[MSmith]

Hey folks,

Current Maxima owner about to switch. I've never owned a truck before, and honestly never thought I would need to. But I bought a house 4 years ago and find myself needing one all the time as a result (projects).

The kicker is I commute into Boston everyday (park in a garage)...70 miles round trip, 75% of the time in traffic.

My only requirements are 4WD, full size Crew Cab, nice drive. Don't need extra power, but I don't want it to be sluggish at all. I won't be towing anything or carrying any real heavy loads.

I thought for sure I'd be getting a Frontier. Drives nice. As good as I could hope for on gas mileage. Priced right... But I ran into 3 snags:

1) If I go Frontier, I'm getting the LE because I want an Aux port on the stereo. But...the LE Crew Cab forces you to get the roof rack. I'm not sure I like it to be honest. Sounds petty, but I gotta look at it everyday and I want to love it. People that own one...do you like your roof rack?

2) You can't lay a 4X8 (drywall or plywood) in the back flat due to the wheel wells. I know I can build something, but it would be nice if it just fit it.

3) The bed is a bit short. I don't know that I need a long bed, but I might wanna get a Long bed just to be on the safe side. People that have the standard size...do you wish you had the long size?

So, this begs the question...should I get a Titan instead? I've heard a little mixed reviews on the Titan, and only positive reviews of the Frontier, and the gas mileage is better on the Frontier. But if get a Titan, I don't have the Roof Rack issue, the bed length issue, or the bed width issue. But I do have a much larger vehicle with worse gas mileage and semi-mixed reviews.

I'd like to know what Frontier owners think. Again...this isn't for a business...just home projects. Would you stick with Frontier, or go Titan in these shoes? Also...if you own one, do you like your roof rack?

Thanks!

 

[Irongrave]

1, the OEM stereo sucks just upgrade to an aftermarket head unit and get an AUX port. As for the Rack I had an SE then drilled 16 holes in my roof to add a rack to it but thats just me
2, You still can't lay a 4x8 sheet in the back of a CC titan or LWB fronteir, I cant in my Ram either, I never had an issue having a sheet on the wheel wells.
3, I never had an issue with the short bed and I used my truck for work quite a bit. They turn like aircraft carriers so no need to make it longer

I would get the frontier, and the biggest reason is the titan is old, very out dated in its class for the same money there are better trucks in its class now. the frontier has been refreshed recently and options wise its even with the other class leaded tacoma and well ahead of the others in class.

 

[xtopherfishing]

I agree with IRONGRAVE ....Frontier would be my choice too. If its mostly city driving I would go for the 4 cylinder with manual tranny to get the best mileage. I have averaged 23 mpg in mostly highway driving (18,000 miles)on my 4 cylinder 2008 XE Frontier. That's on mostly flat terrain here in Iowa.

 

[HightecRednec]

1) What Irongrave said. The extra you're going to spend to get an LE with AUX input isn't worth it if you don't want the roof rack. Just get an SE and aftermarket stereo, you'll save money and it will sound better.

2 & 3) I have a small trailer at my disposal but, I have no complaints with the small bed size. I also have to agree that after driving a long bed and short bed CC, I would hate to have the long bed just because it has such a huge turn radius.

 

[xtopherfishing]

one more thing you might want to consider in your purchase decision is the total cost of ownership between the two different models....I think the Titan will cost a lot more than the Frontier. Here is a link that you can do the comparisons yourself.

The Auto Channel's Guide to Total Ownership Cost

 

[Uellee]

Frontier for sure.
As often as it sounds like you'll need it for hauling, and based on what you would probably be hauling, I'm sure you'll be able to make it work. I have enjoyed my mid-side truck. I use it for everything I would use a full size for.

 

[20009]

I recommend the Frontier also. Better fuel economy, more manuverable. and I would get the SE 4X4 CC, LONG BED. Mine's the short bed, (they didn't have LB's in 05) These stereos in ANY manufacturer's trucks are nothing to wright home to Mama about, I would upgrade to an aftermarket and that way, you can pick one to suit your needs better. The 4.0 has PLENTY of gitty-up ponies to get a huge stack of tickets and send even the richest man's insurance rates to unbearable highs. The 4WD system, even without the Dana 44/e locker will take you just about anywhere you have the huevos to point it.
:hi:

 

[D189379]

Why not just buy a used beater truck? Something to haul stuff around on the weekends, but you don't get stuck with shitty gas mileage during your commute. 70 miles everyday is going to burn through gas and your wallet.

 

[Avplayer]

Why not just buy a used beater truck? Something to haul stuff around on the weekends, but you don't get stuck with shitty gas mileage during your commute. 70 miles everyday is going to burn through gas and your wallet.

+1 if ur current maxima is runnin good then just get a reg cab f150 as ur home depot on the weekends truck

 

[Griff]

4x8's are np with a short bed long as you secure the load. If I were buying a bunch of 4x8s from Home Depot I would pay the $20 truck rental they have to make things easier and faster. Would do that even if I had a "full size" truck.

