My friend is looking to get a truck and I want to know what advantages the 1995.5 to roughly 1998 ($11 000 price limit) Tacoma has over the Frontier. If you happen to have driven both, which would you choose?

What are some of the Tacoma weaknesses? I know about the frame rust and the contentious C-channel frame but honestly can't thin of anything else.

Probably looking at the 5spd. TRD Xtra cab.

 

I had a 97 Tacoma 5 spd, 2.7l extended cab that I bought new. Loved that truck. You have got the frame issue covered.

Weakness to me is that you could only get the manual hubs with the 4 Cylinder.

 

Both trucks are actually pretty similar in my experience.
Both are reliable trucks that won't dissappoint.

My gut would tell me to go with the Tacoma, but that's
just because its what I'm used to.

 

There is also more after market support available for the Tacoma, If that matters to your friend at all.

 

They are the same to me. i would only buy the 2003+ Frontier/Navara personally.

 

I like the Tacoma for several reasons, but, I'm biased.!

 

I've driven both but not the years your looking at. My wife and I drove the 2003 Tacoma (that we ended up buying) and a 2003 Factory Supercharged Frontier. I liked the Frontier but didn't think it was as nice as the Tacoma. I also expected the supercharger to make me say wow, but it didn't.

 

my friends mom has a frontier and it is junk, had all sorts of problems. check engine light comes on all the time. it sounds like it has a narly rattle to!

i would never buy a nissan over a yota. thats like buying a ford instead of a chevy!

 

Asking on a toyota forum about a nissan?

 

Ya, asking on Yotatech about Nissan or Toyota is definitely going to give you a biased opinion. If your friend is into offroading, than there is definitely a lot more support and experience with the Toyotas. Nissans are really good too, but I'd go for Toyota myself.

 

My 2003 350Z had the following problems:

-Sometimes, very rarely, maybe 2 or 3 times, the engine won't start after say I arrived at friend's house and wait for her to come out, even though it started after a few minutes, it bugged the hell out of me.
-The driver side window won't go up sometimes also. For example, I went to the drive thru, and can't roll the window up afterwards, and worst, I have to park the car with the window down.

I consider the Z still pretty new for 2003 and a top of the line Nissan product, and I don't drive crazy, but these little things made me lean towards Toyota more than Nissan.

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Well, im excited to see you not get flamed for even thinking about a frontier. i love the hell out of nissans as well as yota's though. nissans are one of the most reliable vehicles in JAPAN, notorious for their amazing power and style. as for their suv's and trucks, i just dont think they are on the right track yet. they make awesome cars, awesome motors mostly. yota's got the suv and trucks down IMO. you do know this is a yota formus right?

 

idk why everyones bashing him...
he did say his friend was buying a truck.
but yeah.
i dont think anyone on here is gonna come out and say get a nissan

 

I drove one, wasnt to impressed tbh. I liked the size since its closer to my T100, but I prefer my toyota.

 

Here's a nice writeup on a new doublecab Frontier.

 

I had a 05 nissan pathfinder. Bought it brand new. $35,000 + for it. 3.5 liter V6 basically the same engine as the Maxima, altima, and Z car. At about 15,000 mile the engine had to be replaced. would have cost over $12,000 If the warranty did pay for it.. I also had a 1981 Nissan 280 Z with over 280,00 thousand miles on it and it ran like a dream. So I know Nissans can be good or bad. But we all know that all Toyotas are good, except for the 3.0 liter V6 which is still better then most other manufacture's engines.

I think the late 90's and early 2000's were bad years for nissans. Alos of their cars had alot of problems. I think they have mostly gotten their reputation back up to where it used to be. But still not as good as Toyota.

I think I would go for the Yota.

 

tacoma for sure. i was stuck in the same predicament(sp).. talked with my mechanic and he said that he rarely sees tacomas for majore issues. he sees more nissans.. also he asked if i was going to tow, i said yes, he deff recomended a tacoma bc they have stronger trannies than the nissans.. so i bought the tacoma and quite pleased with it

 

Years ago I had a Hardbody V6 4x4. Loved that truck. Awesome torque from its 3.0. As a matter of fact the engine was much more impressive than the 3.0 in my 4Runner. That said, I had terrible resale when I went to buy another vehicle. Nissans just don't have the same resale. I've also considered the Frontier vs Tacoma issue but the resale I experienced is going to make my final decision I think.

 

Where do you find a woman like this?

"My wife not only helped, but she also did most of the work."

 

I used to be a nissan owner and fan. I still am but my selection of cars has changed.

That VQ motor is great and so was there 2.4 liter KD series of motors

Both the VQ (3.0) and the KD (2.4) i had i drove the snout out of them--and then when i sold it--it was treated even worse......but they did have little items that bothered me. 1. Tranny in my 300z and.....yep that was about it.

I like the 3.4 engined yotas better because of the overall package. It doesnt necessarly do anything one thing better but overall it just seems like a better truck--and it has coil springs front and rear (4Runner)

I have always said--i wish i could take Nissans motors, Honda/Acuras engine management and Toyota's Falwless production process and combine them for an awsome vehicle.