[mass-hole]

Hi All,

I am currently in a 2014 F150 Ecoboost. Its a nice truck, I really like it, but I thought I would be buying a travel trailer and bought the biggest baddest one I could find. Its a SuperCrew long bed(6.5'), so it's got a wheel base the length of the titanic, and I got it with the Max-Tow package so its got 3.73 gears and those dumbo tow mirrors off of the superduty's.

I have been toying with the idea of trading in on a mid sized to not only get into something smaller/not overkill but also maybe save a little coin. I was really hung up on the Colorado/Canyon Duramax and I had a great test drive in one, but the prices arnt budging much off MSRP and, honestly, its not worth the price of admission. I already had a dislike for the Tacoma which I think its because so many bros drive them around here(Park City, Utah). The Frontier . . . I just thought it was old and outdated so it was not a strong contender.

The good news is I went to Salt Lake City the other day for a meeting and wouldnt you know, there was a Nissan, GMC, and Toyota dealer right across the street. Went and test drove a 2017 GMC Canyon with the V6/8 Speed, a 2017 Frontier Pro4X, and a 2017 Tacoma TRD Off-Road back to back. Long story short, the GMC and Frontier were both really nice. GMC had a slightly nicer drivetrain but the Frontier was right there with it. The GMC had a nicer interior but the ride was much harsher. The Toyota, mother of god, that thing drove like a piece of crap. No low end power whatsoever, but the ride was similar to the Frontier. Interior was about the same as the frontier as well. Consumer reports gives it the lowest reliability rating they have.

So I am thinking the Frontier may be the truck to go with at this point mostly because of its offroad potential vs the GMC/Chevy. My questions are:

1. New or Used? Is there much savings by going slightly used? There wasnt with the F150s.

2. I like the long bed, but its not available on the Pro4X. I also really like the idea of the Titan swap. Is it dumb to go with an SV or SL Long bed and swap in things like diff lockers and what not? Am I better off just taking the hit on the bed and starting with the Pro4X?

3. How is the gas mileage in real life? I average about 17mpg in the winter and 18 mpg in the summer in my F150 on 33" Wrangler Duratracs and would be a little pissed if I couldnt beat that.

 

[40112]

Hi All,



I am currently in a 2014 F150 Ecoboost. Its a nice truck, I really like it, but I thought I would be buying a travel trailer and bought the biggest baddest one I could find. Its a SuperCrew long bed(6.5'), so it's got a wheel base the length of the titanic, and I got it with the Max-Tow package so its got 3.73 gears and those dumbo tow mirrors off of the superduty's.



I have been toying with the idea of trading in on a mid sized to not only get into something smaller/not overkill but also maybe save a little coin. I was really hung up on the Colorado/Canyon Duramax and I had a great test drive in one, but the prices arnt budging much off MSRP and, honestly, its not worth the price of admission. I already had a dislike for the Tacoma which I think its because so many bros drive them around here(Park City, Utah). The Frontier . . . I just thought it was old and outdated so it was not a strong contender.



The good news is I went to Salt Lake City the other day for a meeting and wouldnt you know, there was a Nissan, GMC, and Toyota dealer right across the street. Went and test drove a 2017 GMC Canyon with the V6/8 Speed, a 2017 Frontier Pro4X, and a 2017 Tacoma TRD Off-Road back to back. Long story short, the GMC and Frontier were both really nice. GMC had a slightly nicer drivetrain but the Frontier was right there with it. The GMC had a nicer interior but the ride was much harsher. The Toyota, mother of god, that thing drove like a piece of crap. No low end power whatsoever, but the ride was similar to the Frontier. Interior was about the same as the frontier as well. Consumer reports gives it the lowest reliability rating they have.



So I am thinking the Frontier may be the truck to go with at this point mostly because of its offroad potential vs the GMC/Chevy. My questions are:



1. New or Used? Is there much savings by going slightly used? There wasnt with the F150s.



2. I like the long bed, but its not available on the Pro4X. I also really like the idea of the Titan swap. Is it dumb to go with an SV or SL Long bed and swap in things like diff lockers and what not? Am I better off just taking the hit on the bed and starting with the Pro4X?



