View Full Version : Need feedback on new vehicles..
jjrothWA
04-13-2021, 07:49
I'm thinking between the Nissan Frontier or the Toyoda Tundra?
Who has either and how you like it?
new or used?
and a Frontier, mid or small truck
vs
Toyota Tundra, full size pickup,
friend had a Titan that crapped out (trans) and bought a new Frontier a year ago,
no issues, no drama,
I have a 2000 tundra, one of the best vehicles I have ever owned,
V8 auto axxess cab SR5,
biggest thing I hear about newer Tundras is that they will pass everything except a gas station
Johnny P
04-13-2021, 08:53
My son was never going to get rid of his Dodge Cummins diesel (2006). Bought a new Toyota Tacoma, and sold the Dodge two months later.
Read this:
https://www.carscoops.com/2016/05/man-drives-toyota-tundra-for-1-million/#:~:text=The%20million-mile%20%281.6%20million%20km%29%20Toyota%20Tundra% 20is,North%20Dakota%2C%20Wyoming%20and%20Virginia% 2C%20for%20his%20job.
Edit: The Tundra only offers a V8 that isn’t as fuel efficient as the V6 engines that the other trucks offer. If you aren’t towing or hauling heavy loads and are worried about gas mileage, then a V6 might make sense. Ford is coming out with a F150 Hybrid. Consumer Reports gives the Tundra 4 out of 5 stars for reliability. Ford and GM trucks don’t do as well.
I subscribed to CR when I was looking over the field of SUVs in 2018 and it was $39 well spent.
JJ, maybe the Tundra's are a good truck but the 2019 Tacoma is a POS. What ever you do don't buy one unless you want something to work on. I don't know anything about the Nissan's anymore but they used to be pretty good vehicles, I never had any problems with the 2 I have owned. HTH
barretcreek
04-14-2021, 12:13
2004 Frontier 4cyl stick 2wd. Love it compared to the 95 S-10 is replaced. Friend had a Toyota and said it rode like it was on the railroad. The ties, not the rails.
2004 Frontier 4cyl stick 2wd. Love it compared to the 95 S-10 is replaced. Friend had a Toyota and said it rode like it was on the railroad. The ties, not the rails.
the 82 Toyota hi Lux 4x4 SR5 I had for a few years road like a buck board,
never got stuck,
it's failing was the typical early 80's Toyota problem ,,, Rust,
it literally rotted in 1/2
BudT, what is wrong with your Taco?
friend has had a 2013 and now a 2015 with no issues whatsoever
The 2020 Tacoma is the best of the past several model years and earned high marks from CR for reliability and owner satisfaction. The 2019 didn’t do as well in either category.
I have had several Toyota Tundra 4Wheel drive Trucks over the years Darn good rugged truck i pull a trailer with a small backhoe on it and my boat and anything else i hook up to with no problem my friend and i had a pulling contest he has the new Ford pickup we hooked up rear hitch to hitch i pulled him backwards it was funny i have the 5.7 V8 purchased a new one when i retired .love the Tundra
I have been looking at , i.e. engineer-nerding-out researching, the smaller pickup trucks the past several months. If the old RAV4 ever dies (currently at 239k miles), I plan to but a low mileage used truck. I want 4WD, automatic transmission (bummer IMO but several family don't drive manuals), ability to carry 4 adults in slightly better than sardine comfort. What I have ciphered about the Nissan Frontiers is:
The Frontier is pretty much unchanged 2005-2019 model years. The Frontier years of '05-'11 or so have radiators had/have a problem that failed frequently and allowed mixing of coolant and transmission fluids . Google "Nissan SMOD" (Strawberry Milkshake Of Death). I think that a radiator change is not a huge job.
In 2020 Nissan changed the drivetrain completely, to a smaller V6 and 9-speed automatic (previous was a 5 speed auto trans, bullet proof but not the best MPG (21-17-ish hwy/city, 4WD). The newer motor makes a smidgen more Hp, but is higher revving. That, and the 9-speed gives a couple more mpg. In 2021 or '22, Nissan is selling the Frontier with all new body. IMO, it looks like a clone of everyone else's. It also is packed with "tech", push button starting, all the collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, back-up collision avoidance sensors common nowadays. The pricing is also considerably higher.
The new Ford Rangers seem good, are expensive, and are still too new for now.
