By Eric Peters
There was a time — it was not a long time ago — when V8s were pretty common in the luxury car class and V12s were exotic.
This was circa the late 1990s/early 2000s.
Now, it’s V8s that are becoming exotic. Most of the midpriced luxury cars that used to at least offer them now come standard with four-cylinder engines; a six is the usual upgrade. But if you want a V8, you increasingly have to go … exotic.
Which will get you something like the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S.
What It Is
The GLE 63 S is the exotic, ultra-high-performance of Mercedes’ midsize GLE SUV. It comes standard with a V8, something as uncommon as a standard V12 used to be, back when V8s were still pretty commonly available even in ordinary family cars such as the Ford Crown Victoria (last available new in 2011).
The Nissan Frontier, like the Ford Ranger and the Toyota Tacoma and the Chevy Colorado, used to be a compact-size truck that almost anyone who wanted a new truck could afford to buy because its base price was less than that of almost any new car.
Today’s Frontier, like the Ranger, Tacoma and Colorado, is an almost full-size truck (by the standards that used to define a full-size truck) and fewer can afford it because it costs more to start than many new cars.
Does that mean it’s a bad truck?
Not at all.
But it does mean it’s a different kind of truck.
What It Is
The Frontier is Nissan’s no-longer-compact-size pickup.
Though smaller than the enormous Titan (and other current supersize half-ton trucks like the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado), the Frontier has about the same footprint as a full-size truck used to. It also comes standard with more horsepower than most full-size trucks used to offer.
Like the others in its class, it comes only in extended (King cab) and crew cab styles; none of the currently available no-longer-compact-size pickups are available with a regular cab — and just two doors.
Prices start at $29,190 for the base S trim King (extended) cab with a 6-foot bed and two-wheel drive; adding the available four-wheel-drive system bumps the MSRP up to $32,390.
A crew cab with four full-size doors and a shorter (5-foot) bed stickers for $30,490 with 2WD; the MSRP increases to $33,870 if you order the optional 4WD system.
The Crew Cab is also available in in Pro-X ($36,100) and top-of-the-line Pro-4X ($38,720) trims. These models come standard with Bilstein shocks, a locking rear differential, a 10-speaker upgraded audio system, dark-anodized wheels with all-terrain tires, and other functional and cosmetic upgrades.
All trims come standard with a 3.8-liter V6.
What’s New For 2023
A Midnight Edition is available (crew cab only) that includes black interior accents, black-anodized wheels, LED headlights, fog lights and running lights.
What’s Good
Does most of what it used to take a full-size truck to do (such as carry five people and pull almost 7,000 pounds).
Costs less than a supersize truck.
Comes standard with a V6 (Colorado and Tacoma come standard with fours; Ranger comes only with a turbocharged four).
What’s Not So Good
It’s almost a full-size truck, just like the Ranger, Tacoma and Colorado.
Unlike many full-size trucks, it’s not available with a regular cab — most crew cabs are only available with a short (5-foot) bed.
It costs thousands more than a compact-size truck used to cost.
Under The Hood
Because it is a nearly full-size truck (and weighs more than a full-size truck used to), the Frontier comes standard with a 3.8-liter V6 engine that makes 310 horsepower, which for reference is almost twice as much horsepower as came standard in the Frontier when it was still a compact-size truck.
But the old Frontier weighed just 3,240 pounds. That’s why it was able to get away with being powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that made only 143 horsepower.
On the other hand, the old Frontier came standard with a max tow rating of just 3,500 pounds — which is less than half the new Frontier’s standard 6,700-pound maximum tow rating. And the old Frontier needed about 10 seconds to achieve 60 mph with its standard four-cylinder engine. The new Frontier can do the same run in about 7.5 seconds.
On The Road
Driving a compact-size truck like the old Frontier was (still is, if you still have one) easier than driving the new Frontier, which is very much like driving a full-size half-ton truck from about 20 years ago. But there is one very noticeable difference between these new almost-full-size trucks and the supersize half-tons of today.
It is width.
The new Frontier is more than a foot longer than a late 1980s F-150, but it is about half a foot narrower than a new F-150 and other current 1500-series trucks. The ’23 F-150 is 95.7 inches wide. These wide-load half-tons ought to be led by a pilot car with flags and flashing lights to warn people about them coming.
It’s not quite that bad. But it’s close, sometimes.
The new Frontier is still 6 inches wider than the old Frontier, but it’s not quite as wide a load as a new half-ton. Driving it — even on narrow country roads — you don’t get the feeling there’s very little road left. It also doesn’t take up so much space in the garage that there’s not much space left for anything else.
At The Curb
The new Frontier King cab comes standard with more usable back seats than the old Frontier had with four doors — in part because the new Frontier king cab has rear doors. But even more important, there are seats.
Not jump seats.
There’s also 26.2 inches of back-seat legroom in the King cab, as opposed to (essentially) zero in the old Frontier extended cab. The new Frontier crew cab has 33.5 inches of back-seat legroom — and there’s enough sideways room (due to the increased width) to seat three across.
Be aware, however, that if you want the 6-foot bed and the crew cab, you’re restricted to the long-wheelbase SV trim; also, the Pro-X and Pro-4X packages are only available with the crew cab (and short bed) versions of the new Frontier.
King cab versions come standard with a 6-foot bed.
The Rest
When it was still a compact-size truck, the old Frontier was a truck almost anyone could afford. That was because it did not come standard with power windows or locks, a six-speaker stereo, 16-inch wheels, push-button ignition, an 8-inch touch screen and a tilt wheel, all of which do come standard in the new Frontier. Plus, the fact that you literally get more truck.
And more engine.
But it doesn’t come cheap.
The Bottom Line
Bigger can be better — if bigger is what you need. And you’re able to afford it.
Eric’s latest book, “Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!” will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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