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Toyota Tacoma vs Nissan Frontier
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Comments
and the guy still has no classssssss
If you read the articles rather than just look at the summation, there's a world of information to be had. MotorTrend picked Tacoma TOTY, apparently in large part for aesthetic reasons (they didn't like Frontier's grille or interior). They liken the comparison to Pepsi vs. Coke--in other words, taste. They specifically mention Frontier as having the "strongest V6 in any truck", fully boxed frame, and some other desirable items. The dislikes were fewer configurations (no regular cab) and the afore-mentioned aesthetics. Their tests give a mixed bag for speed--faster 0 to 60 for Frontier, faster slalom for Tacoma.
MotorWeek picked Frontier as Driver's Choice but I have not read an actual road test by them, if there is one published yet.
Bottom line is that reviews are good input, but they are only partial input. My own test drives threw me right off my preexisting notion that I would buy a Tacoma. I did not like how it felt, and the fact that the transfer case did not work properly drove the nail in the coffin. Then there were the two people who posted (with photos) their cracked composite beds, in one case on the first day of 4-wheeling, in the other after a single weekend of driving it with a topper on the bed.
You did not test drive both vehicles. It's hard to convince the public that a change has been made when they have already made up their mind not to even try the other, new product. When they only see positive reviews for one product but not the other. When they throw out some test results that don't jibe with that bias. Real life is not black and white, winner or loser.
I checked Consumer Reports for both makes' records on the older Tacomas and Frontiers. Looks like their reliability is similar.
P.S.
My '89 Toyota truck had a leaking rear main bearing seal--replaced under warranty, whew.
My '92, which I still have, not only had to get the head gasket replaced (only partly reimbursed under the "head gasket campaign"), but turned out to have a faulty valve return spring (engine part)--cost me over $2000 to get that fixed.
My husband owned an 80s Toyota that was "perfect till about 40K miles, then fell apart." He got rid of it. Yes, I still like my '92, but that like doesn't blind me to the possibility that Nissan (or Dodge, Chevy, etcetc) might have come up good products recently.
Comments about "poor people" are LOL, indeed. I didn't realize a truck was a status symbol. Maybe Canadiantaco needs one.
I am not worried about TACO's bed...by comparison, the Titan (Truck of the Year) had issues with "bubbles", etc, etc in it's bed and numerous other problems. That stuff happens, but the Titan is still an awesome rig and so is the new Tacoma.
Great liture you wrote.
I had a 89nissan and a 93nissan,both 4wd and Ext.cab. Great truck never had a problem with them,I had 260.000 on my 93,it was time for a new truck,bought a Chevy s104wd,I don't care for it too much,Its 2001 loaded,drives ok ,lets you know you own a truck.Very Fast thoe,loves Gas!!
Remember what happened with Saturn cars--they set out to fight the perception that GM made crap, and they succeeded...for a while. Things can change, in either direction.
I hope that all the manufacturers up their quality standards AND that they offer products that are different from each other (composite vs. steel beds, styling, size), because it would be horrible to choose from 6 trucks that are essentially the same, feature-wise. Even though I would not buy a Honda Ridgeline because I need the low-range transfer case and a longer bed, many people do not, and that vehicle might be a better choice for them.
I do think Nissan is on its way up. The two issues that have come up with the new Frontier are already being addressed. My only fear is that they are pushing the workers too hard, too fast, by introducing a lot of remakes in a short time. But at least the Frontier does "inherit" some of its major design parts from existing models (Titan frame, VQ engine).
In the Fall of 04, I read a major comparison(magazine) on the new Dakota and Frontier. I could not believe they rated the Dodge higher(correct me if I'm wrong). Am I the only one that thinks the Dakota ugly, etc?
Somewhere in this forum is was stated that Toyota has a plant in Tijuana Mexico. Are they really building trucks in Tijuana?! I don't care about the bed, etc coming from Mexico, because that is the general trend in the industry anyways. I'm glad mine came from California...
If you have issues with the Toyota dealer, you can try another dealer, or call the national hotline. I found one dealer that did good work, another one that I should never have gone to.
Toyota...put a lifetime warranty on the composite bed to settle any disputes about the composite beds durability. If they are so incredibly tough and efficient to build...why not. Back up your claims like noone else and continue settng the standard.
