2013 Nissan Frontier - Mostly good, some bad.
Purchased used to replace my aging but still running 1996 Dodge Dakota. The first thing I noticed during my test drive was how sensitive the accelerator pedal was. This truck delivers about 50% of it's power in the first 1/2" of pedal travel. Not an issue once you are used to it, but my first drive was "exciting" to say the least. Another negative was the mushy feeling brakes. Compared to my '96 Dodge, the brakes in the Nissan require a bit more pressure to give you a firm stop. Plenty of braking power there, you just need to be a bit more aggressive on the pedal. The stock headlights are a bit weak. Not a huge difference between low beam and high beam. Replacing the lights with stronger bulbs would likely cure this problem but it's a shame that it didn't come from the factory with decent bulbs. Lastly, the transmission is a bit funky. It tends to shift way too early in hilly areas. What I mean is, when driving in an area with lots of ups and downs, the tranny will shift into OD when on a flat spot. Fine, except that when the road starts to incline, it stays in OD a bit too long. You need to apply more throttle to get the tranny to shift to a lower gear or... disengage OD via the switch on the shift knob.
That said, there is a lot to like about the truck. It's quick for a V6, I'ts comfortable on longer rides, looks good (if a bit generic), has a nice feature which allows more engine breaking when going down steep hills (I live on top of a small mountain). gets pretty decent gas mileage, has minimal technology, but that;s less stuff to fail, etc...
I like the truck a lot but it's still fun to take a spin in a V8 90's era pickup (as rough as it is).
Verified Owner
