Note: The Ridgeline now uses a 9-speed, but not the same 9-speed. The Frontier's transmission is a Mercedes RWD design licensed by Nissan and built in a Jatco factory, the Ridgeline uses a ZF designed and built 9-speed FWD transmission.
Man, that hard body brings back memories. We all wanted one in high school, and one of my buddies actually got one for his birthday in his senior year. It was a V6 with a stick shift. Back then you were actually allowed to carry passengers in the bed, and a bunch of us would hop on and go to Del Taco for lunch.
Yeah buddy I had an '89 Hardbody 4x4 Solar Blue was the dopest truck with 31x10.50 BFGs... had a sick ass stereo system in the space cab (2x 12 inch Kickers) I miss that little truck.
Great first look review! As a Frontier owner I would really liked if Nissan addressed three things with the new version, which are unlikely: 1. Improve/reduce turning radius. 2. Improve width between wheel wells in the bed to at least 48 inches (this also applies to all other mid-size trucks except the Honda Ridgeline) 3. Add a headrest to the middle of the back seat (like the Ford Ranger). This might seem picky, but is a bigger deal with three passengers/kids in the back.
@@insainllama That's the problem. I don't want a larger truck, and I'm not going to upsize to a Titan just for that. I don't speak for everyone, but they're not going to get a full size sale from me and would lose out on a mid-size sale. As much as I think of the Ridegline as a minivan with a bed, it hits most of the utility checkboxes that I'm looking for.
Always been impressed with Datsun no Nissan trucks. I drive a 2020 TRD PRO now. Gotta tell ya I'm beyond interested in this new Frontier coming out. Its everything my truck should of been.
That’s a good looking truck. Nissan has always made decent trucks despite the quality struggles over the years with their other products. The two pickups, the Z and the GT-R have always been amongst my favorites.
Can't nobody bad mouth those trucks! Absolutely rock solid! Every warlord and terrorist organization in the world chooses those 80s Nissan's and 80s Tacoma's. And you can bet they never changed the air filter in those dusty conditions 😂😂😂
Nissan has the best seats in the market. My Titan XD had Zero Gravity Seats. Traded it in for a 2500 RAM Laramie and on the road trip home my wife said “The Titan has more comfortable seats” lol
I’m stoked about this truck. My first vehicle was a 93 Nissan hardbody pickup and first ‘new’ vehicle was a 1998 frontier. This has been the only pickup I’m really excited about and can’t wait to see one in person.
Im on my second Frontier. Got the first one ( 2010 ) used with 30k and put another 155k trouble free miles on it. Then traded it in on a blacked out 2018 midnight edition 4x4. For the money these have been the most underrated small truck on the planet for about 10 years, Extremely reliable, great in the mud and snow with locking rear differential. Hope the new engine and trans. are as reliable as the 4 liter and 5 speed auto.
With the taco soon to be made in Mexico only for the North American market, I think the "compact" truck segment might be up for grabs... Great content as always alex!
My 2018 TRD OR and the 2021 TRD OR i recently traded for both show Baja Calif, Mexico as final assembly point. I haven't noticed any change in the last 2. I did notice big change from my 2008 TRD Sport to my 2018 that took some getting used to.
Correction, the 2020 and 2021 also have the same engine and transmission as this new 2022 version. Check it , 2019 was the last year for the previous drive train.
Yeah that thing's ugly. I’ve always seen it as a direct competitor to the Ford Edge, but the Edge just stomps the Murano in every way possible, particularly performance.
@@EricFortuneJr. The edge also destroys the Murano in styling and reliability despite also being just as dated. Really shows how hard Nissan fell in the 2010s. The Murano’s interior quality is something to applaud though, even if the tech is dated.
@@DavidDLee making an X-Terra would give Nissan a product in a rare but coveted category. It would also be easy to do since the platform is already designed and tested.
I like the looks of this, that said, I'm concerned Nissan will take the route of the other truck manufacturers. The most important dimension IMO is the height of the truck at the edge of the dropped tailgate. Most of the newer trucks have taken the route of elevating the truck which prohibits easy loading of the box. If you really use your truck, it is important to keep this low enough to load and unload easily. If Nissan raises this truck in a standard 2WD model, I will be forced to move to a Van, something I have not done in 50 years of driving trucks. BTW, I'm not short, I'm 6' tall. Two of my neighbors have these tall trucks, they need them.......in order to pull utility trailers they haul their stuff around in.
