AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
It's been in use since the 2005 Xterras, is it pretty well sorted by 2015? Anything to watch out for? Thinking about a sideways move from the 2wd Silverado to a 4wd Frontier.
Thoughts on the Nissan 4.0?
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OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
It's a pig on fuel from what I recall. We owned a couple of company Frontier trucks and I recall the gas mileage was surprisingly bad, as was the turning radius.
Have one. Believe it or not gets about 19 city and almost 23 hwy.
Idles fast and loud on startup but very quiet after warmup.
Oil reports show a lot of copper but found out this is caused by the oil cooler. 5 speed trans is super smooth.
Would buy again
Idles fast and loud on startup but very quiet after warmup.
Oil reports show a lot of copper but found out this is caused by the oil cooler. 5 speed trans is super smooth.
Would buy again
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by millerbl00
Have one. Believe it or not gets about 19 city and almost 23 hwy.
Idles fast and loud on startup but very quiet after warmup.
Oil reports show a lot of copper but found out this is caused by the oil cooler. 5 speed trans is super smooth.
Would buy again
Definitely much higher than EPA, which lists 14 city and 19 highway for the 4x4 auto models we had. For comparison, that's nary identical to the EPA figures for my 6.4L Jeep.
Have one. Believe it or not gets about 19 city and almost 23 hwy.
Idles fast and loud on startup but very quiet after warmup.
Oil reports show a lot of copper but found out this is caused by the oil cooler. 5 speed trans is super smooth.
Would buy again
Definitely much higher than EPA, which lists 14 city and 19 highway for the 4x4 auto models we had. For comparison, that's nary identical to the EPA figures for my 6.4L Jeep.
Father in law had one in a 2005 Pathfinder. It went well over 200k without any problems, and he didn't maintain it very well. He's a big Nissan fan now because of that car. Some problems he did have weren't really engine related, but they were common problems: bad catalytic converters, and a bad radiator/transmission cooler that allowed ATF to mix with coolant and destroyed the transmission.
I'm sure they fixed the radiator issue by 2015, and I don't know if Frontiers ever had cat problems like the Pathfinders did.
I'm sure they fixed the radiator issue by 2015, and I don't know if Frontiers ever had cat problems like the Pathfinders did.
My father-in-law has a 2017 Frontier crew cab 4x4. It has the 4L and 5spd automatic. It's a nice practical, old school truck. I've only driven it 100 miles or so, but he claims it averages MPG in the mid to high teens at best tank to tank.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by JTK
My father-in-law has a 2017 Frontier crew cab 4x4. It has the 4L and 5spd automatic. It's a nice practical, old school truck. I've only driven it 100 miles or so, but he claims it averages MPG in the mid to high teens at best tank to tank.
That sounds about right based on our experience as well
My father-in-law has a 2017 Frontier crew cab 4x4. It has the 4L and 5spd automatic. It's a nice practical, old school truck. I've only driven it 100 miles or so, but he claims it averages MPG in the mid to high teens at best tank to tank.
That sounds about right based on our experience as well
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
It's a pig on fuel from what I recall. We owned a couple of company Frontier trucks and I recall the gas mileage was surprisingly bad, as was the turning radius.
The first time i got in a 4x4 frontier i was shocked how bad the turning radius is. I like the truck otherwise though.
It's a pig on fuel from what I recall. We owned a couple of company Frontier trucks and I recall the gas mileage was surprisingly bad, as was the turning radius.
The first time i got in a 4x4 frontier i was shocked how bad the turning radius is. I like the truck otherwise though.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Ah yes the Strawberry Milkshake Of Death, the rad/cooler problem was fixed 10 years ago or more. Turning radius is worse than a Tacoma but better than the Silverado . Old school low tech is fine with me. I have a light foot and usually beat EPA mpg.
EPA mpg for 2017 is 16/23.
Thanks for the replies.
EPA mpg for 2017 is 16/23.
Thanks for the replies.
I had the little brother - think it was a 3.5? Pulled a popup camper through WV a few times with it with the rpms headed skyward. Solid, tight little engine that was a joy to drive. It was not a joy to replace one of the 6 spark plugs but with the right extensions and a u-joint worked out ok. 97 pathfinder MPG was 22 after synthetic oils in all driveline components AND the addition of manual front hubs.
Forgot to add mine is a 4x2
i have a 2011 frontier SV extended cab 4wd + 6 spd manual i purchased last year, VERY PLEASED!! it was used with lo miles so i changed out all fluids to Redline, added a cheap doug thorley catback just because + a volant intake same reason, i averaged 19 mpg this summer with a lot of shorter trips which is as good as my beloved crashed outgoing 4 cyl anemic colorado + a LOT more power. the 4.0 has very good torque + i rarely see 3 thou rpm unlike the colly. the issue with the automatics is cured in newer models + a visit to clubfrontier.org will teach you all you need to know. no carbon issues since its port injected + no cylinder shutdown problems either a simple reliable truck at a better price than ANYTHING made today IMO. there is a newer model coming someday but i like the simplicity of whats available today.
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Originally Posted by joegreen
The first time i got in a 4x4 frontier i was shocked how bad the turning radius is. I like the truck otherwise though.
It truly is. If I park my FIL's 2017 Frontier in the same spot in my driveway where I'd keep my 2017 Ram 1500, I have to do some forward/reverse maneuvering with the Frontier to make the same turn as my Ram will do no problem.
The Frontier also has much more NVH from the engine compared to my pentastar powered Ram as well.
I do love the simple old school interior of the Frontier and I love the fact transmission, T-case and diffs are all easily serviceable with nothing fancy needed and they've been around forever.
The first time i got in a 4x4 frontier i was shocked how bad the turning radius is. I like the truck otherwise though.
It truly is. If I park my FIL's 2017 Frontier in the same spot in my driveway where I'd keep my 2017 Ram 1500, I have to do some forward/reverse maneuvering with the Frontier to make the same turn as my Ram will do no problem.
The Frontier also has much more NVH from the engine compared to my pentastar powered Ram as well.
I do love the simple old school interior of the Frontier and I love the fact transmission, T-case and diffs are all easily serviceable with nothing fancy needed and they've been around forever.
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The engine is a real gem.
i have few friend got over 200k on it . Since these truck don't get lease much . Because the owner that lease it , usually 9 out of 10 they beat the heck out off it then turn it in . Nissan is well known for building good engine . The paint not so much . I love the Nissan 5.6l v8 engine . They are bulletproof .
I have one in my XTerra and agree with the guy who said it's a fuel hog. I think the best I've ever gotten even with the 6-speed was about 17 mpg, pretty much all highway. Usually it's around 15-16, of course that's with the off road package so it's 4wd with large aggressive tires and sits a bit higher than the regular 2wd as well. I've seen as low as 12 loaded down with gear, pulling a trailer full of more gear, with a pair of kayaks on top driving into the wind. Same load without the headwind got me 15 mpg on the way back. At 173k miles, the whole truck doesn't leak a drop of anything, and the oil level goes down maybe 1/4" on the stick between 5k OCIs with 5w-40 HDEO. Earlier ones (mine included) had an issue where the timing chains ate through their guides and made it sound like there was a supercharger under the hood, fix is of course expensive but I took my time and DIY'ed it over the course of about two weeks while also replacing the water pump, belt, idler pulley, and just giving the thing a good once-over.
Changing the spark plugs requires pulling the intake. Go with iridiums and it's probably something you'll only have to do once.
Changing the spark plugs requires pulling the intake. Go with iridiums and it's probably something you'll only have to do once.
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