After selling my 2010 VW GTI in January, I had been on the search for a new-to-me car. I was undecided for the longest time on what would best fit my needs. After borrowing my dad’s truck, however, I decided that a mid-size crew cab pickup would do everything I wanted and needed.
After months of searching and research, it …
I'm not saying that seeing this project progress is making me want a truck, but it's not not making me want a truck.
In reply to Colin Wood :
You know, I never thought I wanted a truck. I actually started shopping for Civic Si's after I sold the GTI. Now that I have one though I don't think I could live without one or something with similar cargo capacity.
And it could tow a Beetle to autocross events. Just saying.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
In reply to ChrisTropea :
Exactly. Now just draw on some numbers and meatballs.
They're really a solid option and can be had for very reasonable prices, even now.
We just got this 2012 sport edition King cab. Came from having an Xterra in the past so we knew what we were in for. Fantastic value and just feels sturdy all around. Tows a Miata just fine
I like my 2010 other than the fuel consumption and the associated rust with buying a vehicle from Pennsylvania. When it gets too rusty I'd like to trade it in for a desert runner as I think the locking rear diff will be good enough to get me home the few times a year we have snow, and the rest of the time the truck should ride nicer, get slightly better mpg and be less likely to cup tires than my 4x4.
In reply to dannyp84 :
I agree, my only complaint so far would be fuel mileage but I knew what I was getting into when I purchased a truck. Luckily for me at least, working from home helps cut down on trips to the gas station.
Congrats and that looks like a nice ride! I've always been a fan of the Frontiers. Just as stout as a Tacoma without the Toyota tax. And with a VQ in the engine bay, parts and resources are plentiful.
I had a 1999 V6 Desert Runner Frontier back in the early aughts. Man I loved that truck. Aside from the abysmal gas mileage, everything else was great and it was reliable as a hammer. One of the best vehicles I've ever owned. The "new" ones are pretty much the same as far as I can tell.
In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :
The same can be said about our old Pathfinder. Could not kill it, and several people on staff tried.
I picked up an 06 Frontier back in 2020 and after a bit of initial maintenance it's been rock solid. It drives similar to a 2nd gen tacoma that's been in my family since new but cost half as much on the used market and didn't have the frame rot issues. All in I'm under $6k into the Frontier and bought after the covid truck spike.
Overall I'd recommend them. Gas mileage sucks but that's well known. Engine makes plenty of power and they handle and steer fine for a nearly 2-decade old truck. Ride is a bit rough compared to modern trucks but that's to be expected. Reliability is good and parts are cheap. The only major issue they had is the early transmission cooling lines would corrode and mix tranny fluid with coolant but they fixed that by 09. The king cab will not fit anyone over 5' in the back. I got mine with the 6 speed manual but I would actually suggest the 5 speed auto with it. The 6 speed doesn't do anything for gas mileage and the electronic throttle control is definitely not tuned with manual driving in mind. I don't do a lot of towing but I've pulled approx. 4000 lbs without any issue and loaded the bed up with 1500+ lbs (way over limit).
For a cheap light-duty work truck, they're probably the one to beat in terms of value per dollar.
After my Ranger was rear ended I had a '19 Frontier as a rental. I couldn't believe how primitive it felt compared to the Ranger and I'm not talking about equipment and such. It felt 2 or 3 generations old, seating position, control placement, ride quality... And, yes, the Ranger gets 2-3 mpg better.
Looks great
Do these have the strawberry milkshake problem?
In reply to ChrisTropea :
Just put a cap on the back and you will have all the weatherproof cargo room you want, without the risk of cargo flying forward and hitting you in the back of the head if you have to slam the brakes, or spilling liquids that you have to smell inside the cab for the next two weeks.
In reply to ChrisTropea :
Actually I did the same analysis as you and ended up with a Honda ridgeline, with a cap on the back :-)
Since we ended up with the long bed, it's been quite hard to find 6ft Nissan caps, at least around us. New caps are pricey, was considering a soft topper since those are about half price, but we just ended up on a tonneau cover.
It's possible to adapt a 6ft ranger cap I've heard but it's still not a perfect fit.
In reply to t321sg :
I was really tempted to get a Ridgline but I couldn't find one to fit in my budget. They are really nice trucks though.
In reply to mr2s2000elise :
The "strawberry milkshake of death", SMOD, was only on the first few years of this generation. So like 2005-2006 or so.
it was the transmission cooler(warmer?) that was integrated into the radiator. It leaked internally somehow and you get SMOD.
In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :
Those were great trucks. They had the VG33 v6. Good strong motor but needed more power. Was a single overhead cam, iron block. Rated at 170hp if i remember right. The VQ came out swingin with DOHC and almost 100hp more. Fuel mileage is still "meh" but at least it had a ton more power.
I love my Frontier! I need a set of your wheels. Those are much cooler than my factory alloys.
In reply to rustybugkiller :
The wheels I have are factory too, they are stock on the Pro-4X and Dessert Runner trims.
TJL (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to mr2s2000elise :
The "strawberry milkshake of death", SMOD, was only on the first few years of this generation. So like 2005-2006 or so.
it was the transmission cooler(warmer?) that was integrated into the radiator. It leaked internally somehow and you get SMOD.
appreciate the clarification
for the farm we have 3 new dclb 4x4tacomas (20,21,22 models). that mosel is not sold in CA, so i have to use out of state dealers to get them for me.
We need to add 2 more trucks before end of year - will have to look at these.
The Frontier is very good at being a truck.
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