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May 9, 2026 — This week’s Smallish Truck Smackdown starts with the 2026 Nissan Frontier, a pickup that hasn’t abandoned its V-6 or its physical buttons. It will face the Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT AWD and Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss in the coming weeks, but the Frontier gets first crack. Our test truck was a Frontier Pro-4X Crew Cab with the Pro Premium Package; as equipped, it stickered at $48,735. After 400-plus miles of commuting, errands, and a rough stretch of Route 202 South in Tredyffrin, the verdict is mixed: there’s a lot to like if you prefer old-school controls, but ride comfort isn’t the Frontier’s strong suit.
Pickup buyers have spent years hearing that new trucks feel more like crossovers. The Frontier takes the opposite route. It’s a traditional body-on-frame truck with a straightforward cabin, a real gear selector, and switches you can operate without looking away from the road.
The 2026 model is largely a carryover of the 2025 refresh, which brought a sharper nose and a bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen. The screen handles navigation, phone project, and audio menus, but the heavy lifting stays analog. A pair of large climate dials, physical buttons, and a conventional transfer-case lever sit right where older drivers expect them. Car and Driver has noted that the cabin isn’t as polished as rivals, but that the controls are easy to live with. That matches our week behind the wheel.
Nissan points out that the 3.8-liter V-6 is the only standard V-6 in the midsize truck segment. It makes 310 horsepower and works with a 9-speed automatic. The combination won’t surprise anyone, but it’s smooth, willing, and familiar in the best sense.
The transmission shifts quietly in normal driving. Push the lever to the left, and you can manually hold gears; it feels dated in a genuinely pleasant way, more like a real truck should feel. Car and Driver has measured a 0-60 mph run of 7.3 seconds, which isn’t quick but isn’t woeful. Nissan also notes that Wards has recognized this engine family as one of the most awarded V-6s over the past three decades. On paper, that lineage shows in the powertrain’s consistency.
Our local test loop included a rough section of Route 202 South near Tredyffrin, Pennsylvania. It’s the kind of pavement that exposes weak damping, odd tire wear, and structural noise. The Frontier Pro-4X did not cover itself in glory there.
The ride is jittery on chopped asphalt, with constant small movements that keep your hands busy. The steering also feels a little vague around center, so holding a straight line on narrow lanes became an active task rather than a passive one. On Day 1, one enthusiastic loop through a residential roundabout reminded us this is a tall, solid-axle truck: body motion builds quickly, and the rear can feel unsettled if you push hard.
But there is charm in that rawness. Like a Jeep Wrangler, the Frontier has a mechanical, slightly loose character that makes low-speed chores more interesting. It feels tough in a way that newer unibody trucks don’t, and that will matter to buyers who use a pickup as a pickup rather than a commuter car.
The Frontier isn’t easy to place in tight spaces. Its turning diameter is 42.6 feet, which is large for a midsize truck and demands patience in parking lots. Pulling into a space head first often took two attempts, and U-turns on two-lane roads frequently required a three-point maneuver. Buyers with narrow garages should measure carefully.
The front leather seats in the Pro Premium Package, a $3,080 option, proved comfortable and roomy. The driver’s seat feels supportive enough for long stints, though the truck’s step-in height is noticeably high, especially without side rails.
The old-school theme extends to the seat heaters. They’re physical switches that stay in the on position after shutdown, so a cold morning restart means warm seats almost immediately. For anyone who runs cold all winter, that simple detail beats digging through a touchscreen. The climate system also uses actual knobs and buttons, which means no eyes-off-the-road time while adjusting temperature or fan speed.
The Crew Cab’s rear compartment is the most obvious compromise. It feels like the third row of an SUV: the cushion is small, legroom is tight, and foot room is nearly nonexistent. The seatback sits fairly upright and doesn’t recline, nor does the seat slide fore or aft. This is fine for dogs or short trips, but not a place for long-distance adults.
Our test truck had the 59.5-inch bed, which is the most common length across Frontier trims. An extended 73.7-inch bed is available on other models. The rear seat folds down rather than up, and we suspect a flip-up bottom would create more practical storage space for gear. As tested, the Frontier is rated to tow 6,880 pounds; other Frontier configurations can pull more.
The 12.3-inch touchscreen is bright and easy to read, but the best part is what it doesn’t replace. Volume and tuning still use physical dials, and the remaining functions live in the screen. The 10-speaker Fender Premium Audio system, part of the Pro Premium Package, sounded strong in our week, earning something close to an A-minus. It’s not the last word in audiophile quality, but it’s more than most truck buyers will need.
Here’s the painful part: our 400-plus-mile average was 16.9 mpg. That includes a mix of local roads, highway cruising, and a few short trips, but it’s still a low number for a modern midsize pickup. Anyone with a long daily commute should weigh that against the turbo-four efficiency of some rivals.
The Frontier is assembled in Canton, Mississippi. Nissan’s parts labeling lists the largest single parts share, 40 percent, from the U.S. and Canada, with another 20 percent from Japan. Consumer Reports gives the Frontier a predicted reliability score of 4 out of 5, which is a reassuring sign for buyers planning to keep a truck for many years.
The Frontier’s competitive set includes the Ford Ranger, GMC Canyon, Jeep Gladiator, Honda Ridgeline, Toyota Tacoma, Hyundai Santa Cruz, and Chevrolet Colorado. That’s a crowded field, and the Frontier often lands in the middle on capability and score.
Our Pro-4X tester’s $48,735 price puts it in loaded territory, close to a well-equipped Colorado Trail Boss and above many Santa Cruz XRT builds. The Frontier’s strongest arguments are its standard V-6, easy controls, and rugged character. Its weak points are the rough ride, thirsty engine, and cramped rear seat.
If you want a truck that still feels like an old-school pickup and you don’t mind some pavement harshness, the Frontier deserves serious consideration. If comfort and daily drivability come first, you may be happier waiting for the next two trucks in this comparison.
Next week: Hyundai Santa Cruz.
