I’ve owned my 2005 Frontier king cab LE for a little over a year now, so it’s a good time to check in for a review. The opinions expressed are my own opinions and are based on a sample of only 1 (one) vehicle; herewith the good, the bad and the ugly of my Frontier ownership:
THE GOOD:
1. Power—lots of it. After all, that’s what first attracted me to the new Frontier. 265 horsepower is a heckuva number out of a 4.0 V-6, and the VQ40 engine delivers it beautifully. It’s not particularly torquey, but this engine pulls strongly from idle to redline and sounds great doing it. I’ve done a number of dyno tests on this truck, and it looks like the factory was actually conservative in rating it at 265 horses.
2. Performance. While I could never think of this truck as fast, it is decently quick. I have used my trusty G-Tech Pro meter to time it in 7.7 seconds 0-60 in stock trim and 7.4 seconds with light modifications (exhaust and intake). While a stock Frontier won’t run with a similarly-optioned Tacoma or Ram hemi, it is considerable quicker than the majority of trucks on the road today.
3. Handling. No other non-specialty truck comes close. A factory “tuner” truck like the Ford Lightning might handle better, but competitors such as the Tacoma and Dakota just can’t compete in the twisties. The Frontier will never be confused with an autocrosser, but it takes a curve like no stock truck I’ve ever driven.
4. Fuel economy. Forget “city” mileage—there are too many variables to consider. The LE model, with its ultra-high 2.97:1 axle ratio, gets the best economy of the Frontier family. For the time I’ve owned this truck it has returned an overall mileage average of 18.7 MPG, mostly highway driving. At a steady 70 MPH I’ve seen a high of 24 MPG and a low of 20.2; that’s really nice economy for a 4500-pound vehicle with the aerodynamics of a brick!
5. Utility. I have the sliding bed extender, and I love it. I carry all sorts of junk when working on the ranch, and the extender and the Utili-Track feature enable me to secure just about any kind of cargo. I can carry an ATV or motorcycle in the bed with no problem. I’ve heard a few complaints about the spray-in bed liner, but mine has held up very well under extremely hard use.
6. Aesthetics. It’s subjective, but I really like the styling of this truck. The mid-size truck is perfect for me, and I like the storage room in the king cab. I don’t need the rear area for seating, but it provides plenty of extra carrying capacity. Magazine reviewers have knocked the interior, but I like the ergonomics and the hard plastic trim doesn’t bother me in the least.
THE BAD:
1. The brakes. This truck doesn’t stop nearly as well as it goes. Pedal effort is just a bit heavy, and the brakes tend to squeal.
2. The lights. I do lots of driving on unlit back-country roads and spend much of that time dodging deer; the headlights don’t do a very good job of lighting the road ahead. Aftermarket lamps don’t help much.
3. Squeaks. While I’m pretty impressed with Nissan’s fit and finish, this Frontier came standard with a number of odd noises that I’ve fought for much of the year. My only trip back to the dealer has been for a horribly squeaky rear leaf spring; it was replaced under warranty. I’ve heard from many other owners with the same experience, and the leaf spring noise seems to be a very common problem. Bouncing along on unpaved roads brought on another squeak, this time coming from under the hood; not wanting another trip to the dealer I traced the noise myself and found a rubber hood bumper rubbing against the radiator support. A small dab of grease cured the problem. Another squeak, and I tracked it to an A/C return line with a metal clip that was rubbing against the firewall. Altogether, too much noise for a new vehicle.
4. Low-speed steering. Like the professional reviewers, I find the low-speed steering effort to be too hard. Don't give me that nonsense about road "feel"--modern engineering can produce speed-sensitive steering that is able to provide plenty of road feedback at speed while requiring less effort at slow speed.
