Nissan failed to keep up with the market and made some stupid decisions.

The Nissan Frontier is a good example of Nissan's inaction, bad decisions, and pissing away market share:

In the 2005 update, Frontier shared many components with the Pathfinder and XTerra

2005 to 2013, everybody was leaving the midsized market and ultimately just the Frontier and Tacoma remained. Only cosmetic changes made to Frontier in this time period, but to be fair same for Toyota.

When I bought my 2013 Frontier in Canada, some ratings had it slightly ahead of the Tacoma and some had it slightly behind the Tacoma.

In 2014, the Pathfinder comes out with a complete redesign and the global version of the Frontier does too. Nissan decides not to spend money crash testing in US and sticks with the tired 2005 design for the US.

In 2015, GM comes re-invigorates the midsize truck market with the Colorado and Canyon

In 2016, Toyota releases the redesign of the Taco. Still Nissan does nothing with the Frontier.

I move back to US in 2016. Neither GM nor Toyota will budge a dime on their price and I buy a 2016 Frontier for over 30% off MSRP.

In 2018, Honda re-enters midsize market with new Ridgeline.

In 2019, Ford re-enters the midsize market with the Ranger and still Nissan does nothing with the Frontier.

In 2020, Jeep re-enters midsize truck market with the Gladiator

In 2022, Nissan finally introduces a new body style in North America. It's basically a cosmetic refresh of the truck they've been selling globally for 8 years. It doesn't get rated well and doesn't sell well.

In 2024, Toyota release yet another redesign of the Taco. They absolutely dominate market share and doing a redesign prove they intend to keep doing so. Nissan of course does nothing and pisses away more market share.

Is my 2016, a good, reliable truck? Definitely. Other than cam position sensors, everything else has been routine wear items.

If someone stole my truck would I replace it with a Nissan? No, hell no.

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

While I know little of their quality, the new Frontier I just saw was a good looking truck. Probably the best looking year I have seen yet.

I'm always amazed at the dumb decisions corporations make. I remember back in the late 80's and early 90's Nissan was on a roll. The redesigned 300zx, 200sx, and Maxima were great looking cars and selling well. The Titan truck was a worthy competitor, but Nissan drug their feet and didn't give it a redesign for over 10 years. When they finally did the Titan fell behind the other trucks. It was like they hardly even tried to compete.

We have a Nissan Armada. We've had it for 13 years and it's been a good vehicle mechanically. The computers not so much. We had to replace one that cost 1k and the other we didn't replace as it was almost 1k too and it only controls the radio through the steering wheel.

My brother had a 2nd gen Xterra. Similar issues. Mechanically very sound not so much for the electronics.

I doubt we will ever buy a Nissan again.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
If someone stole my truck would I replace it with a Nissan? No, hell no.

I would. I have a 2007 that has had nothing but routine maintenance. If it died today, I'd get a 2016 or 17. It replaced a 1986 1/2 that was great until my son-in-law wrecked it. The 2nd gen trucks have long ago had the kinks worked out and are dead-on reliable. No mileage isn't the best and the turning radius sucks but they just don't break other than maybe cam sensors.

Having said all that, I would not get a 3rd gen and,IMHO, Toyota is vastly overrated.

If I were to have a 3/4 life crisis, I'd get one of the new 300's. Great design

I bought a leftover 2019 4-door Frontier in 2020 with a 4.0L/6 cylinder/261 hp. It's been a very good truck. I get 19 mpg, which is what I got with my previous truck, a 1st gen. Tundra/3.4 L/190 hp.

I've owned a Mazda, 4 Toyotas (2 before they were called Tacomas), and 2 Chevy's. All were good trucks, but the Frontier seems to be the best one of them all, time will tell.

A friend of mine, born/raised in China (PhD in Polymer Science), stated that in Japan, Nissans were considered the best engineered vehicles. In the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica & Puerto Rico, Nissans are considered more reliable than any other make. A corporation I worked for had a plant in Puerto Rico and the executive staff all had leased Nissans because of their reliability.

Until the Frontier, I shied away from Nissan because I didn't think they looked very good. With the Frontier, I stumbled into a deal for $29K out-the-door SV that I couldn't pass up. My oldest bought my Tundra for $5K, so I had $24K tied up in a new truck, which to me, seemed like a no-brainer. A new comparable Toyota was $10K+ more at the time.

One thing I've learned over time is that, generally, trucks are good no matter who makes them (though recently Ford F150's seem to have quality issues), resale doesn't mean much unless you baby your truck (I don't), and some folks are rabid about their truck preferences (I'm not).

