The 2022 Nissan Frontier is out and, there's no other way to put it, it's a massive improvement over the old model. However, considering it had quite a gap to make up for in the first, is that enough to make it the best mid-size pickup truck available on the market right now?
The best way to find out is to compare it with its three fiercest rivals - the Toyota Tacoma, the Ford Ranger, and the GMC Canyon, also standing in for its twin, the Chevrolet Colorado. Those are three heavy names and even before the test begins, you just know the Frontier is going to have its work cut out for it.
The Nissan truck has been improved all around, but it's all come at a cost. The 3.8-liter V6 now comes as standard, the cabin design is much better, the 8-inch display is in line with the times (for this class of vehicles, of course), and it even has wireless charging. The tailgate features a damping system and, perhaps more importantly, the truck has better handling and steering. You can probably feel there's a "however" coming, and you're right. The 2022 Frontier is just way more expensive than what people were used to seeing from Nissan, and overall, the truck isn't really that great. Edmunds reviewers give it a 7.5 out of 10.
Next up is the Ford Ranger. Ford's truck has been around for a while, but you wouldn't necessarily say it shows. The exterior design is simple, elegant, but also robust, which is a great combination for a working vehicle, while the interior is also decent. If anything, it's a little too car-like with lots of buttons that are too small and a confusing layout. The highlight is probably the four-cylinder turbocharged engine that feels torquey and agile, but the handling of the vehicle is questionable. Nothing really stands out with the Ranger and it's also quite pricey. The trim levels themselves are reasonable, but you need to add different packages to make up for its shortcomings, and those will hike up the price.
The GMC Canyon tries to be the Rolls-Royce of the segment but doesn't necessarily pull it off. While it feels more upmarket than the other, it's not that big of a difference to make it a selling point in itself. Besides, it's a bit counter-intuitive: why would you want a luxury workhorse? The AT4 trim, which is what Edmunds teste here, makes even less sense: nobody takes luxury vehicles off the beaten path, so why bother? And if that's your thing, you're better off buying a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. That being said, the Canyon is a great truck with a 3.6-liter V6 (2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel also available) that gives it good acceleration as well as towing and payload capacity. Handling is good as well, but the truck feels heavy. It's the more refined option here, but is it the best?
Spoilers: it's not. And that's because the good old Toyota Tacoma is still the king. Its design has aged really well as it still looks relevant today - particularly in this TRD Off-Road trim. The features inside the cabin may feel a little limited compared to other models, but it too gets an eight-inch screen with all the connectivity options one could need, which is what matters the most after all. The V6 engine is optional but also recommended, especially since Tacoma's best-in-group steering and handling could go to waste otherwise. The Toyota pickup isn't a runaway winner, though, managing to beat the rival in second place by just 0.1.
The final standings are as follows: the Ford Ranger sits in a distant fourth with 6.8/10. Third, second, and first are only separated by a tenth each, with the 2022 Nissan Frontier scoring a somewhat disappointing 7.5/10, the GMC Canyon securing second with 7.6/10, and the Toyota Tacoma getting gold with 7.7/10. Do you agree with the rankings, or would you have had different rankings?
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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