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Sticks cost more than Slush boxes

5K views 42 replies 18 participants last post by  shift_RUSH 
#1 · (Edited)
Looking at the 2015 Frontiers, most, but not all, manual transmissions now cost about a $1000 MORE than automatic transmissions!

This can be seen in the king cabs and crew cabs.

You now have to pay a premium to drive a stick?!?

Build Your Nissan | Nissan USA

When did this happen?
 
#3 ·
Nissan sells so few Frontiers with sticks I'm sure they would rather simplify their supply chain and assembly lines by eliminating manuals completely.

They probably set the price higher in an attempt to try and discourage folks from even buying a manual. How many full size pickups are available with a manual?
 
#10 ·
#4 ·
Probably some economies of scale involved.

All other things being equal, an auto maker's per-piece price for 50,000 transmissions is usually a lot less than it is for 5,000.
 
#5 ·
The King Cab stick 4x4 is $26k.
The Crew Cab stick 4x4 is $25K.

Get the Crew Cab...
 
#6 · (Edited)
I believe the explanation is that the Value package is included without the $1,900 charge on the very few SV manuals available. Frontier2112 recently got this information direct from Nissan Marketing, although the dealer was clueless. So, it still makes the manual a good deal as well as a lot of fun.

I just got off the phone with a Nissan Marketing Dept rep. The SV V6 6M comes STANDARD with nearly all the VTP items!!!! With maybe the exception of floor mats...it is all there, which makes a BOATLOAD of sense. Or, why would the manual tranny cost more than the automatic in only the SV iteration?!? :
The question does remain as to why they make such a secret of it. The Value Package is not advertised as such but all the features are included.

When did this happen?
I believe it started in 2013.
 
#7 ·
it looks to me based on the fuel mileage, price, and what others have done. it may not just simply be economy of scale, but with the automatic, the ECM can shift and adjust the engine to keep emissions and fuel economy optimized.
Then again, it could really be the 15 extra minutes per vehicle it takes to install a clutch.
 
#8 ·
I'll try this again. The 6 speed manual is cheaper assuming you want the Value Package items.

 
#12 · (Edited)
A MT is cheaper than the AT in the S V6 as well as the Pro-4X. It is only in the SV V6 line (both KC and CC) that one pays the ~$1000 premium...and I'm "pretty sure" the VTP items come standard.

I say "pretty sure" as it has been a literal nightmare trying to figure all this out. I called corporate twice...and the 2nd time netted me some corroboration that the above is true. By calling a few of the dealers that actually have some of the 8 - YES ONLY 8 - SV V6 KC 4x2 6M in the whole country...they indeed corroborated that the VTP items are on the trucks on their lots.

FWIW, I personally did not inquire about any SV V6 4x4 MT in either KC or CC.

Also, take a look at the curb weights of all the iterations: you'll see that the SV V6 MTs weigh ~79 lbs more than their AT counterparts. This is not the case in all other configurations. So, it makes sense to me that the VTP items (esp the Class IV hitch receiver make up the added weight).
 
#13 ·
... the SV V6 line (both KC and CC) that one pays the ~$1000 premium...and I'm "pretty sure" the VTP items come standard.
I can confirm what Frontier2112 says. All Value Package items were included on my SV. There was no $1,900 option fee, but base price was approx. $1,000 more than SV auto without Value Package.

It seems to me that if you really want the stick you can find them; very few but they are still there, and a good deal if you want the Value Package.

You can see all the VP items for 2013 are listed.
 
#14 · (Edited)
What I went through to find this out just should not have to happen to anyone.
Nissan's website should allow one to find this information out. Nope.
A simple call to corporate marketing should easily find this out. Nope.
The salesmen at the dealerships that I questioned IN PERSON ~ ALL went to the same dang "Build a Frontier" corporate search engine and essentially told me it couldn't be done.

Frustrating is a vast understatement.

When I review Consumer Reports over the years, it is obvious that Nissan is slipping...slipping badly in just the last couple/few years. I want to think that CR's data is solely based on subjective data that they gathered from individual/volunteer consumers. IFF it is indeed purely subjective, or at least close to it...then Nissan needs to take a serious look at themselves...and make some changes. Right now they are near the bottom = 30th out of 32 total brands. Hell, even Dodge/Chrysler passed them up. Only Smart & Mitsubishi are beneath them as individual brands. Not good.
 
#18 · (Edited)
What I went through to find this out just should not have to happen to anyone.
Nissan's website should allow one to find this information out. Nope.
A simple call to corporate marketing should easily find this out. Nope.
The salesmen at the dealerships that I questioned IN PERSON ~ ALL went to the same dang "Build a Frontier" corporate search engine and essentially told me it couldn't be done.

Frustrating is a vast understatement.

When I review Consumer Reports over the years, it is obvious that Nissan is slipping...slipping badly in just the last couple/few years. I want to think that CR's data is solely based on subjective data that they gathered from individual/volunteer consumers. IFF it is indeed purely subjective, or at least close to it...then Nissan needs to take a serious look at themselves...and make some changes. Right now they are near the bottom = 30th out of 32 total brands. Hell, even Dodge/Chrysler passed them up. Only Smart & Mitsubishi are beneath them as individual brands. Not good.


I agree that Consumer Reports is showing a marked decline in recent model year Nissan quality as reflected in their owner reports of dollars spent on maint. and repairs. I might also add that CR does not ask for things you did not repair on their car survey, even if those things were serious faults with the car.