I do wish though that someone would make a basic, small pickup, like an old Chevy Luv, Ford Courier, Mazda B2400, etc. with a 4 cylinder, bench seat, auto or standard. I wouldn't care about towing capacity. Something like this would meet 95% of my needs.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

I like the Z & GTR, but both are way outside my budget.

I considered getting one, then I remembered it was a Nissan. Phew.

The Z looks fantastic, IMO, much better than the 350/370 models. But for the $, I'd likely go with something else.
And, the NISMO is auto only?!?

GTR, I'd get a JDM R32 instead. Respect for what the R35 is, but it's far from pretty.

quote:

Originally posted by PPinesRon:
I do wish though that someone would make a basic, small pickup, like an old Chevy Luv, Ford Courier, Mazda B2400, etc. with a 4 cylinder, bench seat, auto or standard. I wouldn't care about towing capacity. Something like this would meet 95% of my needs.

There've been teasers of a Courier revival, based on the Focus, IIRC.
But so far, it's all been foreign markets.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Nissan failed to keep up with the market and made some stupid decisions.

The Nissan Frontier is a good example of Nissan's inaction, bad decisions, and pissing away market share:

In the 2005 update, Frontier shared many components with the Pathfinder and XTerra

2005 to 2013, everybody was leaving the midsized market and ultimately just the Frontier and Tacoma remained. Only cosmetic changes made to Frontier in this time period, but to be fair same for Toyota.

When I bought my 2013 Frontier in Canada, some ratings had it slightly ahead of the Tacoma and some had it slightly behind the Tacoma.

In 2014, the Pathfinder comes out with a complete redesign and the global version of the Frontier does too. Nissan decides not to spend money crash testing in US and sticks with the tired 2005 design for the US.

In 2015, GM comes re-invigorates the midsize truck market with the Colorado and Canyon

In 2016, Toyota releases the redesign of the Taco. Still Nissan does nothing with the Frontier.

I move back to US in 2016. Neither GM nor Toyota will budge a dime on their price and I buy a 2016 Frontier for over 30% off MSRP.

In 2018, Honda re-enters midsize market with new Ridgeline.

In 2019, Ford re-enters the midsize market with the Ranger and still Nissan does nothing with the Frontier.

In 2020, Jeep re-enters midsize truck market with the Gladiator

In 2022, Nissan finally introduces a new body style in North America. It's basically a cosmetic refresh of the truck they've been selling globally for 8 years. It doesn't get rated well and doesn't sell well.

In 2024, Toyota release yet another redesign of the Taco. They absolutely dominate market share and doing a redesign prove they intend to keep doing so. Nissan of course does nothing and pisses away more market share.

Is my 2016, a good, reliable truck? Definitely. Other than cam position sensors, everything else has been routine wear items.

If someone stole my truck would I replace it with a Nissan? No, hell no.

The timeline here is accurate but Toyota has dropped the ball on the launch of the new Tundra and Taco. It's priced into the stratosphere and it is not selling as well as the past versions did. Nissan is the last man standing with a V6 in a normal pickup. The Honda, while capable in relative terms is essentially a Pilot with a bed and will be passed over because of that. Putting the compact spare in a compartment under the bed floor tells me they don't expect it to ever be used as a truck. Gladiator is a cool rig that I really like but it is absurdly expensive. I cross shopped it with my Colorado I ended up buying in 2022 and to get even remotely close to the same options it is $10k more. I like it, but not that much.


Nissan being the last truck without a turbo is a huge draw to many because of issues with those motors, perceived or otherwise. It doesn't have all the gadgets but that is an appeal to some. It has a usable back seat which the Taco does not. And it has better utility than Ford or GM. GM made it on the 23+ that you can't fold down the seatback which is something I do a few times a week in my truck. Ford you still can but it is a one-piece bench. Nissan is split and lets you do the back or bottom to fold for space/storage. The Nissan V6 can trace its roots back decades. It is a robust engine. Because of this, the market demand for the Nissan is growing where I think the other guys will lose some. Even on the last generation, Nissan sold tons of Frontiers despite there being more modern options.


All that said, it is the only Nissan I'd consider buying. All the cars and SUVs would get a hard pass, the GTR is overrated in my opinion and while the new Z is beautiful from the back, they clearly spent all their money there as it doesn't carry through to the front.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeNH:
The Honda, while capable in relative terms is essentially a Pilot with a bed and will be passed over because of that. Putting the compact spare in a compartment under the bed floor tells me they don't expect it to ever be used as a truck.

On both generations of the Ridgeline there is an alternative mounting location for the spare, in the truck bed.

