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247 Posts
Long lost but one of my last here more than likely.
I recently trade in my 2015 frontier SV with VTP crew cab in for a 2014 Tundra, and wish I had gone full size to begin with. The frontier was a good truck and more than capable Doing quite a bit however with a 4200# dry travel trailer and a family of 3 plus a dog and then a niece and nephew that often ride with us the frontier got cramped really quickly.
Just wanted to do a quick review of my 2015 frontier vs my wife's 2011 Pathfinder S that we still have. The pathfinder is the lowest level and has zero added options except I added a 7 pin trailer plug and a double din head unit.
Patheist and frontier both have 4 wheel disc brakes and traction control. And the 4.0 v6 with similar output and 5 speed automatic transmissions. Transmission and rear diff are slightly different. Pathfinder has rear coils instead of leaf springs and obviously more seating and the middle row reclines.
Tow capacity of frontier as speced 6200#
Tow capacity of pathfinder 6000#
Frontier did have a higher payload also.
We have had the pathfinder for 4.5 years and it is at 59k miles and even though it is a base model MSRP $30k and the truck after 16 months and is a middle of the road model at 28.5k with added options and VTP package.
However the pathfinder is way better as far as the interior goes. The below items were all inferior in the frontier.
Head liner ('15 frontier was same material as my '94 ranger)
Door panels (scratch way easier)
Seats (material and no lumbar)
Rear seats(no recline and uncomfortable)
Arm rest and other "soft items" scratch way easier on the frontier. Again lower quality interior materials.
Surface oxidation in drive shaft at 2 months old (none in pathfinder after several trips to the. Beach ( per year)
Gas mileage was a let down. The engine is the same with basically the same tow rating and hp and acceleration and the truck is lighter but he pathfinder gets better city and highway mileage.
Again my frontier was "adequate". However it was never spacious and mileage was less than the pathfinder with same specs. I averaged 16.2 mpg over 16 months and 11.5k miles. My best was 21.5 mpg which was highway at 65mph at night with cruise on a flat road. Worst was 8mpg towing a travel trailer 50 miles each way to a camp ground. Also towed a 17' fish boat bed loaded and 3 additional passengers and the truck did great and got like 16mpg, but the travel trailer is such a wind drag.
2015 frontier SV VTP crew cab 11.7k miles traded in for 2014 Tundra double cab SR 6.5' bed 17.2k miles . The Tundra is 10" wider 12" taller and 24" longer but turning radius is nearly the same. I opted for the SR which is a base model but has back up camera and touch screen with the sixth seat up front which is very useful. And also got a v8 which is much better for towing. The bed is also wider liger and deeper. Living in mid Georgia there are plenty of trucks and big vehicles around here so Parking is rarely a problem. AC is phenomenal! Blows super cold and cools the whole cabin that's bigger way faster than the frontier that had dual zone. I can bounce wait of the back window into our infant carrier. Also with the v8 I have only lost .9 mpg overall and with a 15 mile commute round trip that is minimal loss in my mind. For all of the benefits that I gain.
I have assessed everything and considered more than included, and I also realize this is a long winded post as it is and very few people are likely to read all of this and if they do I will get some grief for jumping brands. However I have owned 12 vehicles in 12 years of drinking and 4 have been nissans. 2 toyotas 5 Hondas 1 ford. These are the vehicles I have bought and maintained not what my parents or friends may have owned and I drove.
We still love our 2011 pathfinder and have choose to keep it as the primary family hauler, and our only complaint is being a base model that the rear air doesn't have an independent blower so it barely trickles out from what the front is pushing. Other than that it has been great. And if I had a further commute I might have kept the frontier. But given everything and where we are in life we decided it was better to trade the frontier for something bigger. And I honestly do not think I will come back to a mid sized truck until later in life at best. But likely stay full size for comfort and tow capacity.
Thank you for all of the knowledge and support that comes from the forum and ownership of a frontier, and best of luck to everyone.
