the mirror position. If you find it is with the little test given above, fiddle around with it to find a good spot. I does tilt in or out while still looking at the same spot. That did it for me.
Hindsite,
The pricing difference I found was more than that. Part of the problem is I just wanted a basic truck, with A/C and a nice interior. Nissan's XE package was the only one that had a package that gave this setup. All others add a/c on for ~$800+ or an upgrade package with all sorts of extras ~$1500+. Then on top of that, Nissan's rebates were better. For what I got, 4 cyl, ext cab, 5 speed the Toy was more that $2000 more, assuming Toyota would have sold it to me for 100 over invoice. Considering the price range of vehicles, that made the Toy over 15% more expensive. As far as the engine power goes, I have not found that I have need more yet. Mileage has been very nice, however. 25 mpg general driving, 28 hw.
Dave
Do the automatic locking hubs remain locked when the vehicle is in reverse? (Do I have 4wd backing up?)
Yes I was questioning the availability of a locking deferential that would apply power to both wheels on the axle for the ultimate traction in heavy snow.
Thanks
Dave, I'll try to find that info tommorow, but that may be a tall order, Has anyone else noticed better performance and found that "sweet spot"?
Bob, let us know if the mirror trick helps, but that seems most likely,
sea123,
I am just guessing here, but I believe that you are in 4wd as long as the lever is in 4h or 4l,
I've tries it before and the 4x4 indicator stayed on in reverse. Nissan does not have that locking differential, but what they do have that I like is
Limited slip differential. Hope this helps.
so far as travelling at 50 mph in 4wd, my mechanics say this is crazy, you can wreck the
front end if you have a turn and if you are going 50+ you don't need 4wd. Comments?
CNC
Maybe you misunderstood that the 4WD is only use on those occasions when you need it. You can engage the lever type 4WD system with the auto locking hubs up to 50 mph in H4 and if you have the lever type with the button you can engage the 4WD in H4 at 62 mph.
I know the curves may be tough, I have not seen them. I had mentioned to someone in this forum a while back that, though I don't have a tach, that the frontier is geared somewhat tall. Thus, let the revs build some before shifting. I typically shift about 15, 30 , 40 and 55.
Hindsite,
Nissan does play games with the rebates sometimes. When I started looking, I looked at the edmunds page. It said 1500. One dealer agreed, but another said it was only 1000. And, to no surprise, this is the one that had what I wanted in stock. I called Nissan directly and they would not say an amount, said to check with the dealer. When I finally did buy, a different rebate had come out and was being advertised in the paper. I went back and they tried playing the same game again, until I showed them the ad. They think that maybe you will just buy without investigating, idiots. Any one out there shopping should not trust anything that the dealers say. Anyway, the rebates were for all Nissans. I bought during the Forth of July special rebate, 2000 normal rebate, plus 500 for the holiday (ENDS SOON!!! type deal).
Dave
Well I am glad you got the rebate you wanted for your truck. I remember last year around Xmas I was thinking of buying two vehicles from Toyota they had a $1500 rebate on the Tacoma. Since then I have seen a $700 and a $1000 rebate on different models of Tacomas instead of giving it straight across the board. Happy driving
and have the feel for it, I am actually impressed
with the improved performance. I got mine during the $2500 fourth special too, I was going to wait until a used one came across, but I figured it would have been about the same price, if not more
since the Nissans hold their value so well.
Later
Not too long ago I purchased a barebones 5spd 4x2 regular cab Frontier and have found it to be an incredible value. Two co-workers have a Chevy S-10 and Ford Ranger respectively. Both own relatively new basic 5spd 4x2 models and have under 10,000 miles (as does mine), and we all paid around $10,500(including rebates,etc). The Ford basic 4 cylinder feels anemic compared to my Nissan and it pings on regular octane fuel. It has been generally reliable and a good work truck for the owner however. The Chevy is laughable having had the manual(!) transmission rebuilt already and, in my opinion, feels like junk. All in all I am very pleased with my purchase. The Nissan appears and feels to be very well built and is a pleasure to drive.
to match up to the cab exactly, I had my service department look at it and they said the bed shifted about 1/4" up, they said this was fairly common in all trucks, and admittedly, I have gone over some, for a lack of a better word roads, that
I probably should haven't have gone over, but it
did great, and we'll adjust the bed monday under warranty.
later.
