Great truck for the money; worth another look

When I first started looking at purchasing a small truck, also known in some circles as a 'mini-truck', I was initially looking at a Toyota Tacoma. However, the prices for this vehicle with various options were a little out of my price range.

I therefore started looking at other manufacturers vehicles, specifically Japanese, as I've had very good results with the other foreign vehicles I've owned. Mazda was out, since it's basically a re-badged Ford Ranger. Isuzu was out, because that's another re-badged vehicle, this time a Chevy S-10. I then took a look at a Nissan Frontier, and realized I had found the truck that fit my needs, budget, and that all-important "look" factor.

With the help of Nissan's website, I found a Frontier outfitted the way I wanted one to be, including the color (Molten Lava). Financing was a breeze: 0% financing, or, $1500 cash back and 4.3% financing; I elected the cash back; it ended up lowering my monthly payment by about $30. Total cost for a 2003 King Cab 4x2 4cyl 5spd manual, with the 'Value Truck Package' (tinted back windows, sliding rear glass, A/C, in-dash radio w/CD player), bed liner with rail caps, and bed extender , was $16,500. I bought it for $14,800. Note: this is without any power windows or locks. The next model up, the SE, will get you those with associated option packages. A V6 XE comes with those, too.

Overall, the truck is very well built. Handling is nice, but, it's still a truck, so don't expect it to be nimble and extra-responsive. The suspension is stiffer than a car, but it's still not jarring on your backside, since the seats are comfy and supportive. Once you have a load in the back, the rear settles down and absorbs bumps nicely. Since it's a 4x2, there isn't as much risk of a roll-over as a 4x4, but it's still higher than a sedan, so be sure to brake first, turn second. The ABS (standard) will let you brake safely and surely in panic stops.

As for load capacity, I was able to move a friend of mine to a new apartment in 2 trips using the truck, and that was pretty good. He had mattresses, furniture, bookshelves, tv's, clothing, *tons* of boxes, etc. Once the cargo was loaded, I simply covered the load with a tarp, lashed it down with straps, and off we went! I fortunately have the 'bed extender' option that allows the owner to open the tailgate, extend the 'extender', and get another 2 feet of cargo space, equivalent to a full-size truck. This is a *very handy* options; it also doubles as a small bench if you remove it completely from the bed! If you are interested in towing a trailer, car, or small boat, the towing capacity is 3000 lbs. Don't expect to get great economy while you're towing, though!

The HVAC controls are well-placed, being easily used with gloves on. However, there is a small bug with it. When you turn the air direction selector to either 'feet and defrost' or just 'defrost', it turns the A/C on to help dry out the air. Not a major problem, *but*, when you turn the direction selector to another setting, like dash, the A/C still stays on, until you *actually turn off the truck*!! I see this as a waste of money, as we all know the A/C eats up fuel. I've actually contacted Nissan about this, and their response was that engineers figured that if you need the defroster on with the A/C, then maybe the rest of the cab needs to be dried out as well. Tinkerers, rejoice, as there is a 30 minute modification you can do to have total control over it. (*Update*: I did this mod, and it took a couple hours. Seems my fingers are too thick to reach into where a single screw is to be loosened, and a relative had to help me solder a connection I accidently pulled. Once the mod was done, I was a happy camper!)

The 5-spd has decent response (143 hp, 2.4 L), but it's only a 4-cyl; don't expect to beat very many cars at a stoplight challenge. I've added a Gibson performance exhaust and a drop-in K&N filter to my truck, so the throttle response and hp have been bumped up a little. It's a strong little engine, but not as strong as the available V6 (180 hp), or the supercharged V6 (210 hp). If you're interested in more towing power, then look at one of those. My economy has been, at best (coasting when I could, turning off the truck if it's going to idle more than 30 seconds, doing 60 on the highway), 30.2 mpg, and at worst, 22.5 mpg. Compared to the V6, this is not that bad at all.
The only issues I've had with the truck are relatively minor ones. At about week 2, I noticed an intermittant squeek coming from the front passenger side. It turns out that the bumper behind the plastic front facade was mounted a little too high, and was thus rubbing the headlight bracket, producing an annoying squeek. After loosening a bolt, lowering one side of the bumper, and then tightening it up, it was all set.

I also had the "Service Engine Soon" light come on at 900 miles. As soon as I got home, I made an appt. at my dealer for 3 days later. Turns out a valve had a problem (not in the engine), so the warrantee fixed it promptly. (*Update: I had the engine belts replaced at 15k miles b/c they were getting too squeaky. This was covered under the powertrain warranty)

Finding other aftermarket accessories, such as exhaust systems, etc., is a little more difficult, but worth the extra effort. I've added many things, such as a bug/stone deflector, exhaust and intake, grill, headlight bulbs, etc. so you *can* find good stuff for them.

Overall, I have over 11k miles on it now, with no signs of quitting. I really like this truck, and felt it was a good buy for the money.