DriveTech

2006 Nissan Frontier 4X4 is indeed a 'hard body' pickup
As an import truck owner for the last 20 years who has written about them as well, I've seen the stellar impact Nissan has made on the mid-size truck industry.

When working for Honda of San Diego at Kettner and Ash a few decades ago, we had two parts trucks - a Ford F-150 and a little Datsun pickup. We were clearing the metal bin of scrap and found we could load twice as much metal in the Datsun than in the Ford. That's why I've always been impressed with that little truck.

I picked up a '06 Nissan Frontier 4X4 from Mossy Nissan in the Escondido Auto Park. Nissan is once again ahead of the competition because this Frontier has the largest engine in its class. The Frontier's hefty V6 produces 265 horsepower at 284 pound-foot of torque. But it still gets decent gas mileage, with 17 MPG in the city and 21 MPG on the open road.

The sales consultant asked me, "You don't want a stick shift do you?" I said I preferred a manual transmission over an automatic, even though an automatic is more efficient, so I ended up with a six-speed manual transmission. And since this is a 4X4 model, it also comes with "shift on the fly" and a two-speed transfer case. I know a lot of diehard off-roaders prefer an automatic transmission, but I love to shift and I love the way this Frontier shifts, even if I forgot it was a six speed at times.

The '06 Nissan Frontier reminds me of Nissan's campaign where it described its trucks as being "hard body" pickups. This Frontier gives you the feeling that it will go anywhere and haul anything. That doesn't mean it rides like a buckboard wagon. On the contrary, it rides like a well-built truck, with solid, minimal bounce even when empty.

The seating is very comfortable even though all adjustments are manual. Nissan added comfort features in other areas, such as power windows and door locks, AM/FM/CD player with six well-positioned speakers, UV reducing glass plus privacy glass at the rear doors and back glass (which comes standard with a defroster). You also get A/C and back seat passengers get vents too. The steering wheel can be adjusted up or down to your liking. You also get a nice center storage armrest that incorporates a couple of cup holders and the doors store a water bottle plus a cup. Not only are the "cup wars"
starting up again, bottle holders are now hot. What's next?

Rear seat occupants are treated to a very comfortable backbench seat that flips and folds 60/40. They get a center armrest as well as bottle and cup holders in the rear doors, which open very wide for easy access. There's a storage pod under the back seat, which is removable for additional cargo area.

The great instrumentation keeps you informed as to what your truck is up to. It includes tachometer, voltage and oil pressure gauge, tire pressure gauge plus the normal fuel and temperature gauge package. Plus, all knobs can be
operated with gloves on. There are a gaggle of 12V outlets throughout, a sunglass holder that's big enough for a couple of pairs and ceiling lights up front and in the rear.

The Frontier has a rugged stance to it and when it's time to put it to work, you'll find the bed has the factory spray-on bed liner. A Utili-track hefty steel sliding divider adjusts to all your loads plus there are four adjustable tie downs. I like this system more than the extender that expands out on the tailgate, which usually just gets in the way. You can lock and or remove the tailgate and this truck is set up for towing as well.

Just because it's a truck, doesn't mean it's not safe. The Frontier has steel tubes in the door, a front air bag system, crumple zones surrounding occupants, head rest, for the rear passengers and a child LATCH System.

The only options are outside mirrors, cruise control (with controls on the steering wheel), a vehicle security system and a micro-filter. All this costs under $25,000.

To drive the Frontier, head to Mossy in the Escondido Auto Park or any other Nissan dealership. See if you're not impressed!
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