24hourcampfire.com
24hourcampfire.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 764
T
tjk Offline OP
Campfire Regular
OP Offline
Campfire Regular
T
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 764
Any opinions of these? Do they compare in any way to a Taco or Colorado? Prices I've seen for newer used ones got me to thinking(dangerous I know).

GB2

Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,096
T
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
T
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,096
My dad has a 2wd frontier with the 4.0 and auto. It’s an 08 I think. Other than a $300 fix for a known issue on the trans he has 204,000 trouble free miles. Great little pickup.

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,866
4
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
4
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,866
I like Toyotas, but if I were shopping for a mini truck, I'd take the Hardbody over a Taco, assuming that it has enough rear seat room for your needs.

The 4.0 is a great engine, just an old design and not the most efficient. Unlike some vintages of Tacos, the seats are up off the floor. And all the tender bits are above the bottom of the frame, if you travel off road, which is not so with the Taco. Frontier also has a solid recovery point on the front end.

Joined: May 2005
Posts: 14,104
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 14,104
Stepson had one for several years. We drove his for several days up in Nebraska while he was driving friends around in our Tundra. My only objections were that the cab was not as roomy as our Taco, and the gas mileage was pretty awful. It did have a lot of power off the line and it seemed like it would pull a load or a trailer pretty well--probably the combination of horsepower and gearing,

Last edited by mudhen; 07/08/18.

Ben

Some days it takes most of the day for me to do practically nothing...
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,884
J
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
J
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,884
New or used. I bought an 07 Tacoma new that is still in the driveway. It has been the best truck I've ever owned, but life changes and I reached the point where I needed a bigger truck. I kept the Tacoma and bought an F-150 crew cab..

If you're interested in something made prior to about 2015 it is close, but I'd take the Tacoma every time. Reliability is probably about the same, but the Tacoma is just a little bigger and more refined.

If you're looking at new ones I'm not so sure about Tacoma. They changed to a smaller 3.5L engine. It is supposed to put out about the same power and get better fuel mileage. But I'm hearing a lot of grumbling about performance and reliability issues. If buying a new small truck today I'd look real hard at Nissan and the Colorado. Toyota used to dominate that market. I haven't priced any in years, but you might be able to get a deal on a Nissan.

I know next to nothing about the Colorado, but I like their looks and the size. I'd be worth researching.


Most people don't really want the truth.

They just want constant reassurance that what they believe is the truth.
IC B2

Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,784
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 12,784
I would be interested in the Colorado, too, if every single GMC (excepting the Top Kick with the Cat diesel) I've owned / still own didn't completely come apart before 200K miles....

I've got a little Sonoma now, 200K miles, rebuilt engine already, and it's done. Motor mounts, drive line issues, front end issues. Same mileage Toyota still runs like a sowing machine, and has another 100K life left. Two full size GMC half tons, same story. 200K on them, and they are just coming apart at the seams. Both relegated to on farm chore trucks. Still happy, since I bought one for $1,000 and the other for $500. Try that with a similar mileage Toyota...


Sic Semper Tyrannis
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 5,881
Campfire Tracker
Online Content
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 5,881
Drive one first. My Dad has an extended cab model, not sure what year. The turning radius is awful. Took awhile to get used to it in a tight parking lot. I would not like it on small roads that require very tight turn arounds.


Don't just be a survivor, be a competitor.
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 29,383
O
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
O
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 29,383
Originally Posted by tjk
Any opinions of these? Do they compare in any way to a Taco or Colorado? Prices I've seen for newer used ones got me to thinking(dangerous I know).


No. I had crewcab for a while and was amazed on how poorly it was designed and constructed.

Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,644
2
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
2
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,644
I've got a 2012 frontier 4wd crew cab SV, auto transmission. Bought it new and have romped it for 207k miles. Always starts, always goes, never been stuck yet. Yes it's kind of a belly dragger, but the frame protects the underside very well. No repairs other than a front end rebuild, ball joints and bushings. But that to be expected from a truck that actually gets used. I'm betting I'll get over 300k on it. If I totaled this one today, I'd happily get a new one tomorrow. I like the quality of the truck. It's done everything I've needed, hauled out dead elk, deer, and bears. Its got me into and out of the hills each trip.

Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 8,413
T
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
T
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 8,413
Originally Posted by Kodiakisland
Drive one first. My Dad has an extended cab model, not sure what year. The turning radius is awful. Took awhile to get used to it in a tight parking lot. I would not like it on small roads that require very tight turn arounds.


I had a 2008 Frontier, now have a 2014 Tacoma. You're right about the Frontier turning radius being awful .. but the Taco is not one bit better. My father's std cab, long bed F250 will turn around in a 2 foot smaller diameter circle. I don't know what the published numbers are, but that's real world measured. Both had/have 6 speed manual transmissions and 4.0L engines and turn LT265-75x16 Toyo Open Country Mud Terrains, about as even a comparison as is possible. The Nissan either tied or bested the Toyota in every comparison I made. However, I did have a few more issues with my Nissan. Who knows, the Taco just hit 40K, the Frontier hit 87K before I traded it, and in the next 47K miles, the Toyota may have catch up.

Specific things I noticed.

