Pro-4X living at high elevation?

[Maddmatt]

Thanks that good local info! We are out 285 in Bailey. I will commute to the airport but only one way every 4-6 days. The 04 trailblazer I am driving now does okay and I see lots of frontiers out here. My wife’s escape with 2.0 ecoboost does awesome thanks to he turbo. I just like to do my research and hear first hand experience.
Now hopefully the new frontier releases soon and I can snag an amazing deal on a leftover 2020 or a CPO frontier.

in that case, Crow hill is your biggest obstacle on the way to town, and no amount of forced induction is going to over come a pair of old Subarus doing their very best at 35mph - I grew up in the Conifer area, and even going back to the '80s, when I was learning to drive, horsepower has always been irrelevant. Comfy seats and a good stereo are far more important, if it's not the old Subarus, it's a hay truck, a herd of elk or 5 miles of bumper to bumper campers and side by side trailers that are going to be your biggest obstacle. It's fun to shop though, 90% of the time I don't "need" most of the power my Xterra can create, or the heated seats, XM radio, rear locker, etc.... but I like it!

 

[Redheddedwonder]

in that case, Crow hill is your biggest obstacle on the way to town, and no amount of forced induction is going to over come a pair of old Subarus doing their very best at 35mph - I grew up in the Conifer area, and even going back to the '80s, when I was learning to drive, horsepower has always been irrelevant. Comfy seats and a good stereo are far more important, if it's not the old Subarus, it's a hay truck, a herd of elk or 5 miles of bumper to bumper campers and side by side trailers that are going to be your biggest obstacle. It's fun to shop though, 90% of the time I don't "need" most of the power my Xterra can create, or the heated seats, XM radio, rear locker, etc.... but I like it!

Awesome thanks!
Any local clubs or groups you go in runs with?

 

[VirginiaDoug]

A VK56DE bolts in

 

[Maddmatt]

Awesome thanks!
Any local clubs or groups you go in runs with?

Not these days, with one kid in college and another there soon I'm in full nose-to-the-grindstone mode these days. If you end up with a Toyota, Rising Sun is probably the finest 4x4 club there is, I still have ties in the Toyota world so I tag along as a rider on the occasional run (at least pre-2020).

When I switched to Nissan I started spending some time at thenewX.org, and from there I found Norac4x4, originally a Nissan oriented club, but seem to be non-denominational these days. From what I've seen from their facebook discussions it's a very helpful, easy going group. If I was going on a trail run that's probably where I would start.

 

[Redheddedwonder]

Not these days, with one kid in college and another there soon I'm in full nose-to-the-grindstone mode these days. If you end up with a Toyota, Rising Sun is probably the finest 4x4 club there is, I still have ties in the Toyota world so I tag along as a rider on the occasional run (at least pre-2020).

When I switched to Nissan I started spending some time at thenewX.org, and from there I found Norac4x4, originally a Nissan oriented club, but seem to be non-denominational these days. From what I've seen from their facebook discussions it's a very helpful, easy going group. If I was going on a trail run that's probably where I would start.

Awesome thanks!

 

[bigskypylot]

A VK56DE bolts in

Mostly ?

 

[CO-Plateau-Guy]

Fwiw, i have a 2015 Pro-4x and on the Western Slope. I am regularly up in the San Juans and ive never found that i lack for power in normal driving or when on a 4wd road. Now, everything is relative as my daily is a 2008 Outback.. But, yeah, the Xterra is great for CO in my opinion.

 

[Redheddedwonder]

Fwiw, i have a 2015 Pro-4x and on the Western Slope. I am regularly up in the San Juans and ive never found that i lack for power in normal driving or when on a 4wd road. Now, everything is relative as my daily is a 2008 Outback.. But, yeah, the Xterra is great for CO in my opinion.

Thanks! Just test drove both a 2020 and 2019, I think I liked the 2020 more. Will be interesting to see if and how much prices drop when the 2022 frontier gets released soon.

 

[JDaPP]

If you haven't already you might take a look at https://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/

Lot of discussion on 2020 vs 2019. Transmission seems to irk some plus discussion the fuel injection methods. I don't know enough to say either way but interesting insight.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

Any thought to a 1 year old Ranger? That turbo 2.3 and 10 speed will be a lot easier to live with.

 

[Redheddedwonder]

If you haven't already you might take a look at https://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/

Lot of discussion on 2020 vs 2019. Transmission seems to irk some plus discussion the fuel injection methods. I don't know enough to say either way but interesting insight.

Yah there is something to be said about a proven drivetrain, plus cheaper price point, hard to choose. I like the ability to select gears better in the 2020 but I’ve heard it will shift down still, essentially just picking a top gear point. The 2020 was also really smooth with its shifts in my opinion. I also really liked the low first gear in 4low.

 

[Redheddedwonder]

Any thought to a 1 year old Ranger? That turbo 2.3 and 10 speed will be a lot easier to live with.

I have thought about that. My wife has a escape with 2.0 ecoboost and that thing is fairly quick considering what it is.

My thought process for that would be if I was spending over $30k for something used I should just go for a ZR2. I like the concept of the ranger but the price points new and used are close enough to the ZR2 that it makes sense to push my budget a little farther.

I like the frontier for the budget aspect, spoke with a sales manager and he confirmed new frontier is coming soon and said that he could probably work out a less than $30k deal for a new one. He had no used pro-4x frontiers, just SV but I probably won’t buy from there anyways, just wanted to test drive.

 

[llamalander]

Apart from the locker, the SV's can be brought up to pro-x capability pretty easily. Old or new powertrain has plenty of go, be it 0-10,000 feet, and the stock truck is extremely durable.
The 4x4 is impressive, in snow or on dirt and only the turning radius is lacking... & the MPG is on the lower end. For a budget truck, the Frontier is a lot of good things.

 

[Redheddedwonder]

Apart from the locker, the SV's can be brought up to pro-x capability pretty easily. Old or new powertrain has plenty of go, be it 0-10,000 feet, and the stock truck is extremely durable.
The 4x4 is impressive, in snow or on dirt and only the turning radius is lacking... & the MPG is on the lower end. For a budget truck, the Frontier is a lot of good things.

Yah that’s my thought process, I like the pro4 because if I mildly modify it in the beginning it will do everything I ask, then down the road I can turn it into more of a wheeler. Also being cheaper it can be paid off sooner making it easier to do that and have a different daily.

 

[Redheddedwonder]

Ended up going with the zr2!