THE UGLY:
1. Maintenance. It is painfully obvious to me that Nissan engineers don’t do their own routine maintenance. I was literally raised in the family gas station/garage, and I’ve checked the oil on hundreds of different vehicles; I’ve never seen a dipstick as poorly deigned as the one on this truck. It’s hard to find, hard to read, and hard to replace. While it’s not too hard to remove the oil filter by reaching up and over the skid plate, Nissan chose—for some odd reason—to provide an access port that’s too small and has wrist-slicing edges. Owners of vehicles with automatic transmissions will discover that there is no dipstick, yet the maintenance schedule calls for a regular inspection of automatic transmission fluid level. Huh?
2. Low tire pressure warning. Just wait until this little jewel goes off on you—it’ll stop your heart! I’ve got to admit that both times it activated it gave me early warning of a flat tire, but does it have to be so obnoxious about it? Wouldn’t a flashing light and an audible soft chime serve the same purpose? Sure, a flat tire is a problem, but does the truck really have to scare me to death to tell me about it?
Small annoyances aside, I believe that my Frontier is a fine truck; it’s had very few problems for a first-year vehicle and it’s a blast to drive. Would I buy another one? Absolutely.
__________________
jack <><
05 Frontier K/C LE 4X2
http://www.reverendbiker.com/frontier/frontier.htm
I’ve owned my 2005 Frontier king cab LE for a little over a year now, so it’s a good time to check in for a review. The opinions expressed are my own opinions and are based on a sample of only 1 (one) vehicle; herewith the good, the bad and the ugly of my Frontier ownership:
THE GOOD:
1. Power—lots of it. After all, that’s what first attracted me to the new Frontier. 265 horsepower is a heckuva number out of a 4.0 V-6, and the VQ40 engine delivers it beautifully. It’s not particularly torquey, but this engine pulls strongly from idle to redline and sounds great doing it. I’ve done a number of dyno tests on this truck, and it looks like the factory was actually conservative in rating it at 265 horses.
2. Performance. While I could never think of this truck as fast, it is decently quick. I have used my trusty G-Tech Pro meter to time it in 7.7 seconds 0-60 in stock trim and 7.4 seconds with light modifications (exhaust and intake). While a stock Frontier won’t run with a similarly-optioned Tacoma or Ram hemi, it is considerable quicker than the majority of trucks on the road today.
3. Handling. No other non-specialty truck comes close. A factory “tuner” truck like the Ford Lightning might handle better, but competitors such as the Tacoma and Dakota just can’t compete in the twisties. The Frontier will never be confused with an autocrosser, but it takes a curve like no stock truck I’ve ever driven.
4. Fuel economy. Forget “city” mileage—there are too many variables to consider. The LE model, with its ultra-high 2.97:1 axle ratio, gets the best economy of the Frontier family. For the time I’ve owned this truck it has returned an overall mileage average of 18.7 MPG, mostly highway driving. At a steady 70 MPH I’ve seen a high of 24 MPG and a low of 20.2; that’s really nice economy for a 4500-pound vehicle with the aerodynamics of a brick!
5. Utility. I have the sliding bed extender, and I love it. I carry all sorts of junk when working on the ranch, and the extender and the Utili-Track feature enable me to secure just about any kind of cargo. I can carry an ATV or motorcycle in the bed with no problem. I’ve heard a few complaints about the spray-in bed liner, but mine has held up very well under extremely hard use.
6. Aesthetics. It’s subjective, but I really like the styling of this truck. The mid-size truck is perfect for me, and I like the storage room in the king cab. I don’t need the rear area for seating, but it provides plenty of extra carrying capacity. Magazine reviewers have knocked the interior, but I like the ergonomics and the hard plastic trim doesn’t bother me in the least.
THE BAD:
1. The brakes. This truck doesn’t stop nearly as well as it goes. Pedal effort is just a bit heavy, and the brakes tend to squeal.
2. The lights. I do lots of driving on unlit back-country roads and spend much of that time dodging deer; the headlights don’t do a very good job of lighting the road ahead. Aftermarket lamps don’t help much.
