If you’re thinking about a new truck, you may like the Nissan Frontier PRO-4X I tested on the Great Planes last week. If you have a family of six or haul tons of gravel, you’ll need a giant ride, but if you hunt or travel with a small family or a couple of friends, the Nissan may be just what you need.
I picked up the Metallic Blue PRO-4X in Denver with a seven-hour drive on the horizon — all the way to central South Dakota. The ride began with a mix of snow and rain, so my giant bags fit easily in the back seat. As the weather cleared, stretching the 75 mph speed limit helped move the trip along. On the interstate, the Frontier practically drove itself, powered by a 261 horsepower V-6 engine and one of the easiest nav systems I’ve used. Facilitated by a 5.8-inch color touchscreen display, the screen is large enough to check graphics with a glance, and the turn-by-turn directions make getting lost practically impossible. The premium audio system pumped through ten speakers, kept the SiriusXM pumping, and kept me awake from a 3:00 a.m. alarm.
The Frontier has such features as a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, cruise control, and steering-wheel audio controls. The eight-way manual driver seat with adjustable lombard support made for a comfortable ride. The leather looked sharp and basically ignored my frequent food spills. Fuel consumption was right at the advertised 17 mpg and would have been more efficient at sub-warp speeds.
The advantage of the mid-size Frontier is the combination of a car and a truck in one package. I was very impressed with the “car” side of this bipolar vehicle. It turned easily and offered great visibility when parking and maneuvering around town. My computer crashed along the way and I had to spend some city time to get it fixed, which offered me a chance to use the vehicle in day-to-day urban driving situations.
When I finally reached turkey camp, I learned that rain had fallen for two days and that some of the hunting areas we usually stalked were unapproachable. Not good news for the hunt, but fun for the truck test. Even though it was tempting to go bogging on the public land we crossed, being a good land steward I suppressed my inner child and had fun in the mud of the main travel channels. Here’s where the PRO-4X really shined — under the mud, of course. First, the two-speed transfer case with 4Hi and 4Lo was easily accessed on the dash and operated with the twist of a switch. I never had to use the 4Lo and was surprised how well the truck handled mud in two-wheel drive. The 16-inch all-terrain tires gripped well and my hunting buddy and I went about anywhere we wanted.
Occasionally, we stowed our gear in the bed of the truck. Lashing bulky items was never a problem with the unique channel system and four adjustable tie-down cleats. We traveled with shotguns, cameras, crossbows, turkey decoys, and a host of other bulky gear, yet the truck carried four passengers comfortably and all our gear stowed conveniently in the back.
Covering all of the details of this cool truck is best done at a dealership where you can see them in person. In a brief summary, the Frontier PRO-4X performed every task I asked in difficult conditions and did so with comfort, power, and precision. Perhaps the best accolade came as I stopped by the bunkhouse of the ranch where we stayed. As I stopped to thank the rancher for his hospitality, he greeted me with “Where’d you git that good lookin’ truck?” Quite a surprise from a seasoned rancher who drives the biggest machines he can find. If the Frontier can impress a cowboy in the land of dual-wheel trucks, that’s a statement. For more information on the Frontier PRO-4X, go to nissanusa.com.
