The Jatco RE5R05A is a really good automatic transmission. It shifts smooth, it's durable and the 5th gear provides decent fuel mileage on highway cruises. It's not a manual trans, but as an automatic, it's pretty good. I Admin at TheNissanPath and the only trans available in North America is the automatic and we have plenty of guys that go off-roading with it.
Here are the biggest differences that separate the Pro 4x versus other trim options: The Pro 4x has Hill Decent Control and Hill Start Assist an an electronic locking rear diff. These are options that can't just be added onto non-Pro 4x trims. The Pro 4x also has the Dana 44 rear, compared to the C200K rear used in the non Pro 4x trims with automatic transmissions. Other than that, a lot of stuff can be added to a non-Pro 4x trim to put it on par with the Pro 4x. You can purchase the extra skid plates and bolt them on, but to be honest, the factory skids on the Pro 4x leave a lot to be desired if you are going serious off-roading. Bilstein shocks and struts can be added. If not mistaken, I believe the springs on the Pro 4x are a bit stiffer. The Pro 4x tires are a little taller. The Rockford-Fosgate audio system is available in the Pro 4x but may not be available in other trims. Of course, non-Pro 4x trims won't have the Pro 4x embroidered seats nor the decals. Only you can decide whether it's worth the extra price or not.

 

I just went through the same debate. I’ve considered both for years. I just wouldn’t have been happy if i didn’t get the pro. The pro is better out of the gate and will be easier to build if I need to

 

Sierra, my son and I chose a CPO Pro-4x as we didn't have the time and skills to add stuff like suspension mods. The pro-4x trim gave us what we needed for hunting and off=road trips. And the Rockford Fosgate is

 

+1 I have a Pro4 as well, owned since last March, many mods already, off-road about 340 miles now, two fairly technical trail runs under her belt, one in Maine and one in VA at about 2.5MPH crawling average; tote and logging roads in Maine at 25 to 40MPH, mixed gravel & scree, washboard; Bilstein shocks handled it all in stride.
4.0L 4WD Auto just like you are discussing, 101% no regrets, only used the rear diff locker a few times but if you need it and don't have it, it's too late to regret it.

 

If you are wanting a Crew cab you can get a 6 speed manual Pro-4X, but you may have to order it.

 

Nissan modded the hell out of a SV for the Overland Expo West. They also modded a Titan ProX, but I thought it was interesting that they chose to use the SV Frontier. They chose it to demonstrate that you could take one o’ their “base” models & turn it into a kick a$$ rig. Check it out.

 

Linky to bitchin Frontier build

 

I flew to Seattle to pick up my brand new Pro-4X manual. It was the closest 6 speed manual to me, and I got it for $29k. Love it! Already used the locker quite a few times.

The great thing about the Pro-4X is that you can use it for a few years until you figure out what else you need. It is setup pretty well from the factory.

So happy with the purchase. Loving it!

So far I’ve added a Rough Country spacer/shackle lift, White Knuckle rock sliders, hitch and factory 4-pin trailer harness, short whip antenna, removed the sway bar, and I always carry a compressor, and recovery equipment.

James

 

So far I’ve added a Rough Country spacer/shackle lift, White Knuckle rock sliders, hitch and factory 4-pin trailer harness, short whip antenna, removed the sway bar, and I always carry a compressor, and recovery equipment.

That factory trailer plug is in a bad spot, and is one of the first things I damaged on my truck while offroading. I'd suggest relocating it to the bumper, next to the license plate.

 

I have the Pro4x model as well. Far cheaper than a similarly equipped Toyota Tacoma (which I just drove for a business trip for several days). I enjoy the fact that it doesn't have all the tech found some other vehicles, wife's fully loaded Explorer was forever in the job. Plus it is pretty capable for what I need, beach driving as opposed to rock crawling. Sound system is great and I enjoy having something that is not too common.

 

I only have the four pin trailer harness and connector, which is very low profile back there. So far I am OK with it.

 

I'd go for the Pro-4x auto. I drove a manual the last 20 years and don't miss it. I also never wanted a manual in a truck, but they are reliable. The AT in the Frontier is really nice IMO. The shift quality is very good.

 

I'm partial to the manual, but I like to row my own gears because it's more engaging. If I had a heavy traffic commute that might be a different story.

The auto doesn't have as good of gearing for off roading (the P4X auto has 3.36 ratios in the diffs and 3.84 first gear, vs. 3.69 and 4.39 for the manual), but you have the advantage of a torque converter. With the manual you might be slipping the clutch more, unless you re-gear.

It sounds like you have a number of manual options near to you. I would definitely check those out.

