[bigjohn1139]

Most of you probably already know these facts but some may not so I will post them. These are taken from our internal network here at Nissan - Smyrna.

Background Information:

- In 2000, the Nissan Frontier became the first compact truck sold in the U.S. with four full-size forward hinged doors, followed by the first factory-installed supercharger in a compact truck (2001) and the first crew cab compact truck with more than six feet of bed (2002).
- The current generation 2005 Frontier first went on sale in late 2004 as one of the best equipped mid-size trucks on the market.
There are a total of 13 available Frontier King Cab and 14 available Frontier Crew Cab models.
- The 2010 Nissan Frontier continues to offer an exceptional level of on- and off-road performance with the use of a 4.0-liter DOHC V6 engine with horsepower, torque, towing and payload specifications that are second-to-none in the mid-size truck class.
- Revisions for 2010 include standard side and curtain air bags on all models (4-cylinder and V6-equipped models), standard Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) on all V6-equipped models, Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control now standard on all SE and LE 4WD automatic transmission-equipped models, and 2-wheel or 4-wheel Active Brake Limited Slip (ABLS) added as standard for all SE and LE V6 models. In addition, one new exterior color, Night Armor, is added to the range of available Frontier colors.

- In addition to King Cab and Crew Cab body styles, available configurations include a choice of 4x2 and 4x4, 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder (King Cab 4x2 only) or 4.0-liter V6 engines, manual or automatic transmissions, regular or long beds (Crew Cab only) and XE, SE, LE and PRO-4X trim levels.
- The vehicle is known as Frontier in North America and GOM and as Navarra in Europe.
- Frontier is sold in North America, Global Overseas Markets (GOM) and Europe.
- The Frontier’s largest market is North America.
- The Frontier is manufactured in Smyrna, Tenn.; European Navarra is built in Europe.

2010 Models:

King Cab- XE (I4), SE (I4), SE V6, LE (V6), Pro-4X (V6)
Crew Cab (V-6 only): SE, LE, Pro-4X
Price starting at $17,540

Vital Stats:

Power: 152 hp @ 5,200 rpm (4 cylinder), 261 hp @ 5,600 rpm (V6)
Torque: 171 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm (4 cylinder), 281 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm (V6)
Platform: F-Alpha

Powertrain:
4.0-liter V6 (VQ40) with 6 M/T or 5 A/T
2.5-liter 4-cylinder (QR25DE) with 5 A/T
Curb weight: 3,240 – 4,352 lbs

Fuel economy:
4-Cylinder: 4x2 M/T – 19/23 mpg (city/highway)
4-Cylinder: 4x2 A/T – 17-22 mpg (city/highway)
V6: 4x2 M/T – 16/20 mpg (city/highway)
V6: 4x2 A/T – 15/20 mpg (city/highway)
V6: 4x4 M/T – 15/19 mpg (city/highway)
V6: 4x4 A/T – 14/19 mpg (city/highway)
Emissions: LEV2-ULEV, Tier 2 Bin5

Major Competitors:

Toyota Tacoma
Chevrolet Colorado
Dodge Dakota
Ford Ranger
Honda Ridgeline (secondary)
Awards:

2009 Frontier received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) highest rating – 5 stars – for side-impact crash safety


Best Wishes,

 

[micl9]

Nice info

I just wish they would give us a diesel option. a 4cyl TDI would be awesome.
Sorry kindafftopic:

:itsfriday:

 

[bigjohn1139]

Hey Mike, I agree but the design engineers have never really put a pencil to it. Mainly because the demand is so low that its not worth the investment.

 

[slothrs]

BigJohn

Has there been any thought given to making a base model Frontier with increased payload to cater to tradesmen and fleet buyers? What needs to be upgraded to get a higher payload from an engineering perspective? I do realize that Nissan is coming out with dedicated work vehicles, do these share parts and engineering with the Frontier?

Thanks

 

[micl9]

Hey Mike, I agree but the design engineers have never really put a pencil to it. Mainly because the demand is so low that its not worth the investment.

I hear ya - but doesn't Nissan make diesel Frontiers outside of NA?
I know there is a lot of cost to make US legal diesels but at some point we are all going to realize that its technology that is ready now with a very fast ROI (for the consumer). I have heard that VW looses money on every Jetta TDI it sells, I don't buy that but will accept it is possible.
Its just such a shame cause my old 4 banger was a dog and got crappy mileage to boot, barely better than my current 4.0 V6. A 4 cyl TDI would have made that a GREAT truck. Hell, I would drop a 2.0 TDI in my current Frontier if it was easy (and cheap and...)