Go with a SE for sure with truck value package...not sure you could get one without that package to be honest. With the SE value package you get the bed extender if that helps you in having a short bed. I only mention this because SE 4x4 CC long beds seem rare.

Not sure what your MPG is now, but factor that in. A titan of similar gear will run $5-7k more I am guessing. Frontier is a cheaper affair and in your case you won't be losing a lot based on what your intended use is for the truck. The only downside would be a smaller cab in the Frontier. If you and your passengers are ok with that go with the Frontier!

Recently Chrysler and Nissan couldn't agree on sharing a platform for a newer Titan. Not sure where the Titan will be 1-2 years from now.

edit: I also like the idea of a POS truck for utility and keeping a sedan for work. 70 miles per day JUST for work is killer. I wouldn't have a truck if I were driving 4-500 miles per week unless I got reimbursement for miles.

 

[HightecRednec]

Another vote here for just getting a old beater truck.

 

[RockHawk JHKU]

Due to your commute, I'd also vote for getting an older, cheap truck just for the projects. I have a long commute as well and the gas does get old.

However, if you don't want to do that for whatever reason, I'd say the previous posters have given you pretty good advice already.

1) The Frontier will be cheaper than the Titan upfront and on-going (MPG) and will do everything you need it to (based on what you posted above).
2) For what you want, you don't need the long-bed because with the tailgate down and a couple strategically cut pieces of wood to create a subfloor you can fit drywall, etc just fine in the short-bed. Also, I've driven both and the LB turning radius really is noticably worse.
3) Don't get the LE unless you want the other, more expensive features (ie leather, driver info center, upgraded wheels, etc) because its easy to add the AUX port if you buy an aftermarket radio.

 

[ATLtoCO Frontier]

You would hate a full-sized truck in Boston. I used to have an '08 Silverado, and it was a GREAT truck, but it was a PITA to drive in a large city and to park in tight parking garages. It was a stock Z7l 4wd and it was actually too tall to fit in some parking garages and it was very tight in others that it did fit into.

I don't have these issues with my Frontier, I just wish it turned as sharp as my Silverado did.

 

[domoMKIV]

Exactly how often are you doing these home projects? You might just be better off renting the Home Depot truck when you need it and keeping your current car.

 

[burton]

short bed cc frontier and a small utility trailer.

 

[VoodooSaint]

If your hearts truly set on a frontier, i'd highly reccomend getting one used in the first place from a dealership to ensure a decent warranty and service agreement, and buying used saves you a ton of cash in the long run

And just my 2 cents, but the LE's are just SE's with a few minor asthetic differences and a whole pile of options. Otherwise all the suspension is the same, and if i could do it all over again i would have gotten the NISMO, or an SE and just used the extra money to upgrade the way i wanted it.

 

[MSmith]

Thanks everyone! Welp if I go Frontier, I'd probably get a lease since I tend to flip every 3 years anyway. The lower monthly payment for a Frontier lease is also way lower than the purchase payment on a Titan, which helps with that decision. I am getting excellent quotes on purchasing a Titan, but people make good points on driving a Full-Size in a city.

I'm glad to hear that everyone seems to be pretty pleased with their frontier purchase though and don't wish they had the Titan. That's reassuring.

I could do a beater truck and I did heavily consider it, but I'm not sure I'd really save much money long term anyway. It's almost $300 a year for basic insurance and $4K or $5K for the vehicle (unless I get a true beater which comes with it's own set of risks). That cost pretty much makes up for the difference in gas mileage.

Going with the SE and going after market on the stereo is making sense. My only concern is that it's a lease, but I think that should be fine so long as I put the stock stereo back in when I return it. Believe it or not though, on a lease, jumping up to an LE doesn't make a big difference in terms of montly cost. Then again...the LE lease was negotiated and the SE was not, so we'll see.

Alright...thanks everyone! I'm gonna take a Tacoma for a quick spin tonight (don't worry...I'll test to make sure I can stop before I leave the lot And if I find it comparable to the Frontier, and I get a good price on the Frontier tomorrow, then I'm gonna pull the trigger on the Frontier.

 

[Griff]

STOP! Not sure what lease you are are looking at but you will need a 60k mile lease for 3.years to cover your miles. You are at 17500 per year for a 5 day/week 50 wk/year commute. Seriously consider the terms of this lease before you get buried in something. Leasing now is not what it was in the 90's. BE CAREFUL!

 

[kannibul]

Once I adjusted my OEM system, it's not so bad. It's just off-balance with a bias towards the rear speakers in the cab, and can get bass (mud) heavy and the treble can be piercing...just keep them down a couple notches and bias it to the door speakers a bit.

(SE model king cab)

 

[MSmith]

STOP! Not sure what lease you are are looking at but you will need a 60k mile lease for 3.years to cover your miles. You are at 17500 per year for a 5 day/week 50 wk/year commute. Seriously consider the terms of this lease before you get buried in something. Leasing now is not what it was in the 90's. BE CAREFUL!

Thanks! You're right! I should have been more clear. I take the train in part of the year to compensate for the miles. In the end I drive 15K a year, which is what I'm getting quotes for.

Thanks for the heads up though! Much appreciated!