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Toyota Tacoma vs Nissan Frontier
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Comments
No matter what brand you buy, a 5 foot bed sucks for anything involving building materials that come in lengths or sheets. To me 6' _is_ a short bed truck, 5' is ridiculous.
I have a Thule XSporter rack on my Tacoma, and with my 6 foot bed, the rack rails end up 5 1/2' apart, which is the minimum to easily carry 10-12' boards, molding, conduit, pipe, etc... without additional crossbars on the roof. Even standard 8' lumber and sheet goods are pretty much the max for a 6' bed. I really wish Toyota sold a V6 Access Cab with 7 1/2' bed, which would probably fit on the long bed Double Cab chassis.
Bed extenders are a pain in the [non-permissible content removed], because they take up space in the bed when not deployed, display the contents of the bed when they are, and are sometimes not with you when you need it!
My main woodworking travel rig is a 12' box trailer with side doors and a roof rack, which pairs nicely with my Tacoma, as it probably would with the Frontier. For a real work truck, I'd skip right over pickups and grab a Sprinter or 14' box truck.
Last week I hauled a load (6) trees in the Frontier. Due to the type of cargo and the 55 mph speed limit on rural two lane I kept the speed down to 50 mph. Obtained 23 mpg. according to trip computer and 22.8 when I filled up and calculated the mileage.
Last month I hauled a Cub Cadet LT1042 in the bed. Could not close the tailgate, however, rear wheels of the tractor were on the bed and not tailgate.
Hauling 1200 lbs of bagged rock, and soil the power and handling was very good.
For me the bed is allright in size. I would actually prefer that the truck was smaller, and lighter.
Tacoma, Frontier, Dakota are all upsized to the point that there is room for an actual "compact" truck IMO.
Towing? Up to 4500 lbs I'm comfortable with Frontier and Tacoma, above that and I'd want a full size truck. Sure, they are both rated to tow more, I prefer to be conservative when towing.
Tacoma will have better resale value and is rated slightly higher for mpg, though Toyota recommends premium unleaded and the Nissan recommends regular unleaded.
Frontier is a better purchase value and has better handling and much better front seats IMO.
I truly enjoy the sunroof and fosgate stereo in the Frontier. Tacoma does not even offer sunroof and JBL does not match the sound quality of the Fosgate, though the JBL is quite good.
Bottom line, I feel the Frontier has the better engine and trim level and options choices.
Are there any years of used Frontiers to look for or avoid? I heard something about a steering problem in newer models. I could definetely live with 23 mpg. How much improvement would the 4 cylinder be? How much improvement the 2WD? Since the 4 has to work harder, would it last as long as the 6? Does the 4WD handle the same or worse then the 2WD? (I know the rollover rating is worse.) Are there any modifications to make it more stable? Are there any add-on chips that would improve gas mileage?
Thanks again!
I have to agree with the previous post that being conservative with the towing is best. Knowing I can tow 6500 (Taco) tells me I can pull 5K all day with no problem. If I am pulling more, I will have a 3/4 ton. People haul cab over campers on 1/2 ton trucks all the time, but a 1 ton dually. is the only way I will do it. I have driven both and the difference is worth the extra cost.
Ya, Toyota recommends premium fuel. No one uses it, and they have no problems, but in order to compete with the HP numbers of the competition who do not conform to the new testing, they have to recc premium.
The handling is subjective (I have no doubt that Nissan handles sweet), but the seats in the Taco allowed me to drive from ND TO WA in one day for the first time in 10 tries (not recommended).
I hate that there is no sunroof in the Taco. Life goes on.
I use the stereo to listen to talk radio. Hey, it works for me.
I think the options available are adequate. Where I grew up (BF ND) you had to special order and wait a month to get something exactly what you wanted if they offered it. I didn't get exactly what I went looking for, but I drove it home that day and I cannot say that I have not used anything that I had to take to get what I wanted (used the rear locker this weekend to get a 05 chevy out of the sand because the 4X4 didn't work). As I was hooking onto his tow hook, I told him that chevys come ready to be towed.....
Don't get the 4 banger unless you drive with no weight down hill all the time. They work so much more that I have not heard one good comment about them in a truck lately.
Handling and rolling are not worth consideration. If you think you will use 4X4, get it. It is like an extended warranty. You may never need it, but when you do, it is there. And if you have it, you can enjoy it.
I actually looked close at a Nissan NISMO for the first time (never had any doubt they were outstanding) and my first observation was that the tires are very close to the fenders. Otherwise it is sweet too.
I think the most important thing to remember when buying is that 99.9% of the vehicle complaints are from non-owners and owners that did not research before they bought.
The '04 has been worse then average in the power equipment category.
The '01 has been worse than average in the air
conditioning and the paint and trim categories.
The '00 has been much worse than average in the air conditioning and paint and trim categories.
I had my '00 XE KC for 5 years and did not have any problems with it. It was a 4 cylinder whereas these tests were done on the V-6 models.
The '99 was much worse than average in the exhaust and paint trim categories.
The '99 '00 were rated much better than average overall. The '01, '02, '03 were all rated above average overall. The '04 and '05 were both rated average overall.
I am not sure why the '04 and in particular the '05 was rated just average. The '05 had 9 much better than average categories, 4 better than average categories, 1 average catergory and 1 much worse than average category.
The '99 had 2 less much better than average and 1 more much worse than average category and it had a much better than average rating.
Must have been from the age I guess that it got a better rating than the '05.
