[erikras]

I owned a 2011 Frontier PRO-4X with the luxury package for about 2 years and ~22,000 miles. It was a great truck and I never had one single issue with it. Not a rattle, squeak, nothing. I changed the oil and rotated the tires a couple of times. For the past few years, I've been driving a 2013 VW GTI with a bunch of mods. It's a blast to drive, but my circumstances have changed and it's time for a bigger vehicle again.

Other than the obvious minor cosmetic differences and the updates to the infotainment system, what has changed on the Frontier from between 2011 and 2016?

Any new problems or reliability issues?

Is the infotainment system up to 2016 standards? The Rockford system in my 2011 had decent sound quality, but the head unit SUCKED.

Is the VQ40DE still the reliable tank of a V6 it used to be?

FWIW, I'm also considering a 2016 Tacoma or a 2017 Ridgeline. (Yeah I know it's not a "real" truck, but I'm not towing 6,000 lbs or rock crawling.) If I get a 2016 Frontier, it'll probably be a PRO-4X with the luxury package again or a SL.

Thanks!

 

[Clint]

Check this out.

http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f8/tfl-truck-comparo-frontier-won-258066/

Clint

 

[smj999smj]

Not a whole lot changed between 2011 and 2016. Same engine/same trans. The Ridgeline will ride more car-like than the Frontier because it being a unibody chassis versus the Frontier's body-on-frame. Tacomas are good trucks, but they are not as comfortable as the Frontier; the seating position is lower and the cushions are hard.

 

[Monashee]

2011 - 2016? Pretty much the exact same truck besides minor insignificant differences.
Tacoma is a great vehicle too. Higher cost (at least used) but very high resale value. Great trucks with massive forum / aftermarket community. If you're looking for a bigger truck than you're 2011 Frontier, why are you considering 2 trucks (2016 Frontier/Tacoma) the exact same size?

Forget the Ridgeline... they're useless!! Not sure if they are more comparable to a large car with the trunk lid missing or an SUV with the frame & rear hatch missing.
No good for hauling anything that won't fit in an SUV/Car... no good for towing. You'll get the downsides of a truck (worse gas mileage, parking, etc) with none of the benefits of a truck.

 

[ethankz750]

I lost my 350z to flooding a few months back and bought the Frontier as a replacement. It's been great so far but, the hardest thing I've had to do was learn to slow down in the twisties. And to stop reaching for the clutch.

 

[Smitty_81]

About the 2013 GTI, will you be keeping it or selling/trading it? If you are interested in selling, I know a friend of mine (long distance though) who will be using the VW buyback soon and is specifically looking for a clean GTI

Regarding your purchase decision. It will be basically the same truck as the 2011.

 

[nmum]

I used to always wonder about the Tacoma, mainly based off of the reports of the comfortable rear seats. And even though the specs says it's smaller, wondered if Toyota did something design wise to make the rear seats more comfortable or spacious.

Finally got around to sitting in a new Tacoma the other day and don't know if it's self fulfilling prophecy or what, but that driver seat is really uncomfortable. I don't really recall the issue when I first test drove a Tacoma almost ten years ago. But I was coming from mid 90s Japanese import sedans, which were a tight squeeze then. So maybe didn't really know that there are better ways to fit in a seat. (to be fair, maybe I'm just used to the Frontier because sometimes find it a readjustment when going back to the Frontier after driving another car for a while).

But basically the steering wheel would basically be on my thighs and the only way to kind of clear it, is to push the seat all the way back making the windshield seem kind of car away. And my legs were practically fully extended. The front seat could be better if the steering wheel had a tilt option and also an option to raise or lower the seat. And other than the seat back in the rear seat being more comfortable the rear legroom in the Tacoma isn't much better than the Frontier.

I also sat in the Toyota Tundra double cab, which was the main reason why I stopped by the Toyota dealership. Where I saw a post somewhere that you can get one for under $30k. So the idea of bigger bed and slightly more leg room for under $30k appealed to me. Couldn't get into the driver's seat because that side was too close to the other car. But the rear seat of the double cab is basically like the Frontier. The seat back is straight up and my shoulders felt scrunched up in there.

I may check out the Ridgeline and GM twins sometime as well.

I think if anything, it's true what people say that Nissan perfecting some parts with the Frontier. Some of the pieces might be kind of behind the scenes things. Maybe such as the radiator. But another thing is something like the gas evap tube. Where the older ones had a c clip clipping it in and newer ones uses a different locking mechanism. I've noticed that sometimes when I look for a part, another part number comes up saying it replaced the previous part number. So hopefully that means they're changing things and for the better.