The Nissan towed strong rated for 6300 pounds. It was in charge of the 5000 pound U-haul trailer I towed with it. The Toyota is rated at 6500 pounds. My friend's 2700 pound (actual weight, weighed on a truck scale) camp trailer pushed it around pretty bad. Overwhelming advantage to the Nissan.

Gas mileage ... long term average for the Nissan was 18.6 mpg, long term average for the Toyota is 16.0. Same roads, same speed, same driver.

The Nissan has a little better ground clearance. Toyota has some kind of crossmember that hangs down; Nissan doesn't.

Braking ... ok, the Toyota wins. The Nissan was incredible on dry pavement. It'd stop so fast it's shadow would continue on, then have to back up to rejoin it. But on gravel, the ABS would break loose and it wouldn't stop for [bleep]. The Toyota stops adequately on pavement, not as well, but adequately, and does a lot better on gravel. The one negative, sometimes the toyota brakes don't want to engage and when they do, it's abrupt. Seems to be triggered by dust. The Nissan was more consistent. The ABS worked great when you didn't need it and was a menace when you did need it.

Comfort ... the Nissan A/C is fully adequate, the Toyota A/C is weak. The Nissan had a better stereo. Toyota is a crew cab, Nissan was King cab ... the Toyota has better visiblity, smaller blind spots.

I have an unfixable problem with the Tacoma ... sway / body roll sensor triggers the brakes to lock when carving corners. If you drive like an old lady, you won't have a problem. If you drive like you enjoy it, the friggin' thing will lock the brakes causing massive understeer which may put you off the road ... has me a couple times. Once it locked on a freeway corner doing about 85 and it got ugly.

If I were buying a new truck, it would be Nissan Frontier over Toyota Tacoma. The only reason I haven't is the Nissan package I want is only offered with an automatic transmission. If I have to get an automatic to get the other features I want, I start looking at full-sized trucks.
Tom


Anyone who thinks there's two sides to everything hasn't met a M�bius strip.

Here be dragons ...
IC B3

Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 860
A
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
A
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 860
I had a 2010 Frontier Pro-4X crew cab (4.0 v6/5sp auto) for about 5 years and accumulated 87k miles (bought at 40k, sold at 127k). Other than routine maintenance I never put a dime into it. I was pretty religious about tracking mileage and over the last several years and >40k miles I averaged an honest 19mpg, including towing a 2500 lb pop-up for several thousand of those miles and with relatively heavy LT E-rated BFG All-Terrains installed. I agree with TOM about the towing from a power perspective but even my ~2500 lb pop-up camper would push the truck around in strong winds and buck over sizeable heaves in the road. The only reason I sold it was to move into a bigger truck (F-150). Given the current offerings in the mid-size market I'd go back to a Frontier without a second thought if my needs changed.

Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,776
S
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
S
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 2,776
Given what the smaller trucks get for fuel mileage, and their cost, you might want to look at full size 1/2 tons. A newer Ford F150 gets in the high teens for mileage on highway travel.

Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,699
T
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
T
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,699
Originally Posted by TheKid
My dad has a 2wd frontier with the 4.0 and auto. It’s an 08 I think. Other than a $300 fix for a known issue on the trans he has 204,000 trouble free miles. Great little pickup.


What was the transmission issue? Bought my 16yo son an 07 Xterra (same drivetrain I believe) with only 23k miles earlier this year. So far, no issues at all.

Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,492
R
Campfire Outfitter
Online Content
Campfire Outfitter
R
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 12,492
Originally Posted by TXRam
Originally Posted by TheKid
My dad has a 2wd frontier with the 4.0 and auto. It’s an 08 I think. Other than a $300 fix for a known issue on the trans he has 204,000 trouble free miles. Great little pickup.


What was the transmission issue? Bought my 16yo son an 07 Xterra (same drivetrain I believe) with only 23k miles earlier this year. So far, no issues at all.


Transmission cooler/radiator issues, they'd deal on a new radiator up to 80K miles, then it was on you. I had an '07 Frontier that needed the radiator replaced. No big deal, really, unless you didn't get it done.
I really liked my '07, enough that I drove it for 9 years, and replaced it with a '16, which I have now. The radiator issue has been fixed since earlier days. I'd check with a dealer about that radiator, it might need replacing. Do it before 80k, and you should be good.
I like the Nissans a lot, I'm on my fifth pickup, with no major issues at all. I do NOT like the schoolbus turning radius of these later mid-sized Frontiers, but otherwise, they drive nice and are comfortable on trips.


You can roll a turd in peanuts, dip it in chocolate, and it still ain't no damn Baby Ruth.

Moderated by  RickBin 

Link Copied to Clipboard
YB23

Who's Online Now
239 members (1Longbow, 12344mag, 160user, 257 roberts, 257 mag, 10Glocks, 25 invisible), 1,856 guests, and 874 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums81
Topics1,187,728
Posts18,400,800
Members73,822
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023


 







Fish & Game Departments | Solunar Tables | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA
Hunting | Fishing | Camping | Backpacking | Reloading | Campfire Forums | Gear Shop
Copyright © 2000-2024 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.3.33 Page Time: 0.060s Queries: 14 (0.002s) Memory: 0.8591 MB (Peak: 0.9710 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-29 10:41:15 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS