2015 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X
The recent débuts of the new General Motors Canyon and Colorado, and Toyota’s update of the Tacoma refocused attention on the midsize pickup market. The Nissan Frontier, a stalwart in the segment, remains basically unchanged for 2015. Is that a problem?
Not when you first see a Frontier all dolled up in Pro-4X regalia, including the beefy, tubed roof rack and high profile, trail-rated tires. It has the tough, blocky stance to almost look like a fresh offering, though it has actually been on the market since back in the mid-aughts.
Inside Nissan has dressed the Frontier up with heated leather seats that are much more upright and supportive than those in arch rival Toyotas, and there are lots of goodies, like navigation, touch screen infotainment interface and a boomin’ Rosford Fosgate sound system. These only go so far to disguise the hard (but durable, in my experience) plastics and cheap carpets, but it is still a serviceable, honest cockpit.
The 4-liter V6 that has been standard in most Frontiers since its debut still serves faithfully, with a stout 281lb-ft of torque getting it off the line adroitly, though the Nissan’s horsepower rating of 261 trails the new GM machines by a fairly substantial 45 ponies. You feel this when passing on at highway speeds, and as there are only five gear ratios the engine’s inherent harshness is more noticeable as the need to rev it becomes mandatory. That said, I have seen this chain-drive V6 run well past 200,000 miles without major work needed, so it is certainly proven in the longevity stakes.
The Frontier’s dynamics are very much in the vein of older trucks, with a certain amount of bouncing when unladen and some amount of flex inherent in the body-on-frame design. Yet damping is well sorted in the Pro-4X, so the ride is tolerable, and the steering is accurate enough when pressing on. The brakes feel strong too, so that the dynamic gestalt you’re presented with is robust and unpretentious.
Nissan has owned about one third of the midsize truck market since the domestic brands abandoned it; with competitors refreshed or reintroduced we can’t expect this to continue. Yet in Pro-4X form the Frontier is still compelling, with a proven track record of durable, reliable service and refreshing honesty.
EPA ratings: 15/21mpg; 17mpg combined
Price as tested: $36,205
Here is what Nissan has to say.
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