2024 Nissan Frontier Review: Eyes On The Horizon

The 2024 Nissan Frontier is one of the trucks that stands out in the most popular automotive segment in the USA. It's set apart thanks to its particularly bold and chunky styling that is more in line with larger half-ton trucks, and because of the brand on its nose, which differs markedly from the sea of home-grown pickups seen on the roads. However, it competes with other pickups like the Honda Ridgeline, and with 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque from a nat-asp V6, it has enough power to get the job done, which includes towing up to 6,720 pounds. It also has some great off-road trims and a new Hardbody that harkens back to the Frontier of old. But is it enough to keep up against the brand-new Toyota Tacoma?

New for 2024

The new Nissan Frontier pickup offers some additional trims with more impressive specifications, such as the SL and Hardbody. The latter includes many advanced packages that improve the safety suite and add conveniences such as a ten-speaker sound system and heated front seats. Of course, it also gets styling updates to live up to its name inherited from the model that paved the way for the Frontier.

2024 Nissan Frontier Price: Which One to Buy

The starting price of the 2024 Nissan Frontier comes in just below $30,000, with the King Cab S at $29,770, while the Crew Cab variant goes for $31,070. Similarly, the SV is also available in both cab sizes, ranging from $32,470 to $33,870 MSRP. From there, every model is presented with the Crew Cab only. The Pro-X will cost you $36,300, while the Pro-4X sells for $39,300. The new SL builds on the SV, so the price of $39,640 is a notable jump. Sitting at the top of the range, the Hardbody Edition is more than just a cosmetic upgrade, so it warrants the $43,940 premium. These prices do not account for the $1,335 destination charge.

As it's barebones, the S doesn't feel like the smartest option, and the SV adds numerous features we have come to expect as standard, pushing the value up. You will still need to option on several packages to get the best the truck has to offer. These include the Technology and Convenience packages, but the Premium package is a bit over the top. But if you are specifically shopping for an off-roader, the Pro-4X is the prime choice.

Interior and Features

Opting for the Crew Cab gets you a well-constructed interior with loads of space but a rather workaday design.

The interior space is presented in a very straightforward way, with hardy materials and unostentatious styling. The touchscreen is almost perfectly square and sits between the center air vents on the dashboard. There are several physical buttons and dials around and below this screen, and the large chunky steering wheel has some controls, too. None of this looks or feels particularly premium, but a focus on comfort is clear, showing that Nissan has the right priorities, and nothing in the cabin is likely to break or break down without significant abuse.

Space

Only the S and SV can be had with the smaller King Cab, which supplies ample head- and legroom in the front row, but middling legroom in the back at best. This is significantly improved in models equipped with the Crew Cab, which adds around three or four inches of legroom. Accessing the second row is a lot easier with the larger cab, too, as an extra two doors lets you get inside without needing to fold down any seats or contort yourself. Visibility is great regardless of the cabin you pick, and the length of the body doesn't hurt much as you can easily see over the bed.

Cargo

There is no trunk on a pickup, but in the Frontier, the rear seats can be folded down to give you a little room to work with, or even more in the Crew Cab. You'll mostly be using the cargo bed, which supplies around 40 cubic feet and can handle payloads of between 1,100 pounds and 1,590 lbs. Only the SV can be had with the long cargo bed, which improves overall capacity to 49.6 cu-ft. The Crew Cab is extremely accommodating when it comes to small-item storage since it has four doors with sizeable pockets, eight cupholders, a capacious armrest cubby, and a glove compartment.

Materials and Colors

As with most pickups, the Frontier comes dressed in hardy cloth as standard with interior colors including Charcoal and Sandstone. The quality of this fabric is upgraded in the SV, and the Pro-X and Pro-4X add embroidery and Lava Red stitching. The new SL and Hardbody trims get the Premium Package's leather upholstery as standard, but a leather-wrapped steering wheel is standard from the Pro-X upward. Hard plastics are common around the cabin, but that's nothing unusual for the segment. Upper trims swap out the black door handles for chrome, but you won't find any premium wood or metal accents.