For instance, if you had a subaru that had abnormally high oil consumption and the manufacturer would not fix the engine or exchange and give you a new car (and the FEDS won't require they do this as it is not a safety issue) and you decide not to spend the $$$ for repairs, then CR doesn't get feedback on this and won't tally in the problem with their data as there is no $$$ amount to put with it. So this can distort their owner reviews to ignore items where there is no repair cost shown, even though its a major defect.

Another example would be the Toyota rust thru issue on their Tacoma trucks beds of a few year ago....they still receive high marks during those years for reliability, yet premature rusting is a serious problem but because the Feds would not consider it a safety issue, there never was a forced recall on those trucks.

That's why I recommend checking the federal site for owner complaints so you can see trends in complaints that CR might not be catching in their owner reports on reliability. Both the Subaru oil consumption issue and the Toyota rust thru issue appear on that site under complaints. I think that site is under the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. Google: vehicle recalls and should be able to find it fairly easily. This is just a FYI. Interesting discussion we are having.

Here is the site: http://www.safercar.gov/ then hit the recall tab and enter make,model year. Then search thru the complaints tab.
 
#19 ·
Att least dealers are admitting to you that Nissan still offers the 6mt. When I was looking for mine I was pumped to see it listed as an option with the sv cc 4wd. Dealer told me they stopped building them. And maybe they did in 4wd but I wouldn't think it would be listed on the website
 
#20 ·
... Dealer told me they stopped building them. And maybe they did in 4wd but I wouldn't think it would be listed on the website
They are available. Amazing the dealer gets away with saying that. There are a few on Cars.com. Here is one SV 4x4 with manual. If I were shopping I would definitely be armed with links to some of these.

2015 Nissan Frontier SV, $28,635 - Cars.com

You will see in the dealer pictures it does have the stick, and almost certainly the Value Package items since you can see the backup monitor and tow package from the pictures. What is so weird is the dealer has not even mentioned these or the other items in their description. Clueless!!
 
#23 ·
Not sure what SMOD is, but the fuel system issues were likely the result of bad fuel sending units. To make matters worse, many warranty repairs (like mine) were performed with the same poorly engineered parts that failed again.
 
#24 ·
Not sure what SMOD is
Strawberry Milkshake Of Death. Or the dreaded cross contamination of coolant and automatic transmission fluid, caused by a failure around one or both of the nipples of the cooler located at the bottom of the radiator. Problem was a major issue of the 05-10 Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra. The radiator was redesigned starting with the 2011 model year.
 
#25 ·
The 6-speed on Pro-4X is cheaper BUT you also get penalized in that you can't get any of the optional items that come on the 'luxury package' (leather, sunroof, roof rack, etc.). Of course, you can get an auto without that option, but it's still more than a manual, since the auto is a $ option.

I'd gladly pay more for a manual, cause it will pay for itself in enjoyment :D

btw - a lot of vehicles, like my GTO I bought back when, are automatic std. and manual option ($).
 
#35 ·
... BUT you also get penalized in that you can't get any of the optional items that come on the 'luxury package' (leather, sunroof, roof rack, etc.). ....
It was the same scene in '06 when I bought my SE. Unfortunately it seems to be the case everywhere in North America in this era. One of the very few manufacturers that is smart about it is VW, which still offers manuals on many models with all of the options. Das Auto.
 
#29 ·
The basic premise is wrong. A manual on a Frontier costs less than an automatic. Period.
Sorry man, you're wrong on this...but only with respect to the SV V6 line.
Do this:
Build an SV V6 online and click on the 6-speed manual in the Transmission category checkbox...the price goes UP & you'll begin to see what a farce this is. Once the 6M is checked, you can't add/get the VTP. And nowhere does it say anything about what comes standard when buying an SV V6 6M which is the supposed baseline according to all the SV V6 wording/vernacular. Herein is where the issue lies. Cuz the salesmen go and do this very thing...online...while sitting at their desk.

I fully realize that salesmen are most interested in selling what is on their lot. But telling me I can't get what I want when I actually CAN get what I want is/WAS so friggin' frustrating. Are they doing this intentionally? I'd really like to know this...for real.
 
#34 ·
I seriously doubt any dealership is intentionally marking automatic trucks as manual in hopes to bait customers in. Potential manual buyers are exponentially outnumbered by potential automatic buyers. If anything they would be intentionally marking manual trucks as automatic to try to bait customers in. Bill_c is probably right about them using previously prepared info.
 
#37 ·
That's such a good point. While I was frustrated at not being able to get factory options I wanted (adjustable lumbar, outdoor temperature display, fog lights and others), I saved thousands of dollars buying my SE 6-Speed according to Nissan's factory prescription.

In the end however, I've not missed these features. The seats have been fine, I can easily install fog lights if I wish ..... and if I want to know the temperature, I drive by a bank. <g>
 
#39 · (Edited)
Its unfortunate but true, and I think all the electronic safety enhancements w ill prove out to be expensive to repair (ie radar systems, auto brake features, etc). This will cause people to trade their cars in sooner when things start to go bad on them and generate more sales of "technology laden" vehicles. It would be interesting to see a chart of average repair costs 10 years ago versus today and compare in another 10 years out; then equalize out for inflation to see what the real costs and increases were.

I could not find any source for that on the internet (Maybe someone else can), however, I did find this URL from University of Michigan on measuring ones costs to help decide when to trade or not trade in your older vehicle. I thought this was interesting.:

http://www-math.bgsu.edu/~zirbel/carcosts/index.html
 
#42 ·
Thanks for that link. That site is very straight-forward and to the point.

And I like how all of the CrewCab models use pictures of Longbeds, even for the shortbeds specs!

Subliminal messaging?
 
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