Great comments regarding cdntaco. It looks to me like he should spend a little more time on his grammar and not so much time spending other people's money. He is what I would call a "disposable kid." Too bad the parents did such a poor job instilling good values. Maybe they thought they could buy them for him?! LoL. Good luck, canadiantaco. You are a very empty young man and while it is not your fault, it is still your responsibility.
How is the gas mileage on the Frontier v6? Is the tranmission shifting ok?(test drove the Taco. I did like the way it shifts) These are my two Main concerns. If you guys have experience...positive as well as negative, please let me know.
thanks in advance
By looking at the back of both trucks, the Frontier looks like it's rear bumper is lower to the ground. The low rear bumper height was explicidly stated in the comparison against the Dakota last Fall in a magazine(don't remember which one). The only way to settle this is to measure the distance ourselves and be honest about the tire/wheel sizes. I will do that on my PreRunner with the Off Road #2 pkg and post it later.
Drove all three
Only need one
Frontier
I really like the new tacoma. Test drove a DCLB 4x4. Back seats are nice and I like the LB. I ordered all the information from fightingchance.com. I was in the process of getting as much dealer info as I can when I started to read about some of the problems. Also I thought they were made in the USA,now lam reading about Tacos(Mexican made?) I will try and get to the dealers again next weekend and drive the new Frontier. It seems it's going to be close between these two. I would like it if the toy had a sunroof and leather and the nissan had a long bed.
I am new to this site but it looks like some good info.
Thanks
05 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab
Walk-around:
Not a bad looking truck, the lines are a bit busy, but nice. Paint looks good, not sure about the composite bed though.
Interior:
LOOKS GREAT, nice fabric and materials, but the fake aluminum dash panel looks cheap and will scratch badly in a few years. I like the way Toyota handles the Access Cab area. WOW the seats are LOW! I’m 5’ 9” and I can’t much see out of this thing. My wife is 5’ 4” and I don’t know if she could drive it.
Drive:
Engine is smooth and quiet. Tran throws are very long but smooth. I nailed it on the freeway on-ramp and the engine rattled as if it had marbles in it. The salesman said without a blink “damm they put regular in it”. I guess v6 Tacoma’s really do want premium. Handling was good and wind noise was low.
05 Nissan Frontier SE KC
Walk-around:
Looking good, the lines are cleaner and the paint look as good as the toy. Good old steel bed, is it me or is the Frontier bed bigger .a lot bigger ( I checked the specs, the Frontier’s bed is almost 5” wider!) I like those chrome bumpers and locking tailgate. (Why don’t all trucks offer locking tailgates?)
Interior:
Looks good but the toy looks better. The rear mini doors seem to open wider than the toy. Note to Nissan dump the jump seats they’re worthless and give us a flat floor back there please. The seats are good and the visibility is MUCH better than the toy.
Drive
Engine is smooth and very quite (seems better than the toy) The trans is much better, the throws are shorter and the feel is good. This thing is STRONG! It feels as if it has more low end then the toy. It also handles better; less body lean and the ride seem more controlled.
Overall
Tacoma Pluses:
Better LOOKING interior. Better handled extra cab, Smooth engine, good handler.
Tacoma Minuses:
Low seats, need for premium gas (I live in a very hot climate if it pings in February on regular it will REALLY ping in our 100+ deg summers) small composite bed, expensive
Frontier Pluses
Better looking, higher seats, Regular gas, bigger STEEL bed, locking tail gate, great engine, better handling, rear discs, cheaper than the toy
Frontier Minuses:
Wasted space of the jump seats
Has won the most awards of all midsize trucks from the major magazine comparisons hands down(Major Online sources; Edmund's rates it highest, Consumer Guide as well.)
Awesome interior, by far the best looking; Lexus like.
Aggressive exterior with unconventional, but smooth lines.
I like the way it looks from behind...nice tailights and also headlights.
Lighter weight.
Despite 20 hp less than Nissan, it has...
Measured faster acceleration and is at the top in braking distance(Nissan is about the same even with rear discs, because it's heavier).
A super low 1st gear(6sp), with appox a 4.7 ratio, the thing can crawl WITHOUT riding the clutch(much lower than the Nissan 6sp).
The hidden storage compartment under back seat
Storage compartments all over the bed
The bed will never rust, is dent resistant, needs no bedliner and is lighter than steel.
The outlet plug in the bed
Heavy undercoating in the wheel wells to reduce noise levels.
