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Pickups Toyota Tacoma Toyota Tacoma vs Nissan Frontier
1428 messages, Last post on Jul 02, 2008 at 6:58 PM
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Replying to: tent2tt (Jun 22, 2007 10:39 am) Also, the RV trailers are not that heavy but when you start loading them down is where you will get into trouble. my BIL has a 4,800 GVW trailer but by the time you get 4 bicycles, groceries, water, food, clothes, etc. you will approach or exceed the GVW of either truck unless you travel lighter than most of us. The Titan has some EXCELLENT reviews for towing trailers and while they are rated for 9300 +/- pounds, they are capable of much more. Read in a RV or boat magazine where a guy in Florida was towing a 13,000 +/- cigarette boat with no problems. I would think long in hard of a 5th wheel in either, especially the Toyota since it has less power.
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Replying to: carnut21 (Jun 23, 2007 2:03 pm) Thanks for your response--great to hear that it tows well. We loved the ride and power of the 4 x 2 we test drove... have you ever pulled anything through mud, sand or snow with your 2WD? We'd rather get a 2WD, but are likely to take some backroads that may be muddy, sandy and rocky, so thought we might need that 4WD, though the 2WD felt very capable. I am sure the Titan is a great truck for hauling, but we wanted the Frontier because we will only be towing 6-8 times a year to go on vacation, and wanted a smaller truck as our second car for around town and Home Depot runs. We are factoring the weight of all cargo, water, occupants and additional options onto the dry weight of all trailers and fifth wheels being considered so that the total amount being towed never exceeds 5,500 lbs. This allows for a 600 lb. margin between the maximum weight being towed and the max tow rating for a 4 x 4 NISMO Frontier or a 800 lb. margin with a 4 x 2 NISMO. What do you think--is that adequate? |
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Here in Austin the Toyota and Nissan dealerships are next to each other. Just got home from driving both. Each was access cab, 4cyl, auto, base units. The Tacoma had a smoother engine, smoother ride, but bad driving position. The Frontier had a nicer driving position and tighter handling, but the engine seemed stressed, the ride was firmer. I also experiences blind spots in the Nissan. I think if the Tacoma's steering wheel was positioned out towards the driver, it would win hands down. So now, I'm still confused!
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Replying to: chris512 (Jun 30, 2007 10:39 am)
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Replying to: asa (Jul 01, 2007 4:32 am) However, after the first 3 test drives in 4 x 4s, we thought for sure we'd have to go with a 4 x 2 after all, because the 4 x 4's felt sluggish and not nearly as nimble--in fact, the first 4 x 4 was definitely the runt of that day's assembly line litter, because the engine was noisy and anything but smooth and the traction control was doing weird things. The last 4 x 4 we test drove we bought a little below invoice at 2.9% financing and took home with us last night--its engine feels almost as powerful as the 4 x 2, it's ride almost as smooth. Considering that the 4 x 4 components add 200 lbs. of weight, that is quite an accomplishment. I have a Nissan Altima 2000 and I can say that nearly every time I have had it serviced, the mechanics have made some comment about what an unusually zippy engine it has--so not every car is created equal. After 7 years and 79,000 miles, my Altima feels just like it did driving new...it's going to be really hard to let it go, but we only need one commuter car and we are keeping the one with the very best gas mileage to offset the loss in gas mileage on the truck (my Altima gets 27 mpg, my wife's Echo gets 37-39). Point is, each one is unique. Test drive several of the same model with the same features to find the one whose ride fits you to a T. It's a lot easier to stomach the immediate depreciation of the vehicle (and in our case, the lower gas mileage that the 4 x4 gets) when you really love the ride. Before this purchase, I hadn't realized to what extent an individual vehicle's performance could vary. The same day we bought our new truck, we had test driven an identical one (exactly same features and options and miles on it...only 17) that was actually in the color we really wanted (white) but we were completely unimpressed with the drive. With how few of these 4 x 4 there are within reasonable distance from us, we felt good about getting one that drives like a dream. Now, does anyone know what aftermarket add-ons GENUINELY increase the gas mileage? We got 16.9 mpg on the freeway coming home--it started out much lower than that, but increased as we kept driving. Didn't think gas engines really had a "break-in" period in terms of gas mileage increases. Note that we will not be blazing any new off-road trails because we will not destroy pristine areas or contribute to new erosion problems. Our other car is a Toyota Echo and we are planning to get the plug-in Prius when it's available to help balance out having this truck. Happy Shopping and Happy Trails!
