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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: bobwho (Mar 05, 2005 9:59 pm)
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Replying to: tacoman (May 18, 2005 7:48 pm) I would never boy another chevy truck AGAIN!! ONE PLUS THE STERO AND AC ROCK,THE SEAT SIT SO DARN LOW,I THOUGHT I WAS SITTING IN 2WD TRUCK,SO I SIT ON A PILLOW NOW. 
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I bought an 05 Tacoma five months ago and I've had enough of it. I've had every one of the common problems people report with the truck--cab mount bolt rattle, windshield water leak, brake shudder, acceleration vibration, and worst of all severe paint chipping. All I do with it is take it in for service and drive around in a different loaner car every month while I continue to make payments on it. I'm seriously considering trading it in for the Frontier, but I want to know if there are any common problems with the Frontier like there are with the Tacoma. Basically, I just want a truck I can rely on and drive every day, not something I have to take in for service week after week after week. Is that too much to ask for? My truck's currently in the shop for the paint problem (11 days in a loaner car for this problem so far and counting . . . ) and I'm stuck driving a Corolla, but as soon as I get it back I'm going to start looking for a new truck. I'm hoping it'll look presentable enough to sell or trade-in. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the lowest, my Tacoma experience so far has been a big fat ZERO. I don't want to make the same mistake again, which is why I'm asking about the Frontier.
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Replying to: nickt1 (May 19, 2005 2:29 pm) IMO, you'll sacrifce some capability and probably lose the ammount of support (because nissan is a smaller company) but It's statisiclly improbable you would get the same number of problems. (Plus I want a cheap used 2005 tacoma). If the shop has your car for too long you can get a new one under the lemon laws in your state. |
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Replying to: nickt1 (May 19, 2005 2:29 pm) If you're seriously considering trading it, before you go to Nissan, try getting the dealership to take it back and give you a new one. They can make the first one a demo, and put it back on the lot. If they're confident that it's fixed properly, why wouldn't they take it? The Nissan dealer probably won't give you as much for it as your dealer. You chose a Tacoma over the Frontier originally, so I suggest you do what you can to stick with a Tacoma... just a few thoughts... |
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After test driving both the Tacoma and Frontier trucks (on 3 occassions at 3 separate dealers) here are my observations: (Tacomas that I drove were access cab 4WD, auto trans with TRD off road #2 package. Frontiers were king cab 4WD, auto trans with NISMO package. Both had the V6) Engine/Power- Nissan felt like it had more guts with crisper shift points. Although, the Toyota felt smoother and seemed like it could rev forever without reaching a red line. The Nissan accelerated quickly, but I'd be willing to bet that the speed was a little deceiving and 0-60 or quarter mile times for both trucks would be very, very close. Both engines had plenty of power and torque. Suspension/Handling- I think both trucks felt solid and could easily handle any terrain. The Tacoma rode a little bit better as the Frontier felt "springy" and bounced around a little bit more. However, the steering in the Frontier felt tighter and not as "loose" as the Tacoma. At highway speed, both trucks were similar. Exterior- This would have to be based on personal preference. The Frontier's front end looks great, but for some unknown reason Nissan decided to leave the rear access door hinges exposed and clearly visible when looking at the truck from the rear. Given this and the way the sheetmetal is formed on the front of the box, it almost reminds me of a Ford Explorer Sport Trac (which isn't a good thing). The Tacomas that I drove were sharp, but in other configurations, they didn't look as good. So again, personal preference. Interior- This is the one category where Toyota is the clear winner. The Tacoma interior was more comfortable, had much more space, and just looked better. I think Nissan built a solid truck with a great powertrain and COMPLETELY missed with the mark with their interior. Things I didn't like aout the Frontier were- no space behind the front seats whatsoever. I am only 5'8" and with the drivers seat comfortably adjusted, I don't know if a set of golf clubs would fit in the back without having to jam and force the bag in. And, don't even think about putting adult (or child) passengers back there. One time, one of my friends went on the test drive and had to sit sideways with his knees in his face. The Tacoma just had a lot more room. Also on the Frontier, the center console arm rest is much lower than the arm rest on the door and sits back too far. This makes the driver feel lopsided when grasping the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock and drove me nuts. However, the seats in both trucks were very supportive and comfortable. The Nissan interior also had an overuse of plain black plastic. For example, the entire door panel was plain black plastic. And the dash....plain black plastic. The Tacoma had better trim and finishes on the doors, dashboard, and gauges. The seats in the Tacoma are a little low as some people have stated. I would have to disagree with other complaints about road and wind noise; I thought both trucks were quiet enough and didn't notice anything worth mentioning. Price- A Toyota will cost a grand or two more, but you're getting a bigger, roomier truck with a slightly higher resale...so I'd say both trucks are equal. Overall- Both trucks would be good choice, but I'd have to say the Tacoma is slightly better because of the interior. Nissan greatly improved the '05 model from last year, but just did some things with the interior that I don't understand.
