2015 nissan frontier

[enzo1]

Check Out Every Angle Of (Almost Definitely) The 2015 Nissan Frontier

[gacook]

Those crazy bastards at Nissan put the steering wheel on the wrong side!

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by gacook

Those crazy bastards at Nissan put the steering wheel on the wrong side!

Plus it's a Nissan. No thanks.....G.

[tedg04]

It's only interesting if they bring the little diesel to the US...but, they won't.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by tedg04

It's only interesting if they bring the little diesel to the US...but, they won't.

You man bring back the diesel.

I drove it once about 20 years ago. It felt like it has 17 hp. This thing had a 10' flat bed with a small crane on it. It was slooooooooooow. I hope they are faster today so its freeway friendly.

[enzo1]

"When the U.S.-spec Nissan Frontier arrives sometime next year, it will likely carry its own range of diesel and gas engines. Most prominent of these offerings will be a 2.8-liter Cummins turbodiesel four-cylinder, positioned atop the existing 2.5-liter gas-powered four-cylinder and 4.0-liter gas V-6. We saw a preview of the diesel-powered Nissan Frontier at the 2014 Chicago auto show, with the Nissan Frontier Diesel Runner project.

Read more: Nissan Navara Pickup Redesigned, Frontier to Be Different

[kaisen]

Since GM is bringing the Duramax 4 cylinder diesel in the new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, there will be more little diesels that follow in this segment

[kaisen]

2015 Chevrolet Colorado:


2015 GMC Canyon:

[Nickshu]

I'm loving the Colorado.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by gacook

Those crazy bastards at Nissan put the steering wheel on the wrong side!

Been drinking sake at lunch time.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Anyone else think the Canyon/Colorado side profile looks almost exactly like a Tacoma? If you can't beat them, join them.....

I'm torn on the Nissan, from some angles I like it but from others it looks too swoopy, like a crossover SUV. Having driven multiple Titans and owning an Armada for several years and 50k miles, I'm a Nissan truck fan. They don't get much love but they make really good ones, in many ways I like the current Frontier better than the Tacoma. If they, along with the GM twins, come out with 4-cylinder turbo diesels, it's really going to force Toyota to up their game.

A bit OT but relevant to this conversation, my in-laws bought a new Tacoma crew cab 4x4 TRD Sport a few months ago, I've driven it multiple times and was very underwhelmed. The platform and powertrain dates back to my beloved and departed 2003 4Runner, but compared to my 4Runner the engine was more coarse, the interior had substantially more hard plastic, the seat fabric felt cheap, overall I wasn't impressed. I'm a huge Toyota truck fan but I think they've gotten complacent without any competition. Hopefully this will push them to bring their full content Hilux to the USA, instead of the inferior US market only Tacoma.

[Nickshu]

I agree it's a copy...the '15 Frontier has similar lines on the rear doors as well.

The problem with the Tacoma is it's a bare-bones truck. I don't think you can even get leather seats??

The Colorado/Canyon will be much more 'premium' from what I have read as far as options. Probably more competition for the Frontier than the Tacoma. That said isn't the Tacoma due for a refresh as well?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Leather on the Tacoma is on the Limited only. My in-laws wanted one but their dealer had trouble finding acceptable colors, the Limited is pretty rare. They didn't want to wait months to special order one.

I think the Tacoma is way overdue for a redesign. The basic design is based on the 2005 model with a few updates, which is the same basic design as my 2003 4Runner. That's an eternity for car models.

[wdfifteen]

I hate this styling trend of making the front of a pickup truck look like a road tractor. There is no good mechanical reason not to lower the hood and slope it and fenders down. It would improve the looks and visibility. I drove new F 150s and Silverados when I was truck shopping and I hated them.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I guess I like my truck to look like a truck, so I have an F-150.

[kaisen]

There are three reasons to buy a small-ish truck: Size, Price, and Fuel economy.

The size of this segment has grown, and grown to the point where a crew cab 4x4 isn't all that far off what a half ton truck used to be. A Double Cab Tacoma is over 18.5 ft long, where a full-size is barely over 19.0 ft, and they are within 5 inches in width. So the more manageable size isn't really much of an attraction these days as they're simply not that much smaller.

Prices of everything have gone up. A typical half-ton crew cab 4x4 is $45K MSRP. So the smaller trucks need to have enough gap in price to make them attractive. But when you sell nearly a million full size trucks it makes it difficult to position the little ones for much less when you only sell 150K. So de-contenting and cheaper materials are required.

Fuel economy of smaller trucks is a joke. A new GM or Ford half-ton Crew Cab 4x4 with 350+ horsepower and 380+ lb-ft gets 21-22 mpg on the freeway. A new Toyota Tacoma 4x4 with either the 236 hp 4.0L V6 or the 159 hp 2.7L I4 get 21 mpg freeway. So there is ZERO benefit in fuel economy. None.

So, that's why the Ford Ranger disappeared. That's why the GM small trucks took a hiatus. That's why Dodge cancelled the Dakota. The fact that the Tacoma still sells at all is because the competitors have disappeared, and remaining buyers are blindly loyal.

As they re-emerge in the US market, they need to be smaller, less expensive, and more fuel efficient or they likely won't make it. Diesels are a good step in that direction, esp if they can return better than 30 mpg freeway.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Leather on the Tacoma is on the Limited only.

Leather isn't available, period. It's vinyl.

[VincentVega]

Diesels are a good step in that direction, esp if they can return better than 30 mpg freeway.

Lets hope they can pull it off without a big diesel $$ premium.

I think it's a case of logic not really entering into the equation. Just like most would rather drive an SUV but would do fine with a wagon, mid size trucks are a tough sell when their bigger brother is on the same lot.

Reminds me of the Honda truck. It seems like a great option for most who need to get some mulch, haul the kids bikes, HD trips.... but most of us drive around with empty beds in a F150's because they are 'real truck's. Oh well.

The Nissan looks nice, they cant keep making square hardbodies forever.

[kaisen]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

Reminds me of the Honda truck. It seems like a great option for most who need to get some mulch, haul the kids bikes, HD trips.... but most of us drive around with empty beds in a F150's because they are 'real truck's. Oh well.

The Ridgeline might 'seem' like a good option, until you realize that its 3.5L V6 makes only 250hp and 247lb-ft of torque and gets only 15 mpg around town and only 21 mpg freeway.

Or you can drive over to a Ford dealer and find that the F150 Ecoboost makes 115 more horsepower (46% more hp) and 173 lb-ft more torque (70% more torque) and gets exactly the same fuel economy

There is a reason Honda only sells 15,000 Ridgelines each year.... the Chevrolet VOLT outsells it

[kaisen]

From FuelEconomy.gov, the EPA's website: