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Nissan’s all-new 2022 Frontier is a midsize pickup truck that has earned legendary status. Shoppers have looked to the Frontier for decades as a truck that offered a great bang for the buck, simple operation, and a “right-size” solution to many real-world truck-related activities.
All-New 2022 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X
Nissan supplied us with an all-new 2022 Frontier in its top trim, the PRO-4X. Equipped with leather interior trim, heated everything, three-mode 4X4 with hill descent control and trailer mode, and a great new infotainment system, we put it to the test in rural New Hampshire. We fished from the Frontier, moved our bikes around to the trailhead with it, and we used it to haul our Kayaks. What we discovered is that midsize trucks like the Frontier make all of these outdoor activities much much easier than using a crossover or SUV for the same purposes.
Midsize Trucks Work Better Than SUVs
For reference, we own a Subaru Forester with a Yakima kayak rack and a Toyota Highlander with a trailer hitch mounted Thule bike rack. While both work well in a pinch, lifting the kayaks onto the roof-top kayak mount takes two people and is much more difficult to employ than simply sliding the kayaks in at waist level and throwing one bungee cord across them. The bike rack on the back of the Highlander is helpful, but not as easy to use as simply plopping the bikes in the Frontier draped over the rear tailgate.
The Frontier PRO-4X we tested had a cargo bed liner that was grippy and kept our kayaks from sliding around when we drove. It also protected the bed from scratches due to bike pedals and other parts from being dragged across the bed.
Although we didn’t need it in the sunny summer weather, we also tested Nissan’s Hill Descent Control on the steep dirt path leading down to our cabin. It worked perfectly and made us confident that coupled with the snow-rated all-terrain tires, we could use the Nissan PRO-4X in place of our winter tire-shod crossovers this winter when we camp.
Midsize trucks have become extremely popular for good reason. They are easy to live with and fit in normal parking spots. Yet they are large enough to handle the bulkiest of items with ease. During our trip, a larger pickup would never have been an advantage, and in many situations would have been harder to park and move around in tight situations. Also, we observed a 24 MPG during our testing. That’s not far off the compact crossover fuel economy of 26.7 we have been closely tracking in our Mazda CX-5 for the past year while testing some new Michelin CrossClimate2 tires.
The new 2022 Nissan Frontier starts at about $29K, and our fully-loaded PRO-4X 4X4 tester had a price including destination of $44,315.
John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American news outlets and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin
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