Here is a gear ratio chart for reference:

 

^^^ That is an interesting chart. It seems most 6-sp guys feel the reverse gearing is too tall for a number of maneuvers IE backing a trailer up a hill. So, I'm surprised that the 6-sp reverse is 3.966 whereas the AT's in 2.765.
And, fwiw...my SV 6-sp 4x2 M226 rear diff gearing is 3.54 vs the P4X's 3.69.

LOVE my 6-sp.

 

I agree that reverse on my SV 6-sp is too tall. I don't need to back out of my driveway at 20 mph lol.

 

I drove manuals for most of my life, including off-road, but I finally gave up as they have become so hard to find on used vehicles, and I won't by new. I just can't see buying something that loses a big chunk of its value the minute you drive off the dealer lot. I've found I actually prefer an automatic for offroad use. Low range plus a torque converter is great for rock crawling, or any other situation where you need to go really slow, and I don't have to do the heel-and-toe uphill launches that are just about unavoidable offroad with a manual (usually when you start up a steep hill in low range second, and realize halfway that you really need low range first). The Frontier automatic has a nice low first gear, too. I agree that the Jatco 5 speed auto is a very nice auto, and quite well suited to the application. Now, if somebody offered to trade me a six speed manual Frontier straight up for mine, I would think seriously about it, as I do kind of miss a manual sometimes, and I think a manual Frontier would be awesome. OTOH, offroad or in slow traffic, I really prefer the auto.

 

I feel exactly the same. I've always preferred AT's in a truck. The Frontier has a nice amount of torque and 1st/2nd is good for off-roading. I'm also tired of driving a manual (sign of my age I guess). My last car was a Mazda 3 with the nice 6spd manual. It was a nice manual but I don't miss it. The one advantage I suppose is manuals are very reliable and simplistic compared to AT's.

 

I have a highly modified SV, crew cab, automatic. There are a great number of obvious things where the automatic is superior as many have stated.

If it were me I’d get the Pro4X. Aftermarket parts and upgrades are not easily found and fewer options are available compared to your old Taco (or a new one). As such they are fairly expensive in comparison. My ARB lockers were over $1k a piece. Another $800 to have the front installed professionally and did the rear myself.

If I were to do it over I would have gone with the manual transmission. I like fewer electronic do-dads to fail while on a remote trail. The auto is completely controlled by the computer so that alone is a giant negative in my column. With that said these trucks are great all around and either way you go you’ll be happy I’m sure.

Definitely add rock sliders and skid plates as a minimum. I have Hefty Fabworks skids front to rear and Shrockworks rocksliders. In Arizona I’d say these are minimum for any trail you may require a rear locker. Both have saved me from damage in many situations, including in Arizona. Just finished the Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail a week ago and both were needed/used several times a day (took us 5 days to complete the trail).

 

I looked hard for a pro-4x 6 speed. Live in Florida, took a 1 way flight to Alabama to get it and drove it 600 miles home. No regrets.
2013, 55k miles $21,800 out the door no dings or dents, mechanically perfect, under warranty.

If I got an automatic I'd have regretted lack of patience every time I drove it.

 

If I got an automatic I'd have regretted lack of patience every time I drove it.

Amen to that.

 

The dealer was super cool. Shopped with car buying apps and websites for 4 months. True Car found it an hour before the rest and by then I had already been on the phone with sales and paid them to take it off the market while I figured out how to get there and test drive. They offered to pick me up for free from Atlanta or Birmingham and drive me to their lot. Booked a $100 flight on Frontier air lines (had to be), and paid it off in full 2 days later. Before I signed they offered to refund my deposit and return me to the air port no cost if I decided i didn't want it for some reason, but it was perfect. Everything was perfect. 10/10 will go through the same process next time I buy a used vehicle.

 

Nice work. I had similar criteria except I wanted a KC for the standard bed. Our trucks are exactly the same except for that. Thankfully, this one showed up less than a 2 hr drive from where I was at the time. Took care of everything over the phone too. Interesting contrast here to the newer Tacomas...to each his own.

 

One thing the pro-4x has that I didn’t see mentioned (although I didn’t read every response) is the trans cooler and temp gauge.

In my previous off-road trucks I’ve had to install a trans cooler and temp gauge myself.

It’s not a huge deal to add, but having it integrated into the factory gauge cluster on the dash is really nice. Four-wheeling and towing can generate a lot of heat in an auto trans, and heat more than anything else is what will destroy that unit.

When I bought mine, it was only about $1500 more than a similar SV 4x4. To me, the locker, skid plates, bigger tires, better shocks, trans cooler/gauge, better seats, and fosgate audio was worth more than $1500.

Seems like a no-brainer.

As for the question of auto vs manual for off-roading, you need much less gear reduction in an auto. An auto is more forgiving. Less focus on clutching. Makes it easier to drive with two feet. One foot on the brake, one foot on the gas, for those sketchy moments when you need careful precision.