3. Squeaks. While I’m pretty impressed with Nissan’s fit and finish, this Frontier came standard with a number of odd noises that I’ve fought for much of the year. My only trip back to the dealer has been for a horribly squeaky rear leaf spring; it was replaced under warranty. I’ve heard from many other owners with the same experience, and the leaf spring noise seems to be a very common problem. Bouncing along on unpaved roads brought on another squeak, this time coming from under the hood; not wanting another trip to the dealer I traced the noise myself and found a rubber hood bumper rubbing against the radiator support. A small dab of grease cured the problem. Another squeak, and I tracked it to an A/C return line with a metal clip that was rubbing against the firewall. Altogether, too much noise for a new vehicle.
4. Low-speed steering. Like the professional reviewers, I find the low-speed steering effort to be too hard. Don't give me that nonsense about road "feel"--modern engineering can produce speed-sensitive steering that is able to provide plenty of road feedback at speed while requiring less effort at slow speed.
THE UGLY:
1. Maintenance. It is painfully obvious to me that Nissan engineers don’t do their own routine maintenance. I was literally raised in the family gas station/garage, and I’ve checked the oil on hundreds of different vehicles; I’ve never seen a dipstick as poorly deigned as the one on this truck. It’s hard to find, hard to read, and hard to replace. While it’s not too hard to remove the oil filter by reaching up and over the skid plate, Nissan chose—for some odd reason—to provide an access port that’s too small and has wrist-slicing edges. Owners of vehicles with automatic transmissions will discover that there is no dipstick, yet the maintenance schedule calls for a regular inspection of automatic transmission fluid level. Huh?
2. Low tire pressure warning. Just wait until this little jewel goes off on you—it’ll stop your heart! I’ve got to admit that both times it activated it gave me early warning of a flat tire, but does it have to be so obnoxious about it? Wouldn’t a flashing light and an audible soft chime serve the same purpose? Sure, a flat tire is a problem, but does the truck really have to scare me to death to tell me about it?
Small annoyances aside, I believe that my Frontier is a fine truck; it’s had very few problems for a first-year vehicle and it’s a blast to drive. Would I buy another one? Absolutely.
Good post. I tend to agree with the squeaks and a few groans. Some lithium grease seems to have temporarily solved the leaf spring squeaks, but I still get a few in the dash that I can't trace and don't have the time to take it to the dealer to check out. The truck is a blast to drive. I'm more aggressive in this thing than I was with my Trans Am a few years back. I'm hoping to burn off those POS General Grabbers soon so I can get some better rubber. Those things suck!
I lease my '05 CC SE and after 4 years, I'll probably get another. Notice you haven't seen that stupid F-ing commercial for the Mitsubishi Raider in a long time? I hope they were embarrassed by their comparison. Nissan scoreboarded them in nearly every category. I've seen a grand total of 2 Raiders on the road. Good luck with all that Mitsu. When they throw a HEMI in it, then you can brag a little.
I almost completely agree with your post other than a couple of things. I have yet to encounter any squeaks or rattles with my truck. Maybe I just got lucky or a later build date may have something to do with it. Also the gas mileage I think, is horrible. I also own a 2004 Chevy Silverado king cab with a 5.3 liter V8 and am routinely getting at least 17 - 18 mpg with it, but with my CC Frontier I can't even crack 17 mpg. My only other gripe, not unlike you, is also with the headlights. I live out of town and driving home at night on dirt roads it is very hard to see. I haven't really invested much time on solving that problem though, so I guess I can't complain too much.
Overall I love my Frontier though. It is an awesome truck and I don't regret purchasing it at all.
Last edited by 2K5 Nismo : Jan 27th, 2006 at 10:38 PM.
An inordinate amount of people seem to be having problems with the brakes which I find perplexing. It stops on a dime and the brake pedal feel to me is perfect. No squealing at all either (yet?).
I came up with an idea about the lack of an ATF dipstick. I plan on taking a trans dipstick from another car to temporairily measure the fluid level (obviously it won't properly fit, but just for reference). After a reading, just mark it. That way when it's refilled you'll know how much to add.
I haven't messed with the headlights yet, but to me the problem seems to be that they are aimed far too low.
An inordinate amount of people seem to be having problems with the brakes which I find perplexing. It stops on a dime and the brake pedal feel to me is perfect. No squealing at all either (yet?).
I came up with an idea about the lack of an ATF dipstick. I plan on taking a trans dipstick from another car to temporairily measure the fluid level (obviously it won't properly fit, but just for reference). After a reading, just mark it. That way when it's refilled you'll know how much to add.
I haven't messed with the headlights yet, but to me the problem seems to be that they are aimed far too low.
I'm not having problems with the brakes (other than the squealing)--they work well enough. My only complaint, as noted by some magazine articles, is that the pedal effort is heavier than it should be (IMHO). The headlights are aimed a bit too low, but that's not the main problem. Raising the point of aim on the lights does help some, but raising them too far just serves to blind oncoming traffic.
__________________
jack <><
05 Frontier K/C LE 4X2
http://www.reverendbiker.com/frontier/frontier.htm
I was prepared for the crappy dipstick, my dad as a 350z and the vq35 cousin dipstick is worse than ours (Yes!!! it's possible!)
as for the tire warning, i've never had it happen and it sounds like i never do... if its a nagging sound i am going to go crazy, i hate when vehicles do that
__________________
05 4X4 Nismo KC 6-Speed Mods: PXNI AAI-NIS Audio input box, XTR7CK Sirius Sat Radio (dash antenna & custom radio mount), iPod integration, lug/spare/gas locks, Silverstar 9007ST Headlights, Full Synthetic Swap (engine/diffs/tranny/xfer case), OEM Rubber floormats, Flowmaster exhaust, K&N 63 Series Intake w/ an AEM dryflow filter
<edited>
THE GOOD:
1. It’s not particularly torquey,
1. The brakes. This truck doesn’t stop nearly as well as it goes. Pedal effort is just a bit heavy, and the brakes tend to squeal.
2. the headlights don’t do a very good job of lighting the road ahead.
3. Squeaks.
4. Low-speed steering.
THE UGLY:
1. dipstick...hard to replace.
Owners of vehicles with automatic transmissions will discover that there is no dipstick, yet the maintenance schedule calls for a regular inspection of automatic transmission fluid level. Huh?
2. Low tire pressure warning.
Small annoyances aside, I believe that my Frontier is a fine truck; it’s had very few problems for a first-year vehicle and it’s a blast to drive. Would I buy another one? Absolutely.
Great write-up!!
I always look forward to your posts/insight.
To the points I isolated above: (I'm only at about 5K miles so my review comments aren't meant to be comparative from a longevity/durability standpoint)
I feel that torque is one of the main benefits of the VQ4.0. It's not my old supercharged 32V V8 by any stretch but full torque comes on early, and is nice and flat through the power band.
I think the brakes are subjective. I personally felt they were far to light at first but now appreciate the articulation and control they offer in this heavy vehicle. I've had to make a couple of forced hard stops and was able to do so quite gracefully.
I found a happy medium to the headlight adjustment and I think they do fairly well. I'm not typically on unlit country roads much though so I might feel differently in that environment.
Squeak free (knock on wood) so far. Thanks for the tips though so I'll know where to look if/when they come.
Steering wheel effort is also subjective. I've experienced the power steering hesitation on rare occasions with a cold engine. The general low speed steering effort seems fine to me. Even the poor turning radius (as mentioned by Consumer Reports) hasn't been an obvious issue.
The oil dipstick does require surgical precision to replace once pulled. That’s a pain. I didn’t even notice that there wasn’t an ATF dipstick (I looked briefly once but it was dark so I gave up). My manual says have it checked by Nissan and mentions no owner process. I wonder if someone has verified the alternate instructions above?
Low Tire Pressure Warning is probably obnoxious in the wake of the Firestone/Ford Exploder incident. Since the public was made to believe a tire can (on it’s own) flip a vehicle, I’m sure this safety feature was deemed necessarily aggressive. I have yet to experience it.