I have read of too many transmission issues with Chevrolets to consider them.
The Toyota Tacomas seem OK. They are very expensive, IMO think their brand name is worth the premium costs. I sat in a few, '19 and '20 models, and honestly didn't care for hos "car-ish" they felt, low seating, high dash and window lines. Wifey is barely 5'-0" and that has to be checked before seriously considering one.
IMHO, Nissan just removed themselves from their long-held niche of a reliable, no-frills pickup. At present, I'm thinking to find a low mileage '18 or '19 Nissan Frontier "Pro-4X" trim. They have a locking rear differential and a few other things I like.
HTH a bit,
Tommy
the 82 Toyota hi Lux 4x4 SR5 I had for a few years road like a buck board,
never got stuck,
it's failing was the typical early 80's Toyota problem ,,, Rust,
it literally rotted in 1/2
BudT, what is wrong with your Taco?
friend has had a 2013 and now a 2015 with no issues whatsoever
Chapter 1
New 2019 4X4 off road access cab yoda truck. I owned a 09 before and it was a good truck and I regret selling it to my grandson. Right out of the gate with the new truck bumpy breaking, returned to the dealer and they diagnosed "out of spec axels" so they put on new rear drums. WTF, I must not know chit about breaks now but the new thinking is axels=drums? I gotta go back to training on these things, and it didn't fix it, whoda thunk it, back a second time and now there's nothing wrong according to them.
Chapter 2
Shortly the brake thing I went hunting in Montana, bad weather and all the truck decides to die in a "REAL BAD PLACE" to make it more exciting yoda decided to build in some more fun for this situation, message says on dash display low engine oil press failure to re-start, then to make it even better a new message of low transmission oil pressure and another failure to re-start. After a period of time the truck did re-start and I managed to get out of there.
Chapter 3
While driving the 50 or so miles back to the highway to drive back to town we get 5 more failure messages from the lighting system to brakes. You have no idea how mad I was at that time over this 40,000.00 dollar piece of "JUNK". Wanna buy it? I cut the hunt short and we went home and back to the dealer....again. Yep you guessed it they say it's just fine, someone have me committed to the rubber room if I start talking about wanting another yoda. A Tundra just might be a better truck but I really don't think I'll risk 60,000. dollars to find out. Whats wrong with my Taco? it's a rotten POS Junk that I can never trust again.
Chapter 4
Since all of this stuff yoda has sent out a recall and yes this first one is for one of the exact problems that I had and no they aren't fixing it yet, they will let me know. Funny how they said it didn't have "that" problem and gee whiz now there's a recall for it. I don't want to see jj or most anyone else to buy a problem.
BudT
go past the dealer and go to corporate,
rattle the chain above the dealer level
That's good advice. The dealers are just local good ol boys.
................
....Funny how they said it didn't have "that" problem and gee whiz now there's a recall for it. I don't want to see jj or most anyone else to buy a problem.
BudT
Thanks for that post. I will grill the Toyoyo folks and look harder before seriously considering a Tacoma.
Somewhat similar about sales-bozos at Toyota... I emailed 2 local dealerships about pricing and timing to replace the windshield on my old RAV4. Emails were sent specifically to the service departments both times. I did not really expect good pricing but... never know... so I tried. My phone rang for the next week with ... Toyota salesman guys, wanting me to "trade in and upgrade......" I never heard a peep from service department of either dealership.
My oil filter is in a placement nigh on unreachable for folks without 3 elbows on each arm unless you have a lift or pit, so I take it to the dealer for oil changes. I know, not the cheapest but that's ALL they do. Last week I was there, and some "service manager" asked if I had "anything else for them to do..." I related that story from just a week prior. He literally turned on his heel and walked away.... I just shrugged.
Best luck w/ your '19. I'd sure second the advice to be rattling regional and corporate folks about that experience.
Tommy
Former Cav
04-15-2021, 03:03
does your state have a lemon law?
My wife got a new BMW X5 after I got tired of bringing it in.
I called it Christine (after the haunted plymouth)
And it continues, I received in today's main yet another recall for engine dying and failure to restart. Contrary to what the dealership stands on., "nothin wrong here". Never again will yoda get my money.
does your state have a lemon law?
My wife got a new BMW X5 after I got tired of bringing it in.
