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The biggest problem with the 3.5L I-5 is the quoted 220HP & 225 lb-ft occur at unusable rpm ranges. When is the last time anyone ever turned 5600 rpm pulling a trailer down the road, or turned 4000 rpm pulling a stump out? Looking at the torque curve is even more depressing. It manages a scrawny 200 lb-ft of torque at 2000 rpm. Figure in power train losses and you will be lucky to get 150 lb-ft to the ground. That is simply not enough for anyone who actually uses their truck to perform any kind of work.
The Nissan VQ is world class (considered by some as perhaps the best engine ever) and has a lot of history behind it. That's gotta thrill you!
I can almost convince myself to get a 6 speed SE and save some money. I would get the side air bags, but I hate the thought of getting another truck without stability control. It stinks that Nissan is witholding a great safety feature to force someone to buy a more expensive vehicle.
Then I look at the Nismo. Whenever I price one, it comes out to several thousand dollars more than an SE. I do like the look of the Nismo and some of the features (skid plates, locking differential etc.) are kind of cool. But, it irritates me that I cannot get a stick shift and that the only interior colors are a drab dark grey or blue.
So then I figure if I am going to end up with a sticker over $30k, I might look at an LE. I do like the one with the tan leather and some of the features it comes with (heated seats, etc.) but I hate the step bars both from a styling and practicality standpoint (I've already ripped the hard plastic mud flaps off my truck, and am guessing that I would end up trashing the step bars off road), and I do not like the lower profile tires.
So here I sit on the fence. If I could get an SE with stability control I would jump on it. If I could get a Nismo with the stick shift I would jump on it, especially if I could get one with a sand or tan interior. Does anyone know if these changes might be coming in '07? For now I will wait, but as I wait the chances increase Nissan might lose my business.
I want an SE with the Rockford Fosgate. Not going to happen. I do not want the 17" wheels on the LE, do not want the harsher ride of the NISMO.
I figure that I'll just have to settle for a SE and them add a subwoofer and skid plates.
Everyone bundles options.
I got a Nismo KC 4x4 for the off road features,and the utility bed,but like the SE wheels better.The the body color bumpers,mirrors and handles on the LE would be my choice,but not the steps.I would also like a sunroof on my Kingcab.And I wanted a sixspeed and settled for auto.........I do love the truck I got,anyway,LOL
The "work" I use my trucks for varies, but includes mostly clearing fence rows of bushes and trees. Some bushes can be mighty tough to pull out and the 3.5L I-5 is not up to the task. The 4.3L V-6 in my previous S10 was barely enough in 4W-Low. Any of the medium sized V-8's from Dodge, Chevy, Ford, Toyota, Nissan would be enough for what I need. However, with the much improved power available in the Tacoma and Frontier the compact trucks are now a viable option again.
Had to get automatic anyway so my wife could drive it.
(Had to do the same with my 02 Mustang GT too.) I wanted
the side airbags and was not happy that I had to get a sunroof to get the airbags. But, my wife likes the sunroof so it was not a big deal. Have 11K miles on it now and it's a great truck. I'm a Nissan convert from Toyota 4Runners I've driven for the past 20 years.
Regarding off-road use, beware that neither the mud flaps nor the side rails will prevent you from getting small nicks in the doors and back panels from gavel. Others have posted about this too. I think the only solution is after market fender extenders. Only ones I've found so far are generic ones from JC Whitney. Running boards might also help as I have them on the 4Runner and never had this problem. Of course, many off-roaders do not want running boards.
I drove both models and found there was much difference in the ride between the Nismo and the one with the less stiff suspension. But, that may be a matter of what you are used to.
The truck has been put the test in the GW National Forest and it did well on all terrains and all conditions, mud to snow and ice. Much better climbing hills with lots of lose rocks and gravel than the 4Runner. I'm pleased with my purchase. - 81 Trekker
NISMO is one of the configurations that has the lowest-geared (highest numerically) rear axle ratio, which makes it good for both towing and 4-wheeling.
If you don't 4-wheel, the SE makes the best sense.
I'm very happy with my choice, but that's ME.
I have almost 14000 miles on mine, and I have to drive a long, winding, narrow mountain road any time I leave or return home. The brakes work perfectly and have shown no sign of unusual wear. I'm not saying that all Frontiers have great brakes, but to say the opposite based on one or a few trucks is ridiculous. Driving habits have too much influence on this one.
Any advice would be appreciated.
I have 05 SE, love it so far.
Didn't want to fork out dough for Nismo, plus couldn't find stick, so went with SE.
Original, boring, tires were 265/70 R16, BF Goodrich
I changed them to Goodyear Wrangler 265/75 R16, obviously larger diameter, very cool.
Anyone know if this screws up odometer calibration?
Heard rumor may need some odometer gear change or the like?
I have the CC.Le 4wD.
Darren in Bakersfield
Going off my memory of '05 brochure, but I think the 2WD NISMO has pretty much the same goodies the 4WD does, minus the 4WD and the front-wheel ABLS, plus you get a higher-geared rear end. So you get the stiffer suspension, skid plates, locking rear differential, NISMO wheels, and SUPPOSEDLY AS AN OPTION: a low range transfer case (there is some dispute about the latter, and I haven't found a hard answer). The 4WD version also gets a clutch-cancel switch; don't know if the 2WD has this.
Some of this stuff could be added aftermarket to an SE. Worth thinking about. The major obstacle seems to be adding a locking differential.
>What is the benefit of having the NISMO on a 2 wheel drive?<
I've called 7 different dealers, not one has an LE or NISMO Crew with Fosgate. Only one had a NISMO Crew and that one is a base.
Frontiers are scarce, but WOW do the dealers have a lot of Titans and they are really trying to get sales on the Titan.
As for MPG. I get about 15.5 mixed driving. LE CC 4X4. I also have RPG 2.5 lift. No oversized tires yet. I drive pretty fast (live in SoCal, I think everyone does).
I am at 25,000 miles. Very happy, few little complaints, but would buy again (especially with the rebate). Still best buy out there IMHO.
did you get the new coils or spacers for the front, and for the rear, new set of extra leafs, shackles or blocks??
give a shout-A
I would definitely look at the other forum, people have done some really nice things. Great looking trucks with some great mods.
jeff
On a more general note...I have 30k miles on my Frontier and I'm pretty pleased with it so far. The brakes are beginning to squeal a little, but only when they're cold. I could have done without the roof-rack, but It was bundled with the Sunroof, which was bundled with the Fosgate package - which I wanted.
Thanks.
I too love my NIssan, I have the CC Le 4wd.
it so fast!!
Second the love affair with this truck! I have ~1500 now on my white Nismo KC 4x2, and I can't wait to go to work in the mornings, just so I can climb up into that cab and rock and roll!
On another note, I have the same problem that others have reported: bad road rash on the front of the rear fender flares. Even with the factory mud flaps on the front, the rear fender flares get beat up really bad. The factory puts a small, clear plastic to protect the area, but it needs to be much larger. Eventually I will have to repaint the fenders. After I do, I will put a much larger piece of clear in the area so I don't have to repaint again.
Cheers
I am thinking about getting a NISMO 4X4 and wondering what impact the roll and lock will have on the Utili-track system.
Any other recommended brands out there?
Will not interfere with the utilitrack.
Undercover
:shades:
Tanks
Felix from Spain