Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Tacoma versus Frontier

Looking for opinions on how these two stack up against each other. I get the feeling that the Nissan is catching up a bit to the Tacoma. Don’t want to purchase anything built by the UAW, so only considering these two. I’d like to buy something used in the 2019/2020 range.

I've found used Tacomas to be a terrible deal because they are ridiculously priced or beat to hell. New Toyotas in Texas are also packed with $3-10K worth of unwanted crap because there is a single distributor called "Gulf States Toyota". I had to drive to Colorado to buy a base model for MSRP.

A friend has a Frontier and it's been a good truck for him but I don't know much more.

No comparison. Based on about any Toyota Tacoma that is on the market. If you see one you like, best buy it, because it won't be there tomorrow.
First one I had was 4 cyl. Sold it at 275 K and it is still running. One I have now has 160 K on it and has had very little maintenance.

They are both redesigned models for 2024, so no track record, really. I am a HUGE fan of the pre-midsize Toyotas, and have had a Frontier as a farm truck, but that's all old model information. From what I see, the Nissan is getting closer, but I doubt they have matched build quality yet. Then again, if build quality was everything, I'd be driving a Toyota, and I don't own one anymore.

I traded a 2008 Tacoma on a 23 Frontier last year. No problems with the Frontier. I have only driven it 3000 miles, however. The one criticism of the Frontier is that the shifting of the the transmission is a bit rough. I found the same thing in the 23 Tacomas I test drove as well. The 4L with the 6 speed auto in the Tacomas was a great combination. It's a shame they went away from it.

Depends on your needs. If it's a grocery getter that occasionally has a dirty dog in the back, the Nissan will be fine. If you are going to use it more like a truck or off road, get the Tacoma.

Frontier is noisier then a Tacoma which tells me it does not have the same build quality, Past and Present history I would go Toyota . I thought it was more cramped than the Tacoma I was looking at . I would not buy one in NC though I would go across the state line to VA and buy one. Believe it or not they have a different distributor then Southeast Toyota and vehicles have different builds and packages and are generally a little cheaper.


Good Luck

If frontier is using the jatco trans it’s an EASY pass.
I believe there’s a large recall of 20-23 models because of the trans.

My wife and I were pickup shopping in fall 2022 and that was the worst time, but my high miles full size chevy was throwing low oil pressure lights and we wanted to buy something before we HAD to buy something.
The 6 foot box became a sore point looking at all the full size and midsize models. The new full size pickups are huge now and they barley fit in my gargae.
So we dropped down to a midsize and only Nissan or toyota have 6 foot boxes.

The nissan was alright but the steering was heavy and my wife hated the seats. There are less little creature features than tacoma.

in the end, we bought a tacoma and its certainly not a full size for comfort and noise.
I don't like sliding my knee under the tacoma steering wheel to get in.
Sometimes I think I should have looked at the nissan harder, but the tacoma wins for resale reputaion.

Were going back to full size when my semi-retired chevy officially dies though. That 2008 still feels more solid more enjoyable to drive than my 2022 tacoma.

Have a 2023 Tacoma TRD, V6, 6’ bed, 4 door. I installed a Diamondback aluminum tonneau cover, bull bar, sliders and mud flaps. I had been driving full sized diesels in the past. My only minor issue is that it’s a bit of a dog. Now, I have to learn to get use to the V6. There is only 5600 miles on the odometer. I bought one without the mapping option because I have a good Garmin unit that fits very well. I has no DVD player, no need. Had butt heaters installed, wife’s option. I am awaiting an oil change kit to do so NOW. Not going to go with the Toyota recommended 10,000 mile oil changes. At some point I will install a K&N free breathing air filter element.
We live in mountain region and my mileage is good. Albeit a little slow sometimes on the acceleration. Do not plan to chip but may have a tune done next spring. Toyota longevity has been historically good. The dealer actually offered us a good deal on our trade in. As far as Nissans are concerned. I have three other vehicles. All Nissans. Two are 2000 models with the 3.3L, V6. This is a good engine. Had a 2017 Titan with the V8 Cummins diesel. It spent so much time at the dealership for repair I was forced to trade it for my Tacoma. We nicknamed it the “Titanic”. Horrible truck.
So, these are my thoughts for you to weigh. Good luck! MTG

It looks like the recall on the transmission it relates to the parking pawl. I have also heard that Nissan transmissions are not the best.

The current 3rd generation Tacoma has the 3.5L V6. It is a minivan engine that needs 4500 rpm to get its torque. It's a little weak and the transmission, while reliable, is constantly shifting trying to stay in the rpm range needed for power.

Payload on a 4X4 crewcab Tacoma is in the 900-1000 lb range. Just for reference my sons Honda Fit is 800 lbs and our Explorer is 1500 lbs. I think they are just as reliable as any other Tacoma, but I'd have to pass on the drivetrain if I needed to haul or tow anything.

If I were interested in a Tacoma I'd find an older 2nd generation with the 4.0L V6. It has more power and at lower rpm for towing or hauling. Payload isn't great, but a little better at 1200-1300 lbs. I think 2014 or 2015 was the last year for 2nd generation trucks.

My 2007 has 243,000 trouble free miles on it. I may be interested in buying another in a year or 2. I'm waiting for the 2024's to be on the road for at least a year and see how they do. It is going to have a 2.7L turbocharged 4 cylinder engine. It should have more power and at lower rpm. Will have to wait and see what they do with payload and tow ratings.

If I don't like the 2024's I may just rebuild/repaint my 2007 and keep it.

You are correct. The 2015 is the last of the best Taco's.

I just took a friend’s 23 Taco in for first oil change. I was not impressed with the power of the 3.5.

OTT tune.

I don’t even recommend regular drive mode unless on a flat highway.

With OTT and higher octane gas, I usually pull away form Ferrari around town.

I've owned both but not in that time range. My last Nissan was a 2008, Taco a 2014. Gas mileage, power, and ride comfort definitely favor the Nissan. Maintenance favors the Tacoma. Being newer, the Tacoma had more creature comforts. The Nissan wasn't bad, probably on par with other things I've owned, but the Tacoma as required almost no maintenance other than regular scheduled stuff in almost 10 years and just over 100K miles. Both had the available offroad packages, 4wd, 6 speed manuals, 4.0L V6 engines, the only difference in truth was King Cab (nissan) vs Crew Cab (Toyota) and 6 vs 5 foot beds respectively. Not much difference to make a choice on.

I couldn't have said it better. I have had 3 2nd Gen Tacomas and I liked them all (including the 4 cyl) better than the 3rd Gen 3.5L V6 Tacoma I owned. I traded in the 3rd Gen with only 6k miles on it. The constant shifting/gear hunting in the auto and lack of lower RPM power drove me nuts. I also had the OTT tune done....

I will be looking at the 4th Gen Tacoma when they come out, but I am not sure I will chance it on a first year model. Time will tell....

I have done a little research and found a product called Pedal Commander that is supposed to significantly decrease the throttle lag that plagues the Tacoma. Anyone try one of these things?

But tacomas are so great, why would you need to buy aftermarket gizmos for throttle response? Lol

I've owned a few tacomas, 2001 x2 (double and reg cab), 2009, 2010, and 2013. 2.7, 3.4, and 4.0 engines. I also owned a 2012 nissan frontier. The frontier was better in almost every category except aftermarket parts.

Toyota's engineers are just like those with any other car company. They have to justify their jobs. If they have something that really works, they can't sit back and let it work. They have to 'fix' it to make it better. So many times, their 'fixes' screw up something and it never works as well again.