I recently trade in my 2015 frontier SV with VTP crew cab in for a 2014 Tundra, and wish I had gone full size to begin with. The frontier was a good truck and more than capable Doing quite a bit however with a 4200# dry travel trailer and a family of 3 plus a dog and then a niece and nephew that often ride with us the frontier got cramped really quickly.
Just wanted to do a quick review of my 2015 frontier vs my wife's 2011 Pathfinder S that we still have. The pathfinder is the lowest level and has zero added options except I added a 7 pin trailer plug and a double din head unit.
Patheist and frontier both have 4 wheel disc brakes and traction control. And the 4.0 v6 with similar output and 5 speed automatic transmissions. Transmission and rear diff are slightly different. Pathfinder has rear coils instead of leaf springs and obviously more seating and the middle row reclines.
Tow capacity of frontier as speced 6200#
Tow capacity of pathfinder 6000#
Frontier did have a higher payload also.
We have had the pathfinder for 4.5 years and it is at 59k miles and even though it is a base model MSRP $30k and the truck after 16 months and is a middle of the road model at 28.5k with added options and VTP package.
However the pathfinder is way better as far as the interior goes. The below items were all inferior in the frontier.
Head liner ('15 frontier was same material as my '94 ranger)
Door panels (scratch way easier)
Seats (material and no lumbar)
Rear seats(no recline and uncomfortable)
Arm rest and other "soft items" scratch way easier on the frontier. Again lower quality interior materials.
Surface oxidation in drive shaft at 2 months old (none in pathfinder after several trips to the. Beach ( per year)
Gas mileage was a let down. The engine is the same with basically the same tow rating and hp and acceleration and the truck is lighter but he pathfinder gets better city and highway mileage.
Again my frontier was "adequate". However it was never spacious and mileage was less than the pathfinder with same specs. I averaged 16.2 mpg over 16 months and 11.5k miles. My best was 21.5 mpg which was highway at 65mph at night with cruise on a flat road. Worst was 8mpg towing a travel trailer 50 miles each way to a camp ground. Also towed a 17' fish boat bed loaded and 3 additional passengers and the truck did great and got like 16mpg, but the travel trailer is such a wind drag.
2015 frontier SV VTP crew cab 11.7k miles traded in for 2014 Tundra double cab SR 6.5' bed 17.2k miles . The Tundra is 10" wider 12" taller and 24" longer but turning radius is nearly the same. I opted for the SR which is a base model but has back up camera and touch screen with the sixth seat up front which is very useful. And also got a v8 which is much better for towing. The bed is also wider liger and deeper. Living in mid Georgia there are plenty of trucks and big vehicles around here so Parking is rarely a problem. AC is phenomenal! Blows super cold and cools the whole cabin that's bigger way faster than the frontier that had dual zone. I can bounce wait of the back window into our infant carrier. Also with the v8 I have only lost .9 mpg overall and with a 15 mile commute round trip that is minimal loss in my mind. For all of the benefits that I gain.
I have assessed everything and considered more than included, and I also realize this is a long winded post as it is and very few people are likely to read all of this and if they do I will get some grief for jumping brands. However I have owned 12 vehicles in 12 years of drinking and 4 have been nissans. 2 toyotas 5 Hondas 1 ford. These are the vehicles I have bought and maintained not what my parents or friends may have owned and I drove.
We still love our 2011 pathfinder and have choose to keep it as the primary family hauler, and our only complaint is being a base model that the rear air doesn't have an independent blower so it barely trickles out from what the front is pushing. Other than that it has been great. And if I had a further commute I might have kept the frontier. But given everything and where we are in life we decided it was better to trade the frontier for something bigger. And I honestly do not think I will come back to a mid sized truck until later in life at best. But likely stay full size for comfort and tow capacity.
Thank you for all of the knowledge and support that comes from the forum and ownership of a frontier, and best of luck to everyone.