I just sold my E300TD with 307k miles and running strong, unfortunately same could not be said for the tranny.
But on the bright side - I get to keep my truck!

 

[thefullfronty]

Screw the diesel. Turbo charge the frontier. From my understanding, diesels are in europe for the simple fact that they have to import all their fuel. Diesel is the cheapest/ simplest biproduct of oil. (other than kerosene) I say if you want a diesel, import a Navara. There are companies that will do it for you.

Found some info on the new ford ecoboost twin turbo 3.5l (on e85 gas) I kinda like the torque curve myself

365 hp (272 kW) @5500 rpm, 350 lb·ft (475 N·m) @1500-5250 rpm
2010- Ford Taurus SHO
355 hp (265 kW) @5700 rpm, 350 lb·ft (475 N·m) @1500-5250 rpm
2010- Ford Flex
2010- Lincoln MKS
2010- Lincoln MKT
2011- Ford F-150

 

[micl9]

oh yeah go with E85 - gov't mandated BS!:roll:
Ethonal from sugar cane makes sense, especially if you live in Brazil. Ethanol from corn in NA is shear stupidity. But it got some guys re-elected.

And its a little more complicated than that as to why diesels are so popular in Europe, better yet the rest of the world.


OK BigJohn How bout telling us about the NEXT Frontier!

 

[Mathster]

Hey Mike, I agree but the design engineers have never really put a pencil to it. Mainly because the demand is so low that its not worth the investment.

would buy a navara next, but im going with a tdi jetta instead. Im keeping the frontier tho.
Anyway big john, dont be a stranger, your boss wont mind you sitting in during lunch to talk to us.

 

[micl9]

The Jetas are nice. I drove a 2009. You would never know it was a diesel.
Hell even the 2006s where pretty damn nice, but you could tell they where diesels.

Love the greaser

 

[Mathster]

The Jetas are nice. I drove a 2009. You would never know it was a diesel.
Hell even the 2006s where pretty damn nice, but you could tell they where diesels.

Love the greaser

I haven't driven the jetta yet, but I have driven a couple diesel Vauxhalls and Opels in europe. The one thing you notice is the 6liters/100km fuel mileage vs 10 liter/100km out of a petrol engine.

and I think all of us would like to go from 10.6 to 7.8 liter/100km out of our trucks wouldn't we???

 

[tn.frontier]

Hey John. I love my truck just wish nissan would get rid of the rockford fosgate option and go with the bose systems used in the pathfinder including nav, backup camera, heated steering wheel, memory seats and illuminated bottons on the steering wheel. My wifes altima coupe has these features and they are sweet. Except for memory seat, its a great system. Were aware that you guys review these forums and see that a lot of owners would enjoy more of these comfort items and heck you might just sway a few SUV guys over to a truck. I see it being sold this way in the Uk. What about us major truck buyers here in the states. Or how about just making the wiring harness more plug and play, that way we can add more accessories to our vehicles at a later date.

 

[bigjohn1139]

I hear ya - but doesn't Nissan make diesel Frontiers outside of NA?
I know there is a lot of cost to make US legal diesels but at some point we are all going to realize that its technology that is ready now with a very fast ROI (for the consumer). I have heard that VW looses money on every Jetta TDI it sells, I don't buy that but will accept it is possible.
Its just such a shame cause my old 4 banger was a dog and got crappy mileage to boot, barely better than my current 4.0 V6. A 4 cyl TDI would have made that a GREAT truck. Hell, I would drop a 2.0 TDI in my current Frontier if it was easy (and cheap and...)

I just sold my E300TD with 307k miles and running strong, unfortunately same could not be said for the tranny.
But on the bright side - I get to keep my truck!

Hey Mike, I will try to answer to the best of my understanding.

It all boils down to market strategy. In today automotive world it is all about the bottom line just to stay afloat. I guess you could say its survival of the fittest.

Yes the Navarra comes with the diesel option and yes the technology is there but as you stated there are many less standards associated with emmisions in Europe which makes it cheaper to build there. Not only that, the difference in the cost of gasoline vs diesel plays a huge role in the demand. I dont know the exact cost difference in fuel types in Europe but here the savings in fuel economy vs the cost difference between the two (Approx $1/gal) makes it almost a wash. So the demand is low.

I know there are diehard diesel fans out there that could find many ways to dispute this but the fact is this, if there is little profit margin chances are it won't be built.

