'22 Nissan Frontier SV - Garbage Tier Truck

[JASmith]

So I've gotten to drive a borrowed '22 Nissan Frontier SV 4x2 for two days now, , and was so excited because this was a contender as a "upgrade" to my Ram especially since Mavericks are unicorns on dealer lots, and all I can say is that if at all possible try-before-u-buy!

Granted, all I have to compare it to long-term is a Ram 1500 Classic Hemi, but this truck is so trash. The ride quality by comparison is just abysmal, I accidentally hit an accorn on the road and contemplated pulling over to put in a mouth guard so I don't damage my teeth or bite my tongue before I run into a more extreme obstacle.

The steering is the most odd feeling I've been in, where at first you get super vascular with veins popping out everywhere muscling the weight at parking lot speeds right off center, and then it gets light, and the return to center that should just slide through your fingers feels as unnatural as a spotted zebra.

The steering column tilts but oddly doesn't telescope, and the seat has this weird lump that pokes you in the upper back. Its not as bad as the penalty box rear seats though. The keyfob looks like it belongs to a fisher price car.

I was pleased to see it has modern tech like adaptive cruise control, but engaging the cruise at lower speeds it feels jerky and struggles up and down a couple MPH inexplicably. And while it has sufficient beans to get out of its own way, the fuel economy is worse than a 400hp hemi even though its a smaller truck.

With the vehicle shortage right now, I wonder how many people purchased one without ever having driven it, and convince themselves that its fine... just fine. If you were on the fence, just having sat but not driven a Maverick, I can save you the time and say the Maverick has to be better.

But to end on a positive note, I'll say something nice and point out that the front end styling is attractive.

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[Nw_adventure]

Yeah TFL & Ratis rides mentioned the overly heavy steering and other than exterior looks which I like it's just a meh overall package.

 

[Decayed]

If ford hadn't produced the maverick that's probably what I'd be driving right now.

 

[New2AZ]

The only Nissan I'd be interested in is the GTR. And that's way out of my price range.

 

[CenTexMav]

So I've gotten to drive a borrowed '22 Nissan Frontier SV 4x2 for two days now, , and was so excited because this was a contender as a "upgrade" to my Ram especially since Mavericks are unicorns on dealer lots, and all I can say is that if at all possible try-before-u-buy!

Granted, all I have to compare it to long-term is a Ram 1500 Classic Hemi, but this truck is so trash. The ride quality by comparison is just abysmal, I accidentally hit an accorn on the road and contemplated pulling over to put in a mouth guard so I don't damage my teeth or bite my tongue before I run into a more extreme obstacle.

The steering is the most odd feeling I've been in, where at first you get super vascular with veins popping out everywhere muscling the weight at parking lot speeds right off center, and then it gets light, and the return to center that should just slide through your fingers feels as unnatural as a spotted zebra.

The steering column tilts but oddly doesn't telescope, and the seat has this weird lump that pokes you in the upper back. Its not as bad as the penalty box rear seats though. The keyfob looks like it belongs to a fisher price car.

I was pleased to see it has modern tech like adaptive cruise control, but engaging the cruise at lower speeds it feels jerky and struggles up and down a couple MPH inexplicably. And while it has sufficient beans to get out of its own way, the fuel economy is worse than a 400hp hemi even though its a smaller truck.

With the vehicle shortage right now, I wonder how many people purchased one without ever having driven it, and convince themselves that its fine... just fine. If you were on the fence, just having sat but not driven a Maverick, I can save you the time and say the Maverick has to be better.

But to end on a positive note, I'll say something nice and point out that the front end styling is attractive.

That's nice to know... at least it is attractive in my rear view mirror.

 

[Deleted member 5352]

It's funny you mention this because I was deeply considering this truck when it first came out last year, until I test drove it. First of all, the pricing on these are a rip-off. A typical mid-trim SV ranges from $34K-$42K (before steep dealer markups) which is already very expensive. My fully-loaded Maverick Lariat topped out at $35K. And this dealer has the nerve to throw a $15K markup on every vehicle! Which of course they're still doing today.

