2005 Nissan Frontier Delivers Most Power in Small Truck Class

Truck industry insiders report that in the compact pickup truck class the 2005 Nissan Frontier truck delivers the most horsepower at 265 hp. Nissan Motors officials recently stated the 4.0-liter engine is new for 2005 and offers 284 pounds-feet of torque. On sale since December 2004, the new Nissan Frontier pickup truck is offered in extended or "King" and "Crew" cab styles. The King cab has two small, rear-hinged doors to access the rear seating area. The Crew version has four conventional front-hinged doors and a rear bench seat. A classic or "regular" cab model was discontinued several years ago.

The King cab model offers a longer 6ft cargo bed than the crew version at 5ft. Payload ratings range from 1,000 pounds to approximately 1,500 pounds. Trailer towing capacities range from 3,500 to 6,500 pounds. The prices for Frontier models begin at about $16,000 for a version with rear drive only, five-speed stick shift and a 2.5-liter, 154-hp four-cylinder engine with no air-conditioning. Nissan stated both the 4 and 6 cylinder engines are designed to run on regular unleaded gas. Frontier base prices continue up to $27,330 for a Crew cab, four-wheel drive, V-6, automatic-transmission.

2005 Nissan Frontier safety features include curtain-type side-impact air bags to protect the head and help prevent ejections in rollovers, electronic stability control, hill descent control for offroading, and hill starting assist, which prevents vehicle rollback when starting off uphill. Other standard and optional features include a spray-in bed liner, a C-channel system for tying down cargo, sunroof, Nissan Frontier roof rack, leather interior, power seats, and stereos with MP3 and satellite radio capability.

The new Frontier has 9.8 inches of more space between its axles and as much as 5.6 inches more in overall length over the 2004 Nissan Frontier. The 2004 version also was available with no more than 210 horsepower. Previously, manual transmission had only five speeds, the automatic version had only four, brakes were drums in the rear, not discs. Also there were no side air bags in the 2004 Frontier pickup.