I do agree that we need to work on our fuel economy in our truck line, Nissan has never been renouned for that but if you look across the entire brand list board we are not far behind the others. The newer 2.5L 4cyl does do better with the automatic tranny with much more performance even with a heaver GWR. So it has been recognized and there are many Engineers working on better MPG's without the loss of performance.

Hope this helps explain,

Best Wishes,

 

[bigjohn1139]

Anyway big john, dont be a stranger, your boss wont mind you sitting in during lunch to talk to us.

Thanks Mathster, will try to join ya! What time are you all usually here?

 

[Mathster]

Thanks Mathster, will try to join ya! What time are you all usually here?

usually after 6 or so central time.

 

[dabird]

Thanks Bigjohn,
This is good info. As a 'new' Frontier owner (06 4x4 suto
Do you have some Nissan engineers hanging out there? I would like to get a better understanding of the radiator/transmisson fluid cooler issue in terms of the actual failure rate and what the best preventative fix is. For example, is a new or aftermarket radiator guaranteed not to leak? Outside of frequent towing, what is the risk of performing the bypass that several members have already done? There are so many different opinions that it would be really helpful for me (and maybe a few others) to get some expert input here.
Thanks and sorry if this is too off-topic!
David

 

[ScottXGTR]

Mainly because the demand is so low that its not worth the investment.

look at how many 4 cyl frontiers are sold. realistically that is part of your demand. not all of us want a reworked sports car engine in our trucks.

the current gen frontier is a bit too heavy for the QR, so a torquey diesel option that would still net 20mpg or better would sell just as well as the current QR 4 cyl. as a consumer, i wouldnt mind spending the additional $1500 for a diesel 4 cyl that got 4 mpg better than the current offering. not to mention a diesel tends to have a higher resale value and longer lifespan.

i know nissan has several diesel engines that could be applied, but im guessing the real road block is emissions and legal red tape. but as my old manager told me, you cant sell it if you dont have it. nissan needs to step up by offering one before the guys at toyota, chevy, or ford beat you to it.

in the end, the decision comes down to the bean counters. im sure the engineers agree that a diesel 4 would produce a better end product than the current 4cyl offering.

 

[thefullfronty]

i wouldnt mind spending the additional $1500 for a diesel 4 cyl that got 4 mpg better than the current offering

If you pull some quick figures, based on driving 15,000 miles a year, and average US fuel prices (gas @ $2.78 and diesel @ $2.99) it would take you 8 years to recover a $1500 diesel option. Don't forget the extra costs involved with a diesel, glow plugs, turbo, fuel filters, and if in colder climates diesel fuel conditioner and having to plug it in when it reaches around 40 *F

 

[Mathster]

i wouldnt mind spending the additional $1500 for a diesel 4 cyl that got 4 mpg better than the current offering. not to mention a diesel tends to have a higher resale value and longer lifespan.

with a diesel, your looking at close to 30 mpg combination (europe doesn't list "highway" only combination)
capabilities of the V-6 for towing, better fuel mileage than the 4 cyl.

 

[RedFrontier]

Are you kidding me? Diesel not worth it? Dude(s) you put a "clean" diesel in it, that can also run on bio diesel that thing will FLY! Look at VW and the TDI, it has a clean diesel and on top of that you get a tax break for driving an eco friendly car. And VW sells those things! To this day they all sell way over blue book with 200K+ miles.

I understand in the 80's and 90's the American automakers killed any chance of diesel engines in America with that unreliable diesel drinking clunking smoky garbage they where putting out. But its worth a shot, it is working just fine for VW.

 

[Mainerunr]

Screw the diesel. Turbo charge the frontier. From my understanding, diesels are in europe for the simple fact that they have to import all their fuel. Diesel is the cheapest/ simplest biproduct of oil. (other than kerosene) I say if you want a diesel, import a Navara. There are companies that will do it for you.

Found some info on the new ford ecoboost twin turbo 3.5l (on e85 gas) I kinda like the torque curve myself

365 hp (272 kW) @5500 rpm, 350 lb·ft (475 N·m) @1500-5250 rpm
2010- Ford Taurus SHO
355 hp (265 kW) @5700 rpm, 350 lb·ft (475 N·m) @1500-5250 rpm
2010- Ford Flex
2010- Lincoln MKS
2010- Lincoln MKT
2011- Ford F-150

who cares what they can do with E85, its not available in half the US, uses more fuel to make it, etc. plus, E85 is about 95 octane meaning you can run higher compression (contrary to popular belief, higher octane does not mean more power unless you can run higher compression ratios.