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Replying to: tent2tt (Jul 01, 2007 5:56 am) I drive quite conservatively 90% of the time, so consequently, get decent gas mileage. I'm not at all concerned about fuel prices, because for one, I average 9000 miles per year including a yearly long road trip. And this truck is my wife's and I only vehicle. Enjoy! |
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With the recent $2K rebate for '07 model year close outs that Nissan has been advertising, I was basically sold on the Frontier. It was a no brainer to get the Nissan when a comparably equiped Tacoma was $4,500 more with fewer options. Previously I had an '01 Taco D-Cab 4x4 SR5. It was a great truck but a bit under powered and tight in the rear seats. I didn't like the way the seat was positioned and the limited head room but otherwise I loved my Taco. It never failed me in the mtns during ski season or those few sudden winter storms that came up in the PNW. The new '07 Frontier is roomier, and with a much bigger engine. It has a great ride that is much less truck like on the highways and much more quiet than my '01 Tacoma. I would say that the interior on the Tacoma is better. I liked the white gauges on the Toyota. The interior plastic and fabric door trim was nice too. The Frontier interior with the hard plastic and the small traditional gauges is not as nice IMHO. I do like the gauge that tells you what gear you are in and the 4WD indicator though. The extra nooks and water bottle storage compartments in the front door are nice features too. The flip up rear seats with storage compartments are also clever. I like the locking rear tail gate and the standard spray in bed liner and rail system that comes with the SE package. My previous truck to the Tacoma was a 4x2 Nissan hardbody that I had for 10 years. The only thing I replaced on that truck was the battery, oil and a starter motor. After 90K miles the rear brake padsfinally wore out, and the clutch started to stick at 130k miles. Consumer Reports has some very favorable ratings on the Nissan Frontier reliability, and my own past experience with Nissan has been nothing but great. I think both trucks are great vehicles but for me it came down to price, and I just couldn't justify spending the extra dough on a Tacoma. |
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| they were the same price could I justify buying the Tacoma. | |
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Btw, don't forget that the Frontier has a TIMING CHAIN!! I can't tell you how happy that makes me. My 1998 Nissan Maxima has a timing chain, and it now has 227,000 miles, without ever having to worry about replacing a timing belt. All I have done is oil changes and basic maintenance. Does the Tacoma have that? I think not. Also, if you read the Feb. 2007 issue of Car and Driver, they have a 40,000 mile report on the Toyota Tacoma Double-Cab. The title of the article is "Growing Pains." I quote: ". . . All of us noted that the Tacoma's structure lacked adequate rigidity. By the truck's 40,000 mile mark, tranversing a large bump would cause the body to quiver and the door seals to squeak. That, combined with the floppy suspension, made the Tacoma an unpopular choice for the drive home after work. . ." End quote. Anyways, if you want to buy a Tacoma, more power to you, but I for one LOVE my Frontier.  In comparison, the Frontier has a full, ladder box frame, so you will not have those problems. A guy at the Toyota dealer told me that Toyota is working on making the welds stronger on the Tacoma for next year, because the squeaking has been a problem on Tacoma's.
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Replying to: ocrealtor (Aug 08, 2007 12:17 pm) I ended up trading the 05 Frontier for an 07 Tundra. Gave up some off-road ability (Tundra is much wider and longer), gained full size comfort and hauling ability, 5.7 V-8 is a hoot, lost 1 mpg (15 in the Tundra vs 16 in the Frontier). BTW, the Frontier engine is an incredible V6, probably one of the truck's best features just like the Tundra 5.7 is one of its best features. The Frontier automatic was smooth, but lacked the grade logic the new Tundra has.
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