Again, great write up. I’m still quite happy with my Frontier as well.
I didn’t even notice that there wasn’t an ATF dipstick (I looked briefly once but it was dark so I gave up). My manual says have it checked by Nissan and mentions no owner process. I wonder if someone has verified the alternate instructions above?
There is a dipstick ("ATF level gauge" they call it). It's bolted shut in the dipstick tube. Why they did that is beyond comprehension unless they want people to think that it's a dealer operation only ($).
I’ve owned my 2005 Frontier king cab LE for a little over a year now, so it’s a good time to check in for a review. The opinions expressed are my own opinions and are based on a sample of only 1 (one) vehicle; herewith the good, the bad and the ugly of my Frontier ownership:
THE GOOD:
1. Power—lots of it. After all, that’s what first attracted me to the new Frontier. 265 horsepower is a heckuva number out of a 4.0 V-6, and the VQ40 engine delivers it beautifully. It’s not particularly torquey, but this engine pulls strongly from idle to redline and sounds great doing it. I’ve done a number of dyno tests on this truck, and it looks like the factory was actually conservative in rating it at 265 horses.
2. Performance. While I could never think of this truck as fast, it is decently quick. I have used my trusty G-Tech Pro meter to time it in 7.7 seconds 0-60 in stock trim and 7.4 seconds with light modifications (exhaust and intake). While a stock Frontier won’t run with a similarly-optioned Tacoma or Ram hemi, it is considerable quicker than the majority of trucks on the road today.
3. Handling. No other non-specialty truck comes close. A factory “tuner” truck like the Ford Lightning might handle better, but competitors such as the Tacoma and Dakota just can’t compete in the twisties. The Frontier will never be confused with an autocrosser, but it takes a curve like no stock truck I’ve ever driven.
4. Fuel economy. Forget “city” mileage—there are too many variables to consider. The LE model, with its ultra-high 2.97:1 axle ratio, gets the best economy of the Frontier family. For the time I’ve owned this truck it has returned an overall mileage average of 18.7 MPG, mostly highway driving. At a steady 70 MPH I’ve seen a high of 24 MPG and a low of 20.2; that’s really nice economy for a 4500-pound vehicle with the aerodynamics of a brick!
5. Utility. I have the sliding bed extender, and I love it. I carry all sorts of junk when working on the ranch, and the extender and the Utili-Track feature enable me to secure just about any kind of cargo. I can carry an ATV or motorcycle in the bed with no problem. I’ve heard a few complaints about the spray-in bed liner, but mine has held up very well under extremely hard use.
6. Aesthetics. It’s subjective, but I really like the styling of this truck. The mid-size truck is perfect for me, and I like the storage room in the king cab. I don’t need the rear area for seating, but it provides plenty of extra carrying capacity. Magazine reviewers have knocked the interior, but I like the ergonomics and the hard plastic trim doesn’t bother me in the least.
THE BAD:
1. The brakes. This truck doesn’t stop nearly as well as it goes. Pedal effort is just a bit heavy, and the brakes tend to squeal.
2. The lights. I do lots of driving on unlit back-country roads and spend much of that time dodging deer; the headlights don’t do a very good job of lighting the road ahead. Aftermarket lamps don’t help much.
3. Squeaks. While I’m pretty impressed with Nissan’s fit and finish, this Frontier came standard with a number of odd noises that I’ve fought for much of the year. My only trip back to the dealer has been for a horribly squeaky rear leaf spring; it was replaced under warranty. I’ve heard from many other owners with the same experience, and the leaf spring noise seems to be a very common problem. Bouncing along on unpaved roads brought on another squeak, this time coming from under the hood; not wanting another trip to the dealer I traced the noise myself and found a rubber hood bumper rubbing against the radiator support. A small dab of grease cured the problem. Another squeak, and I tracked it to an A/C return line with a metal clip that was rubbing against the firewall. Altogether, too much noise for a new vehicle.