3. How is the gas mileage in real life? I average about 17mpg in the winter and 18 mpg in the summer in my F150 on 33" Wrangler Duratracs and would be a little pissed if I couldnt beat that.

If you lift the fronty and put on bigger tires I don't see you beating the eco boost gas mileage. You might match it on a good day.


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[Contra]

get a Pro4X if you can afford it,

 

[GMK14]

You might find a good deal for a low mileage and cheaper unit that having to buy new, just could take time finding the right one.

It depends on how much you want the long bed option. Its easier to start with the LB and add a locker, you could put a locker in the C200k axle of the SV and have the best of both worlds.

The mileage on my CC SV LB on 33" Nitto's is how do I say less than stellar... That said the CC LB option was one of my requirements when I got the truck so i put up with the mileage.

 

[OMW2SKI]

I'm from the Salt Lake area. I bought a 17' Crew Cab SV V6 4WD a little over a month ago. There seem to be bigger discounts on the SV trim than the Pro-4X. Jerry Seiner in North Salt Lake got me OTD for $28,300. Sticker was just under $31K. Unless you plan on serious off-roading, I'm not sure the Pro-4X is necessary - though it is nice! I'm averaging a little over 19 MPG. Check KSL for used trucks. There are quite a few low mileage Frontiers listed right now. There haven't been any major updates in years, so 12'-16' models will be nearly identical to brand new. I've seen some clean, low mileage trucks listed in the low 20's.


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[whistler]

" Is it dumb to buy an SV or SL and swap in things?".
Not in the least.
No stock Frontier including a Pro4x is capable of serious off roading imo. Get your long bed.
Off course I ordered my Frontier with a special purpose but knew most everything would be changed. I ordered an S model with the only options being a 6 speed MT, 4x4, white and alloy wheels.
Wondering why nobody seems to order their trucks.
I ordered 5 of the 6 trucks I owned.

 

[OMW2SKI]

" Is it dumb to buy an SV or SL and swap in things?".
Not in the least.
No stock Frontier including a Pro4x is capable of serious off roading imo. Get your long bed.
Off course I ordered my Frontier with a special purpose but knew most everything would be changed. I ordered an S model with the only options being a 6 speed MT, 4x4, white and alloy wheels.
Wondering why nobody seems to order their trucks.
I ordered 5 of the 6 trucks I owned.

+1 on the 6 speed. Best car/truck decision I've made in a long time!


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[greywalker83]

I researched the hell out of trucks for almost a year. I was like you too. I thought the frontier was outdated and not on par with the competition but after reading up on reviews, complaints, known issues, etc and test driving each of the trucks I was interested in I eventually came to like the frontier. It was the best option from every angle. Low number of known problems compared to the others, low cost of maintenance, cheaper than the others too. It also had everything I wanted in a truck and the drive is really nice. The Toyota felt weird off the line and was way too expensive. The gmc options were nice, I liked them, but they're also new and are prone to expensive problems. Plus, I wanted something I could take off road in stock form and the gmc options would require taking the whole front end apart to take off the air dam or risk ripping it off on the first off road trip. While no stock truck is perfect off road compared to a built up rig the frontier has enough for mild to moderate off reading and that's good for me. I went for a pro 4x myself because I wanted the off road goodies right off the bat and the leather and sunroof. Either way though anything you get is better than a Ford seriously though, I'm loving my truck and this group of guys here have been awesome with info. Good luck man.

 

[mass-hole]

I'm from the Salt Lake area. I bought a 17' Crew Cab SV V6 4WD a little over a month ago. There seem to be bigger discounts on the SV trim than the Pro-4X. Jerry Seiner in North Salt Lake got me OTD for $28,300. Sticker was just under $31K. Unless you plan on serious off-roading, I'm not sure the Pro-4X is necessary - though it is nice! I'm averaging a little over 19 MPG. Check KSL for used trucks. There are quite a few low mileage Frontiers listed right now. There haven't been any major updates in years, so 12'-16' models will be nearly identical to brand new. I've seen some clean, low mileage trucks listed in the low 20's.


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Yeah Jerry Seiner is where I test drove the Frontier and Canyon. I told the guy I was on the fence about trading my F150 because I had gotten such a great deal on it, and I had concerns about going to a smaller, lower option truck for not much less money. He offered to take 4.5k off right there. I was a little surprised.

