2005 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab NISMO review from North America

Driver's seat is wearing on corner due to entry and exit from vehicle.

As I approached this used 2005 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab NISMO at the dealership I didn't think I could afford it. (Haivng a wife, 2 kids and a demanding mortgage can do that to you.) It had a price tag of over $26,000 - for a used mid-sized truck. But after 3 hours and absolutely no haggling we drove away in the truck of my dreams for under $18,000.

I absolutely love this truck!

I love everything about this truck!

The exterior styling is stout and aggressive. It came with the "roof bars" and sunroof. I've since added the Nissan powder-coated step rails for my wife and daughter. I especially like the raised hood design. This will definitely offer more room under the hood for later modifications. The chrome bumpers add a nice accent as well.

Rating: 10/10.

The interior is roomy and accomodating. It has the Rockford Fosgate sound system and a 6-Disc CD Changer in the dash. The sound quality is very good, but it could use a little help in the area of bass. All of the controls are readily available and easily within reach. The seats are comfortable and have height and lumbar adjustments. I'd rather that they had some additional padding to reduce lateral movement.

Rating: 9/10.

The engine, while not exactly economical, is as strong as anyone could ask for in a mid-sized truck. I get about 17mpg on average (which isn't terrible, but not great) whether I'm getting to work in a hurry or taking my time on the way to the mother-in-laws. The only problem I've had is in using synthetic motor oil. I've only tried Royal Purple with disasterous affects - my mileage went from 17mpg to 13mpg. It quickly jumped back to 17mpg once I changed the oil 3 weeks later to conventional motor oil. Other than that, no complaints here.

Rating: 10/10.