The operative theme in truck interiors these days is "car like," which means if you don't look in the rear view
and see the truck bed out back, you won't know you're in a pickup. After years of Spartan efficiency, truck interiors
now have softer edges, better upholstery, thoughtful ergonomics and (gasp) comfort. Nissan's Frontier has it all.
Frontier SE comes standard with bucket seats and a center console with cup holders. Other niceties in the SE
package are dual overhead map lights, driver vanity mirror, front door map pockets, cruise control, premium carpeting
and variable speed wipers. A flip-up glass sunroof comes with a sunshade. A power package, standard on the SE,
includes power windows and door locks with keyless entry and dual outside power mirrors. There is a shut-off switch
on the console for the passenger air bag.
If you want to go for bragging rights with your truckin' buddies, you can add fog lights, Frontier logo floor mats, rubber bed mat, convenience net, tailgate net, 3- or 6-disc CD changer, chrome rear bumper and receiver tow hitch with hitch ball and lighting harness. Also available are a cellular phone docking station, engine heater, battery warmer, splash guards and the ever-popular chrome exhaust tips. The Frontier can be anything you want it to be.
We drove the Frontier over a wide variety of terrain in the Nashville area and down a good cross-section of
roads. We took smooth Interstates and lumpy, twisty backcountry roads through towns with names like Tullahoma
and Wartrace. We think Frontier owners will be very pleased using them as daily drivers. The Frontier doesn't
really do any one thing spectacularly well, but it does almost everything very well.
Visibility is quite good, although the thick B-pillars present some blind spots. The ride is not truck-like,
which we appreciated. Wind noise and road noise are minimal, impressive given the big P235R15 tires. After a full
day of driving, we were none the worse for wear. This is a truck that is suitable for long-distance driving.
The power-assisted recirculating ball steering provides the right amount of road feel. Although the rear suspension
design is nothing new, there was no tendency for the tail to move around over the rough bits--a problem with pickup
trucks and leaf-spring suspensions. The brakes also worked well.
When we comment on air conditioners, it's usually because they're not up to par, but Nissan deserves credit for
giving the Frontier a unit that can frost your Ray Bans. It was nearly 100 degrees and felt like 100 percent humidity
in Nashville and we left our Frontier baking in the sun for quite some time, but we still had to turn the air
conditioning down after just a few minutes.
The only flaw in this otherwise delightful picture is the engine. Despite its relatively large displacement (2.4 liters) and sophisticated technology, it doesn't make much horsepower and torque. Nissan points out that it is the most powerful four-cylinder engine in the segment. But it feels slow off the line at full throttle, and easily looses momentum on grades. Passing on two-lanes was a decision not lightly made. And the engine is noisy. But we've been spoiled by the proliferation of V6 engines and Nissan's 3.3-liter V6 will make a big difference.