1) Regarding the timing chain...How often DO they generally last (i know 100,000 is recomended), and do they cause more problems when they snap than the belts do? Ok that is two questions in one...
2) cncman...i'm looking to buy around xmas time, do you recommend buying at the end of 1998 or the start of 1999 for the best price. Im not concerned over the colors left as i am saving money
3) when I test drove the Frontier and Mazda 2500 this past weekend...i notice how crammed the 2500 looked under the hood and how roomy the Frontier looked. The Frontier engine layout looked a lot less intimdating. Do you find that all the Frontiers regular maintainance easy to do??
thanks
A lot of reading, huh? I have been following this thread since I started shopping, June or so. I hope I can pass on some of what I found during my journey through the Frontier.
Chains don't break like belts do. The chain and gear system eventually get sloppy, throwing timing of some, and making it run rough, but it doesn't fail. Chains are more costly than a belt, for the manufacturer, heavier and noisier. This is why some don't use chains. But they are much stronger and don't stretch. This is why some do use them.
The Frontier has been good so far. I also check on the Mazda 2500. I seemed as several things were extra above the XE Frontier Xcab setup I wanted. The Frontier felt stronger, bed was bigger, and had better towing/hauling #s. And was less by ~$1400, I think. I have not needed service except an oil change. Firestone did it, and plugged the tire that had a screw in it. So, yes, it was easy. It looks like it should be easy.
Good luck.
Dave
the chain is much better than a belt for all of the reasons Dave mentioned, also there is a service to it around 100,000 miles, but it is not like a belt that has to be replaced, usually you
can get 150,000++ miles on a chain before it needs to be replaced. My friends 90 240sx has a chain
in the engine, he has 185,000 miles and has not changed it yet and it runs great!
So far as end of year VS 99 I would say buy in december, mainly because there will probably be
a heavy advertising campaign out there on all vehicles, The frontiers in 98 models are getting to be slim pickings, So to get the best deal, I would go with a 98 now instead of maybe being forced to pay more for a 99 later. Good luck
Hey Dave if it will help with your torque curve
request, I can drive a frontier tommorrow that has a tach, don't know if this is very scientific,
but let me know what to do if I can help!
Hopefully in December, I will be joining you guys
on giving updates on how well my frontier is doing. I can't wait to see what the new cash back options are going to be this month.
dave
You are right about the towing abilities on the frontier being better than the mazda. I like knowing that i can use a Uhaul or a flatbed if i wanted. With only a half ton on the Mazda..it fell short of what I want a truck for.
a while ago that Nissan was criticized for not having the V-6 and I said that the V-6 didn't sell
before and wouldn't now, just an update, I have sold two so far, the first two that came in, can't even get anyone to look at the 6 anymore, all want the four. The fours are still selling great, more and more on the road! Anyone want a deal on a 99 V-6 frontier, I have eight of them!
I don't have figures to back this up, but I suspect Toyota's Tacoma and Ford's Ranger both do very well in terms of V6 sales. I see a lot of those vehicles equipped thusly. Most of these are 4x4s. I also live in a semi-rural area which might account for that too.
I suspect that compact V6 buyers are more image-conscious, than 4-cylinder buyers. The Tacoma and Ranger V6s have a sportier image than does Nissan. And... Nissan hasn't really pushed the new V6 as vigorously as perhaps they should be, in order to change their image.
Finally, I think that most V6 buyers think the Toyota DOHC, 4-valve, 3.4L engine, and the larger 4.0L Ford V6 to be superior to the Nissan 3.3L, 2-valve, SOHC engine. I don't see many Rangers equipped with the 3.0L, OHV engine for the same reason.
