2017 Nissan Frontier Overview REVIEW
The 2017 Nissan Frontier has an appealingly cheap starting price, but it can't keep up with newer competitors that have better performance, more features, and higher-quality cabins.
Is the Nissan Frontier a Good Truck?
The Frontier is fine for daily driving and light work duty, but it's not as refined or capable as most competitors. Rough patches of road make for an unpleasant ride, and the Frontier can't match the towing and hauling capabilities of many rivals. Overall, the aging Frontier has fallen behind the competition, and despite its low base price, you'd be better off with another compact pickup truck like the Toyota Tacoma or Chevrolet Colorado.
Should I Buy the Nissan Frontier?
You may be tempted by the Frontier's low base price, but don't be fooled. Few drivers will be satisfied with the bare-bones cabin you get for that low cost. You don't even get a radio, air conditioning, or power locks and windows in the base model. Higher trims offer more features, but the Frontier hasn't been significantly updated since 2005, and it shows its age compared to rivals. Most other compact trucks have longer lists of high-tech features, more fuel-efficient engines, and better towing or hauling abilities.
We Did the Research for You: 76 Pieces of Data Analyzed
We compiled and analyzed 76 different data sets to guide this review and the Frontier's ranking. This data includes other professional automotive reviews, as well as safety and reliability ratings. Buying a new vehicle can be a difficult experience, but we've taken some of the burden off you. We have all the important information you need, from the Frontier's towing capacity to its price and even whether or not the seats are comfortable. The Frontier was last fully redesigned for the 2005 model year and has seen few major changes since. As a result, this overview uses applicable research and reviews from the 2005 through 2017 model years.
Why You Can Trust Us
With 75 years combined experience and nearly a decade spent ranking cars, the team at U.S. News Best Cars has the expertise to help you make the right buying decision when you're in the market for a new vehicle. We remain impartial when writing our reviews, so you can trust that we're not trying to steer you toward a vehicle based on which manufacturer offers us the biggest gifts. In fact, we accept no expensive trips or gifts from any automaker, and the ads on our site are sold by an outside partner.
How Much Does the Nissan Frontier Cost?
Prices for the Frontier start at $18,390 for the base S model, making it the cheapest truck in the class. Most buyers will want to step up to the $22,860 SV trim, since the base model has essentially no features – not even air conditioning, a radio, or power windows and locks. The base Chevy Colorado is priced less than the Frontier SV and comes standard with many of the same features, plus a few more like Apple CarPlay smartphone integration and a built-in Wi-Fi hot spot. The Frontier SL model tops out the line, and it costs $32,510. You can swap out a Crew Cab instead of a King Cab for as little as $1,130 or as much as $5,510, depending on trim.
Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Nissan dealer. You can also find excellent manufacturer incentives on our Nissan deals page.
Nissan Frontier Versus the Competition
Which Is Better: Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma?
So long as you can afford the Tacoma's higher base price, it's the better buy. The Tacoma outperforms the Frontier in nearly every way. It has a nicer cabin and higher safety scores, and it can haul heavier payloads. The Tacoma also has more standard features, including a touch-screen infotainment system, Bluetooth, and a rearview camera. You can add more advanced safety features to the Tacoma that aren't even available in the Frontier, like blind spot monitoring or rear cross traffic alert. While the Frontier can have an uncomfortable ride and heavy steering, the Tacoma has a smoother ride and sharp steering. Both rivals have similar fuel economy estimates and powertrains.
Which Is Better: Nissan Frontier or Chevrolet Colorado?
Most buyers should choose the Chevrolet Colorado over the Frontier. Like the Frontier, the Colorado has a four-cylinder base engine and offers a V6. However, the Colorado's engines are more powerful than their counterparts in the Frontier. The Colorado also offers a turbodiesel four-cylinder engine that gets one of the best fuel economy ratings in the class, while the Frontier earns mediocre fuel efficiency ratings. The Colorado is also a better choice than the Frontier for towing and hauling, as it has higher capacities in both respects. The Colorado's interior is extremely nice, and the Crew Cab's front and rear seats have ample room for adults to ride without feeling cramped. While the Colorado doesn't have the most tech features in the class, it does have an easy-to-use infotainment system, and it offers Apple CarPlay and a built-in Wi-Fi hot spot, neither of which are available in the Frontier.
