2018 Nissan Frontier Review

The Frontier's 261 horsepower is the lowest in the class, but the stout 281 pound-feet of torque makes up for it. The 4.0-liter V6 engine feels very responsive and fun, and it generates power with minimal pedal effort. In our testing, the Frontier posted a 0-60 mph time of 8 seconds. That is slower than the segment leaders but adequately quick for a midsize pickup.

The brakes engage smoothly and slow the truck easily in everyday driving. But in panic-stop situations, the front end dives and the pedal goes soft. You'll want plenty of room to slow the Frontier from highway speeds. In our emergency braking test, the Frontier needed 135 feet to stop from 60 mph. That is a long distance by any measure, even for a pickup.

Compared to other midsize and full-size trucks, the Frontier's steering is loose and sloppy, with a lot of steering-wheel free play. Accuracy is more an idea than a reality. But the truck is still easy to maneuver. You can adapt to the Frontier's wide margin of steering motion, but you shouldn't have to.

The Frontier is compact and stable when going around turns. It stays fairly controlled and, despite its height, doesn't feel too top-heavy. Steering that is both mushy and numb limits how much you'll want to push this truck on the road, but we suspect there's much fun to be had in the wide-open dirt.

Its five-speed transmission seems ancient, but long gear ratios suit this engine well. The throttle response might be too quick for some drivers, but we prefer it to the sluggish pedal feel in Toyota and Chevy competitors. Quick power delivery also helps make the truck feel light and nimble in traffic.

You get more off-road gear in the Pro-4X model, but our SV trim test truck is plenty capable in the rough. With 8.9 inches of ground clearance (slightly taller at the rear differential) and generous approach and departure angles, the Frontier is at home on the trails and in the mud.

The relatively formless seats are standard work-truck fare, but they do the job. With a minimal range of adjustments, they're definitely not from Nissan's line of NASA-derived Zero Gravity seats. The rear seatbacks are pretty straight and not suited for long rides.

The Frontier's ride is surprisingly supple for a pickup. The knobby tires create some consistent bumpiness, and the chassis has the cabin in a constant state of bobbing and weaving. But sharper potholes and other road impacts are nicely ironed out.

You'll hear the dull hum from knobby tires as well as plenty of wind noise when the wind rushes over the windshield and roof. But the cabin feels surprisingly tight with no excessive rattling or vibrations coming through the cowl or panels. It's about what you'd expect from a midsize pickup but noisier than its newer rivals.

You'll find just the basics, with three knobs and a handful of vent select buttons. The optional dual-zone automatic control and heated seats give the truck some modernity, but old-school LCD temperature readouts remind you of the interior's age. The system is still effective, and it heats and cools the cabin quickly.

Beyond the climate and audio controls, there's not much to fuss over. A row of buttons fore of the gear selector includes traction control, seat heating and a cargo bed light. A simple knob engages and selects 4WD modes. The controls are clearly marked, and you won't need to crack open the manual.

The doors open wide — nearly 90 degrees — which not only makes cargo loading easy but also allows plenty of space to ease passengers' entry and exit. The Frontier does ride a little high, but grab handles, narrow doorsills and, in the case of our test truck, side steps make it easy to hop in and out of the cabin.

The seat height is fixed, and seat adjustments are at a minimum. But we didn't have any trouble finding a comfortable position. The Frontier provides good visibility, comfort, and a feeling of confidence and control.

The cabin is roomy, at least up front. There's suitable elbow room between front passengers and door panels. In back, the seatbacks are set upright, and the front seats have a noticeable rearward rake even when set at a neutral position. That results in less legroom than average. Six-foot-tall people will be cozy.

There's decent visibility to the side and out the rear sides since cabin pillars aren't too wide to intrude on the view. The rear-seat headrests are a different story: They're ginormous and ugly, and they interfere with the view out the back, even with a good expanse of rear glass.

Despite an aging interior, the Frontier remains solid and well-built. Its robust frame and suspension and plastic interior encourage heavy use and enjoyment. While we're sure shakes and rattles come with time — though we didn't experience any — it's easy not to be precious with the Frontier.

