Nissan Frontier or Toyota Tacoma? A practical comparison!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2024
- The Toyota Tacoma is the leader in the midsize pickup truck segment. Is the Frontier a worthy competitor? I was impressed! Which one is right for you? Check out this video to see for yourself!
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Frontier disc brakes > Tacoma drum breaks. Frontier full ladder box frame > Tacoma C-frame. Frontier 310HP > Tacoma 278 HP. Frontier 9-speed trans > Tacoma 6-speed trans. 95% of truck buyers only needs 4H,4L,rear locker, hill descent & good shocks. Don't need those fancy technology gimmicks for off-road IMO.
Sorry in advance? For what? I appreciate your opinions! No poor language, no attacks on anyone! That's what I love to see here in the comments section! I will say that the drum brakes can be better for certain off road conditions, and the 6 speed transmission and engine have been pretty rock solid, but I'm with you, the Nissan wins the spec sheet for sure!
I just sold my 2019 taco and have done everything imaginable from reflash to regear to full King suspension. The Tacoma hype is bigger than life. Poor gas mileage with subpar performance. It’s good for resale but the Frontier this year is much better. By the way the drum brake Tacoma excuse is BS. Every modern off-road vehicle uses all disc brakes to include an old tech Humvee. I work in the industry:) this is just my opinion 🤙
@@SeanD2937 I agree about the drum brake thing. It does make some sense from Toyota, but my ATV sees a lot more off road conditions than the average Tacoma, and it's got discs. Having said that, there're not wrong... it's just not as big of a thing as they want it to be. It's a cost cutting measure, and a nod to reliability and simplicity.
And fender system and they’re not everywhere like Tacoma’s!
@@PeterLoweOne Toyota doing drum brakes to save them money but yet most expensive truck in its class!
Drove a 23 Tacoma 4 times over a few weeks. Drove my 23 Frontier once, fell in love immediately. Frontier is WAY more comfortable and interior materials and fit/finish is superior. Transmission is WAY smoother. Fender audio is much better too.
Thanks for sharing! I was impressed with the Frontier as well!
Do you think is comfortable enough for a 1300 miles road trip??
@@Fullo07 I think both would be excellent for that.
@@Fullo07No a Tacoma are instantly uncomfortable and not made for short commutes.
my experience, too. the F may not be class leading in any particular spec, but it is overall the best in class for me. the vast majority of T owners use their Ts as grocery getters and weekend offroad warriors. for this, a T is a very good choice. but when daily hauling and towing is required, Ts advantages turn quickly into disadvantages; any claims T has for fuel economy disappear when towing. the F is superior for comfort, control, hauling and towing.
I plan to trade in my 2010 Frontier LE for a Pro 4X this year. Nissan has served me well so I'm sticking with it.
Oh nice! What an upgrade. I think you're going to love the new model!
The Frontier is a hidden gem. It's amazing reliability is mostly unknown to people.
I was impressed with the 2023 Nissan Frontier Pro X. They are comfortable and has the feel of an SUV. There was no lumbar support in the one I tested and the sales person said they didn’t have one. I decided to stick with Toyota and purchased a 2023. SR5 V6 engine has enough power for me, lumbar support, keyless entry, nice sound, and I have the black out package with nice black wheels/all terrain tires. I love that Tacoma retains resale value .
Yeah, that was the thing for me. I think I liked the Frontier better, but the Toyota has such great resale value. Neither one is a bad decision. If one didn't exist, the other would make me perfectly happy, but with them both existing, it's interesting because they really are similar and you do have some choice! Thanks for watching!
It has lumbar support on right side of drivers seat! With sunroof and fender system’ it’s much better the Tacoma!
@@timcunningham6932 exactly. A lever is on the right side of the drivers seat. Lol. Well, to be honest, I almost missed it too on mine. Took me a few days to discover it.
Great review, having test drove all the main midsized truck options, and chose the Frontier for many reasons. No doubt Tacomas are great, but Frontiers are a better option for many.
I'll admit that I was very pleasantly surprised by the Frontier. If anyone is in the market for a mid-size truck, they should definitely consider the Frontier. It's quite good!
I'm in Canada. I bought a 2023 Glacier white Pro 4x. $4000 under MSRP and 6 year 160k kms warranty.