Removing the spare from the trunk storage and bolting it there instead is the expectation when the in-bed trunk will be inaccessible due to hauling, though it does then slightly cut down on your bed capacity. (Still not quite as ideal as a underbody mount like most "real" trucks, but not a complete oversight like you're implying.)


On the older Ridgelines, it was on the inner passenger side of the bed.


On the newer ones it's on the driver's side front wall of the bed.

Nissan has just made some horrible marketing and product planning decisions. In the 90's they kind of were at the top of their game. SUV's like the Pathfinder and the Xterra, sports sedan in the Maxima, they even made the crossover cool with the Murano. Then there was the great marketing campaign on GI Joe snaking Barbie, the pigeons and Top Gun, and "Dogs love trucks."

What do they have now? Really not much except for trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel with being a value leader. The Pathfinder is just a crossover. The Xterra is long dead and gone while body on frame SUV's such as the 4Runner and Bronco have waiting lists. The Titan is in it's last year of production left to whither on the vine with a half assed makeover that re-used the chassis of the original aged design. When it first came out it was impressive with a lot of innovative features that it took other manufacturers a while to catch up with.

About the only company right now making even worse decisions is Stellantis.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
FWIW, inventory on everybody's lot is stacking up... everywhere.
Something has gotta give, gonna be a ..um..a bloodbath.

Yup. They all got punch drunk on Covid sales. Jacking up the price, going over sticker. Dealers were trying to get $10k over sticker on a car I bought last year. They refuse to cut deals to move inventory and that’s why shit is stacking on the lots. Some are starting to deal again but these % rates are still killing deals. All the idiots that have to get a new car every 2 years and such, have already bought vehicles. And many of them over bought in Covid. Stupid thinking like, well I lived through it, and the restaurants are closed, as well as the bars, so now I can afford that $1000 car payment

So this is a multifaceted problem for car dealers. First they are still trying to rip anyone off they can. Charging too much instead of slashing prices to deal and move inventory. Then we have the prices of the vehicles themselves. Vehicles have gone up 33%, some 50% in cost, in just 4-5 years. It’s absurd what new vehicles cost. Then we have high ass interest rates. It’s a bad recipe and it will implode.

My daily is a Nissan, and it’s been brick shit reliable for almost 11 years and I will replace it with their newer version because I can get one so cheap. If Nissan is having problems moving inventory, it’s going to pay big dividends for me in March. Looking forward to getting a new mule for $22k.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Nissan failed to keep up with the market and made some stupid decisions.

There's a reason third world shit-holes choose Toyotas over Nissans for their machine gun assault trucks.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
FWIW, inventory on everybody's lot is stacking up... everywhere.
Something has gotta give, gonna be a ..um..a bloodbath.

... Charging too much instead of slashing prices to deal and move inventory. Then we have the prices of the vehicles themselves. Vehicles have gone up 33%, some 50% in cost, in just 4-5 years. .... Looking forward to getting a new mule for $22k.

I just got a Jeep Compass for my daily, marked down from $38k+ to $24k (32% off). I was able to get the two options I wanted - leather and heated seats. I didn't care about anything else just cheap plus those options, also got remote start as a nice bonus for my winter/DD car. 4WD for the rare snow or if I decide to go camping. I'd highly recommend it based off very early use. It is a Jeep, so I don't plan on keeping it much past the three year warranty. As an added bonus the infotainment/Android Audio is far superior to the GR.

There are deals to be had. In looking for a stick shift car for my son, I came across several new 2023 R/T Challengers for $35k.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeNH:
The Honda, while capable in relative terms is essentially a Pilot with a bed and will be passed over because of that. Putting the compact spare in a compartment under the bed floor tells me they don't expect it to ever be used as a truck.

That’s bullshit. It sells well and has. What the Ridgeline has is a torque vectoring AWD system. The rear half shafts torque vector so the AWD will push more power to the outside rear wheel in a turn creating mild oversteer, handles incredibly. It’s the best pavement handling truck on the market. I drove everything on the market in 2019, Diesels, gas, 4X4, name it, I drove it. BOF can’t do the same. They are boxes on wheels. Might as well be a brick going down the freeway. Only necessary to me if you need the towing capability, if not, it’s literally a waste of money. Paying more, tens of thousands more, for capability you’ll never use is a fools errand. And off-road blah blah, man I have a 450 4 stroke for that and soon, a SXS. Those are 100% built to go off-road machines. I wouldn’t take a Raptor, a Taco, nothing off road and bang it up, scratch it up, etc. Tree branches everywhere, rocks, good way to ruin your machine. I’d rather have something 100% dedicated to perform off-road, which I already own.