Frontier Interior
How Many People Does the Frontier Seat?
King Cab models seat four, while there's room for five in Crew Cab models. The Frontier's front seats are among the best in the class. The seating position is excellent, and the seats themselves are comfortable. Heated front seats and leather upholstery can make them even more enjoyable.
The rear seats are almost the opposite. King Cab models have fold-down rear seats that are a chore for anyone to sit in. While Crew Cab models have a full back seat, it's still short on legroom and support. Most compact trucks don't have especially spacious rear seats, though the Chevy Colorado offers a bit more head- and legroom in the back than most rivals.
Frontier and Car Seats
Crew Cab models are probably better for buyers with young children, as Crew Cab models feature two full sets of LATCH car-seat connectors in the rear seats. It still won't be a picnic to install a car seat though. The tether anchors aren't easy to find, and you may confuse other hardware for the anchors. The lower anchors are easier to get to and don't require too much force when connecting a car seat, but they're still somewhat difficult to maneuver around.
Frontier Interior Quality
For a work truck, the Frontier's interior will be sufficient. It has a no-nonsense design, with a handful of useful features but low-quality materials. Rivals like the Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma have more upscale materials, along with excellent build quality.
Frontier Cargo Space
The Frontier offers some features that you expect from a truck bed, like a spray-in bed liner. It also offers the Utili-track system, which features channels in the bed floor and moveable cleats, giving you plenty of options to secure whatever cargo you need to haul.
There's a 6-foot-1-inch bed in King Cab models, and Crew Cab models can have either a 6-foot-1-inch or a 5-foot bed. The Chevrolet Colorado has longer beds, but they're not wide enough to carry standard sheets of plywood flat on the floor. However, the Toyota Tacoma's beds are wide enough for plywood.
Frontier Infotainment, Bluetooth, and Navigation
Any features you want in the Frontier are options, including power windows and locks. The most notable feature is probably the NissanConnect infotainment system. It's easy to use because it features a smartphone-style interface. It also has voice recognition, so you can control some functions with verbal commands. The best part about NissanConnect may be its smartphone app integration, which allows you to easily connect your trusty mobile companion.
In addition to the touch screen and voice recognition, the Frontier has physical controls for some functions. The controls are well-organized on the dash, but they aren't as smooth or precise as the dash controls found in some rivals.
There are more standard features in the Chevrolet Colorado, including a basic infotainment system. Higher Colorado trims have a more advanced infotainment system featuring an 8-inch touch screen, a Wi-Fi hot spot, and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration.
For more information, read What Is Apple CarPlay?
Frontier Performance
Frontier Engine: Not Much Engine-uity
The Frontier features a four-cylinder base engine, but a V6 is available as an upgrade. The four-cylinder delivers adequate power for daily driving, but it's not great for hauling. Opt for the V6 if you plan to use your Frontier for work duty. Even with the V6, the Frontier can't match the torque that's generated from the Chevy Colorado's turbodiesel engine when it comes to hauling or towing heavy loads.
A five-speed manual comes standard with the four-cylinder, while a six-speed manual is mated to the V6. Both engines are available with a five-speed automatic.
Frontier Gas Mileage: Subpar for the Class
You'll get the best fuel economy by sticking with the Frontier's base powertrain (the four-cylinder paired with a five-speed manual transmission). It gets 19 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway, which are low estimates compared to competitors like the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. The Colorado and Canyon are both available with turbodiesel engines that are the most fuel-efficient powertrains in the class. Both get up to 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. Upgrading to a V6-powered Frontier will cost you around $1,000 in added gas costs over five years compared to the base engine.
Frontier Ride and Handling: A Daily Driver, but Not Much More
The Frontier is as capable as class rivals like the Toyota Tacoma when it comes to being a daily driver, but its utility drops off beyond that. The Frontier's ride quality gets noticeably worse over rough roads or off the pavement, the steering is heavy and slow to respond, and the truck lacks maneuverability in close quarters. Drivers who prefer a smooth-riding and easy-to-maneuver compact truck should consider the Chevy Colorado instead.
Frontier Towing Capacity
When properly equipped, the Frontier can tow up to 6,710 pounds or haul up to 1,500 pounds. If you plan to use your Frontier for towing or hauling, you'll want the V6, which unlocks the maximum capacities in both areas. Still, the Frontier's max towing and hauling ratings are slightly behind the Chevy Colorado, and compared to the Toyota Tacoma, the Frontier has a slightly higher towing capacity but a far lower maximum payload.
