Got a New Truck.... Toyota vs Nissan Mid Size Trucks (lotsa ramblings) + a Corvette Z06

Swanicyouth

Swanicyouth

New member
Recently, I`ve become obsessed with the idea of owning a truck. So, to make a very long story short, after researching trucks to death, I traded in my 01 Pathfinder for a brand new Nissan Frontier Pro 4X with luxury package in arctic blue (dealer`s pic) ...

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It came down to the Pro 4X or a Tacoma TRD Sport. But, after reading Tacoma forums and seeing all the issues people are having with the new Tacoma`s auto transmission & pseudo Atkinson Cycle V6 - I said no way. The only other real truck in this class is the Chevy Colorado / GMC Canyon. Although they are appealing, I`m not an American car guy - so decided to skip that as well

The Frontier is old - been about 10 years or so since a complete platform overhaul. The engine is old as well (4L V6) - it`s just a stroked out version of the 3.5L that was in my 01 PF. The auto trans is only a 5 speed. The interior is dated. There are no LED headlights or soft open tailgate. The gas mileage is worse in class.

But, the Frontier is reliable. All the bugs are worked out. There are no major issues kicking around the forums on this vehicle. It has a real key - not a fob and a start button (don`t like that). The vehicle came with factory Nissans spray on bed liner, bed extender, & bed tie down cleats. Toyota came with none of this. Also got an aftermarket tri fold bed cover for it.

I got this vehicle loaded with every single option Nissan offers. To get leather in a Tacoma you have to get a "Pro" which starts at like $41k. I got this truck for $33k with Nissan incentives. The Tacoma looks more modern, but the Nissan has a real truck look to me. The Toyo has a little more HP - but the Nissan has more torque.

Maybe I`m getting old. But I see some of this old styling / tech as a plus. I just wanted a truck that was proven and I wouldn`t have issues with. What put the final nail in Toyota`s coffin for me was when I learned the Tacomas new V6 was from Lexus and had 12 fuel injectors - for a V6; and the engine is a direct injection / manifold injection hybrid. To me, that is way too complex for a truck just to squeeze out another mile per gallon or so.

Now the detailer in me... I owned a 2002 MR2 in 2002. Bought it brand new from Toyota. The paint was garbage. In under a year the paint was peeling (yes, peeling) from multiple areas of the vehicle. After a few dealer repaints of various panels, I traded it in within a year. Toyota would do nothing for me. Was not impressed with Toyo paint. However, the paint on my 01 Pathfinder was mostly all factory after 16+ years - and still looked great. Advantage - Nissan.

As a complete aside, my friend just picked up a Corvette Z06 yesterday - at the same time I was purchasing my vehicle:

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While I`m not a GM guy, my friend says this thing has over 600 HP - so I`m looking forward to taking it for a spin.

Wondering what those that are interested thoughts are on new midsize trucks these days...
 
Good luck with the new vehicle. When I was in the market for a new truck in 2013, the Frontier was on my list, as well as the Tacoma. The older Tacomas were under-powered, but bullet-proof. The Frontier had more horsepower, and were every bit as reliable. I could not bring myself to go from a full-size (Silverado) to a mid-size, so I ended up with a 2013 Tundra CrewMax. I really liked the Frontier, especially the model you chose. I look forward to seeing your (post detail) pics of the new ride
 
Probably a good move not getting to Toyota, I had a 2012 Tacoma and it was the biggest piece of crap had 18 months and that was all she wrote.
 
Thanks all. Not sure if I`m going to coat it right off the bat or just Collinite it & wait for the end of summer to coat it with Pinnacle. Prolly the later...

Tires will get Tuff Shine`d, glass will get Pinnacle Glass Sealant. Not sure what to protect the leather with: Megs Leather Sealer, Sonüs`, or PB`s Leather Stuff - prolly the later? I`m going to 303 Fabric the carpets... Interior plastics will get PB`s low shine dressing (can`t recall the name).

Exterior plastic bits will get BF Trim Sealer. Wheels will only be cleaned with Hydro Foam - so no need to coat. Will decide if it needs any correction after I wash it today. My goal is is to go with paint preservation over perfection for this daily driver. It looked swirl free at the dealer - so I likely will just decon & LSP it.
 
Congrats on the truck! I still have a soft spot for Frontier`s, even though mine was a basket case in the end. Loved the power of the 4.0, hated the fuel mileage. I was able to stretch it out to 18 one time driving through Virginia, but most times it was 13ish if I remember right. Just to let you know, you will not be able to go WOT until 40mph. The computer has it limited. Also like VW North America, Nissan North America is horrible with warranty issues. I tried several times to get my 07`s engine repaired before the powertrain warranty went out, but had no luck. There have been quality control issues since they shifted production from Smryna, TN to Canton, MS, so go over the truck with a fine tooth comb. Do not extend your oil change intervals, the VQ40 beats up oil in a hurry, and synthetic is the way to go. All in all, enjoy the truck. I`m sure by now they`ve worked out all the bugs that plagued my 2007.
 