Well, it might have shown up late to the party but at least it dressed the part. This might win the award for quickest jump from obscurity to contender of any vehicle ever. Looking forward to a full review.
If only this vehicle had come out a year sooner. A collision has forced my hand, and has required me to pull the trigger on a 2021 Tacoma Access Cab V6. C'est la vie.
The good news is that you could probably unload it for almost the same price. Tacos really hold their value. WHICH makes me nervous about this Nissan. Will it hold value? We typically buy and keep for 4-5 years than sell.
@@Argedis I hope you’re a young guy. You may be waiting a while. My only vehicle is my 1985 Toyota pickup that I bought in ‘86. The bed is rusting now, but the rest is still solid. I do have to admit, I like the look of this truck over the current Tacoma.
If I'm buying a new vehicle, I prefer they go a long time before they refresh it. I don't even get why that would be an issue. The issue would be if they refreshed it a year later.
Tacoma needs a radical redesign end to end to remain competitive. Nissan timing is great with their new version Frontier right now, since Tacoma design is 2024. So great timing for Nissan.
The current Tacoma trd off road you can get for 38k up. Nissan will need to match that to even get a sniff of sales. Tacoma is king of re-sale value that’s a mountain of an edge.
The driving position on the Tacoma was the reason why I avoided it for so long. That all changed when they finally put the auto seat in there that adjusts up and down. And I’m 6ft.
I bought a new Hardbody trk around 1996 for like 13,500 that was bullet proof. Ready to learn more about the new 2022. It does look good and solid. Just needs to be priced right.
It will be priced high, similar to the other mid sized trucks. Expect $40k or so for a middle tier model, out the door. Closer to $45k+ for top trim Pro4X. I just shopped and bought a mid size truck. All the ones I wanted and priced, which were nicely equipped, were between $42-45k before tax, title, etc.
@@ejhayes76 Looks like there's no way I'm buying the unproven Nissan if they price it at 40k for an SV model or even the pro4x. I have a very nice 2017 Camry SE I recently bought for less than 16K. I would buy one if the price it near my local dealers price of 31,840 for the SV, they have 8 of the 2020 models left.
Those old D-body Nissan were pretty tough.. my boss bought 3 Mexican edition with the tie-down hooks on the outside of the box we routinely overload that truck a 100 gallon triple head compressor no problem, we tried that with a F-150 it snapped the chassis 3 places
Down here in the Frontier it's been taking sales from the Hilux ever since the previous generation. The diesel engine it's great giving a steady 7 L/100km.
Last year I looked at a Tacoma and the 4Runner to replace my aging Xterra. I hated the seating position in both. I felt like there was horrible visibility. Sharp looking cars, but not for everyone.
The Honda has independent rear suspension and uni-body construction. It basically drives like an SUV. This, no matter how nice, will still drive like a truck.
@@billharris7235 Exactly. This does look nice though. The "Magic" rear seat in the Ridgeline still better and more versatile than this. I was curious to see if Nissan had come up with a better system back there.
So in the age of trucks adding more bells and whistles, looks like Nissan went old school and built a simple truck. My dad had two frontiers. One from 80s and 90s, both manual, drove it for over 10 years each till one literally caught on fire. Then he got a Taco because the frontier got a little long in the tooth after a decade or so without a new model. This looks pretty good imo.
Thanks so much for going over the details on the seating position. No one else has done so. You're right about the Tacoma in that the front seats feel low with your legs spread out in front of you. And you can't really adjust the height of them in a Tacoma. It's the only reason why I haven't bought one. Can't wait for your full review of the new Nissan. Cheers!
@@equalizer2233 True, they recently (just a year ago) added height adjustment. But it's not true height adjustment. Only the front portion of the seat (under your knees) goes up, not the whole seat. And the front adjustment of the seat only goes so high. You don't have to be that tall to still feel like your sitting in a kayak. The cab design hasn't changed so thats why you can't raise the seat fully.
