2023 Nissan Frontier Review
- 09 February 2023
A 2023 Nissan Frontier in Tactical Green
If you’re anything like me, when a close family member or friend announces the purchase of a new vehicle, it’s like the biggest news of the year. A new car is like adding a member to the family, a new one of “The boys” (or The Girls). Of course, this is only true because we expect to seemingly develop a relationship with the vehicle; the vehicle will see year after year with a family getting them from place to place, sharing unforgettable experiences, and just bein’ there to get ya there.
So it was only natural that when my brother-in-law, Nate, announced the purchase of a new vehicle my ears perked straight up.
What I had initially expected, however, was completely incorrect. I personally felt that Nate would’ve gone for something notoriously reliable with the certified Toyota name — cough cough, Tacoma, or perhaps keep things domestic and go for the strongly reviewed Ford Ranger. Whilst I love the Tacoma, I personally felt that the Ranger was a great pick-up choice as it offers a turbocharged engine bulking up the 270 hp, and exceptional fuel economy at 19-21 city/19-26 highway.
The news offered a very different option though. Nate proudly revealed that he had purchased a 2023 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab Long Bed Standard Value (SV). My initial reaction? Why the heck did he buy a Nissan. I say this because although I have the utmost respect for Nissan and its performance vehicles, I personally have friends who have felt extremely dissatisfied with the fuel economy and build quality of earlier Titans and Frontiers.
Me being me, I knew I would need to investigate before I criticized the vehicle further. Besides, I simply hadn’t done the research and I wasn’t the one buying a brand new truck. I decided to reach out to Nate and see what pros and cons he had gathered in the two weeks of ownership with his new baby.
Nate’s Observations:
Pros
- Love the 2022 redesign, looks great and feels like a truck
- 9 speed transmission is really smooth
- The V6 motor packs a decent punch
- Quite spacious, although rear is normal for a midsize pickup. Might be tighter for taller individuals
- Good suspension, comfortable ride, and comfortable seats
Cons
- Heavy steering wheel at low speeds
- Large turning radius, relatively expected with a pickup
- Relatively poor fuel economy 17 MPG city/ 22 MPG highway/ 19 MPG combined
Analysis
Analyzing Nate’s observations, I really appreciated the honest and unbiased feedback, but I still wasn’t quite convinced that this was a GOOD truck. I wanted to see what this truck really had to offer, so I had him give me a list of what features his Frontier specifically had to offer…and let’s say, I was pretty impressed.
Nate purchased the Crew Cab Long Bed SV in Tactical Green Metallic, with the tech package, and lane departure warning. With just these features alone, I was excited! The other brands have pretty neat colors. I mean, who doesn’t like the TRD blue and tan that come with the Tacoma…they’re gorgeous! But I loved that Nissan came out with the colors they did, as it really suits a pickup truck’s kind of vibe. The palette comes with 9 choices: Red Alert, Super Black, Gun Metallic, Glacier White, Baja Storm Pearl, Deep Blue Pearl, Cardinal Red TriCoat, Tactical Green Metallic, and Boulder Gray Pearl.
In my opinion, Tactical Green Metallic was a landslide dub, but Baja Storm Pearl offered me some contention for next best choice.
But enough with the color talk, the other features above along with Intelligent Cruise Control, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Sonar, High Beam Assist, Rear Auto Braking, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert added to this truck’s appeal.
And to some, these features might as well come standard and sound quite ordinary for a modern vehicle. But considering the new face lift, best in class 310 horsepower, and best in class price when accounting for really any kind of options, I feel confident saying this truck is the best value on the market currently. To me, Nissan pickups never really had The Look. There was just something not quite rugged or attractive enough about the design that made them interesting. The new Frontier is undoubtably powerful looking. It is somewhat Tacoma, Coloradoesque and in the best way possible. It looks cool!
Conclusion
For me, this was a learning experience. I like to think that by analyzing trends in brands, reading reviews, and developing biases along the way, we become informed as automotive enthusiasts. The truth is car manufacturers can bounce back, and I believe that this generation of Nissan pickups is proof. While time will determine the reliability, with the information available now, Nissan has made the best bang for the buck mid-size pickup currently available. And quite frankly…you should buy one.