Frontier for the Win!
Frontier for the win !
I sold my trd offroad and got a pro4x... just love it so much better in every way
Interesting! I can see why people like the Nissan. I was impressed with it for sure!
hi peter ,first time commenting . i wanted to point out that the bed on the tacoma dose not have a bed liner, but it is a fiber reinforced composite bed(aka plastic) most people are not aware of this.😁
You're absolutely correct! I didn't really want to get into the exact details on my review. You can see me sort of stumbling over my words when I spoke about it, because I wanted to speak correctly, but generally. It "appears" to be a plastic or resin bedliner, and thats what I was trying to hint at while the Nissan is only available with a spray in bedliner from the factory.
Also the Frontier does have lumbar support, it is located on the inner side of the seat. P.S The Frontier is light years ahead of the Taco. imo.
@@blessed4164 ah!! That makes sense. I figured it must have it somewhere. Next time I'll have to be more thorough! And yeah, I was really impressed with the Frontier. Out of those two vehicles, that would have been the one that I would choose.
Love my Pro4x, definitely an honest truck, Nissan did an awesome job with the 3rd gen and also keeping the engine NA. Toyotas next gen will most likely be turbocharged
Both nice trucks. The rear cab light button will turn on the optional/accessory bed lights in the Tacoma. Also the off road premium and pro Tacomas get 360 cameras.
Interesting! I didn't realize that the Tacoma has an available 360 camera now. Thanks for sharing!
Great review. Some areas not discussed in other car reviews are interior noise, turning radius, and ease of use (meaning are the interior controls easy to use while driving or do you have to take an engineering degree to know how to operate the controls. Again great review of these two pickups, Hopefully in the future we will see more in depth reviews (Oh and by the way, dont talk about stitching. It is one of the most useless reviews alot of car journalists report on. Honestly, who cares about the stitching.). Keep up the great work :)
Haha! I'll be honest, there's no way that my reviews will make everyone happy. It's tough to hit everything that everybody wants to see, or know, or to talk about things in the way that people want to hear about it, but I do my best, and if people have questions, I'm not afraid to go back to that vehicle again in order to clarify things, or show something that people want to see. I will say, when it comes to difficult to use interfaces, sometimes that's a product of poor design, and sometimes it's just a process of showing the new owner how things work. Car journalists sometimes complain about systems being difficult, when in fact they're easy to use, but the journalist didn't take the time to learn it. Sometimes owners have no issues with things that journalists complain about, because journalists are only with the car short term. Thanks for the feedback though, and thanks for watching!!
Frontier hands down. I had a Tacoma, and literally everyone has one! Everywhere you turn , and honestly the seats aren’t comfortable. Driving it becomes uncomfortable and I’m fit 5’10.. Recently got a frontier and love it. Acceleration much better, seats are comfortable and you don’t see it often which I like .
I never loved the seating position of this generation of Tacoma either. I'm looking forward to trying the new Tacoma as I hear that the seating position is changed and from what I can tell, it will be more suited to my preferences. All of that doesn't take away that the Frontier is still a good truck!
I had a Tacoma for 6 years great truck dependable. I just went with the frontier also a 2022. I like the engine and transmission and the feel of the frontier better than the Tacoma. It's just my preference.
I think I agree with you. The Frontier just has a few more things that I prefer. That doesn't make either of them a bad choice though! Thanks for sharing your experiences!
The Tacoma has a manual transmission,BUY IT BEFORE THEY ARE GONE FOREVER!!!
Haha. I heard a stat a long time ago now that EVs are outselling manual transmission vehicles... It's only accelerating now. Less manuals sold today in North America, for sure!
One thing which bothers me is the plastic wheel trim around the top of the wheels. This really fades after oh 3 years. But in the case of the Tacoma, those fender "flairs" are painted. I would like to see this in the Frontier.
Plastic doesn't scratch like paint. That's why manufacturers do this. (it's also cheaper, and some feel that it gives the vehicle a tough look) one think you can do is just give them a quick wipe with a UV protectant every few months. There are lots of products that can help with that, and they're not expensive or difficult to use. Lastly, I haven't seen a real issue with fading where I live, but it may be different where the sun is more extreme.
tacoma has a nice design, and will most likely be a candidate for my next truck, however I like the iconic distinct look of the 2nd gen frontier, which is my current truck
I like the Nissan if it’s not a 2024 . I believe the 2024 Tacoma will blow everything away
The newest Tacoma does look cool! I'd love to review it.
