2011 Nissan Frontier

The 2011 Nissan Frontier is priced at an MSRP of $22,080 which makes very good value for what it represents. The 2.5 L four-cylinder engine in this truck gives you 152 hp and 171 pound-feet of torque. The crew cab body style can transport five people with ease and give you a decently large bed. It competes against the Honda Ridgeline, Toyota Tacoma, and the GMC Canyon. Few main features of the Frontier are described in detail in the sections to follow. 

The 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab is offered in a wide range of trim levels. There are four trim levels - S, SV, Pro-4X, and SL. It is also offered in the King cab body style but that is reviewed separately. It is powered by a 2.5 L four-cylinder engine while a 4 L V6 is optional. A rear-wheel-drive powertrain is offered as standard but you have the option of picking four-wheel-drive alternatives as well. In terms of standard equipment, the company gives you very little in the base trim with 15-inch steel wheels, front bucket seats, and not much else. It is even deprived of air conditioning. However, as you go of the trim levels you will find a lot of nice options.

We Recommend

We recommend buying the SV trim of the Nissan Frontier because it is not a lot pricier than the base trim level. Higher trim levels will end up burning a hole in your pocket but the SV offers features like air-conditioning, 16-inch wheels, keyless entry, and so on make the truck much more usable on an everyday basis. This is a sought-after trim level and is sold in large numbers due to this very fact. It gives you some optional packages as well but you may not find the need for many of them.

The 2011 Nissan Frontier is offered with a 2.5 L four-cylinder engine that squeezes out 152 hp and 171 pound-feet of torque. You also get a 4.0 L V-6 engine that has a decent power output of 261 hp and 281 pound-feet of torque. The optional engine is a very capable and dependable workhorse but does not leave any driver smiling from ear to ear. The four-cylinder on the other hand is much more said date in terms of the power delivery. All trucks are rear-wheel-drive by four-wheel-drive is available as an option. It is offered with five-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmissions.

From the results, we can see that Nissan Frontier is nearly the cheapest truck but it is also the lowest-performing. The Honda Ridgeline is not the most powerful but has the best performance. If you opt for the 4 L V6 however, you will find that the Frontier is the best performing truck in its class. In comparison, Nissan’s chassis feels more engaging and proves to be a better driving experience than any of its competitors. The GMC is a typical American truck and is not agile or fun to drive but is quite sturdy.

The reason mid-size pickup trucks have found a sizable chunk of the market for themselves is that their larger siblings do not have anything with a semblance of good fuel efficiency. This is entirely different when you compare them with the mid-size pickups. The Nissan Frontier has a fuel tank capacity of 21.1 gallons and offers very good fuel efficiency. 19 MPG within city limits, 23 MPG on the highways, which results in a combined mileage of 21 MPG. If you opt for the V-6, these numbers drop to 16 MPG in the city, 22 MPG on the highway and 18 MPG combined which is still good.

We can observe from the data while the Toyota Tacoma has really good fuel efficiency figures, it is nothing went compared to the Nissan. Although these cars are nearly on the same level in terms of performance, the Nissan has managed to keep the engine much more efficient. The Ridgeline impressed us with its performance but the trade-off for that was the huge drop it took in terms of fuel efficiency. Hence, if your priority in the segment is average performance but very good fuel efficiency, the Nissan is definitely a good pick.

The Nissan’s cabin aims to strike a balance between comfort and practicality. We find that the base trim to be too bare-bones to strike this compromise might even the higher trims have certain defects on the comfort side. It is more spacious than one would expect in a mid-size pickup and that is definitely an advantage. The seats are quite wide and comfy and access to the seats is extremely easy. However, the seatback angle does not exactly favor traveling over long distances. One can find that the gauges and instruments are very easy to read and all controls are intuitive and easy to use. The ergonomics are pretty much okay to work with.

The Honda Ridgeline proves to be elected bit on the practical side due to its lesser cargo space when compared to the rivals but gives you the space in the rear seat legroom. The GMC leads the category in terms of cargo space. Equipment levels inside are quite similar across the category but the Nissan is especially bare-bones. The Tacoma has lower space in the rear row and feels cramped. The Nissan also has a very innovative rear door design. The main interior features of the 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab include:

•  Audio and cruise controls and steering wheel
• Single zone front air conditioning
• Overhead console with storage
• Cruise control
• Front door pockets
• Interior air filtration
• Lockable storage area

How intuitive is the infotainment system in the 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab?

If we were to write a review of the infotainment system in the 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab, it is much easier to write about the lack of infotainment. Compared to industry standards, it is described as basic at best. One will find that even features like Bluetooth are offered only in higher trim levels. This very basic system might be a disappointment to some buyers. The main infotainment features of the 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab include-

• Element antenna
• Six speakers
• Auxiliary audio input
• 6-Disc In-Dash 6-CD Changer
• AM/FM Stereo
• 100-Watt Audio Output

The exterior styling of the Nissan Frontier is much like what you can find in the Armada and Titan. It is basic and purposeful but lacks the kind of sophistication that modern rivals offer in the mid-size pickup truck segment. But this appeals to the crowd that is after functional design and the like. It does not look bad by any respect and is quite proportionate and conventional. It has a decent choice of exterior colors as well.

The Toyota Tacoma Double Cab is perhaps the largest in its class and also offers slightly better ground clearance compared to the rivals. The GMC Canyon is a smaller truck in most aspects. The Nissan is somewhere in the middle in terms of space as well as weight and again strikes a great compromise. The ground clearance of the GMC might be an issue for people who have slightly rough work. The main exterior features of the 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab include:

• 17-inch all-season tires
• Trailer Hitch W/Wiring Harness
• 17-inch steel wheels
• Front License Plate Bracket
• Temporary spare tire mounted inside

The Nissan is not exactly a loaded vehicle in terms of features and this applies to safety features as well. As standard, it only gets antilock disc brakes, stability control, front-seat airbags and side curtain airbags rollover sensor, and active head restraints. However, in the IIHS crash test, it has earned the highest rating of ‘Good’ in the moderate-overlap frontal offset, side-impact, and strength crash tests. The NHTSA is yet to do the testing after the updated crash testing procedure. The main safety features of the 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab include:

• Electronic Brakeforce Distribution
• Front Seatbelt Pre-tensioners
• 4-Wheel ABS
• Rearview camera
• Active head restraints
• Front seats and side curtain airbags
• Rear Door Child Safety Locks
• Ventilated Front Disc / Rear Drum Brakes
• Daytime Running Lights
• Engine Immobilizer

The 2011 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab is a great mid-size pickup truck that is offered at a very cheap price. Like we have mentioned, its base trim is quite bare-bones and we recommend only going for the slightly more expensive trims. The base engine is not exactly powerful but delivers excellent fuel efficiency. The optional V6 adds a lot of power while still being efficient. There are good transmission and drivetrain options along with decent looks. Overall, it is definitely a vehicle we would recommend for somebody who wants to buy a new mid-size pickup truck.