Compact Trucks Still Alive At Nissan

I bought a 2014 Frontier this last Saturday. I found one of just two King Cab SV 4x4s in Northern California. There were plenty of Crew Cabs, very few KCs, and I wanted a 6 foot bed. It also needed to fit in my garage. The last new vehicle I bought for myself was a 1985 Toyota SR5 Xtra Cab. I stood staring at the Frontier this evening and the stature reminds me much more of an early 60s Chevy pickup than my old Toyota, which had the 2.4 liter 4 banger and a 5 speed. I know I'll be pumping plenty of go juice now, but I need the utility and towing capacity. Every truck has bloated beyond recognition. Not much choice out there right now, and I wasn't impressed with what I was reading about the Canyon/Colorado, so I didn't want to wait. Nor do I want to pay $6-7k more for the diesel Nissan is teasing us with. I just don't drive enough miles to make that pay off. It is a good sign there is some new blood in the segment. Maybe small can be the new big....

@Lou and Jeff S I think the problem started when I blogged 'stuff' about the smaller an 'alien' global pickups. There are a dedicated group as Jeff has described on PUTC who just want to maintain PUTC as a full size site. I don't mind full size trucks as I'm interested in the new Titan diesel. A full size would work in the Northern Territory, but it has to be a capable off roader. Also, I need to justify a pickup that size, when I have a pickup that will do more than what I currently require. I unfortunately believe the US full size pickups aren't the best 4x4s around. They are good for a building site or unimproved road. But are to large for any real off roading. I think that's why Jeep Wranglers are more popular in the US compared to here. We have a good range of midsize 4x4s to use that provide more utility and comfort. From what I can gather our new diesel midsizers are very comparable to a small V8 full size in capability overall. The US doesn't 4x4 the way we do in Australia. It seems 4x4ing is more or less a one day activity in the US and then you go home for tea (supper), or at most a weekend. Where as here a 4x4 trip can go for a couple of months or when you have your 4 weeks annual holidays. I think this is why we don't get 'factory enhanced' 4x4s. We have them tailor made for what we are going to use them for. Our market size will also play a role. But looking at our muscle car market, you'd think the size of our 4x4 pickup market which would be 10 times the size factory enhanced pickups would be profitable. I will bet my balls that this new Navara/Frontier will be aimed at the global market. Nissan will not make the same mistake twice regarding the D40 which was designed for the US market. I think the D40 has cost Nissan many sales to Toyota and the others. I envisage Nissan will again become equal to the Ranger/BT50 and Amarok. We just have to wait and see what Toyota has in store with the next Hilux, which I think the US will receive considering it's the size of the new midsizers. I do think the next Mitsubishi midsizer will not be as good. Mitsubishi seem to produce pickups on par with GM. Okay products that are never a step in front of the competition. They mostly seem to be marginally sub par like GM pickups in comparison the competition.

@Lou & Big Al--I like to have a good discussion about vehicles regardless of size or type. I agree that PUTC is full of fan boys who have to have a large pickup with a high horsepower V-8. There is a place for every type of vehicle and those that want or need a larger size should be able to buy that and those that don't should be able to buy a little smaller. A market with more brands and types of vehicles benefits all consumers. Big Al having had a Mitsubishi Mighty Max several years ago I would have to agree with you that it wasn't bad but it was not on par with much of the competition. I would also say that GM pickups were much more competitive a generation ago than they are now. That is the good thing about a more competitive market is that it forces the competition to make a better product. I would like to see the Nissan Frontier become a better truck, not to say it is bad but it is very dated. I hope you are correct about the Frontier that it is aimed at a global market.

@Lou--That was kind of my point about the true off roaders build their own and most of the ones I see where I live are old Toyota trucks (pre Tacoma). Being a former motorcyclist but not a dirt biker I can see that the dirt bike would be better yet especially for small trails. My nephews have a couple of dirt bikes and quads at the family farm in N KY. My one nephew bought a 2006 F-250 4 x 4 extend cab with a gas V-8 from the company he works for in Denver 4 years ago for $4,500 to use on the farm (he drove it from Denver to N KY and my brother bought it from him for the farm). Truck is high mileage but very little rust and perfect for when the family is at the farm (it has a tool box bed). If I wanted something to go off road in I would have my nephew buy one of those trucks, they are always coming up on auction and his company replaces their trucks on a regular basis. It is silly to buy a new 40k to 50k truck just for off road use. This truck is only used when family visits the farm so it is a waste of money to invest too much in a truck, but in runs like a new truck.