2006 Frontier 4x4 NISMO Edition - Review

[AZhitman]

There’s no doubt about it – when you get behind the wheel of the 2006 Nissan Frontier you are in a truck that was built by people who love trucks for people who love trucks.

No one will accuse Nissan of prettying up an SUV and sticking a truck bed on the rear, though with the four door Crew Cab model you might just forget there’s an open space behind you. Meaning, that while the Frontier is rugged on the inside -- Nissan’s large pore seat fabric and knobby control buttons add to the adventure feel -- the cabin also creates a "you don’t have to completely sacrifice comfort" sensation.

The Nissan Frontier NISMO edition has rugged driving characteristics and a surprising amount of power for the category. The 4.0-liter V6 produces 265 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque, and with the four-wheel drive option you could be forgiven for developing a David versus Goliath complex. The NISMO edition, starting at $22,100 for the 2WD King Cab model, features off-road wheels and tires, Bilstein shocks, skid plates, and Nissan’s Advanced Off-Road Traction System, that includes limited-slip traction control, Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control and Vehicle Dynamic Control.

Maybe that explains Nissan’s slogan for the Frontier, “Full-Size Hardware in a Mid-Size Package.”

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a Frontier with a mid-size price – after all, the NISMO edition is the upscale, tricked-out version of this exciting truck. The 2006 Nissan Frontier comes in four versions: the XE, SE, LE, and the NISMO. The Frontier XE starts at only $15,600 as a King Cab 2WD with a 154-hp, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, with a choice of 5-speed manual transmission or an automatic for $16,650. The Frontier SE starts at $18,500 for a a 2WD King Cab or $21,200 for a 4WD King Cab. Air conditioning, chrome front bumper and grille, a sliding rear window, an AM/FM/CD audio system and tilt steering wheel are standard. Finally, the Frontier XE starts at $22,300 for a 2WD King Cab, $25,000 for the 4WD King Cab, $24,000 for the 2WD Crew Cab and $26,650 for the 4WD Crew Cab.

No matter how you drive it, the Frontier is an exciting, made-for-America truck that’s also built in America at Nissan’s Smyrna, Tennessee plant.