When you're looking at a new or used truck, knowing its dimensions are important for picking out which model and trim best suits your needs. We've examined and researched the Nissan Frontier's specs to determine its overall length and some of its manufacturer-recommended capacities.
The Nissan Frontier's length is between 205.5 inches and 219.4 inches. The overall length depends on which trim you select. We've broken down the various lengths by trim here:
- Nissan Frontier S: 205.5 inches
- Nissan Frontier SV: 205.5 inches
- Nissan Frontier Midnight Edition: 205.5 inches
- Nissan Frontier Long Bed SV: 219.4 inches
- Nissan Frontier Pro-4X: 205.5 inches
As it's classified as a mid-sized pickup truck, the Nissan Frontier has more limitations than trucks in other classes. We've researched the Nissan Frontier so that we can help inform you about these limitations, particularly where payload and towing capacities are concerned. We've also researched how well the Frontier handles on the road and whether or not it's a good truck for towing. Read on to see our findings.
Nissan Frontier Length
When we researched the overall length of the Nissan Frontier, we looked at all bed lengths and cab sizes to determine if those would factor in on how a particular model of the Frontier performed overall. The Nissan Frontier's total length was not determined by the cab size.
Aside from the long bed SV trim, the king cab trim levels have a shorter cab space than the crew cab trims. However, they do have longer beds than the crew cab trims. These differences in bed length result in all crew cabs and king cabs being the same overall length at 205.5 inches.
If you're interested in the bed lengths of the Nissan Frontier, we have them broken down by trim level here:
- The Nissan Frontier king cab of any trim level has a bed length of 73.3 inches
- The Nissan Frontier crew cab standard bed of any trim level has a bed length of 59.5 inches
- The Nissan Frontier crew cab extended bed has a bed length of 73.3 inches
What Is A Nissan Frontier's Payload Capacity?
The payload capacity of a truck refers to how much additional weight a truck can carry from its curb weight. For a refresher, curb weight is how much a vehicle weighs when it sits completely empty of passengers and cargo. Payload counts every extra pound that is placed inside the bed of the truck as well as inside the cab, so passengers are definitely included in this number.
The payload capacity of the Nissan Frontier will of course depend upon which trim level you are looking at, as well as factoring in the selected cab size, bed length, and if you're considering a two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive truck. We've broken down the payload capacity for all available options for the Nissan Frontier here:
Nissan Frontier S
- The King Cab Frontier 4x2: 1,460 lbs
- The Crew Cab Frontier 4x2: 1,460 lbs
- The King Cab Frontier 4x4: 1,340 lbs
- The Crew Cab Frontier 4x4: 1,340 lbs
Nissan Frontier SV
- The King Cab SV 4x2: 1,430 lbs
- The Crew Cab SV 4x2: 1,460 lbs
- The King Cab SV 4x4: 1,360 lbs
- The Crew Cab SV 4x4: 1,360 lbs
Nissan Frontier Midnight Edition
- The Crew Cab Midnight Edition 4x2: 1,460 lbs
- The Crew Cab Midnight Edition 4x4: 1,360 lbs
Nissan Frontier Long Bed SV
- The Crew Cab Long Bed SV 4x2: 1,360 lbs
- The Crew Cab Long Bed SV 4x4: 1,220 lbs
Nissan Frontier Pro-4X
- The Crew Cab Pro-4X: 1,020 lbs
What Is The Largest Nissan Truck?
The largest Nissan truck available is the Nissan Titan XD Platinum Reserve 4x4. This pickup truck weighs substantially more than the Nissan Frontier or standard Nissan Titan truck. It has a curb weight of 6,841 pounds.
This trim level of the Titan XD is also longer than its Nissan counterparts. The XD Platinum Reserve 4x4 has a bumper-to-bumper length of 243.4 inches.
Does Nissan Frontier Have Good Handling?
While the Nissan Frontier has a favorable rating for reliability and safety, our research shows that it doesn't handle as well as other pickup trucks in its class. The Frontier has a soft suspension system, which means that it can be rather bouncy and jostling to the passengers.
There's also a lot of weight under the hood of the truck, which creates some added issues. The Nissan Frontier comes equipped with a heavy 3.8L V6 engine and an additionally heavy 9 speed gearbox. This weight really slows the Frontier down and makes it slower to accelerate.
Consider the Frontier's time from zero to sixty. The 9-speed automatic transmission is noticeably slow, taking 9.4 seconds to go from zero to sixty mph. Compare that to another pickup in the same class, the Ford Ranger. This model gets to 60 mph much quicker, at 6.1 seconds.
In the snow, the Frontier will handle better if there is weight in the bed of the pickup. Bags of sand work well to stabilize the difference in weight from bumper to bumper. The factory tires that the Frontier is equipped with don't have the best traction ratings on the market, but will still help the Frontier handle snow acceptably.
Is The Nissan Frontier Good For Towing?
While the Nissan Frontier is capable of towing weight behind it, this mid-sized truck does have some limitations that could make it less desirable than other types of pickup trucks on the market. If you're wanting to tow a small camper or have a trailer with a lighter load of goods, then the Frontier definitely is a great model pickup for these tasks.
However, if you're needing a pickup to tow heavy loads in large trailers, or are wanting to pull another vehicle behind it (like a full-sized camper or another car or truck), then you really should be looking at other classes of pickup trucks. Depending on how much weight you need to tow, a solid half-ton pickup truck or better would be a great place to start comparing tow capacities.
We researched the towing capacity for every Nissan Frontier available on the market today, and have them all listed here:
Nissan Frontier S
- The King Cab Frontier 4x2: 6,620 lbs
- The Crew Cab Frontier 4x2: 6,620 lbs
- The King Cab Frontier 4x4: 6,730 lbs
- The Crew Cab Frontier 4x4: 6,730 lbs
Nissan Frontier SV
- The King Cab SV 4x2: 6,720 lbs
- The Crew Cab SV 4x2:6,640 lbs
- The King Cab SV 4x4: 6,510 lbs
- The Crew Cab SV 4x4: 6,380 lbs
Nissan Frontier Midnight Edition
- The Crew Cab Midnight Edition 4x2: 6,640 lbs
- The Crew Cab Midnight Edition 4x4: 6,380 lbs
Nissan Frontier Long Bed SV
- The Crew Cab Long Bed SV 4x2: 6,250lbs
- The Crew Cab Long Bed SV 4x4: 6,250lbs
Nissan Frontier Pro-4X
- The Crew Cab Pro-4X: 6,290lbs
If what you are planning on towing exceeds the capacities of any of the Nissan Frontier models, don't fret. There are some other great pickup truck options that can do the job. For more info, check out our post, Can You Pull a 5th Wheel Behind a Half-Ton Truck?
In Closing
Any model pickup will have its advantages and disadvantages. We've found that the Nissan Frontier is a decent mid-size pickup truck for those that have a limited desire to tow cargo and will satisfy most owners that aren't looking at carrying around too much weight in the bed of their truck.
The overall handling of the Frontier does leave something to be desired. Slow acceleration and bumpy rides might make you look elsewhere before you make a final decision on which truck you purchase. If you would like to learn more about the Nissan Frontier, we have some additional articles that are informative: