The Frontier has been a pretty solid performer for Nissan since its inception in 1998 and the 2009 version is certainly no different. It’s pretty peppy and some would call it agile, and while the ride leaves no doubt that it’s a truck, unless you’re on a pretty rough surface, the ride isn’t all that bad. The potent 4.0 liter V6 puts out an impressive 261hp and more importantly, 281lb-ft of torque, which actually gives this truck decent muscle. The tester came with the 5-speed automatic with the shift-on-the-fly 4-wheel-drive system, a 2-speed transfer case and 4-wheel ABS.
Specs show that the 4X4 V6 has a towing capability of 6300lbs and in all honesty I find that to be a pretty impressive number. The 4X2 is rated at 6500lbs which is pretty remarkable for this size vehicle, but I have to admit, it has grown quite a bit since it came on the market some10 years ago.
While there isn’t a lot new for 2009, there are minor changes in styling and some new off-road options are available as well as 16 and 18 inch wheel and tire combos. Base price for the Frontier start at just under $17,500 and go up to just under $30,000. The test truck had a base of $25,960 and the SE package which adds remote keyless entry, power windows, locks, power outside mirrors and cruise control was a $1380.00 package and with shipping brought the test truck up to $28,785.
While mileage numbers around 14 to 19 aren’t great, this is a truck and for the utility you get, it’s not all bad. Warranties are 36/36 for the base warranty and 5 years and 60,000 miles for the powertrain. Find out more…