I called it Christine (after the haunted plymouth)
used to work with a lady that bought a new one back in the early 2000's,
it started having issues, and they (BMW) bought it back and destroyed it,
not sure what was wrong with it, but BMW was not going to fix it and not let her drive it (they sold her a new one at a low price)
Dad's boss years ago bought a 84 Vette,
it burnt up 3 different dashboard clusters before they found out someone on the assembly line put a screw thru an mass of electrical cables in the center console,
ran fine when it was sold (new) and for a while, then not so much,
JB White
04-16-2021, 05:16
Had a Lincoln Town Car that gave me fits after it was a few years old. The passive alarm used to go off for no reason with no pattern to triggering. Got to the point where I would lift the ground off the battery whenever I parked.
Some time afterward, the turn signal/wiper controls started showing signs of expiring. When I opened up the column to replace that, I discovered a pinched ground wire. Freed it and taped it before installing the new switch. Alarm problem disappeared.
I was also able to reconnect all the sensors I had unhooked from previous attempts at troubleshooting.
... my friend and i had a pulling contest he has the new Ford pickup we hooked up rear hitch to hitch i pulled him backwards it was funny ...
so you were able to put more weight on your powered axle than he was... good job
I can relate to Bud T and his problems with his Tacoma. I feel the same way about GM. I’ll never own another one.
The 2011 Sienna and 2018 Highlander that we bought new are both durable and reliable vehicles. The 10 year old Sienna has had minimal maintenance issues. I’m tempted to trade it in on a new one but there’s no compelling reason. The old one still runs fine.
The best advice I can offer is to trade the Tacoma in on a different truck. Get rid of it. Start fresh with a Ford, Chevy, Ram or whatever.
jjrothWA
04-17-2021, 08:28
Thank you gents for the response.
After perusing the spec, for the Tacoma and Pathfinder, I'm thinking the Nissan frontier,is looking better due to mileage and towing capacity/
And Edmunds review, since the incoming 2022 is upgraded and costing more, I think I can get a decent deal as this willlikely be the last vehicle being bought.
Also, had rented a Nissan Sentra for a job interview back is 2005 and I was impressed with it.
Thanks.
Nissan and Toyota. We're talking apples and oranges? Compared to bricks? I owned two Toyota cars and they were wonderful except for one thing; At 60K the seat belt shoulder straps failed to retract. Yup that was the big problem. So you yanked on them a little and they retracted. So compared to this goofy Ford car I own now that was small potatoes. I'd buy a Toyota anything before I'd buy another Ford. Kind of like the old bumper sticker: I'd eat **** before I'd buy a Jap car. But if Nissan is eating Toyota's lunch then I'd quickly jump ship.
The thing about Toyota trucks; they were about six feet higher than neccessary. No wonder the catalytic converters got stolen. You could sit upright under them.
What I really like? My RAM. Is it perfect? Almost. I don't like Electronic 4 wheel drive. But it does actually work. But I don't like that the computer decides when it kicks in. And it doesn't want to offend anyone.
jjrothWA
05-12-2021, 11:17
Just an FYI!
GOt the Nissan Frontier, and I'm HAPPY!!!
Just an FYI!
GOt the Nissan Frontier, and I'm HAPPY!!!
I am going to look at a Frontier, Ford Ranger and a Toyota Tacoma tomorrow. My old RAV4 shows no sign of stopping but I know it won't last forever. I am leery of Toyotas nowadays. I am skeptical of the Ford but it's right on the way to the Nissan dealership.
Did you buy new? 2021? If new, how did you like the new motor/transmission? What trim of Frontier did you buy? Given our icing during Winter, I am tempted to consider the Pro-4X for its locking differential (wife wants power seats too).
Tommy
I don't know about the lemon laws in this state so maybe the next time I sit down with my lawyer he and I will talk about it.
pmclaine
05-14-2021, 05:57
I'm a fan of Honda.
Made in USA, not UAW.
2014 Pilot in the household, runs great comfy if a tad noisy.
I'm a fan of Honda.
Made in USA, not UAW.
2014 Pilot in the household, runs great comfy if a tad noisy.
all Honda's seem to be,
my 2015 Civic, and the 2009 CR-V the wife had for a long while have a lot of road noise,
as does my Mother's Accord,
conversely, the Toyota's we own or have owned were much quieter
both brands are reliable
all Honda's seem to be,
my 2015 Civic, and the 2009 CR-V the wife had for a long while have a lot of road noise,
as does my Mother's Accord,
conversely, the Toyota's we own or have owned were much quieter
both brands are reliable
I think a lot of the road noise can be blamed on the type of tires that are being used.