Small-item storage is limited to the center console, a molded bottle holder and a door pocket in each door, and a small shelf fore of the shifter suited to a phone or small device. The molded storage area under the rear seats is useful for storing tools, straps and other accoutrements of work-truck or off-road utility.

There's not a lot of cargo space in the rear cab, but the seat cushions flip up to create an open floor. A molded cubby box under the seats offers room for small items, but it also compromises floor space and hinders loading long, flat items.

LATCH anchors are easy to access just below the surface of rear seat cushions. Top tether anchors are attached to the rear back cab wall. Tight backseat space and upright seatbacks may prevent a good fit for larger rear-facing seats without first sliding the front seat far forward.

The Frontier's towing capacity ranges from around 6,100 pounds to 6,500 pounds, depending on trim, transmission, drivetrain and bed length. Our test truck — a short-bed SV 4WD — was rated at 6,370 pounds.

Integrated bed side rails and movable tie-down cleats make a handy way to secure cargo, especially for outdoor gear such as dirt bikes. The Frontier's short bed is 5 feet long, but the SV trim offers the longer 6.1-foot bed. The Frontier has a max payload of 1,350 pounds, the lowest in the segment.

The Frontier's audio system is basic but sounds surprisingly good. Clarity, definition and accuracy at high volume are good — even the bass is fairly punchy. Our SV test model didn't include navigation, but it's available on upper trim levels.

Our test truck came with Bluetooth and a single USB port for phone or device connection. Probably not an issue if driven mostly by a solo driver, but passengers who ride in back are left out. A single 12-volt power point at least offers the possibility of using a third-party dual-port USB charger.

Our truck had rear parking sensors and a rearview camera, and that's it. The sensors were optional, but common aids such as blind-spot monitoring, forward collision alert and automatic braking aren't available on any Frontier. Their absence might burnish the Frontier's credibility, but many drivers will expect more.

Nissan's onboard system in our test truck was limited to basic hands-free phone functions: searching phonebook, placing calls and reviewing call history. Siri Eyes Free is included (accessed by a long press of the talk command switch on the steering wheel), opening up additional functions for iPhone users.

The base S trim starts with two-wheel drive, an extended cab, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission. Standard features include 15-inch steel wheels, rear privacy glass, cloth front bucket seats, air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth, a rearview camera, a 5-inch central display, steering wheel audio controls, Siri Eyes Free voice command, and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player, USB input and an auxiliary audio jack.

An optional Work Truck package adds a spray-in bedliner, bed rail caps, splash guards and rubber floor mats.

The SV builds on the above features with 16-inch alloy wheels, power accessories (windows, door locks), sliding rear window, and satellite radio. Options include a sunroof on the crew cab and a Value Truck package that adds foglights, rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, a sliding bed extender, a spray-in bedliner, adjustable cargo tie-downs, a Class IV trailer hitch, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and two extra speakers on extended cabs.

The SV crew cab is also available with the Midnight Edition package, which adds blacked-out 18-inch wheels, side steps, body-colored bumpers, and side mirror housings.

The Desert Runner is a rear-wheel-drive V6 only. Available in either cab configuration, it builds on the base SV equipment list with special styling details, foglights, high-performance shock absorbers and off-road tires. The SV Value package equipment isn't available with this trim.

For serious off-roaders, there is the four-wheel-drive-only Pro-4X. This trim features knobby off-road tires, specially tuned shocks, a locking rear differential, skid plates, automatic headlights, a 5.8-inch NissanConnect touchscreen with navigation, satellite radio and voice controls, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a first-aid kit. It includes everything in the SV Value Truck package except the trailer hitch and bed extender, which are optional. Crew cabs also get a 10-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system.

The Pro-4X Premium package, only available on automatic-equipped crew cabs, adds a sunroof, a roof rack with crossbars, heated mirrors, leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats and a rear-seat center armrest.

The top-level SL is only available as a crew cab with the automatic transmission. It loses the Pro-4X's off-road-oriented equipment but retains most of the items in the Pro-4X Premium package, including a sunroof for long-bed SLs. (The sunroof is a stand-alone option for short-bed SLs.) Additional standard features include 18-inch alloy wheels and side steps that ease access to the cab. The trailer hitch and bed extender remain optional on the Frontier SL.