The 2025 Nissan Frontier vs the Competition

Nissan and Toyota have one of the longest rivalries in the U.S. automotive industry and certainly the longest among imports. Both models have grown since their early days and now offer far more features and amenities. The Tacoma is the sales leader, but is it the best truck for you? 

• All Frontier models come standard with 3.8-liter V6s. Toyota models use 2.4-liter turbocharged engines with varying levels of power.   

• By simply having more (but smaller) cylinders, the Frontier V6 runs smoother than the Tacoma engine at basically all rpm. 

• The Frontier’s standard V6 produces 310 horsepower. The Tacoma starts with 228 horsepower and upgrades to 278 horsepower above the base grade. However, the expensive and complex Tacoma turbo hybrid is required to exceed the Frontier’s standard horsepower. 

• Having a V6 rather than a turbocharged four-cylinder gives the Frontier more linear and predictable acceleration without turbo lag. It also decreases drivetrain complexity. 

• The Frontier fuel tank holds 21 gallons compared to 18.2 for the Tacoma. 

• Both Frontier and Tacoma can be ordered with four-door crew cabs and a choice of five- or six-foot beds.   

• Despite its significantly greater power, the base Frontier has an MSRP of $33,450, compared to the $33,790 of the base Tacoma.  

• The Tacoma has specialty 4×4 models for jumping sand dunes or overlanding, but if you just need a good off-roader for normal use, the Pro-4X has all the ability you will likely need.  

Seeing the success of the Datsun and Toyota small trucks, Ford first produced a rebadged Mazda as its small truck, which was called the Courier. By 1983, Ford had started producing its own truck, the Ranger. Starting in 2022, Ford began marketing its fifth-generation Ranger. The 2.3-liter Ecoboost® turbocharged inline-four, producing 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, is the standard engine on all trim levels (except the Raptor). The Ranger offers three engines, including the standard 2.3-liter inline-four on most models, the 2.7-liter Ecoboost® turbocharged V6, which is optional on XLT and Lariat trims, and a 3.0-liter Ecoboost® twin-turbocharged V6 for the extreme off-road Raptor model.   

• The standard Ranger engine is a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 270 horsepower. This is 40 less horsepower than the Frontier. 

• As with the Tacoma above, the Frontier’s V6 engine (rather than a turbocharged four-cylinder) provides more linear and predictable acceleration without turbo lag and decreases drivetrain complexity. 

• With more (but smaller) cylinders, the Frontier V6 is inherently smoother than the Ranger turbocharged inline-four. 

• The Frontier four-door cab provides more overall passenger volume than the Ranger (100.1 cubic feet vs. 98.3). 

• The Frontier offers the extended King Cab with a standard six-foot bed for those who don’t need back seats, while the Ranger doesn’t offer such an option. 

• All Rangers have five-foot beds, while the Frontier offers a five- or six-foot bed with its four-door cab.  

• The standard Frontier has greater ground clearance than the Ranger (9.3 inches vs. 8.7). 

• The Frontier gives rear passengers a little more shoulder room than the Ranger (58.3 inches vs. 56.7). 

• The Frontier comes standard with dual knee airbags, which are not available on the Ranger. 

• Adaptive cruise control is standard on the Frontier but requires an upgrade for the Ranger. 

• Keyless start is standard on the Frontier but requires an upgrade for the Ranger. 

• The Frontier has a standard LED bed light, which is an option on the Ranger. 

In 2003, the Colorado replaced the S-10, which replaced the Isuzu-built Chevrolet LUV from the 1970s. The Colorado skipped the 2013 model year but returned with a new design in 2014. Ten years later, this was repeated with no 2023 model but a return with a 2024 redesigned model that remains largely unchanged for 2025.  

All Colorado models are powered by 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-fours in one of three states of tune, and all models are configured with four-door cabs and five-foot beds. The entry-level Colorado is the Work Truck, which is planned out mostly for fleet use.  Because the Frontier has no such sparsely equipped model, comparisons are between the Frontier S 4×2 Crew Cab/five-foot bed and the Colorado LT 4×2. These models are very close in price, with a starting MSRP of $31,810 for the Frontier S and $31,900 for the Colorado LT. 

• The Frontier is considerably more powerful than the standard Colorado with more horsepower (310 vs. 237) and more torque (281 lb-ft vs. 260). 

• The Frontier has a nine-speed shiftable automatic compared to the eight-speed shiftable automatic of the Colorado. 

• The standard Frontier has greater ground clearance than the Colorado (9.3 inches vs. 7.9). The Pro-4X model matches the Colorado Trail Boss ground clearance of 9.5 inches.  

• The Frontier offers rear passengers more shoulder room (58.3 inches vs. 56.7) and slightly more hip room (53.7 inches vs. 53.1) than the Colorado. 

• Both Frontier S and Colorado LT have the same maximum payload of 1,460 pounds. 

• The Frontier offers the extended King Cab with a standard six-foot bed for those who don’t need back seats, while the Colorado doesn’t offer such a model. 

• All Colorado models have five-foot beds, while the Frontier offers five- or six-foot beds with its four-door cabs.  

• The Frontier comes standard with dual knee airbags, which are not available on the Colorado. 

• The Frontier offers two 12V power outlets up front and both USB and USB-C ports for the front and rear. The Colorado offers just one 12V power outlet and just USB ports for the front and rear. 

The Jeep Gladiator is the latest addition to the mid-size truck segment, introduced for the 2020 model year and remaining largely unchanged since then. It is built on an expanded version of the Wrangler chassis and shares much of the Wrangler’s off-road imagery and capability. All models are four-door, 4×4 configurations and are available with either soft retractable or hard removable roofs. But how well does it function as an actual pickup truck?

• The Gladiator has a higher entry price, starting with an MSRP of $38,100, compared to $36,450 for the base 4×4 Frontier.
• The Gladiator is the only model besides the Frontier that comes with a standard V6 engine. That said, the Frontier is more powerful, delivering greater horsepower (310 vs. 285 hp) and more lb-ft of torque (281 vs. 260 lb-ft).
• The Frontier features an additional forward gear ratio with its nine-speed automatic transmission, compared to the Gladiator’s eight-speed transmission.
• The Frontier is nearly a foot wider than the Gladiator, which is immediately evident in the cabin’s greater front and rear shoulder room (58.2/58.3 vs. 55.7/55.7 inches).
• While the Gladiator has more legroom than the Frontier, it remains a cramped space due to its narrow door opening, flat seats, and large cross member in front of the passengers’ heads.
• The Frontier’s bed is notably wider at 61.4 inches, compared to 56.8 inches for the Gladiator.
• The Frontier comes standard with driver and safety technologies such as adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert, blind spot warning, automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, and high-beam assist. In contrast, the Gladiator charges extra for these features and does not offer adaptive cruise control.
• The Gladiator shares the on-road wind and other noises for which the Wrangler is infamous. The Frontier, in contrast, is much quieter and more refined on the road.
• The Frontier offers both USB-A and USB-C ports for rear passengers. In contrast, the Gladiator lacks any rear charging ports.