2025 Nissan Frontier

Nissan’s varied lineup of SUVs, pickup trucks, and EVs usually perform well in our road tests, but their Overall Scores suffer because of up-and-down reliability and average to below-average owner satisfaction. Inconsistent quality across the brand means some Nissans are a better choice than others. Many of its gasoline vehicles use small turbocharged engines and continuously variable transmissions to give owners both competitive fuel economy and sporty performance. Most new Nissans come standard with a full suite of active safety and driver assist systems. It’s also one of the few remaining brands that sells a sub-compact sedan, the Versa. The compact Sentra, a mainstay within Nissan’s lineup, earned a high score in our road test and is recommended. Nissan was an early EV trailblazer with the Leaf hatchback, and now sells larger five-passenger EV SUVs. Used Nissans have average reliability according to our surveys.

After more than 16 years without a major update, the Nissan Frontier got a new look inside and out for the 2022 model year. The sheet metal is all new and the interior gets a much-needed upgrade. The 310-hp, 3.8-liter V6 engine and nine-speed automatic carry over from 2021. The V6 feels strong and the transmission is smooth. Handling is relatively responsive but the steering is too heavy at low speeds. The ride is stiff legged but much better than the previous generation. There is ample interior storage, and the infotainment is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The rear gate is now much easier to open and close. The Pro-4X version is off-road ready with a rear-locking differential. The previous model scored a Marginal in both driver and passenger-side of the IIHS small overlap front crash tests. FCW and AEB with pedestrian detection now come standard. BSW and RCTW are optional. For 2025, BSW, RCTW, and ACC are standard on all trims. 2025 models also received refreshed bumpers, front fascia, and grille design, as well as updated dashboard trim and a telescoping steering wheel.