'02 Frontier SC Long Bed 4x4 Crew Cab

I've had the truck for about 6 months (bought in 2006 with 43,000 km's. I live in Canada by the way so everything will be metric.)

First and foremost, It's a great looking truck. This was definitely the initial attraction to the Nissan Frontier. The reason I went with the Frontier rather than a Tacoma was...
A) The quad quab Nissan was a few thousand dollars cheaper than Toyota and...
B) Toyota does not offer a 6 foot bed in their quad cab Tacoma (2002 year).

Performance: I have the supercharged model of the Frontier and it moves pretty good for a pickup, however I should warn you, the excessive weight of this little truck limits the acceleration drastically (I can only imagine how sluggish the non sc model could be). The only performance issue I've noticed is the automatic shift from 1st to 2nd seems delayed. I guess you can't do anything about that since its an automatic. Other than that it performs amazingly on the road. I have no idea how it handles off road but from what I've heard it holds its own in the dirt.


Interior: Nicely laid out. Lots of power outlets and cup holders. Leather looks really nice. Sunroof is cool but why Nissan didn't put in an automatic retractable sunroof is beyond me. Rockford Fosgate sound system is miles beyond most stock systems. The built in sub behind the seat is a cool feature but it needs a higher powered amp. My only complaints about the interior are the lack of seat warmers and locking glove box. There's very little legroom in the backseat but if rear legroom is your main concern you should be looking at a full size truck.

Exterior: Well if your reading this review you've probably seen a frontier. The SC model looks amazing with 17 inch wheels, step rails, roof rack, and of course the same colour bumpers and fender flares. Locking tailgate is pretty cool too... I have a leer 700 series tonneau cover which compliments the look of the truck and makes that locking tailgate quite useful.

The Frontier Curse: Now here's the serious problem that any Frontier owner can relate to. GAS MILEAGE. Its horrible on gas. And its not just the supercharged trucks. All the Frontiers with the 3.3 litre engine have very poor fuel efficiency. It gets around the same gas mileage as a full size truck with a V8. The Frontier has a 60 liter tank, and I get about 350km's out of a tank on a good week. This truck is very heavy. The 3.3 litre engine probably wasn't the best choice made by Nissan. They've opted for a larger more capable 4 litre engine in the 2005+ Frontiers which seems to be a better fit for the truck. I often wonder if I should trade mine in for a 2005 for the extra power and fuel savings. If you have the extra cash I would definitely suggest looking at the newer generation Frontiers.

The other thing you have to watch out for is the supercharger failing at around 80 000 km's. Apparently these things don't last the life of the truck so you better hope its still under warranty when your blower kicks the bucket.


I would give this truck a 7 out of 10. If it weren't for the terrible gas mileage I would probably give it a perfect 10.