Your choices for a midsize pickup truck have been slim lately, but the Nissan Frontier has been up to the job. Small, but capable, with two-or four-wheel drive and four or six cylinders, the Frontier offers a lot for people who would like a truck with most of the flavor and little of the fat.
For 2015, the Frontier soldiers on with a few enhancements. There's a standard moonroof for SL LWB models, standard NissanConnect mobile apps suite for SV, Desert Runner and PRO-4X trims, and navigation for the PRO-4X.
The Frontier is offered in two body styles, King Cab and four-door Crew Cab, and in five trim levels: S, SV, PRO-4X, Desert Runner and SL. It's also offered with either a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 152 horsepower or a 4-liter V6 with 261 horsepower, though the engine availability varies with two or four-wheel drive and with trim level.
The base Frontier has a two-tiered specification. King Cabs are equipped with the 2.5-liter four, a five-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive; Crew Cabs have a 4-liter V6, a six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive or optional four-wheel drive. An automatic transmission is available for both. The $1,200 Preferred Package (optional on King Cab, standard on Crew Cab) adds AM/FM/CD audio system with Bluetooth hands-free, air conditioning, cruise control and front map lights.
SV comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, Bluetooth, cruise control and a 5-inch display radio with satellite radio and NissanConnect mobile apps. Both King Cab and Crew Cab models are available with four-wheel drive, and a V6 King Cab 4x2 is available. The Value Truck Package adds a backup camera, rear parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats and a spray-on bedliner with hooks and a sliding bed extender.
The Desert Runner incorporates a 4x4 look on a 4x2 truck with Bilstien shocks, the V6 and five-speed automatic transmission, as well as 16-inch alloy wheels and satin finishes, fog lights and special cloth upholstery.
The PRO-4X takes the Desert Runner looks and adds four-wheel drive, along with a six-speed manual transmission, locking differentials, skid plates, dual-zone automatic climate control, backup camera and navigation system. An automatic is optional.
SL tries to incorporate the most comfort features. Available only as a Crew Cab in 4x2 or 4x4 format, it comes loaded with a power moonroof, automatic transmission, 18-inch wheels, Rockford Fosgate audio system, spray-on bedliner and step rails.
You're going to want a V6-equipped model, and it's hard to pass up a 4x4 for their jacked-up suspension and more rugged looks. But a nicely optioned SV might actually make the most financial sense against heavily discounted full-size pickup trucks.