Bob
etc. So it does look very sporty. I think one of the main reason you see more v-6's in the other
trucks esp ford is the fact that their 4cyls are incredibly weak, I mean you have to jump to ford's 3.0 V-6 to get 150hp, the nissan gives you, 143
in the four, I've driven both the four cyl frontier and the 3.0 v-6 ranger, they are almost identicle in performance. so far as the v-6 in the tacoma, the buyers are spending so much anyway, they might as well go for the gusto! Nation wide the overwhelming majority of compact trucks are still sold in the four cylinder mode,
I would say at least 70-75%. I have seen numbers for toyota too, they are in the 80% range. The point I was trying to make a few months ago was that Nissan was unjustly criticized for not having th v-6 right away, I said that it didn't matter too much because the 6's don't sell as much as
the fours, we couldn't give away the old hardbody v-6's either. Now as you mentioned, the percentages in different areas may favor the 6 where needed, but most buyers of the compact trucks are just looking for basic transportation
and a weekend hauler, this is why the four cylinder nationwide in all makes outsells the 6.
later everyone.
I agree that the 3.0L V6 Ranger is a "fish-our-of-water", so to speak. That's why the 4.0L is their big seller. I do see a lot of Ranger 4 cylinder models though.
And, you may be right in terms of sales nationwide. I can only speak from what I've seen mostly in rural Maryland and Virginia.
Bob
I think they are still a little gun shy from the last campaign. But I have seen some frontier ads during monday night football, seemed pretty good,
and a maxima one too. Yes I can believe in your area most would prefer the v-6. Here in Houston,
it's pretty flat and we don't get snow.
I have been happy with mine. it has plenty of power, more would be wasted so far. There has been nothing yet that I could not move.
Dave
frontier v-6 ads in the new motor trend and car and driver, maybe this will help. Also I believe we will see a v-6 4x2 next summer or fall, but just a rumor, bye now
Speaking of 4-doors, when Nissan finally gets around to offering their "crew cab" next summer, then I might get real interested!
Anybody see the latest Consumer Reports? They tested the Tacoma, Ranger and S-10 (but no Frontier??). The Ranger came in first, and the Tacoma came in last.
Bob
I have a little trouble believing that somehow, I still get 1-2 year old rangers coming in on trade because the customers are tired of bringing them to the shop for warranty work. As far as the four doors on the trucks, I personally don't miss them
in my frontier, it's easy enough to get things in and out and I don't have to worry about reduced
structural rigidity and rattles and wind noise.
The crew cab frontier will be here in June, also I found out that they already have them in Europe,
why are we always the last? Proably srticter safety/emission laws to deal with. But who knows?
If properly engineered, 4-door extended cab pick ups can be structurally sound, and quiet. At least Ford certainly seems to think so. They certainly are more convenient when dealing with groceries and other bulky packages. And... they will be sales makers (if you've got 'em) or breakers (if you don't).
Bob
Bob
Curt3...i know what you mean. I think that the '99's are about 1000 less at invoice cost. I'm not sure why...the '99s also have a better set of seats. But the 98's can still be picked up cheaper than the 99's once you start barginning with the deale
I think that they do need to be priced below the others to sell good, this has been Nissan's history with the P/U. Cheaper, very good quality, lasts very long, and performs well. I expect the same to continue with this one.
Good luck Helfrich.
and comparably equiped, the reg cab 99 has an MSRP of about $1,000 less, I am not exactly sure why Nissan did this, but I think that the actual selling price between a 98 and 99 will be at least
1500-2000, and yes the frontiers are really starting to pick up in sales, I am starting to run out of the better quality 98 inventory. I think glenn maybe close to the answer that there is no more base model, and Nissan wanted to keep the starting price low for advertising and reviews.
I've had alot of compliments on the Nissan. Top thing folks have been saying is. "Wow the Nissan looks better than I remember." so much for those folks in earlier messages that scoffed its look. The first thing folks say after riding in it is, " it rides like a car". That is compliment in my book.
Looks of this truck is simple. It seems that a lot of the new trucks these days have to grow on you first before they are comfortable. Having been an owner since mid-july, I find it to be comfortable traveling and doing anything I need to it to do. All for a very reasonable price. So far, I feel like I did good buying this truck.
This is Nissan's nitch. The should know that if they priced in the same range as the "Domestics", they will not sell. You need to pull people from Ford and Chevy.
Dave