Test Drive: Nissan Frontier - a rugged, practical hauler (with video)

photo Our Cayenne Red Nissan Frontier tester has a lot of presence for a compact truck.

FAST FACTS* Model: Nissan Frontier SV 4X4 crew cab* Exterior color: Cayenne Red* Interior color: Beige* Engine: 4.0-liter, six-cylinder* Horsepower: 261* Transmission: five-speed automatic* Fuel economy: 21 mpg city, 15 mpg highway* Dealer: Nissan of Chattanooga East (formerly Hunt Nissan)* Price (as tested): $28,981

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Let's face it, most people who drive pickups for basic transportation don't need big, half-ton work trucks such as the Nissan Titan or the Ford F-150. For folks who just need a truck to get the kids to school, or maybe to haul an occasional Christmas tree or a pile of mulch, a compact truck does the job perfectly.

If that describes you, high on your shopping list should be the practical and durable Nissan Frontier.

This week's tester is a Cayenne Red Frontier 4X4 provided by Nissan of Chattanooga East General Manager Danny McVay. The Chapman Road dealership was formerly Hunt Nissan before being purchased recently by Charlotte, N.C.-based Sonic Automotive.

The Frontier line starts at about $18,000 and climbs to $35,000 and beyond for top-of-the-line models with a special off-road package. Our well-equipped, Frontier 4X4 SV crew-cab tester has an asking price of $28,981 under the dealer's market-based "True Price" discounting system.

Nissan, formerly Datsun, actually pioneered the compact truck segment in the late 1950s, and has had a strong share of the small truck market ever since. Competitors in the segment include the soon-to-be-revamped Chevrolet Colorado, the Toyota Tacoma and the Honda Ridgeline.

STYLING AND FEATURES

The 2015 Frontier crew cab has a tried-and-true exterior design that includes flared wheel-arches, a handsome chrome grille and beefy tires mounted on 16-inch aluminum-alloy split-spoke wheels. The Cayenne Red paint is just the accent the Frontier needs to transform a ho-hum design into something you'd be proud to own.

The Frontier is obviously designed as a multi-function vehicle. No regular-cab version is available, only King Cab and crew cab models. The four-passenger King Cab Frontiers have small, second-row seats; while five-passenger crew cab models such as our tester, have four full-size doors and ample leg room for passengers occupying the rear bench seat.

Features on the Frontier SV crew cab include a 60/40 fold-down rear bench seat, six-speaker audio and a cab-mounted cargo-bed light that shines a beam on the business end of the truck. A $1,900 value package on our test truck adds such popular options as heated front seats, back-up sonar, fog lights and a factory-installed spray-on bed-liner. Splash guards are well worth their $190 price tag.

The interior design of the Frontier is simple. There's no maze of buttons and switches to memorize, just big, straightforward dials to control the climate and audio functions. Like nearly all late-model vehicles, the Frontier has Bluetooth and USB compatibility; and navigation is an available add-on.

The Frontier crew cab comes with a standard six-foot cargo bed, while the King Cab has a five-foot bed.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

There are two engines available on Frontier models, a 152-horsepower inline four cylinder and a powerful 261-horsepower V-6. Our tester has the V-6, which vastly improves the Frontier's hauling capacity and acceleration. Four-cylinder models have a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds, while the V-6s can pull 6,500 pounds.

On a highway test drive earlier this week, the Frontier's ride was well composed. It doesn't float and wallow like bigger trucks. Steering is well-weighted and responsive, and the V-6 has plenty of get-up-and-go when called upon.

The interior is spacious and comfortable, with especially firm and supporting front seats -- a Nissan trademark. The beige interior fabrics and plastics in our tester are of high quality, and the fit and finish of the Frontier is impeccable.

BOTTOM LINE

Compact trucks like the Frontier provide both light-duty hauling capabilities and dependable family transportation. Nissan has more than 40 years of experience building small trucks, and the Frontier benefits from all that fine-tuning.

A well-maintained Frontier, like a favorite pet, can easily say in the family for 15 years or more. Models featuring four-wheel-drive and V-6 engines are smart choices for added versatility and resale value. Getting all that for under $29,000 is enough to ring the bargain bell.

Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.

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