Features and Infotainment

At the base level, the Frontier comes equipped with all the essentials, including remote keyless entry, push-button start, cruise control, manual air conditioning, a seven-inch driver-information display, and an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen. This comes with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and four speakers. The SV upgrades to a power-adjustable driver's seat and two more speakers, as well as access to numerous packages. More luxuries come standard once you reach the Pro-X, such as dual-zone automatic climate control, a Nissan intelligent key, a nine-inch touchscreen display, navigation with traffic alerts, wireless smartphone integration, and Wi-Fi capabilities. As part of the new SL trim, you get remote engine start, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a ten-speaker Fender sound system. However, it reverts to the more basic infotainment system.

Performance

While it may have class-leading horsepower, the Frontier only has 281 lb-ft of torque and sub-par towing figures for the segment.

Every model of the Nissan Frontier gets the same V6 engine, displacing 3.8 liters of gasoline to develop 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque. This is sent to the rear wheels for most trims, via a nine-speed automatic transmission, though 4x4 is available to most and standard for the Pro-4X and Hardbody. This setup gives the Frontier class-leading horsepower, but its maximum towing capacity of 6,640 pounds is only mediocre.

Overall performance is good, and it takes the Nissan Frontier between seven and eight seconds to go from 0-60 mph, while top speed maxes out at 112 mph. The four-wheel drivetrain makes the truck capable off-road. Handling around town is decent, but the steering doesn't disguise the fact that this is a large and heavy vehicle. Ride comfort is good most of the time, though it can be a little bouncy at speed.

Fuel Efficiency

Gas mileage is not a prime concern for a pickup truck, especially when it sticks with an old-school naturally aspirated V6 engine. The most fuel-efficient Nissan Frontier is the 2WD version, which gets 18/24/21 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles. Switching to 4WD drops these down to 18/23/20 mpg. The heaviest of the lot is the Pro-4X, which achieves 18/22/19 mpg. Every model has a fuel capacity of 21 gallons, which means that the truck can travel between 399 and 441 miles on a full tank.

Safety

The Frontier's crash-test results aren't as impressive as we'd like, and its standard safety suite is disappointing, too.

Large, heavy, and durable vehicles normally score well in a safety review, but the Nissan Frontier is only average in the eyes of the NHTSA, which gives it a four out of five stars. The IIHS is not as generous but it also hasn't performed every crash test available. The side and moderate overlap front only earned an Acceptable, though, and the headlights rate from Poor to Acceptable.

Nevertheless, it comes equipped with ABS, EBD, stability and traction control, and eight airbags. The standard driver-assistance tech is minimal, though, with only forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking included. Nissan's Safety Shield 360 is optional and comprises lane-departure warning, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and rear automatic braking.

Reliability

If there is one thing the Frontier can't be faulted for, it's reliability. JD Power's consumer survey saw it earn 84 out of 100 in this category. However, there were six recalls issued in 2022, which may raise some concerns. Luckily, there was only a single recall in 2023 and it was for a possible tear of the tire's inner bead.

As for the warranty for the 2024 Nissan Frontier, new owners get cover for three years/36,000 miles and powertrain coverage for five years/60,000 miles.

Warranty

Design

The Nissan Frontier is arguably one of the most attractive trucks in the segment, especially in Pro-X or Pro-4X guise. The grille isn't overly large, but it fits perfectly with the squared-off hood and blocky halogen headlights. Large wheel arches house small 16-inch steel rims, which grow to 17-inch alloys on the Pro-4X. From the Pro-X up, LED fog lights are standard, as are LED daytime running lights and signature headlights. New for 2024, the Hardbody trim has even bolder styling with off-road rails, a bed-mounted sport bar, an aluminum front skid plate, and Heritage-style rims.

Verdict: Is The 2024 Nissan Frontier A Good Truck?

Pickup trucks are often one-hit wonders, leaning too much into being workhorses or attempting to come across as luxurious at the cost of capability. The 2024 Frontier does an admirable job of marrying these disparate qualities while remaining confident and comfortable both on and off the road. It's far from perfect, though, with less-than-stellar safety ratings and bullish handling. The latter isn't unusual and most buyers will be able to look past the former due to the spacious interior, comfortable ride, and the potent V6 with class-leading horsepower. Nissan has also done a good job of keeping the truck up to date, even if some of the desirable features are only optional additions. The Frontier remains one of the most compelling compact pickup trucks and is definitely worth strong consideration.