I now have just under 12,000 miles on the 2007 Frontier Nismo crewcab, purchased in September 2007. The engine takes some breaking in before you will start to see improvements in fuel economy. Don't rely on the on-board computer for this information, and verify the accuracy of your speedometer/odometer before relying on that as well, in determining fuel consumption. Corrected for odometer error at highway speeds, mine gets around 19 to 20 on the highway with a modest load (2 passengers, 2 medium dogs, suitcases for two for a month, and a Snugtop Super Sport top, which is not light.)
I have noticed that of my several vehicles, the Nismo is not the fastest in climbing the steep hills getting out of my subdivision in the hills NW of Prescott. While the engine makes excellent power for highway driving and loves to run 80 to 90, it does not make power down low, even with the 5 speed auto transmission.
I drove the truck to Michigan and back and found the seats comfortable for the entire trip. My wife says her side is not as comfortable as the driver seat due to less adjustability.
The OEM tires on the Nismo (in my case anyway) are Rugged Trail TA's, which are not truck tires at all. They are a good size, 265x75x16, but these are truly just radial car tires.
The front end was out of adjustment as delivered from the dealer.
The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is a joke, but this is not really Nissan's fault. These devices are now mandated by the geniuses in Congress. Nissan uses Schrader-type devices in each tire, and mine trigger at 31.5 pounds. Placard pressure is 35, which is too high for an unloaded truck. Lowering pressures to achieve full tread contact drops the tires to 31 to 32 pounds, and the warning light comes on. Since it is built into the computer, it can't simply be removed. Unless you are one of those folks that drives off road with 35 pounds of air, you are going to be looking at the TPMS warning light all of the time, but this may also be an issue with Toyota.
I like having the factory locker, and frankly it works very well. I have done some narrow, twisty, extremely steep uphill forest roads in our area and did not have any tire slippage issues or driving issues. HOWEVER, the e-locker is a pain to engage and disengage because it is electrically actuated but won't engage unless the vehicle is in neutral and dead stop, in 4LO, and all major planets are properly aligned. If you are in a hurry to engage the locker, you are already in trouble. Engage this one well ahead of the need, and leave it engaged until you are back to level ground. I find that the locker, and low range, WILL NOT engage just sitting still. So, you have to stop, put the vehicle in neutral, hold the brakes, engage lo and the locker, wait 10 seconds, engage drive and move forward or back 10 feet. Then, most of the time, all the lights stabilize and the locker engages. On the other hand, once engaged it does its job and is quiet doing it. I do not notice any banging or ratcheting going around corners.
The fog lights on the Nismo actually work. I was pleasantly surprised at the light they afford, especially for cornering on dark twisty roads and off road at night.
The spray-in bed lining is nicely done, but not the brand I would have chosen. It is a bit hard and slick, in spite of the texture of the spray. The structural stamping in the bed floor is deep. It kills my old knees getting in and out of the bed with the Snugtop shell.
Even the upgraded stereo is no better than your better Wal-Mart in dash stereo system. I would save your money in this area and buy an aftermarket stereo.
You can only get the sun roof if you get the doofy roof rack. Some may like this rack. I don't. It is attached to the roof sheet metal with expanding rivets and these will work loose over time if you carry a load on the rack and flex the body. You can't really fix this, plus it leaves holes in the roof that are going to leak one of these days. Even though I wanted the sun roof, I avoided the option to avoid the rack, and the look of the truck with the Snugtop and no roof rack is, in my opinion, very nice.
The service folks at the local Nissan dealership are not well versed in their product, and knew literally nothing about the TPMS system the first and only time I went in to the dealer to inquire about the warning light. The service writer suggested that I run the tires up to 40psi and leave them there. No thanks. That leaves me with around 60 percent of the tread in contact with the road, and is a dangerous way to drive. The service person should have known that. Nissan has been totally unresponsive on the question of the TPMS.
Visibility out the front and sides is okay for off road use. Not great, but okay. I have not driven a Toyota to compare, but there is at least no hood bulge to deal with.
The interior is just fine. The dogs have not as yet managed to scratch it or damage the fabric.
So far I like the vehicle, and I would give it a 4 out of 5 rating for general or daily use, always remembering that it is a truck, not a car, and it drives like a truck.
It certainly doesn't make the difference between a good trip and a bad trip.