@@philrubio3567 It sounds like u were given some bad info. I would recommend going to a dealer and trying one for urself. Even with the pre 2020 model years u can find seat risers for both the front and back of the seat in the aftermarket.
@@equalizer2233 bad info? My brother has a nice 2018. They haven't changed much. I test drove a couple of 2021s and a used 2020. Again, I didn't like the seat. And that wasn't the only thing. I wouldn't buy a truck with seats I hate out the gate though. Especially when that's what you have to sit in for the life of the truck, the seat! lol. And no, I shouldn't have to buy and install risers on a $40-$50k compact truck. Proper height adjustment should be included for that price. Chevy, Ford, GMC, and I believe the new Ford ranger have real seat height adjustment. For the high cost of a Tacoma, the truck should almost be perfect.
I wonder what the non off-road version will look like? Looking at how the front bumper arches up and leaves a lot of the front tires exposed from straight on, isn't good for fuel economy.
nice, looks good. have an OG frontier 1998 (built in 97 sold as 98 by my dad, handed down to me) old 4 cyl manual transmission does what i need a pickup for but oen day might upgrade
8:41 thank god I'm not the only one who thinks this. It's so awkward sitting on the floor, up high. It's exactly like how Toyota trucks were 30 years ago
My biggest gripe with this new frontier is that the B Pillar looks out of something designed 16 years ago. With the Black vynil looking like a major afterthought. Obvious cost cutting to try and use all the window hardware from the previous frontier which just so happens to be 16 years old.
Beautiful truck but whyyyy didn't they add the roof racks from the old model????? That would be awesome!!!! Are they an option?? Do I have to go to a junk yard take one off the old model and bolt it on myself?
It's about time! Fall 2021? I recently heard it would be out in the summer? Why is Nissan dragging their feet after it's been sooooo long since a redesign? I have the 2005 Frontier which has changed little in 16 years. I'm ready for a new one but if Nissan keeps procrastinating I'll be tempted by the new Ford Ranger.
The only thing I dislike about this redesign is the lack of new steering wheel. It looks a mild facelift of the old pathfinder/murano wheel that has been around forever. Would be nice to see the main part of the truck you touch to be more up to date. Otherwise this is the nicest looking mid-size out right now and it's exactly that.. mid-size.. not 2" smaller than a full-size like some of the competition.
looking good but...that's not a mid sized pickup truck anymore. That looks bigger than a 1999 Ford f-150. There really is a market for smaller pick up trucks, but they keep jacking them up more and more until it doesn't fir a standard 7 ft garage door anymore.
The complaint about Tacoma seating position has been prevalent and ongoing for such a long time. Why haven’t they been able to address that? Is there a reasonable answer?
I have a 2011 Tacoma that I bought new, and now with 130K miles on it I have to say... I have never, not once, had an issue with the seating position. I remember when I was looking to buy it that was one of the minuses it seemed every reviewer gave it. Maybe I'm the odd duck that the truck just fit. Dunno.
you talk about towing and engine size and what you think makes the biggest difference in towing; whether its 2 or 4wd (which makes a minimal difference) but dont mention gear axle ratio once which is biggest factor in towing.
It’s like a Frankenstein truck, looks like a Tacoma body, with the Silverado accents in the front, Ram 1500 day running leds in the headlights, F150 rear lights...
I'm guessing that the 3.8 with the nine speed automatic would be the only power train available on the Frontier. The 4 cylinder engine with the manual transmission was discontinued last year.
This New Frontier looks pretty slick.. The Tacoma rides like an older Hilux uncomfortable and easier to roll over and surprisingly the Older Frontier front-end was way more durable when operating in continuous off road duties
Great exterior lines on this truck. Perfect size, healthy engine, updated interior....what’s not to like. This truck really would’ve made my decision to get a Gladiator tougher.
Nissan nailed it with this. Only way it could be better is if they would have been more retro and copy the look of the hardbody or original Nissan pickup.
I know only about 5% of people want sticks. But what I don't understand is when a car company plans on selling 1,000,000 trucks and doesn't offer a stick. That means they are throwing away 50,000 sales. That's a lot of customers to drive to the Tacoma (which you can still get with a stick)...
