2017 NISSAN Frontier

Don't listen to the critics

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 4 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 5

Auto reviewers need something to write about. They write that the Frontier has below-average gas mileage and a cheap-looking interior. Well, I get 19-20 mpg in my 2017, which is just fine for a truck, IMO. You get better advertised mileage in a Tacoma and other models, but drive it and see why: the manufacturers hobble the transmission with sluggish response and shifting to artificially inflate mileage numbers. The Frontier has a responsive transmission and the V6 has plenty of power to get this truck off the red light. As to the cheap interior, it is a light truck not a luxury vehicle. I test drove the other models in this class of light truck and I saw nothing better. It is well better than the 2000 Ranger I used to own, and worlds better than my dad's trucks in the 1980s. If you want leather appointment and woodgrain dash, you are looking in the wrong class of vehicle. The visibility in the cab is better in the Frontier compared to the competition too, with the pillars blocking much less of the rear view. The seats are more comfortable than the Tacoma. The rear seats are a little tight, but not so tight that an adult can't sit back there and it fits a carseat, too. I don't understand the criticism of the handling, either. Once the steering is broken in, it has a good turning radius and the engine has enough power to get you through a tight curve hugging the road just fine. The factory tires could use an upgrade, though, to a Michelin or Goodyear radial. Overall, I'm very glad I purchased this vehicle and not the competition, and the price is right.