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- I recently drove the top-selling Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier midsize pickup trucks.
- The Tacoma offers a punchy hybrid powertrain, impressive tech content, and a feature-laden interior.
- The Frontier is the truck I’d buy because of its powerful, standard V6 engine.
I recently had the chance to drive the Nissan Frontier and the Toyota Tacoma, two of the most popular midsize pickups in the US for more than a quarter century.
The Tacoma is a fantastic pickup. The performance of its new turbo hybrid powertrain, impressive tech features, and plush cabin are a huge step forward.
But the Frontier’s lower price tag and standard V6 engine ultimately won me over.
Here’s a closer look at how the two stacked up against one another.
Which is the better deal?
The entry-level Frontier and Tacoma are similarly priced with both starting at around $32,000.
However, the cost of the Tacoma escalates pretty quickly from there.
My luxury-oriented 2025 Frontier SL Crew Cab long-wheel-base 4×4 is the most expensive version of the Frontier, starting at $45,610. My test truck priced out to $46,750.
That’s comparable in price and content to the middle-of-the-lineup Limited trim Tacoma, which starts at around $52,000 to $55,000, depending on whether or not you opt for the hybrid engine.
My range-topping 2025 Tacoma TRD Pro Double Cab 4×4 test truck starts at a whopping $63,900 and, as tested, cost $68,093 thanks to a myriad of specialty off-road equipment.
Which is better looking?
The Tacoma and Frontier are both handsomely styled trucks with styling elements evoking the look of their forefathers from the 1980s.
However, the Tacoma test truck’s brawny off-road stance and heritage grille with an LED light bar put it over the top for me in this category.
Which more bed and cab options?
The Frontier and Tacoma are available in two different cab types and two different bed lengths, making them the most configurable trucks in the midsize segment.
While both offer five-passenger seating in their Crew/Double Cab models, Toyota’s extended cab model, XtraCab, does not have back seats and can only seat two, while Nissan’s equivalent King Cab models can seat four.
V6 or turbo hybrid power?
The only engine available in the Frontier is a smooth and powerful 3.8-liter, 310-horsepower VQ-Series V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission.
All Tacomas are powered by different versions of Toyota’s T24A-FTS 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
My test truck had the most powerful powertrain option, the 2.4-liter turbo paired with a hybrid system consisting of a 48-horsepower electric drive motor and a small 1.87-kilowatt-hour nickel-metal hydride battery pack.
Together, they produce a robust 326 total horsepower and a whopping 465 pound-feet of torque while sending power through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Tacoma and the Jeep Gladiator are the last two pickups left in the US that can be had with a manual transmission.
Four-wheel drive?
Both trucks come standard with rear-wheel drive, with four-wheel drive available as an optional extra.
My Frontier and Tacoma test trucks were equipped with part-time four-wheel-drive systems that default to rear-wheel drive but can be manually switched to four-wheel drive.
How efficient are they?
My Tacoma TRD Pro is rated for 22 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 23 mpg of fuel economy in combined driving, which aren’t spectacular for a hybrid but solid for a high-performance truck of this size.
My Frontier test truck was much more thirsty, with EPA fuel economy figures of 17 mpg city, 21 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined.
How do they drive?
The Tacoma’s hybrid turbo four delivered strong and peppy performance while emitting an impressively throaty rumble. At the same time, the Frontier’s powerful V6 delivers smooth acceleration on demand.
Neither vehicle is car-like to drive, but they’re civilized enough for your everyday commute. The Tacoma came out on top here thanks to the Frontier’s abnormally heavy steering.
Which one has a better interior?
Both trucks’ cabins are designed to be durable and easy to use, with intuitively placed controls and large physical switches. The material and build quality of both vehicles are excellent.
The Tacoma and Frontier are similarly roomy, but the special IsoDynamic front seats on the TRD Pro trim take up a lot of rear legroom, rendering the back seats unusable for anyone except small children.
How does the tech stack up?
Both Nissan and Toyota have really stepped up their games with the updated tech in their pickups. Both trucks come standard with eight-inch touchscreens, but both test vehicles were equipped with upgraded systems. The Frontier’s 12.3-inch display looked great, but you could only use 2/3 of its real estate when not running Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
The Tacoma’s overall tech suite and massive 14-inch screen are on a different level, with a complex multi-terrain camera system, digital rearview mirror, color head-up display, and configurable digital instrument display.
How much can they tow?
The Frontier’s towing capacity varies by trim, with the highest being 7,150 lbs for the base Frontier S King Cab 4X2. My loaner was rated for 6,700 lbs.
The Tacoma falls short of the Frontier at 6,500 pounds. Hybrid Tacomas max out at an even lower 6,000 pounds of towing weight.
The Nissan Frontier is my winner due to its relative affordability and V6 engine.
I have to admit, the Toyota Tacoma is a better truck. The Toyota. It’s more efficient, more powerful, has better driving dynamics, and boasts a truly impressive array of tech features.
But as great as the performance and efficiency gains from its turbo and hybrid systems are, they also add cost and complexity.
What I really need from a truck is simplicity, affordability, and dependability. And the Frontier is exactly that.
Despite the Tacoma’s excellence, I’d buy the Nissan Frontier with its wonderful V6 engine.