OkieScot
Until the new design 2005 Frontier arrived, the Tacoma was a superior truck except for the seats (seats are better in the 05 Tacoma)
Unless you find a significantly better price on a Nissan, I would look for a Tacoma on 04 or older.
'05 Tacoma had an overall average rating just as the '05 Frontier. It makes no sense to me when the '05 Tacoma is on the plus side in all
but 2 categories where it was average.
I would say that it was because it has not been on the market very long, but not sure.
Average is the worst rating for either brand and in most years they are both rated as better than average or much better than average.
I would not be afraid to own either. The Tacoma is rated a little better than the Frontier, but not by enough to make me overlook the Frontier.
OkieScot
I 'm getting oil change Monday,last fillup it said 18 mpg,I'll take for suburban driving. Going from MD to NC got 21-23 Hiway I'll take that too! The room in the Midsizes compared to the smaller older versions is a dream and ride is great even for 4x4. Either Frontier or Tacoma are very good p/u's it's what you like. But definitely test drive both, one make work better for you then the other. Goodluck dealing.
Critter in the Surf Fish'in
43.4 ft turning radius Frontier 4x4 Double Cab Short Bed
Good fishing!
Has anyone heard anything about a steering problem with Frontiers?
Brad,
east coast ,NJ
The Taco had 5 stars for passenger and driver in frontal crash. Fronty had 4 stars. Both had 5s for side impact. Taco had 4s for 2 and 4WD rollover. Fronty had 3 and 4. Taco tied in 3 areas and outperformed in the other 3.
Like Critter might say, apples and oranges.
Tacoma did NOT outperform the Frontier in frontal crash testing.
Actually, driver56 is correct, the Frontier and Tacoma are NOT in the same weight class, and it is not correct to compare ratings for dissimilar weight vehicles for frontal crash testing.
Since the rating reflects a crash between two similar vehicles, make sure you compare vehicles from the same weight class, plus or minus 250 lbs., when looking at frontal crash star ratings.
Side crash rating results can be compared across all classes because all vehicles are hit with the same force by the same moving barrier.
Rollover ratings can also be compared across all classes.
Both obtained 5 stars in side impact and 4 stars in rollover.
Critter in the Surf Fish'in
The NHTSA ratings are worthwhile, but only tell us part of the story.It really depends on the circumstance.
Sometimes a 4 will beat a five!
You now have a choice, long bed is an option on the 07 Frontier.
2007 Nissan Frontier King Cab and Frontier Crew Cab
The 2007 Frontier includes a number of features shared with the Nissan Titan, including its rugged suspension design, innovative factory-applied spray-on bedliner, Utili-track bed channel tie-down system and fully boxed, all-steel frame based on the Titan’s F-Alpha platform.
Highlighting the 2007 Frontier is the availability of the Long Bed Crew Cab SE and LE models, with a bed measuring more than 13 inches longer than the standard Frontier Crew Cab.
Revised HP and Torque rating on the 07 Frontier.
The SE, LE, and NISMO models are powered by a 4.0-liter V6, producing 261 horsepower and 281 lb-ft torque. The advanced powerplant includes a Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS), Nissan variable Induction Control System (NICS), silent timing chain, microfinished camshaft and crankshaft surfaces, Teflon®-coated pistons, resin intake manifold, forged crankshaft, digital knock control system, high capacity muffler, lightweight aluminum block and cylinder heads and 105,000-mile spark plugs.
Thanks!
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
The bottom line for me on a safety standpoint is that I would feel as safe and secure in either one of these trucks.
So far, i have put 15k on my 05 frontier CC. I have been using 5w30. Is this ok? People say, down in Tx, it is too hot to use 5w30. 10w30 is better. It is a brand new vehicle. I dont want to use 10w30. Please advise. :confuse: :confuse: Thanks
So far, i have put 15k on my 05 frontier CC. I have been using 5w30. Is this ok? People say, down in Tx, it is too hot to use 5w30. 10w30 is better. It is a brand new vehicle. I dont want to use 10w30. Please advise. Thanks
I have to agree with that. And even more important than the crash rating is the safety equipment they have to AVOID the crash like anti-lock brakes, better suspension for handling, lower roll tendency, third brake light to avoid being rear ended, stuff like that.
10w40 would handle heat better, in theory.
I would not switch to 10w30 or 10w40. 5w40 or something like that would be okay, but maybe unnecessary.
Toyota just had a major recall amid many recalls
I ran my Nissan Sentra on synthetic for over 100,000 miles and then switched back to dino 5-30 oil. I that was 30,000 miles ago and no problems at all and doesnt use a drop between changes.
That aside, my buddy just returned from a trip back east. He mentioned casually that he had rolled his mom's Frontier (03). I thought it must have been years ago considering he was not showing any injury. Turns out he did it less than a week ago, and rolled several times at 60MPH. The only injury he received was a cut when he was exiting the truck. I am Toy Loyal, but I have all the respect for Fronty safety.
It seems like the dealers are jerks, but if they can sell more vehicles at the list price than the factory can deliver, why bargain? Think about it. If you know you will only get 500 vehicles a month and you know you can sell them all at or above list, what is the incentive to drop the price? When I went looking, the lots looked like a deserted island. One dealer had a half dozen models that were designed for one or two buyers and may still be sitting there. Otherwise, the trucks were sold long before the delivery truck arrived. The number 1 volumne dealer in Wa state told me I would be lucky to see a truck for atleast 3 weeks. That was a week before I bought, and it took them a good month before they called to say they finally had one available.