The Ridgeline has a simple SOHC V6 with VTEC. 300 HP and it’s highly effective. Mine is mostly used for towing, and in the mountains where my rural property I own is located. The handling makes the 3 hour drive through the mountains a joy, as well as the hours before I even get to the mountains on the highway. It has the towing capacity I need to tow my skis, my motorcycles, and even my performance car to the track. The compact spare location for me is excellent. It’s in a tray, in the trunk. Two twist off bolts, and the entire tray slides forward into the trunk so you can get the spare and tools. I just made a trip to the mountains where I had the rear magic seats up, so I can fit my travel crate back there for my k9. I had the entire thing loaded down. Without that trunk, all my shit would not fit. The in-bed trunk is so big you can fit a human in it. I had the front passenger seat and footwell completely loaded down. The rear cab had the crate, k9, her food, and all her gear, etc. The in-bed trunk was loaded with tools, extension cords, microfiber towels, cleaning products to clean my sport bike, oil the chain, etc. Then I had my full winter jet ski gear in it, wetsuit, jacket, helmet, water shoes, gloves. Then on top of that my 1 piece motorcycle suit, helmet, boots, gloves, etc. Bed had luggage, larger crate broken down for the k9, and various other shit for the trip. I couldn’t fit what I fit in my truck in any other truck of comparable size. It wouldn’t handle it. I have a braided extension hose on the spare to make filling it to 60 PSI a cinch. And I’ve had a flat before, with the thing loaded . It takes a couple of minutes to open my tonneau up, remove items in the in-bed trunk, and get at the spare, tools, etc. It’s not that big of a deal, trunk items get set on bed towards the cab. It was a joy to corner in, in the mountains, while towing. I had it in mud, dirt, it was filthy, and it never missed a beat. And I got 23 MPG towing, briskly, all through the mountains. It’s highly capable. It’s just not going to be King Dick in the Dick swinging contest on forums, especially vehicle forums. People just piss on it, but it keeps on selling.

I wouldn’t want anything else. I certainly don’t want anything to happen to mine. A new one would cost me $10k more than what I paid for mine new. But that’s a problem with all vehicles, as they have all gone to the stratosphere in price. The Ridgeline remains a thinking man’s truck. You buy a vehicle for what you are actually are going to do with it, not what you’ll never do with it. It is a truck, people can just keep on bitching and complaining that it even exists. I’m glad Honda took a different approach. And look at it now, the market, everyone has copy catted it. Ford makes the Ranger and Maverick now. GM made the Twins. Hyundai have also hopped in as well as others. The Ridgeline literally changed the truck segment. It’s a fantastic vehicle. And it has more payload capacity than a Raptor which always make me It does everything I need it to. What you deem is a fault, with the spare, is a massive +. You get that big bad ass in-bed trunk. With my tonneau with dual deadbolts, the lock on the tailgate, and yet another lock on the in-bed trunk, that’s 4 locks for a POS thief to get through, if they get can even get through the alarm. That makes transporting long guns, firearms, any kind of expensive item, like a laptop, etc, well it gives you a lot of piece of mind. It’s a fantastic “truck” that offers a lot of unique capabilities that other “trucks” just don’t have. And the handling cannot be beat. They put the right motor in it too. Not towing, it’ll do 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. That’s as quick as my 2002 Acura RSX Type S 6MT, which is pretty damn good for a vehicle this size. And the best part is the weight, 4279 pounds. A damn Tesla weighs as much, as does a Charger. That means it hauls ass for what it is and handles better than any other truck you could compare it to. I see plenty of them in the mountains where my land is, as well as on Maui where I have family. Those people didn’t buy them to pose nor to go a hood up truck meet to kick tires.

Um, okay.

You ever think about switching to decaf?

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
Um, okay.

You ever think about switching to decaf?

Are we on Twatter rules here, limiting characters? If not, then deal with it. Or go to Personal Zone in the settings, and add me to your ignore list. Choose.

Assuming they don't go belly-up, looks like a good buying opportunity for their stock at the moment.
I've been looking at the Frontiers for my next vehicle, I think they check all the boxes for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
Um, okay.

You ever think about switching to decaf?

Are we on Twatter rules here, limiting characters? If not, then deal with it. Or go to Personal Zone in the settings, and add me to your ignore list. Choose.

I thought that was a great write up on the Honda truck. A truck magazine would pay him for such detailed coverage. Good job sir. I got to ride in a friend's '24 model. It's sure got the electronics and I was told a 54k truck. Not cheap by golly.