Not really many choices in that class. Even thou your not a american car guy, I would have at least looked at a Colorado/ Canyon, great to see how the comp stacks up. Looks great, now on to detailing it up...
 
Did not know the newer Tacomas had reliability issues. Always assumed they were guaranteed to run forever due to the Toyota badge in the grill:)

Congrats on the new truck. I like the color and exterior add-ons. You are spot on about the Frontier being dated style wise, however, it is still a very nice looking truck. Long term sounds like the Frontier is a better choice.
 
LEDetailng said:
Did not know the newer Tacomas had reliability issues. Always assumed they were guaranteed to run forever due to the Toyota badge in the grill:)
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I was surprised as well. It`s not so much reliability - like the thing breaks down, I guess it`s more customer satisfaction?

I joined a Tacoma forum & a Frontier forum and then studied both. There are several people that were just not happy with the Tacoma`s engine, transmission, driveline vibration, seating position, etc.. I didn`t really see much (if any) of that on the Frontier forum. It`s funny, because "professional" reviewers don`t seem to mention any of this - but somehow I trust the peeps in the forums more.

Also, there seemed to be a lot of posts of people spending good money for new Tacomas and getting rid of them within the first year because of not liking the engine/auto trans combo. So, the thing may run forever - but people complain stuff that makes driving it annoying. The auto trans is "adaptive" - so I guess it adapts and a lot of people feel the shifts are poor and make it feel like it has no power. Someone even said their Prius felt more powerful....

I dunno. Supposedly Toyo has TSBs out to fix this issue - some report they work / some don`t. If I could live with a GM product - prolly would have got one of their trucks.

Anyway, just went for a drive in my buddies new Z06 and hat to literally change my panties after. The thing really pulls when you get on it. Prolly the fastest car I`ll ever drive in. Supposedly it reaches 60mph in like 2.9 seconds....
 
Swanicyouth said:
I was surprised as well. It`s not so much reliability - like the thing breaks down, I guess it`s more customer satisfaction?

I joined a Tacoma forum & a Frontier forum and then studied both. There are several people that were just not happy with the Tacoma`s engine, transmission, driveline vibration, seating position, etc.. I didn`t really see much (if any) of that on the Frontier forum. It`s funny, because "professional" reviewers don`t seem to mention any of this - but somehow I trust the peeps in the forums more.

Also, there seemed to be a lot of posts of people spending good money for new Tacomas and getting rid of them within the first year because of not liking the engine/auto trans combo. So, the thing may run forever - but people complain stuff that makes driving it annoying. The auto trans is "adaptive" - so I guess it adapts and a lot of people feel the shifts are poor and make it feel like it has no power. Someone even said their Prius felt more powerful....

I dunno. Supposedly Toyo has TSBs out to fix this issue - some report they work / some don`t. If I could live with a GM product - prolly would have got one of their trucks.

Anyway, just went for a drive in my buddies new Z06 and hat to literally change my panties after. The thing really pulls when you get on it. Prolly the fastest car I`ll ever drive in. Supposedly it reaches 60mph in like 2.9 seconds....
Click to expand...

Considering 0-60 in 5secs is the fastest I`ve ever gone and my Toyota Avalon with 268 hp felt fast. The new Z06 would feel like a Saturn V:) I could afford about two payments on a Z06 and one tire.
 
Congrats, my business partner just got a 2017 Toyota TRD PRO 4runner in Cement. I love the way it looks and hasn`t had one issue yet.
 
My wife had a Frontier and loved it (she likes trucks and anything that lets her look over traffic). I was not a fan. The gas mileage was terrible. We had to fill it up every time we got into it. The ride was harsh (of course it`s a truck). I was starting to have back problems about the time she bought the truck, and the thing would beat me to death. I guess she got tired of my b**ching and got tired of filling up the bottomless pit and traded it for a Nissan Juke. I always loved the styling of the Frontier, it was just everything else that I had to put up with that killed it for me.
 
Swanicyouth, just re-read my reply and I think it sounded like I came off wrong. Just wanted to give you a first hand experience; wasn`t trying to put it down. I did love that little truck, just went a different route. Congrats again and I hope you have many years of trouble free service! B)
 
I have a `13 Tacoma. My bro-in-law had a `14 Nissan and the ride was way more harsh on the Nissan but it did have more power. As far as gas, I would say they are about the same...not good at all. I traded in my Sierra 5.3L and I can honestly say I got way better gas mileage on my full sized Sierra than on my Tacoma. The only reason I traded it in was because my son was starting to drive and was too intimidated with my Sierra since I had added a lift and bigger tires. He loves driving the Tacoma, very easy to handle, fits all his sport bags in it but I can`t wait till he takes over it full time and I get myself another Sierra.
 
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