Reviews are out now. I wouldn't say it's blown it's competitors away in my opinion.
Maybe not
Both trucks are awesome comes down to preference
I enjoyed this review! I was waiting for your test drive of both. I still am! I've heard the Front is significantly better on road.
I plan to do some more test driving in the new year. Feel free to subscribe if you'd like! Thanks for watching!
@@PeterLoweOne +1
The frontier I found it to be nicer, but could not buy one after getting burned by a Nissan transmission. 1k Miles after warranty and no help from Nissan. I don’t see myself going back to Nissan. But it sure it’s nice.
I've heard of Nissan having some issues with some of their CVT's but personally, I wouldn't be afraid of this transmission. I guess, like any vehicle. Time will tell!
Don't know about the 22 but on the 23 the frontier has a manual Lombard support, it's on the right side of the driver seat
It's possible that I missed that on this model. My guess is that it does have that. Thanks for pointing it out!
I love the 4.0L on the frontier!
Frontier for me for one simple reason. I don't want to feel like I'm sitting in a car like in the Tacoma. Seating comfort is huge for me.
The Tacomas also have storage underneath the back seats. The seat bottoms kick forward and the expose a closed storage box. They also allow the seat back to lay flat when folded properly
Thanks for adding that. I didn't realize this! I'll check next time. I thought they didn't lift on the truck that I was reviewing. Obviously I missed that.
yeah, this is a haphazard "review"
I 'll take the Tacoma because Frontier does not come with 6 foot bed in pro4x (Locker) trim, while TACO 6ft bed is available in off-road trim (not to mention the added crawl control feature). Also, the frontier price is overpriced and Nissan doesn't have resale value anywhere near Tacoma. However, Toyota has grown arrogant in honoring customer choice. You gotta buy what they offer in their monthly allocations.
Yeah I've got to admit, I thought the Toyota would impress me far more than the Frontier, but the Frontier is GOOD! Having said that, there are a lot of factors at play for pickup truck buyers, and I don't think you can go wrong choosing either one of these, depending on what your priorities are in a truck. Thanks for watching!
Toyota has gone downhill
Am I the only one who think the Frontier feels a little.....cheap? I hate to say the word, but I am just being very honest. Yes the interior looks more flashy, but at the same time things appear too glossy, especially the infotainment section. The Tacoma's interior looks more natural to me.
Honestly, I think the Frontier had better feeling buttons and knobs for the most part. The plastics in this class of truck haven't been great from any manufacturers, but some of the plastics are built for durability over luxury feel.
Lumbar support is on your right side,and is manual
Yeah. I missed that. I apologize. Thanks for pointing it out. Hopefully people interested in this vehicle will check the comments.
There's storage under seat too in Tacoma. Also should be a sub there in the Frontier....
I thought it was only behind the seat backs. Good to know. I'll have to look closer on my next Tacoma review.
@@PeterLoweOne ya you can pull the bottom forward then there's a little storage similar to the Frontier. You can the put the Tacoma seat 100% down. Makes hard flat surface. The you'll notice two holes in the lift bottom part, that's where you can put the pins of the head rest to "store" it! They thought of everything!
I'm so split between the two. Spent last month trying to decide Frontier or Tacoma.... Both great trucks!!!
Great Job! Colorado or Frontier if you had to pick?
Frontier definitely has a better interior set up, headlights are pretty neat. My 2021 Tacoma interior feels dated. But bought it for reliability and off-road history. Great review!
Thanks for watching and sharing your experiences!
The frontier though!!!
I'm a fan of it!
how does the side to side leg room when your legs extended compare? I had a 16 or 17 Colorado and at first I didn't have a problem but the Colorado floor really narrows the more forward your feet are and it caused my bad knee alot of pain. which was something I never experienced with many other trucks
Agreed.. whoever designs GM's interior should be fired.. I'm a retiree and looking at other brands due to their stupidity
An honest review!
