I’m not going to lie. I’ve never been a fan of small trucks like the Nissan Frontier. They seemed like such a waste to me. When I need a truck, I need a big one to haul straw for the garden, lumber for projects, appliances, or large furniture. Besides, in Texas, only a full-size is considered a ‘real truck.’
My oldest brother helped me to see that small to mid-size trucks have a very loyal fan base and purpose. The off-road enthusiast loves a smaller truck that handles rough terrain and is light enough for those muddy areas where a large truck would bog down. Growing up, my brother was constantly hauling canoes, fishing rods, and hunting gear all over the mountains and hallows of south eastern Kentucky. A small 4×4 truck or SUV was his vehicle of choice every time.
So, when I got the 2016 Nissan Frontier PRO-4x for a week, I decided to channel my adventurous side and take the truck down to the lake. It had just rained, so there were plenty of ruts and slippery puddles on the dirt roads around the lake. I had a lot of fun and was impressed that I never even needed the four wheel drive! There’s no way I could have driven those roads with a big truck without getting myself stuck. No way.
Now that I’ve seen the light and had a blast in the Frontier, I want to highlight a few of its features.
The 2016 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X Exterior is Built for Extreme Adventure
From the off-road tires to the factory applied bed liner, Utili-track channel system, front tow hook, oil pan, fuel tank, and transfer case skid plates, and the fog lights this truck is well equipped for any outdoor adventure. I really like Nissan’s bed liners. I’ve seen a lot, and theirs are really tough. I also like Nissan’s roof racks with cross bars. Very impressive.
Inside the 2016 Nissan Frontier – Comfort and Convenience
While mid-size trucks aren’t known for luxury and extreme comfort, the Frontier has a really good middle ground interior. It is neither plain-jane and bare, nor extra fancy. It feels like a truck you could drive to work in every morning, yet not worry about mussing it up over the weekend. I enjoyed the 8-way power heated driver seat, the leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift, the NissanConnect with it’s 5.8″ touch screen display, and the Bluetooth hands-free system with steering wheel controls. The rear sonar system and the backup camera are also super helpful when you’re trying to back your way out of a too-muddy trail. *ahem*
Under the Hood of the Nissan Frontier PRO-4x
I don’t normally talk about the technical specs on a vehicle. It’s just not my area of experitse and honestly, those are all neat little facts you’ll find on a spec sheet at the dealership. But, I wanted to touch on it real quickly with this truck because I actually wasn’t impressed with something we know as gas mileage. I know this has to do with gearing, but most full-size trucks these days are getting as good, or better, gas mileage than this truck. At 15-21mpg fuel economy, and me never seeing over 17, even on the highway, I was rather depressed. I wasn’t even using the 4×4! My all-time all-wheel drive SUV’s all got this back in the late 90’s. Please, Nissan, be the first to break this small truck phenomenon where the whole industry seems to be stuck. A small truck like this should move from daily commute to weekend adventure with ease and no one wants 17mpg for their daily commute. That said, this little truck boasts a 4.0 liter DOCH V6 engine which gives you 261 horsepower and 281 lb-foot of torque. It has a 5-speed automatic transmission with a shirt-on-the-fly 4WD system and lots of other off-road features.
So, did I like it?
I think this would be better answered with a super-country sounding video I shot when I took the truck out to the lake.