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After thoroughly checking out the Tacoma and the Frontier (both Crew cabs 4X4), I am voting with my wallet for a new Frontier LE 4X4. I placed my order today for a new Frontier 4x4 LE Crew cab. Why? The Nissan is loaded with real engineering merit and sensible designs. The interior is functional, not like the garrish arcade game setup of the Toyota. The Nissan has 4 wheel disc brakes, not the 1965 drum arrangement of Toyota. Toyota needs to come into the 21st century. Drum brakes?????? Doh! Another hidden cost cutting move by Toyota that the naive truck buyer won't notice. After all, brakes aren't that important, are they? That's what Toyota obviously believes. The Nissan has a full BOXED frame made of super high tensile strength steel and not a half frame like Toyota. Wait till the Toyota guys twist their body while snagging a heavy tow load. A full frame is ESSENTIAL in a truck. Toyota has a toy mentality. It looks tough but it is a sissy underneath. The Nissan has vitally important curtain air bags, Toyota has zilch. Good luck in an accident if you have a Toyota. Sitting in the Frontier, my left leg can relax and has full room due to engineers providing extra clearance in the door panel. The Frontier has a whopping 3" more hip room than the Toyota which makes for that real comfort while driving. Toyota clearly does not care about comfort and space for American legs as the door panel protrudes into your leg and bruises you on long drives. The cargo box track sliding mechanism in the Frontier is SUPER heavy duty and super trick. The Toyota track is pure Mickey Mouse crap. Really, it is small, dinky and quite a laughable arangement. The drive experience of the Nissan was more responsive, better feedback steering control, more responsive braking than the Toyota. Its got an enlarged free breathing engine with CONTINUOUSLY variable valve timing and variable intake manifold based on the 350Z class engine. That's what Porsche and Ferrari does on its engines to help generate more power grunt with better economy. There is even two cigarette outlets in the dash (switched and always on) for accessories. Nice. The radio sounds wonderful and even has a knob to tune stations instead of the insideous all digital rocker button nonsense. Toyota sings the tune but does not walk the walk. The Toyota engineers are mainly about marketing the 'look' but not the machine. The clear proof of this statement is the hood scoop on the high end sport models. It is there but it is totally cosmetic, it does not work, it does not help, it is a wart on the hood. Nissan is all about performance and pure engineering design in my book. Toyota has succumbed to just trying to suck in the weak minded and inexperience people to buy the sizzle and not care about the steak. No flames please. This entire post is based on my experience over the past week conscientiously comparing the two vehicles. Nissan is a clearly a better vehicle than its comparable Toyota model, hands down.
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i am sorry you feel so strongly against toyota, i proudly own a 05 tacoma and love every minute of driving it, long drives are very comfortable, i feel i made a very good choice in my purchase. tacoma has side airbags on selected options, just as nissan, tacoma has strong crash test ratings from the nhtsa. i have put 6000 miles on my tacoma in four months and all seems well with no problems, thank you 
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Replying to: skytop1 (Jun 10, 2005 7:05 pm) 18 mpg worst milage 20mpg best milage on regular gas. I love this truck Nissan got it right. Michael from florida |
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