Nissan Frontier is by far the Best
New subscriber brader man!
Thanks for subscribing!!
Don’t forget having to duck to get into the tacoma I didn’t notice it when I bought my 22 looking to trade in for a Nissan because of that , and seat,pedal position sucks eggs
Frontier. Hands down.
Not going to lie! I was impressed by the Frontier!
@@PeterLoweOne I just picked up my 2023 Pro4X in Baja Storm color. Absolutely floored with this truck. Nissan nailed it with this redesign.
Nice review
Thanks for watching!
@@PeterLoweOne do you think they have more or the same rear leg room as the Santa Cruz? I grabbed one due to your older reviews.
@@socan7182 Tough to say, as the seating angle and position is different. I feel like the Santa Cruz allowed me to rest my leg on the seat bottom better, but I feel like the Tacoma had a little less rear seat knee room than the Santa Cruz, while the Frontier had a little more knee room. The Santa Cruz is a smaller overall vehicle that's much more fun to drive on the road than these two, but these offer more traditional pickup truck capability than the Santa Cruz. It depends on what you need each vehicle for.
Hands down frontier
Haha! I didn't know what to expect from the Frontier when I first saw it, but I was very impressed with it, for sure!
Still like the Honda better.
And I like the Santa Cruz better than them all. I think it depends on what features you value in a truck. These are great for what they are, having said that, there is room for improvement in this class, for sure!
There is under seat storage on tacoma as well lol
Put the Fox shocks on the Nissan and there ya go!
Haha! I'm a fan of that Nissan!
At least frontier has front tow hooks 🪝. More engine choice of 3.5, 3.8 or 4.0.
This generation of Nissan Frontier only has one engine available in Canada. It's the 3.8 litre that was introduced just before the last generation of Frontier was retired. It puts out good numbers and with the 9 speed transmission, is capable of decent fuel economy for the class.
@@PeterLoweOne Tacoma only has 3.5!!! No front tow hooks... Tacoma hasn't been update for years!
@@Dr-Mentor-1986 Yup. I agree. The Frontier is definitely more up to date. But the Toyota has a proven record of reliability, and great resale value, so it's hard to argue with Toyota and what they're doing. They continue to sell a lot of these, and people still value them on the used market!
@@PeterLoweOne true. But we all have choices. But Toyota for years hasn't update there engine or interior!!! It's been same for decades...
Hey Peter how about the transmission, motor, gear smoothness, and Cabin isolation, i heard Nissan made it partnership with Aston Martin and Mercedes .,Good job.
I'm not going to lie... Purely from a drive perspective, I think the Nissan is the better vehicle. Having said that, the Toyota has that crazy high resale value for a reason.
@@PeterLoweOne The reason is the hype
Hi how tall our you I'm 6 3 would i fit in frontier? Thanks
I'm 6 feet and I tend to sit fairly upright. I think you'd fit fine. You'll probably want to tilt the seat a little further back. But I think you'd fit fine.
@@PeterLoweOne appreciate u
@@LuxuryZoneProductions I appreciate you taking the time to watch. Feel free to subscribe!
I love my Frontier King cab Model S, great power, and all the bells and whistles I need. I would buy 2 if I could afford them before Biden outlaws them. Don't forget you get a bigger motor with the Frontier and that is important.
Haha! I film in Canada, I don't have your problems, we have different problems here! (We also have the best country in the world, but I won't rub that in!) 🙂
But the bigger motor has GDI only, and that's not good
Peter too slow today?😄😄
Frontier 🏆
I think it's a great truck, for sure!
1st
First this time, nearly
😄😄👋👍Sorry ahead of you 15 seconds
@@1stfrompuertorico568 Haha! You guys are funny! You win this time but it was close!!
All that electronic stuff in the nissan doesn't make it better. Toyota has a proven motor and transmission. Id like to see long term reliability on the nissan with German made tranny and fairly new 3.8 liter engine.
The engine has been out since 2020 and so far no issues. Frontiers in general have been very reliable and I think Nissan have done a great job. Still feels like a truck.
No manual transmission offered in the Nissan so that is a hard pass for me. Toyota is better.
Haha! Manuals are getting harder and harder to find!
GRAB THAT MANUAL!!!!!