Second, the overall design is not that impressive. To me it looks like a knock-off Toyota Tacoma especially with the blocky front fascia with the long, vertical hood and the side profile. The interior is very bland and forgettable. The seating position is a little more comfortable than the Tacoma but that's not saying much. And the back seats are just as bad which is funny considering the compact Maverick has much better back seat space despite being smaller.

Third, the main deal-breaker was the driving experience. Just like many others, I couldn't believe how heavy the steering rack was. You have to put some serious effort turning the wheel no matter what speed you're going. Also, why doesn't it have a telescoping function? Why get rid of that? It doesn't make sense. And just like any body-on-frame truck, the ride was very bouncy and jittery. The only redeeming qualities were that it's fairly quiet and has plenty of power. Other than that, there's nothing to write home about with the Frontier.

It was a shame because when I heard they were finally redesigning the Frontier after almost a 20 year hiatus, I was excited. I pestered my dealer weekly asking when they would get one in, going over the trim I would get, the color, raving over the design, etc. Then it comes in and it was just so underwhelming. All the more reason why I gravitated towards the Maverick and don't regret it in the slightest. Also, having a smaller package really helps in city driving and fuel efficiency.

 

[Darnon]

Probably the biggest thing these had going for them was the crazy lease deals early in the year where they were 99-98% residual for 18 months so in theory $200-300/mo.

 

[Johnm]

The '22 Frontier SV is actually what I got when I became tired of waiting for my Maverick and will be what I continue to drive if the dealership tries any funny business when I go to pick up my Maverick. It's actually a nice truck. Yeah the steering is "heavy" but as long as you're not a 4yo child, you really should be fine with it. I have had zero issues with the truck so far and feel like they did a nice job on the new design. Still want my Mav though.

 

[JASmith]

OK so one update, the fuel economy comment was user error.

I thought I had reset the fuel economy, but I had reset the trip only, so when I was showing only 15mpg in spite of my very economical driving style, I was naturally PO'ed. Turns out it was averaging me with previous drivers.

I reset the average fuel economy meter, and now its showing about 30mpg, which is something my Ram couldn't do even hypermiling (only got high 19mpg driving super smooth). 30mpg for a truck is very respectable.

But to sprinkle more hatoraid, the driver vents are right at the steering wheel at 2 and 10 o'clock, so you freeze your fingers if you don't ride gangsta.

 

[JASmith]

So I've now driven the Frontier for a month, and as with most things you get more used to them.

Top 5 things I do like:
* Stays very flat in turns and can take turns much faster than a soft squishy suspension Ram
* Never felt short on power
* Damped tailgate is nice
* Auto highbeams works well (although on my trim its not LED lighting)
* Backup camera has trajectory and sensors, and is much easier to park than a Ram.

I found out the adaptive cruise control just hates our windy back roads with metal light poles, I'm guessing its what causes it to waffle between 39-41mph feeling lurchy as it may be momentarily detecting that metal as another vehicle maybe? If there's a way to turn off the adaptive cruise and make it regular cruise, I haven't found it. On the highway the adaptive cruise works fine, although it has no lane centering. Biggest gripes are still the rough ride and heavy steering wheel. Really wish it had LED lighting up front like the Maverick has standard, I mean its 2022, cmon.

 

[Sounder206]

While I had my car in for fluid changes I went to their Nissan store next door and test drove a Frontier SV Midnight Edition today, and my sentiments echo that of every one who also driven one. My main issue is the steering feel and no telescopic adjustment for the steering column. Overall it felt cumbersome to drive, the ride wasn't that refined, and the back seats aren't comfortable; the back cushion was at a straight 90-degree angle.

The positives, the V6 engine has a smooth power delivery and never felt sluggish and it has most of the usual tech inside that you'd expect for a $45k truck. And it was $45k, that's way out of my budget and the truck gets a solid 'Meh'. Too bad, my Dad had a 85 Nissan 720 King Cab pickup bought new and drove that for the next 25 years and I want to like this new Frontier.

Ford nailed it with the Maverick in terms of ride, maneuverability and passenger space including the back seats. Still anxiously waiting for mine to be built next month.

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