Very comfortable front seats
It rides on a Lexus/4 Runner Platform(lighter and more flexible(good for 4 wheeling) than the Frontier's shaved Titan platform)
It's V6 is the same as the Tundra's/4 Runners(a truck/SUV motor, not from a car)
The 6sp is the same as the X-Runners
Awesome location for supplmental oil cooler!
TRD package/accessories are legendary, easy upgrades available(Dislike Nissan's 'NISMO'designation..what does that mean? Maybe 'NRD', or 'NRT?')
Toyota has a proven track record of high resale and reliability...see Consumer Reports latest on the newstands right now.
Happened to run across this about the Nissan and fuel:
http://www.trucktrend.com/roadtests/pickup
Most of you know that I like both the trucks and I am not trying to trash talk the Frontier at all, becaue I like the 05 for many of the same reasons you guys do(I could trash talk the earlier model though). Yes, the one the sold last year, I had one, what a piece of...
You do understand that was written 7 months before the Fronty was introduced and alot of the specs are wrong.
I liked the outlet on the bed also, but I wished it has both 110v and 12v jacks. I could really use a 12v outlet in back.
She drove the Frontier and liked it although she said the interior was alittle boring.
She sat in the Tacoma, loved the interior, adjusted the seat and got out. “I can’t see a darn thing in there, we’re not getting that! ” she said. You married guy know that tone, the Tacoma is out.
I was leaning toward the Frontier anyway. The two trucks are very close, but for me it was the bed that won for the Frontier. It wasn’t the composite bed, although I don’t care for it, it was the bed size. I just couldn’t buy a truck that was bigger in every direction but has a bed that’s roughly the same size as my old Nissan’s bed
Sun Roof and leather? Get a Caddy!!
A hard to notice difference, was the Frontier 6sp does not have cooling fins on it's 6sp. The Tacoma does. The Frontier's 6sp (A dealer told me) came from the 350Z and who knows, maybe something else has it too? The Tacoma's was built for the truck and has the extra cooling, which will help keep the temperatures down.
I cannot see a difference in the bed size between the two trucks other than the wheel well area. My Tacoma has storage bins all over the place which I like using to store bungee cords, etc. I love that standard outlet out back. Nissan's utili-trac system is pretty cool though.
The Toyota is much more refined everywhere(big time). Also, the Tacoma's fender flares are not part of the fender, which is good. If hit by doors, shopping carts, etc the fender is separate which is a big relief.
I noticed that the Frontier's 3rd door is rather loose...it moves when shutting the main door. The Tacoma's does not. Little differences, but they say something.
accomplishments. I think you need to quit your business school and attend a good grammar school instead. If you really have a 3.9 GPA, why don't you research your truck's bolt pattern or if you really made 90 grand in 4 months, why don't you buy an escalade truck or a hummer instead of a 25 thousand Toyota truck.
As I posted much earlier in this thread I went back and forth often weighing my decision. I looked at just about every truck out there and, in the end, looked at two seriously: the Frontier and the Tacoma. In the end, I purchased the Tacoma and am pleased to say that I am extremely happy with my choice. The main things that had me leaning toward the Frontier was the extra HP and the added value (eg. could have gotten a sunroof, 10 speaker stereo, Stability control and HCA/HDC for the same price as the Tacoma). However, the main things that sold me on the Tacoma was the interior and overall road manners. I am behind the wheel of my truck for 100 miles per day and I wanted something that handled well, was comfortable and had great interior aesthetics; all of which the Tacoma has in spades. This is not to say that the Frontier is not a good truck; it is -- Nissan did an exceptional job with it, I just think Toyota did a better job designing the vehicle for driver comfort. Just my opinion... however, you really can't go wrong with either truck
Asa
so when you grow up come back on the site
The pkg I that was ordered on my truck stated that it had "oil coolers". I found the oil cooler for the engine, but kept looking for the 6 speed's cooler(never saw one for a manual). Finally, I realized this 6 speed had little edges all over the underside(fins, whatever). Later, a Toyota mechanic told me they help provide extra cooling.
I did not see anything like that on the Frontier's 6 speed.
Sounds like you drive the same amount of miles per day that I do. Fuel mileage is a definite issue for me (and wife too). What type of mileage are you getting? Does the 100 miles include any city and/or stop and go freeway traffic? Do you use premium fuel in your Tacoma?
