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My first time in a 2nd gen

4K views 29 replies 13 participants last post by  NissanTy 
#1 ·
After 11 years in production I actually got to ride in and experience a 2nd gen. A buddy of mine wrecked his car and got a frontier for a rental and he swung by today for me to check it out. First impression was I personally thought the interior felt cheap (his rental was an SV) and not laid out really well, me personally I like my interior and seats in my first gen (2004) a lot better. The vq40 didn't feel as strong as what most people state (my 150k mile 4.6 in my explorer feels stronger). However the ride felt great and the truck seemed put together well no rattles or anything like that. No way would I pay the price the dealer wants for one but I would consider a used one for a fair price. All and all the engine is definitely stronger than my vg33e and the ride is night and day but I still like my first gen better.
 
#2 ·
Did you drive it? The interior is on par for the price point. Frontier is one of the strongest automotive values out there right now. It won't have quit the low end grunt of your 4.6 although not far off. That 4.6 makes something like 292 ft lbs vs the Frontiers 281 ft lbs with 90% of that available at 2000 rpm.

Get behind the wheel next time.
 
#3 ·
I didn't drive it but it just didn't "feel" like 281 lb ft of tq, I just expected better I guess. For the price my dealer wants for a brand new SV I expected the dash and the seats to be a made of better materials, the dash is just hard cheap looking plastic and the seats felt bench like with the back support. I'm not bashing the 2nd gen at all; its more than capable, but I just expected more. Especially the vq40's output
 
#5 ·
Find another vehicle out there with the versatility, and capability of a 2nd gen Frontier for 25k... I would say that's the average sales price of a 2nd gen SV 2wd truck. Some a little more, and some a little less.

My dad has a 1st gen, and 2nd gen.
I have also had a 1st, and 2nd gen. The materials used in the first gen are no better. You have to drive it to feel the power. I often hauled a 3000+ lb boat with 3 passengers, and the AC on in my previous 2012 without breaking a sweat.
 
#6 ·
Was it stinkin' hot there? Try a day w/ temps in the 50s or 60s and get back to us.
>:D

The thing I miss most from my Gen 1 is how much easier it was to read the speedometer. Oh yeah, and the 4-cyl's fuel economy. And the orange thingy inside the fuel door, too.
::laugh::
 
#8 ·
Maybe I am just used to the interior in my explorer that is a limited. I know all dashes are plastic but the finish of the plastic just looked cheap. The dash in my first gen looks more refined. Remember guys this is just my opinion and am NOT hating on the 2nd gen, I actually think the 2nd gen is a capable mid size for the money. I told my buddy the pro4x and the SL trim levels would be a lot better than the SV as far as interior comfort and quality goes. He was disappointed in the sound system as well and I again told him the upper trim levels offered the Rockford Fostgate sterio. Again this is not a hate thread this is just my opinion on what I thought of a SV 2nd gen, granted I never rode in a 2nd gen with a tune or any other mods as well.
 
#9 ·
My 06 SE 2nd gen has over 205k on it and still pulls my 4400 lb camper with 4 adults easily. I want a new truck and really like the the Colorado ZR2 concept but it will likely price out around 44k (it will only be available with the diesel I've read). I won't pay that. So I'm waiting for the 3rd gen Frontier to come out.
 
#10 ·
Nissan could have done a nicer dash, instrument cluster and seats. In the end I still liked it enough to buy it! The vq40de is awesome with the 6spd, my truck is a king cab Pro-4x with the 3.69 diffs so it's light and geared low compared to a CCLB sv automatic. Never noticed a lack of power and my lifetime average is 19.6mpg.
 
#11 ·
Had a stripped 2004 King Cab Frontier 2wd auto 4 cyl - couldn't wait to get rid of it.

"Cute truck" is what a friend of mine said when he 1st saw it.

Small gas tank, poor fuel economy, poor acceleration, almost useless in the snow, no front tow hooks, & cramped interior. Probably should've bought that one in manual transmission.

We have the 4 door diesel NP300's in that body style on base. After looking at them for the last 2 years, I'm craving one...
 
#12 ·
My 2004 is an XE 4x4 with the v6. The v6 is gutless enough I couldn't imagine a 4 cylinder in these trucks. I come from an area where diesels are the thing to have and my truck gets called cute all the time but I could careless. I don't need a big diesel to impress the girls or anyone for that matter. Back to the subject on 2nd gens. I would like to test drive a pro4x with the 6 speed to see how I like that. Maybe the gearing mated to the automatic wasn't ideal. The ride however was smoother than what some people has mentioned on here. Not as smooth as my explorer but definitely smoother than my first gen. I still think the crew cab with the small bed is goofy looking, call me what you want but why would anyone buy a truck with a 4ft bed? Might as well just buy a SUV.
 
#13 ·
I purchased one of the first (before the roof racks were in production) Gen 1 Frontier crew cabs (Silver SE 4x4) and loved that truck. Ran a lot of trails with a bunch of Xterras (hence the name Rogue Frontier). Then came the Gen 1 Xterra for my wife (silver SE 4x4 supercharged). After that came the updated Gen 1 Frontier (bronze SE 4x2) for me. Next up was the '05 2nd gen Xterra (night armor Off-Road 4x4) for my wife. In 2015 I picked up my current Frontier (lava red Pro-4X w luxury package). So... I have a little experience with Nissans.

Why the Pro-4X instead of the GM twins or a Tacoma? Two things... value and reliability. Plus neither the Taco or the Twins offered the combination of a REAL off-road package (that ruled out the twins) with leather interior (that ruled out the Taco)... not to mention that you get a long list of standards with the Pro-4X that checked all the right boxes.