Besides, driving a manual in stop and go traffic sucks.

Our sports car is a manual. The truck is just fine as an auto.


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One thing the pro-4x has that I didn’t see mentioned (although I didn’t read every response) is the trans cooler and temp gauge.

In my previous off-road trucks I’ve had to install a trans cooler and temp gauge myself.

It’s not a huge deal to add, but having it integrated into the factory gauge cluster on the dash is really nice. Four-wheeling and towing can generate a lot of heat in an auto trans, and heat more than anything else is what will destroy that unit.

When I bought mine, it was only about $1500 more than a similar SV 4x4. To me, the locker, skid plates, bigger tires, better shocks, trans cooler/gauge, better seats, and fosgate audio was worth more than $1500.

Seems like a no-brainer.

As for the question of auto vs manual for off-roading, you need much less gear reduction in an auto. An auto is more forgiving. Less focus on clutching. Makes it easier to drive with two feet. One foot on the brake, one foot on the gas, for those sketchy moments when you need careful precision.

Besides, driving a manual in stop and go traffic sucks.

Our sports car is a manual. The truck is just fine as an auto.


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I agree completely on an auto being great for offroading. low range plus the torque converter lets you take the rough stuff as slow as you need to, without worrying about stalling it or feathering the clutch, and left foot braking is great for easing over the big rocks; gas going up, brake coming down, repeat for each rock. Also, no more heal ad toe hill launches. These usually happen in a manual when your creeping up a rough slope in low range second, and it gets steeper or rougher and you need first. No way you're going to complete that shift in motion, so you end up stopped on a very steep grade. I guess the hill start assist would help you in the Frontier, but the manual four wheel drives I had didn't have that, so you had to do the old heel and toe launch on a 30 degree slope. Not fun. In an auto, slow down a bit, let it downshift, and keep going. If you do need to launch on a steep uphill in an auto, your left foot can handle the brake.

 

I’ve had both, 2006 se 4wd automatic and a 2007 nismo 4wd automatic with traction package. I’d go with the nismo/pro4x. The locker, hill descent and hill start assist are nice for hill climbs. My Stock nismo does a better job on hill climbs than my lifted SE.

 

I have an SV with hill decent, is it common on 2012 and newer models?

 

One thing I noticed that Nissan offers two different Pro4X. One with cloth seats and no roof rack and the other with leather and roof rack. I personally like to looks of the one with the roof rack. Leather is a plus too. I have yet to see one with leather and no roof rack. I have been in the market for one but decided t wait until the new model comes out and then get hold of one of the leftovers Pro4X. I love my 2005 Nismo.

 

Good deals are to be had on late model PRO-4X s thru Nissans Certified Preowned program.
Our '18 CC PRO-4X had been the market since Feb. '19 in OK (about 2 hours away) . Every 3 weeks the price dropped. By May of '19 I popped smoke a bought it for my teen son ( he's got a job and is paying for gas, oil changes, etc).

We preferred the non-lux edition PRO-4X (no leather, no sun roof, no roof rack) as it's our hunting truck...although the sun roof would be nice
Being that it's our hunting truck, the front and rear Weathertech's have earned their keep

 

My son on his mule deer hunt in the Van Horn mountains of west Texas last weekend with his PRO-4X at about 5000'

 

I bought Pro4x, but with auto. Yes, very hard to find manual, which I have always driven. But, for off-road the auto has advantages... Otherwise I hate the auto, much more satisfying to shift with a clutch.

Buying a used one I was more afraid of getting an abused clutch than an abused auto trans. The manual has clutch, throwout bearing and the gears that could go bad. Clutches can go bad in 40,000 miles for a not-so-great driver, but an auto trans will likely outlast the clutch, so which one will give you less grief if you buy used???

btw, I drove 4 hours, rented a tow dolly then towed the car back with me.
very very few pro4x's out there at any point in time; there were two when I bought.

I originally wanted a Taco until I found out they are apparently made of gold, which makes used ones 50% more expensive for the same truck in Nissan version. Seems the Frontier is a better truck (maybe not as preddy), and Im loving the rear disc. Same mpg but with bigger tires also.

My pro4x does not have logos, nor leather seats with logos (just cloth), nor a locking diff (almost a deal-breaker), but does have the descending button and fake LSD and traction control. I went pro4x because... better, right?

 

No locking rear diff in a Pro-4X? What year? I thought they all had them.

 

2015. It is listed as an Option. I wish they all had them. It is a used truck. I dont know who would get a Pro4x new and skip all the good options. I bought it used so had less say in the matter.

 

I’m not sure if they come without, are you sure it’s a pro?
Wheels aren’t right either..