I have never bought any tires from www.tirerack.com but I have used the their consumer rating chart to evaluate tires. I recently purchased a set of Pirelli Scorpions for my Toyota Highlander based on the Scorpion’s position at the top of the chart. I did not think the original equipment Michelin’s were very noisy but noticed right away how much quieter and smoother riding the Pirelli tires were.
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=CSTAS
Tires(and age) make a difference. That's tire age. Six or seven years here in AZ they turning to concrete and that means unbearable road noise. I learned my lesson: don't spent $200+ for great tires in AZ unless your going to wear them out in less than seven years. My truck is for fun and gets out once a month so the tires don't get that much wear. I buy good(but not great) tires these days. I know they will go to hell before I can wear them out. But that's Arizona.
Here comes the lecture: Tires are bombs waiting to go off and wreck your vehicle. If you buy a brand new car, I don't care if they are Michelins, Perelli, or what- drive them a while and then throw them away. Especially if you drive an RV. Throw them away immediately. Get good tires. Your life is riding on it. Check out your owners manual: the first fifteen pages are about tires(it's lawyer for: we told you). And I don't work for a tire shop.
*actually motorhome tires might be OK because they really don't want to kill anyone. Travel Trailer tires? Odds are, no one is riding in there.
I have experienced the Scottsdale, AZ heat (100 degrees) as recent as last week.
It’s amazing how hot asphalt roads in AZ get by mid day. All this heat will raise tire pressure significantly which means that inflating tire over the recommended pressure can be very dangerous. I read a tire review on tirerack.com where someone in AZ experienced multiple deep cracks in the tread grooves all around the tire from over-inflation.
I had a tire serviced while we were in Florida in March and noticed that the tech inflated all four tires to 41 PSI (maximum Goodyear inflation spec) instead of the Toyota specified 35 PSI. Gas mileage might improve slightly but high pressure will make the tires wear unevenly in the center of the tread and cause cracking.
Edit: Something I heard recently made no sense. Some new cars are supposedly not being equipped with spare tires. Does that mean you have to buy a spare separately? Vans and SUVs have the spare mounted under the vehicle. Did they eliminate the crank-up storage device?
I have experienced the Scottsdale, AZ heat (100 degrees) as recent as last week.
It’s amazing how hot asphalt roads in AZ get by mid day. All this heat will raise tire pressure significantly which means that inflating tire over the recommended pressure can be very dangerous. I read a tire review on tirerack.com where someone in AZ experienced multiple deep cracks in the tread grooves all around the tire from over-inflation.
I had a tire serviced while we were in Florida in March and noticed that the tech inflated all four tires to 41 PSI (maximum Goodyear inflation spec) instead of the Toyota specified 35 PSI. Gas mileage might improve slightly but high pressure will make the tires wear unevenly in the center of the tread and cause cracking.
Edit: Something I heard recently made no sense. Some new cars are supposedly not being equipped with spare tires. Does that mean you have to buy a spare separately? Vans and SUVs have the spare mounted under the vehicle. Did they eliminate the crank-up storage device?
some cars come with Run Flats, (the 2 Mini Coopers I owned were such)
tire goes, you slow down and drive to the nearest service center to have it replaced,
spare tire well (not all trim levels had run flats) held a foam insert with a jack, and a few small tools,
I don't recall the recommended mileage, as far as how far you could get on a run flat when it looses pressure, but it was dependent on speed,
the car also had a tire monitor system that would tell you which tire was low on pressure, and they were Nitro filled
great cars, but the tires (hot rod Conti's) were soft,
car stuck to the road, but tire live was rarely over 2 yrs, I replaced them about every 18 months on average,
not from flats, but from use
jjrothWA
06-07-2021, 06:51
Got a 2021 Frontier, in Midnight black trim, with the gun metallic finish. Took possession on 3May and now hitting 2k miles mpg seems to be 21+. :)
The nine speed transmission is something to get use to and as it learn my style of driving.
Memorial Day hitched the boat on and took a little trip and was impressed with the handling of the truck and trailer.
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