I did see some of the lightly used Frontiers you were talking about and that does seem like a great deal. If I can get into a Pro4x with less than 40k miles for low 20's then that may be a better deal.

Thanks for the input everyone.

 

[greywalker83]

Well out here in Colorado most of the used pro4x with the luxury package are going for about 32-33 new and 30-31 used and that's for 2014-2016 with under 40k miles. Again I've looked for a while. I got a heck of a deal though and scored a 2016 pro with lux with 12k miles for 26k. So it's all about finding he right one. I wound up going through a local auto broker as opposed to a big dealership and I think that's why I got such a good deal. Since they're not tied to a particular manufacturer and base they're pricing on similar sales in the area they asked for less than the dealerships. Since you've got a decent trade in though I'd bet you could get one at a good price. The msrp on these is about 36k but if you look on true car many are going for a lot less new because they're trying to compete with Toyota and Chevy/gmc who've got brand new updated models at the same price point. If they want to get the sell they have to sell for less. I'll bet once the updated version eventually comes out it's going to be harder to find a new one at a lower price. Anyway, check around your area for brokers. Also check outside your immediate area too. I had looked for some in salt lake too. I figured I could take the day to go up and get one, crash with relatives and drive home the next day if need be. I used to live up there and most my family is still in Utah.

 

[The other Sean]

My '11 Pro-4X was a 3 year old one owner truck when I bought it. It had 38K on it, so I assume the P.O. was one who trades in as soon as the B to B warranty is up. I saved nearly 10K on the price as compared to new.

 

[BearRegister]

I have a 2017 F-150 and a 2008 (new to me) Frontier. Fuel mileage is slightly higher on the Frontier (for now, installing a leveling kit and 285/75/16's this weekend). If you don't need all the bells and whistles of the Pro-4x package then I'd suggest going with an SE model to save some money. Both are great trucks but for daily driving, I like the Fronty better!

 

[mass-hole]

I have a 2017 F-150 and a 2008 (new to me) Frontier. Fuel mileage is slightly higher on the Frontier (for now, installing a leveling kit and 285/75/16's this weekend). If you don't need all the bells and whistles of the Pro-4x package then I'd suggest going with an SE model to save some money. Both are great trucks but for daily driving, I like the Fronty better!

2017 F150's are sweet. Ecoboost?

I dont need any luxury items. My F150 is well loaded and I've come to realize I dont really care about any of it. I think ive opened the sun shade on my moon roof twice in the two years I've owned it. That said, the e-locker on the Pro4X is nice to have. I've certainly used the one on my F150 in snowy/muddy hill climbs around here. Skids and shocks are easy enough to add later.

 

[OutFrontFrontier]

Toyota, lol, I remember well maintained Toyo/Lexs full of sludge. A sea of junked warrantied 3.0 v6 blocks. Tacos with sagged frames... And guess what, Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Chevy's either!!!!! Why pay more to have it depreciate/wear out faster? I'm @ 4 years & 41Kmi and its still All Good. I see 17 winter/18 summer in mixed, 32x11.5" tire, 2" lift, no front air dam. Took a back-roads run out to Idaho yesterday to look at a Kawasaki Teryx 4. I racked up 80 miles of county, woods, winding lakeside, city and freeway roads yesterday. Even drove over a center median to get over to the McDux.. All Good!! Thanks Frontier!!

 

[mass-hole]

Toyota, lol, I remember well maintained Toyo/Lexs full of sludge. A sea of junked warrantied 3.0 v6 blocks. Tacos with sagged frames... And guess what, Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Chevy's either!!!!! Why pay more to have it depreciate/wear out faster? I'm @ 4 years & 41Kmi and its still All Good. I see 17 winter/18 summer in mixed, 32x11.5" tire, 2" lift, no front air dam. Took a back-roads run out to Idaho yesterday to look at a Kawasaki Teryx 4. I racked up 80 miles of county, woods, winding lakeside, city and freeway roads yesterday. Even drove over a center median to get over to the McDux.. All Good!! Thanks Frontier!!