Who cares if the Frontier has a better chassis, better engine, rear disk brakes, isn't hecho en Mexico, doesn't leak and make funny noises, isn't being recalled already, and requires only regular fuel to make more horsepower.(All just little differences that don't say anything.)
My tranny has FINS! (big time)(ooooh, yeah baby)
And lets not forget that logo!
I am going to get one of those praying decals and replace the cross with a Toyota logo.
P.S. TRD is way cooler than Nismo.
Providing Outstanding Offroad Performance.
It would be the Nissan Frontier POOP. The Toyota guys ought to be all over that, since they are used to driving TRDs.
Here are the numbers from photocopied magazine articles and manufacturer catalogs, sitting right on front of me now: No errors due to selective memory.
From the same issue of MotorTrend that features Tacoma as truck of the year:
Acceleration tests:
0-60 mph: Frontier 7.6 sec, Tacoma 8.7 sec
1/4 mile: Frontier 15.8 sec @ 86.1 mph, Tacoma 15.7 sec @ 86.1 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph: Frontier 131 ft, Tacoma 126 ft
Figure 8: Frontier 29.1 sec @ 0.55 g, Tacoma 28.8 @ 0.56 g
Slalom: Frontier 59.0 mph, Tacoma 59.5 mph
Skidpad: Frontier 0.72 g, Tacoma 0.73 g
From Nissan and Toyota manufacturer catalogs:
Frontier: 10.1" minimum running ground clearance, 32.6 deg angle of approach, 23.3 deg angle of departure
Tacoma: 9.4" minimum running ground clearance, 35 deg angle of approach, 26 deg angle of departure, t-case ratio 2.57
[Above figures are for extended cab 4x4 off-road pkg configs in both trucks. Frontier also has a 2.57 t-case ratio, according to a magazine spec I read but unfortunately I do not have a copy of it so cannot provide that source]
As for "What is NISMO?" I thought it was pretty obvious: Nissan Motorsports. If NRD is bad, TRD is even worse. But frankly, who cares? The decal does not make the truck.
Where did the numbers leob cited for Tacoma's "super low 1st gear(6sp), with appox a 4.7 ratio, the thing can crawl WITHOUT riding the clutch(much lower than the Nissan 6sp)" come from? Since leob did not actually drive the Frontier, what is this stuff about having to ride the clutch? I test drove both Tacoma's and Frontier's 4Lo 1st gear, and I never had to ride the clutch in the Frontier. As for the Tacoma, it took dozens of attempts to even GET IT INTO 4Lo at all--and then the same to get it back to 4Hi. Four-Wheeler Magazine noted the same problem in their test drive of the Tacoma.
What else...
"It rides on a Lexus/4 Runner Platform(lighter and more flexible(good for 4 wheeling) than the Frontier's shaved Titan platform)"
...but more flexible is BAD for hauling cargo and towing, i.e., truck tasks. (And not necessarily better for 4-wheeling.) Ever seen a tweaked truck crabbing down the road? Yeah. I'll take a full box frame any day, even if it does weigh more. Lexus and 4Runner are primarily passenger vehicles, so the softer ride is a marketing feature, not necessarily a better design for trucks.
"It's V6 is the same as the Tundra's/4 Runners(a truck/SUV motor, not from a car)"
...is that actually the case? The Tundra/4Runner V6, if it's derived from older V6's, is in fact a car engine; the design came from the Camry V6. Besides, why is a "car engine" bad for Frontier but a "car platform" good for Tacoma?
Leob, if you need to vindicate your choice, you can just say, "I liked the Tacoma's ride and interior appearance better" etcetc. Nobody will dispute an opinion when it is presented as such. But please get the facts straight, and do tell where they came from.
TACOMA 10,930 Frontier 6,077
TUNDRA 11,063 Titan 6,894
4RUNNER 8,660 Pathfinder 6,094
SIENNA 11,877 Quest 2,801
HIGHLANDER 10,327 Murano 5,743
I started out getting about 15.6 mpg, however, after about 2000 miles I am now averaging about 17.3 mpg. Also, it is important to note that given all of the snow we have had in the Northeast, I have been driving in 4WD for a percentage of my travels. The overwhelming majority of my commute is highway (about 80/20). The truck is absolutely the BEST truck I have ever driven on the highway (previously having an F150, a Dakota and a Ranger)... and, yes, I use premium fuel but I also know people running on 87 and 89 octane without problems.