2001 Nissan Frontier

Seems like someone slipped the Nissan Frontier design team a ?Mickey,? and at the same time they were all watching Road Warrior. You can?t look at the front of the new Frontier and not think of Mad Max. This is especially true of the Crew Cab, and even more so when dressed in Nissan factory color ?Khaki.? With black bumpers and fender extensions, the new Nissan looks like it just rolled out of Desert Storm.

Nissan knew their trucks lacked flair, so instead of trying to convince us of something that is not true through a slick and expensive advertising campaign, they simply made the product better. Are you listening GM? Surely some people hate the new design of the Frontier. That is just the point, isn?t everyone tired of cars that are so bland they appeal to ALL consumers (Toyota Tacoma)? Love it or hate it, you?ll have to admit, it looks like what a truck should look like ? bold, rugged, and maybe a little mean. TRUCK !

Inside the new Frontier is a little more mundane. With its bold exterior, one would expect an interior a little closer to the PT Cruiser, no such luck. However, switches and knobs fall to hand nicely. Ventilation and audio controls are situated in a kind of center pod - an easy reach for both driver and front seat passenger. The SE has a classier look to the dashboard, the standard XE is just ok. A/C knobs feel a little small (c?mon this IS a truck after all), and slightly cheap. No complaint on the materials, it?s just that these twisting type knobs feel as if they may break sooner than the larger Toyota controls. There is plenty of head room. Seats are comfortable ? firm on the bottom, but lacking support for the back. Trips over 4 hours or so may cause the dreaded ?numb butt? syndrome. The rear seats are easy to access given the 4 doors. Nissan?s rear doors open in the conventional way, unlike many pickups with rear seating which have the clam-shell or ?suicide? style door. Ford Sport-Trac and Dodge Dakota Quad Cab offer the same type of ?real? back doors. Once in the back seat, leg room is average. The Toyota Tundra is roomier, but is also a bigger, more expensive truck. Road trips of 2 hours or more shouldn?t be a problem for back seat passengers. You?ll need music on that road trip ? Nissan?s stock stereo is adequate, go for the 6 Disc in-dash changer, the sound quality is much better. Power windows are standard on the XE, even rear seat passengers get their own window, which goes down ALL THE WAY, the larger Tundra doesn?t even have that. Sure it?s minor, unless YOU are the one in the back seat.

Worth special mention is Nissan?s double cooling system. Basically an A/C system that holds more coolant, with larger tubing. The result is the air conditioner gets cold faster, even after having been parked for a few hours. Nice for those days of running errands in the summer.

On the road, the Frontier Crew Cab feels much smoother and more solid than a Nissan pickup from a year or two ago. Even the 4x2 rides higher than many other 2 wheel drive pickups (think Toyota Pre-Runner). Nissan loves to tout what they call ?liquid filled engine mounts.? Whatever, the result is a smoother, quieter driving experience. Unlike Nissan trucks of the (recent) past, the driver is more removed from the engine and road noise. Nissan has even put little pads on the hinges of the hood in order to make it quieter The 3.3L V-6 makes 170 hp, by comparison the Ford Explorer Sport-Trac makes 210 and the Toyota Tacoma V-6 makes 190, and the Dodge Dakota Quad Cab gives you 175 ( Quad Cab and Crew Cab are very similar vehicles). While the Frontier is not under powered, in base V-6 trim, one can notice a slight sluggishness when accelerating from a dead stop. Also, the Nissan has the need to rev higher to get that power to the ground. To Nissan?s credit, they do offer a supercharged version of the Frontier, but that costs more. Plus the supercharged Nissan engine gives you the SAME amount of power as the non-supercharged Ford engine.

At normal speeds, and away from the drag strip the Nissan offers normal acceleration and drivability. The ride is firm and almost car like, very little body roll or lean when cornering. And gone is that jerkiness truck owners have come to accept as part of owning a truck. Brakes feel firm and the pedal is nice and high, the XE comes with (eek !) drum brakes in the back. Opt for the SE and... that's right still get drum brakes.

An additional area of mention for the Nissan Frontier Crew Cab is its excellent maneuverability. The turning radius is so sharp, a driver would feel equally at ease off-road negotiating switchbacks, as parking in a strip mall on Christmas Eve. I am not a truck owner, and yet was able to perfectly back the Crew Cab into a normal size parking space with only one attempt.

Overall the 2001 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab is a rugged looking truck without a rugged ride. While the crew cab lacks the total usefulness of a normal pickup (there is a bed extender like the Explorer Sport Trac that is very easy to use), it is a worthy option if you need to carry a lot of stuff, and more than two people. The Nissan is just as good as the competition, no better, but no worse. The main reason to consider this truck is value, Nissan gives you a lot for your money.

Compare the Nissan 4x2 Crew Cab to:

Ford Explorer Sport-Trac - More power ? cost a little more
Toyota Tacoma - Little less $
Dodge Dakota Quad Cab - Similar in price and features
Chevy S-10 - No 4 door
Toyota Tundra Xtra Cab - Bigger, more expensive, V-8 power