This past week was rainy, nasty and absolutely miserable. Fortunately for me,
that's just how the Nissan Frontier pickup likes it.
And even a coating of road film from this rainy week, can't hide the brutal
beauty of what is rapidly becoming my favorite mid-sized pickup. And frankly,
mid-sized is a relative firm. Look at any full-sized American truck from the
mid-60's or 70's. They were about this big. It is astonishing how large half-ton
pickups have become.
And that's why, in my opinion, for most people that buy pickups, this is
probably big enough. The test truck we had was the 4-wheel-drive Pro4X version,
which is the whoopty-doo, off-road, big dog of the line. Of course, in our part
of East Texas, most of that will be plowing through muddy fields checking fence
lines, or such.
For that, the Frontier is a terrific mount with an easy, electrically operated
4X4 system and enough grunt to get you anywhere. Special 16-inch wheels,
Bilstein shocks, skid plates and a rear locker insure you won't get stuck.
That grunt is provided by a 4.0-liter V6 with 261-horsepower. Engines are an art
from at Nissan, and this one is the textbook definition of sweet. Inside, the
King cab version has a roomy back seat, and modern new dashboard layout. Red
trim adorns the seats and steering wheel.
Out back, the shortish bed has cargo tie downs galore, including two embedded in
the floor hidden by a pair of plastic covers. Our Frontier was fully loaded and
came to just over $35,000.
So, if you're looking for a truck that likes to play dirty, the Nissan Frontier
is one terrific choice.