The 2017 Tacoma was BAD. That new 3.5L was a total dog and belongs in a Camry, not a truck. It had plenty of horsepower at the high RPMS but was gutless below 3000. It kept downshifting to 5th gear to maintain speed on a relatively flat stretch of 70 mph highway, and then when I turned around and was heading into a headwind, i downshifted to 5th and stayed there. This was at 4000' of elevation, I live at 6500' so it would be even worse.

 

[1AAuto.com]

Thanks for joining

Tony

 

[OMW2SKI]

Hey mass-hole, did you see this one? 2016 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X $26,994 | ksl.com

 

[kejr]

I just bought a sv 2016 from boch Nissan for 22,800 boch nissan south had some for less. Under 20k miles. I think if you want to do a lift that a pro4x is probably a waste unless you really need the elocker. I'm new to the frontier so take that with a grain of salt. They make an auto locker now for the c200k axle in the non 4x trucks.

 

[BleuDog]

Mass-hole:

Being a former Toyota guy and prior rock crawler (prior to marriage) I loved my 3rd Gen Manual 4runners.

Toyota: No Slip Yoke, oil changes were easier, radiator didn't hang down so low...numerous other little things that just seemed to be done better on the, turning radius was great...reliable as hell, great aftermarket support.

But then I drove the frontier and it seems more like the capable off road truck now versus the Toyota. And Nissan has always seemed to have engines with great torque curves. Frontier Downfall being the turning radius and low hanging radiator. But in my opinion I would rather spend $3-5k on an atlas T-case than on the Toyota brand. There are always going to be items for all brands that need to be modified to really go off road....so I would focus on those things each truck has that aren't easy to modified. Also remember that the more moving parts something has, the great the probability that something can break.

All that being said - I live in Texas and flew to California to buy my Truck. Was able to get my truck for $4,500 less in Kali-fornia than anything within almost 1,000 miles of Austin. If it were me - I would go for the SV and add what you want later. I cant really say for any brand that has come out with a special off-road model that they have been worth the extra $$.

BTW - my final trail rig was a 1999 5spd 4runner, 35s, Triangulated rear suspension, 14" of total travel, Custom built Bill Cropp 5VZ-FE....etc....etc...mountain goat....but there was a lot of custom stuffs done. So no matter what you decide to do - if you really want to attempt challenging trails - you will need to modify your rig. But I find the Frontier comfortable and capable enough to get me around during the hunting season.

Cheers Mass-Hole

Bleudog

 

[OMW2SKI]

Mass-hole:

Being a former Toyota guy and prior rock crawler (prior to marriage) I loved my 3rd Gen Manual 4runners.

Toyota: No Slip Yoke, oil changes were easier, radiator didn't hang down so low...numerous other little things that just seemed to be done better on the, turning radius was great...reliable as hell, great aftermarket support.

But then I drove the frontier and it seems more like the capable off road truck now versus the Toyota. And Nissan has always seemed to have engines with great torque curves. Frontier Downfall being the turning radius and low hanging radiator. But in my opinion I would rather spend $3-5k on an atlas T-case than on the Toyota brand. There are always going to be items for all brands that need to be modified to really go off road....so I would focus on those things each truck has that aren't easy to modified. Also remember that the more moving parts something has, the great the probability that something can break.

All that being said - I live in Texas and flew to California to buy my Truck. Was able to get my truck for $4,500 less in Kali-fornia than anything within almost 1,000 miles of Austin. If it were me - I would go for the SV and add what you want later. I cant really say for any brand that has come out with a special off-road model that they have been worth the extra $$.

BTW - my final trail rig was a 1999 5spd 4runner, 35s, Triangulated rear suspension, 14" of total travel, Custom built Bill Cropp 5VZ-FE....etc....etc...mountain goat....but there was a lot of custom stuffs done. So no matter what you decide to do - if you really want to attempt challenging trails - you will need to modify your rig. But I find the Frontier comfortable and capable enough to get me around during the hunting season.

Cheers Mass-Hole

Bleudog

The SV V6 Crew Cab 4X4 is perhaps the best bang for your buck truck on the market right now, IMHO. Can anyone think of a better value? I know there are cheaper trucks - and nicer trucks or more capable trucks. But for the price, i really can't think of a better setup.