4. Low-speed steering. Like the professional reviewers, I find the low-speed steering effort to be too hard. Don't give me that nonsense about road "feel"--modern engineering can produce speed-sensitive steering that is able to provide plenty of road feedback at speed while requiring less effort at slow speed.
THE UGLY:
1. Maintenance. It is painfully obvious to me that Nissan engineers don’t do their own routine maintenance. I was literally raised in the family gas station/garage, and I’ve checked the oil on hundreds of different vehicles; I’ve never seen a dipstick as poorly deigned as the one on this truck. It’s hard to find, hard to read, and hard to replace. While it’s not too hard to remove the oil filter by reaching up and over the skid plate, Nissan chose—for some odd reason—to provide an access port that’s too small and has wrist-slicing edges. Owners of vehicles with automatic transmissions will discover that there is no dipstick, yet the maintenance schedule calls for a regular inspection of automatic transmission fluid level. Huh?
2. Low tire pressure warning. Just wait until this little jewel goes off on you—it’ll stop your heart! I’ve got to admit that both times it activated it gave me early warning of a flat tire, but does it have to be so obnoxious about it? Wouldn’t a flashing light and an audible soft chime serve the same purpose? Sure, a flat tire is a problem, but does the truck really have to scare me to death to tell me about it?
Small annoyances aside, I believe that my Frontier is a fine truck; it’s had very few problems for a first-year vehicle and it’s a blast to drive. Would I buy another one? Absolutely.
great right up , I'm 6'4 and the dipstick is always fun to get to on mine, i can't imagine someone shorter would have an easier time. but the drain plug and filter on the 4 cylinder are right there when u get under the truck i can do an oil change in 30 min or less, thats includes pulling everything i need out of the basement and clean up, and thats not rushing. about the lights i do alot of night driving as well I ve never been happy with after market replacement bulbs, higher wattage bulbs will burn out alot faster and create alot more heat, the first thing i did after i got my truck was put in true HID headlights and that is one of the best things i could of done. yea the it's a little pricey at first but for the end results i think it is worth it, i need to get some pics of my brother and mine together to show how much of a difference. since his 05 still has stock bulbs.
great right up , I'm 6'4 and the dipstick is always fun to get to on mine, i can't imagine someone shorter would have an easier time. but the drain plug and filter on the 4 cylinder are right there when u get under the truck i can do an oil change in 30 min or less, thats includes pulling everything i need out of the basement and clean up, and thats not rushing. about the lights i do alot of night driving as well I ve never been happy with after market replacement bulbs, higher wattage bulbs will burn out alot faster and create alot more heat, the first thing i did after i got my truck was put in true HID headlights and that is one of the best things i could of done. yea the it's a little pricey at first but for the end results i think it is worth it, i need to get some pics of my brother and mine together to show how much of a difference. since his 05 still has stock bulbs.
I suppose it's okay to hijack my own thread Xtreme, if you don't mind sharing--what HID kit did you use? I'm interested in making the change and need a place to start.
__________________
jack <><
05 Frontier K/C LE 4X2
http://www.reverendbiker.com/frontier/frontier.htm
great right up , I'm 6'4 and the dipstick is always fun to get to on mine, i can't imagine someone shorter would have an easier time.
I'm 5'9" and I can only see the opening on the oil dipstick sleeve to put the poorly designed thing back in when standing on my tip toes in front of the headlight. Can't see it from the side, maybe that is a reason go git rid of the stock air intake, it's in the way??
I like the ATF dipstick much better. My old hardbody had a similar style oil dipstick that was a stiff wire with a piece on the end for the high low marks. The stamped metal oil dipstick on the new frontiers is really poor. Why not give us the same thing for the oil as the ATF??????
Last edited by jeffro : Feb 3rd, 2006 at 08:47 AM.
Xtreme, if you don't mind sharing--what HID kit did you use? I'm interested in making the change and need a place to start.
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