Yep... the '15 Frontier has been around for a decade. But that's what I wanted for a truck I plan to bounce around in the back country with. The 4x4 is every bit as capable as the Tacoma, and in spite of what they say the Nissan is just as reliable (ever since they solved the coolant/trans fluid contamination issue).

One of the reviews on Autotrader said it best: There's no doubt that the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado is a better truck than the 2015 Nissan Frontier on paper, but when you climb behind the wheel, the Frontier offers something intangible that the totally new Colorado just can't match. Call it a certain robust quality that comes with age, a quality that's very important to many midsize truck shoppers. For some drivers, that feeling alone will lead them to a Frontier.

I like that intangible. It's super capable off-road and very comfortable on road. Yes, it's a dated design, but still very functional and attractive, the bugs have all been worked out years ago. My 05 Xterra was getting things fixed all the time (always under warranty) so I know the weak spots... most if not all have been fixed or improved. Yes, lots of plastic (be careful not to scratch it) but easy to maintain. I don't mind the interior at all. Kinda reminds me of the original Xterra slogan: everything you need, nothing you don't.
 
#14 ·
I'll agree the interior is spartan. I hated that when I bought my 05, but 11 years later and it doesn't bother me that much. I spent a lot of time behind the wheel of my parent's 03 Exploder with the 4.6. The V8 definitely has more low end torque than the VQ40, so it feels stronger during normal daily driving. But I'd give the nod to the Nissan when you step on it and the revs climb. My mom replaced her Explorer with an 06 Pathfinder after the 2nd 4.6 engine they put in exploded, the Pathfinder had a lot better passing power.
 
#15 ·
My explorer is an 08 with the 3 valve 4.6. A lot of people nickname then "exploders" however mine has shy over 150k miles and runs as good as new. My 3 valve 4.6 would definitely leave my buddies rental frontier behind. Granted with my explorer having nearly 40 more hp and a 6 speed auto and more low end grunt I would expect it to be a a little quicker. But like i said I would love to drive or even ride in a frontier with a few mods and a tune to see how hard the 2nd gen really pulls
 
#16 ·
Edmunds recorded a 9 second 0 to 60 run for the 08 Explorer with the 3 valve V8. VQ40 Frontiers are often in the 7 second range. 2wd Frontiers also have a WOT restriction with only 60ish % throttle available until 40 mph. I believe it's 20 mph for 4wd models.

Does your friend still have his rental? Line them up!
 
#18 ·
I think he has it for a few more days but I'm leaving for vacation Saturday and I don't think the race can take place but I'd love to line up with the 2nd gen. I've read somewhere the 3v 4.6 in an explorer doing maybe a sub 7 sec to 60, I think edmunds has the time for the v6 explorer, even my buddy said my explorer felt quicker than his rental. Like I said though I like the 2nd gens but I would probably get a pro4x or a SL trim model for the upgraded sound system and the better interior, the SV just felt cheap to me.
 
#20 ·
OP, do you recall how many miles on the Gen 2 rental? Wondering if it was well broken in or not...
 
#26 ·
I have a 2006 Pathfinder LE VQ40DE and a 2003 Frontier SVE 4x4 with the supercharged VG33ER engine, plus worked for Nissan for 16 years as a tech. I'm well aware of the performance difference between the VQ and the VG engines and, like I said, twenty years of technology makes a big difference! That doesn't mean the older engine "sucks." That would be like comparing a 505 HP GM LS7 engine and comparing it to an ol' 315 HP fuel-injected 283 from 1961 and saying the 283 sucks because it has a lot less power. Sure, the 283 can't touch a modern small block Chevy in terms of performance, but, in its day, it was pretty impressive!
 
#28 ·
I guess I will recant my previous message(s) stating the VG sucks. Yes, agreed, during the 80s/90s the VG was an amazing platform.

I do plan on rebuilding my VG33 and swapping it into my Hardbody one day, as I don't have the money to do a VQ35 swap into her.

The Toyota 3.slow sucks and still sucks (3VZFE) with low power output and tendency to blow head gaskets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#27 ·
Alright. The tone(s) that I've perceived here point toward a pizzing match...w/in our ranks! Blogs are all about defending our purchases/decision/opinions. Eh?!

In late '14 I test drove two Gen 2s prior to factory ordering my current '15.
~ The first was a '12 SV KC 4x4 6-sp w/ 48k on the odo...the thing had impressive power and was raring to go across the whole RPM range.
~ The second was a brand-spanking new '15 SV CC 4x4 auto trans with not even 25 miles on the odo. I drove it several miles before punching it at a redlight. My imbecile salesman exclaims, "Yeah!" I'm thinking, who the hell mistakenly put a 4-cyl in this 4X4? It was a dog - plain & simple...so, I'm guessing it was tight from the factory and just needed some break-in miles. The weather that day was cool & crisp, so...am running out of excuses for it.
 
#29 ·
Toyota's mistake was putting a coolant passage at the very back of the engine and not leaving enough metal for the gasket. The block would corrode there and develop what was referred to as "block deck drop-off." One would run a straight edge across the deck of the block and insert a feeler gauge between the straight edge and the back of the block deck (where the coolant passage was at). If clearance exceeded the spec, a "block kit" was required to fix it properly. It it wasn't, it was likely that the head gasket would blow out, again. I used to be an independent mechanical inspector hired by various warranty companies in the late '90s and used to see quite a few of them. Toyota had a TSB on the issue and extended the warranty to 10 years/100,000 miles. It's a shame because it was a good engine if it wasn't for that...and very comparable to the Nissan VG engines in the day.
 
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