To Those Of You Towing With A Nissan Frontier

Sgtjohn

I just wondered how your Frontier tows.  I have a 2014 V V6 King Cab and feel it doesn't have enough power, it is only adequate in my opinion.  I wish I had gotten a Toyota because they do pull better, are of higher value (cost more too) and the V6 engine in the Toyota I've been told has the HP to do the job more than adequately.  

Nomad

curious - What's the horsepower of your Frontier?

Norbert1223

I just bought a 2016 4Runner.  Had a 2005 Subaru Outback 4cy and just didn't think I would be comfortable using it to tow.  My T@B is on order for a March delivery, so excited!  It's going to be a long winter wait.  

Debbie

JiroTX

I drive 2015 Xterra Pro-4x. I believe it's basically the same as Frontier. I have never towed T@B with any other vehicles, so I can't really tell if it's under power or not. Mine does not struggle towing my Outback. It accelerates slower and slows down on slopes, but I think that's normal for small trucks. It still tows fine and is perfectly balanced in my opinion. HP is not the only thing you want to look at for towing. You need to consider torque and other stuff like gear ratio (somebody please correct me if I am wrong).
By the way, I get 10-12 mpg with my T@B (15-16 mpg without).

Sgtjohn

PXLated said:

curious - What's the horsepower of your Frontier?

261 HP.  And when parking the turn radius is huge!  I just won't make a sharp turn but that is common complaint.  I don't know if there is a difference between the Frontier and Pathfinder regarding the ease of towing.  Maybe I expect too much??  I had a Toyota Tundra 6 cyl and it towed a T@B either ease but that's oranges and apples comparrison.

ScottG

I have the same truck with the 6-speed manual transmission. The biggest difference I notice while towing is having to drop back to 5th gear on long hills at highway speeds. Otherwise, I barely know it's back there. Could be perspective, though--you're stepping down from a full size Tundra, while I've just moved up from a 4cyl Frontier (with which I would not have wanted to tow the T@B).

That said, I do think the V6 Frontier's 6000lb tow rating is optimistic at best.

Orygun

I tow with a 2010 Nissan Frontier V6 King Cab, towing a CS-S.  I have no complaints about its towing ability. 

ScottG

I have the 2015 SV V6 King Cab Frontier with a 6-speed manual transmission. I find it tows the T@B quite capably. Other than needing to gear down to 5th on big hills at highway speeds, I barely know it's back there. I get around 15 mpg while towing (20+ mpg normally).

Been lurking here since purchasing a 2015 MAX-S last spring. The T@B is nice upgrade from a tent, and this board is a great source of tech info. I'm looking forward to learning more from you! 

ccrider098

I have a 2014 Nissan Crew Cab 4.0 6 cylinder with auto transmission. I am currently towing a Tab 320S. I have no problem towing with this setup. I am picking up a 2019 Tab 400 in a couple of weeks to tow with this truck and I have no doubts about towing the 400 with it.
         I have towed 6000 lb trailers with my Ram 1500 and a 9000 lb fifth wheel with with my Ram 2500 diesel. The Frontier tows just the same as the larger trucks relevant to the size difference. Sure you accelerate slower and take longer to stop but the Frontier is a very capable tow vehicle.

ScottG

Interesting blast from the past here...  I see two of what were probably my earliest posts on the board; and they say almost exactly the same thing!

I wonder if this discussion was really two different (but related) discussions that got merged during a fit of housekeeping. The alternative--that I was already experiencing significant cognitive disfunction three years ago--is just not acceptable!

Not that it matters. They eventually went ahead and made me a moderator anyway!  :-)

(And @ccrider098, thanks for your added perspective on the Frontier's towing ability.)

ccrider098

You're welcome. Anytime!

atlasb

We tow a 2018 400 with a 2016 Frontier crew cab, A.R.E. fiberglass shell.  We Haven't been it Tall Mountains yet but live in Oklahome in the Hills.  We find that there is no problem with the Frontier, I usually run at 2200 rpm which on this last trip was 63 mph.  I like to pick the slow lane and stay constant at that speed.  We get there about the same time the others do.  The Mileage is not great, but I like the mid sized crew cab.  It all fits back in our shop when we arrive back home.  Since getting the 400 last August we have had it out for 22 trips with the average trip of around 500 to 800 miles per trip.  Yes a little more power would be great and there is always something bigger and more powerful.  We pulled our 320 with a 2007 pathfinder and they both are identical.