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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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A lot of talk about paint chipping on 2005 Tacomas. I like both Nissans and Toyotas so I am going to tell you from experience. My previous Frontier had paint chips all over the place and two clear coat paint defects...one on the passenger door and another inside the driver door. Paint chipping behind the tires and doors all the way to the primer. It was the worst paint of any vehicle I have had to date. The splash guards on the Tacoma are slightly bigger than the Frontiers and they provide protection against chips, etc. They seem to keep the dirt off my truck very well. The composite bed...if that thing is so bad then we can expect a recall in the future. Composites are the material of the future so I think Toyota is ahead of the game. Lets just hope for the best. |
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Replying to: leob1 (Feb 08, 2005 10:34 pm) I am not asking this question as a challenge, but because I genuinely want to know: Did you actually test drive the '05 Frontier or did you base your decision based only on experience with your old model plus reviews? My impression of the Frontier is that it is quicker from a dead stop. I think we can agree that both V6s are more than adequate for highway driving. So then the reviewers' biases become something to watch carefully--most of them seem to prefer highway speed rather than ability to pull a trailer up a steep hill. |
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Replying to: coinneach (Feb 09, 2005 5:02 am) In case you haven't looked at the Frontier boards, the Tacoma vs. Frontier section is in BOTH Toyota and Nissan areas, which makes sense. Besides, most of us considering one of these vehicles are actually considering both. Better than sticking our heads in the sand. As for paint chipping, that '86 Bronco was one of many Fords with lousy paint jobs. I know someone whose '87 F250 had to be repainted TWICE. That's not saying anything about the numerous other problems he had with the truck. But after all the problems were finally dealt with, he was happy with the truck. I had a similar experience with my '00 Wrangler--lots of things had to be fixed in the first couple of years despite low mileage and no abuse. That doesn't mean the same vehicles are hopeless, but it's important that the dealerships be willing to help out (my friend's Ford dealers were total b  stards and had to be forced into dealing with the problems; I was luckier with the Jeep dealers). Autos have their ups and downs. Frankly, it sounds like this is one of Tacoma's not-so-hot years. Hopefully they will improve them, because it's better for every buyer if the automakers have to COMPETE. P.S. My current Toyota, a '92, has been troublefree...except for that head-gasket defect shared by countless other Toyota V6s. Like I said, watch out for those model-year ups and downs. |
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The reviews can bias a person towards the Tacoma for sure. I generally listen to people who are the 'experts' and magazine testers are experts in their field. Most of them ranked the Tacoma very highly. I reviewed the truck, got the same impression and thus bought it. I avoided Toyota's until now, because they were so freaking expensive and had the smallest rebates. There are reasons for that though. Obviously, 2005 is a great year...Tacoma is truck of the Year in at least one major mag and Consumer Guide ranks it as the Best Buy. |
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In regards to pulling power, torque is crucial. The Tacoma and Frontier are about equal. However, the Tacoma reaches it's peak torque at 3800 rpm while the Nissan has to reach 4000 rpm. The Frontier claims 20 more hp and 2 lbs more torque...however, check out the Frontier's slower acceleration times. I think that gear ratios and extra weight are factors and thus we can reach quick conclusions about towing ability. Something might 'feel faster' but the clocks don't lie. I learned about torque when my 03 Frontier could not pull a U-Haul trailer up a steep hill at slow speeds. I got stuck half way up and had to back myself down into a busy street. On the 2nd try I had to wind up 1st gear and even then barely made it. Pretty embarrassing...it was right next to a Chevy dealer too!
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Replying to: coinneach (Feb 09, 2005 5:02 am) |
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Paint Chips Interior water leak Rattling noises from the suspension and skidplates Frozen fuel lines Exhaust manifold leaks Am I missing anything?
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Replying to: leob1 (Feb 09, 2005 12:29 pm) I do know that Frontier's PEAK torque comes at 4000 rpm and Tacoma's PEAK at 3800 rpm. Problem is, there are no published torque vs. hp charts out for either truck. (If someone here can get them, please post the link.) I am fortunate to have owned two vehicles with fairly flat torque curves--making the point at which maximum torque occurs much less important than one with a sharply peaked curve. If Frontier makes a large percentage of its maximum torque from low to mid-range rpms, it might very well be stronger off a dead stop than the Tacoma is. I'm much more interested in what torque is at 1000 to 2500 rpms than at 4000. As for the respective max. torque numbers of both trucks, who cares about a 2 ft-lb difference, out of 280-something. Bet ya can't even detect that! BTW, I never look at torque/hp curves till AFTER I test drive. Blind test, no bias. Watch those reviews again, because some of them involve automatic transmissions. I test drove both Frontier and Tacoma as 6-speed manuals, to try to get the best comparisons (and because I don't like automatics). The other thing to watch out for is trying to conclude performance based on numbers taken out of context of the whole drivetrain. One of the 4WD mags (can't remember which, but I can find out after I return to the library to photocopy the article) published an article explaining in detail why looking at, say, only axle ratio, without considering other parts of the system can be misleading. Sounds like your '03 Frontier might have not had a low enough 1st gear, or maybe it was a 4-banger. Or maybe you were towing more than it's rated for. Again, a lot of info is missing. And it has nothing to do with comparisons of '05 Tacoma vs. '05 Frontier anyway; they are both very different from their old selves. |
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Replying to: atlgaxt (Feb 09, 2005 2:45 pm) cell phone interference with radio scratched cup holders glove box issue noisy roof rack
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Replying to: badness (Feb 03, 2005 6:45 pm) sincerely,Mr.know it all |
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