Frontier Reliability
Is the Nissan Frontier Reliable?
Most compact pickup trucks earn above-average predicted reliability ratings, and the Nissan Frontier follows suit. The Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, and Chevrolet Colorado all earn the same scores from J.D. Power and Associates, while the Honda Ridgeline slightly outscores them all.
Nissan Frontier Warranty
The 2017 Nissan Frontier is covered with a three-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Other trucks in the class come with similar warranties.
Frontier Safety
Frontier Crash Test Results
The Frontier does OK in crash tests. It earns 3.5 stars in the rollover tests performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and it earns a rating of Good (the highest rating) in front and side crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Honda Ridgeline is the only compact pickup IIHS calls a Top Safety Pick+.
Frontier Safety Features
The Frontier is not the truck for you if you want the latest and greatest in driver assistance features. No active safety features come standard in the Frontier, and the only available aids are a rearview camera and rear parking sensors. Those are nice features that make parking your truck easier. However, some class rivals like the Chevrolet Colorado have more advanced offerings, such as forward collision warning.
Which Nissan Frontier Model Is Right for Me?
The Frontier S (base trim) starts at $18,390, which is the lowest starting price in the class by about $2,000. There are four higher trims, each of which includes all of the features found in the trims below them plus a few more. The highest trim is the SL, which starts at $32,510.
Most buyers should choose the SV trim as it represents the most value for the money. The base S trim has essentially no features; not even have air conditioning, power windows, power locks, or an audio system. Meanwhile, the SV model comes standard with all of those features, plus an infotainment system, satellite radio, and Bluetooth.
Upgrading from a King Cab to a Crew Cab model will cost you an extra $1,130-$5,510, depending on the trim. Crew Cab models only come with the V6 engine. With either the standard four-cylinder or the V6 engine, you have a choice of a manual or an automatic transmission. The manual comes standard; upgrading to the automatic costs between $1,050 and $3,770, depending on the trim. However, the automatic is standard in some higher trims.
Choosing four-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel drive will add $2,650-$3,750 to the price tag, depending on the trim and cabin configuration. There are also several option packages, many of which are trim-specific. These add all manner of features, including bed, seating, and technology upgrades, and they range in price from $750 to $1,990.
Nissan Frontier S
The base Frontier S trim starts at $18,390, and comes standard with a four-cylinder engine, a manual transmission, rear-wheel drive, cloth upholstery and not much else. You have to pay more for air conditioning, power windows, power locks, or an audio system.
Nissan Frontier SV
Priced at $22,860, the SV trim adds air conditioning, power windows, power locks, cruise control, a four-speaker audio system, satellite radio, a USB port, Bluetooth, and an infotainment system with a 5-inch display.
Nissan Frontier Desert Runner
The Desert Runner trim is priced at $25,200, and it comes with the V6 engine, an automatic transmission, unique styling elements, performance shocks, and off-road tires.
Nissan Frontier Pro-4X
The off-road oriented Pro-4X model is priced at $32,340 and has the same features as the Desert Runner, along with a locking rear differential, skid plates, a 5.8-inch touch screen, navigation, heated front seats, rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, and dual-zone automatic climate control.
Nissan Frontier SL
The top-of-the-line SL trim starts at $32,510 and is only available as a Crew Cab. It loses the Pro-4X's off-road equipment and adds leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, and a 10-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system. A moonroof is optional.
Who Makes the Nissan Frontier?
The Nissan Motor Company, which is a Japanese automaker, assembles the Frontier at two factories in the United States. One is in Canton, Mississippi, and the other is in Decherd, Tennessee.
The Final Call
The Frontier has comfortable front seats and easy-to-use optional infotainment technology. The Utili-track system adds versatility to the bed, which is also a plus. On the downside, the Frontier's fuel economy and ride are worse than many rivals', and the cabin design feels dated. The rear seats are cramped as well. Additionally, most competitors can tow and haul more than the Frontier. The Frontier does have one of the lowest starting prices in the class, but it comes with no creature comforts in the base model. You'll likely be happier with higher-ranked rivals such as the Chevrolet Colorado or Toyota Tacoma.
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