Honda doesn't have anything like the Frontier nor Armada. Ridgeline sales have been abysmal. They will keep the Frontier around. Nothing to worry about. Pathfinder/ Pilot situation is interesting- who knows. The Sentra is probably history. Not too sure about the Versa.
Midsize truck shopping
- Thread starter dlundblad
- Start date
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
I sat waiting for a freight train just staring at a Canyon AT4X - gorgeous
Looked down at my odometer = 37k … stopped gawking
Looked down at my odometer = 37k … stopped gawking
Pardon my ignorance but what midsize truck does Honda, Subaru, & Mitsubishi have?
I drive a 2017 Tacoma (3rd Gen), SR5 trim, V6, AT, double cab long bed and here is my input.
Background: This is our daily driver and vacation vehicle. My wife daily drove it to work just before she retired. It has 80,000kms (~48,000mi) on it now and we bought it brand new. My driving style is easy to medium going (coast up to stops, brisk-ish acceleration from lights but no John Force burnouts, I corner briskly on the highway). I tow with it about once per year, the load ranges from a 6x12 U-Haul with mulch / soil / bark etc. to an 8x16 flat trailer with structures to assemble eg. greenhouse or pergola on it. The towing is generally in town / some rural. The truck came factory with the tow package, so it has everything I need (4 pin / 7 pin plug ins, trans cooler, receiver hitch etc.). I installed a Tekonsha controller that was it. It is rarely driven in snow simply because where I live now there isn't snow. However when it does snow it can be heavy and deep so the 4wd has been used. The bed is filled several times per year with mulch etc. and I hauled a complete 454 Chevrolet engine to Vancouver once in the bed. I do not off-road with the vehicle ever but I do travel along forestry roads / gravel / dirt roads when the occasion arises (touring / wilderness trips etc.).
The Good:
The truck looks good, subjective I know.
Gas mileage is outstanding (I came from a full size GM 1500 series with a 5.3L) both city and on highway trips.
It handles excellent in town, towing, loaded and free wheeling down I-5 to Portland, the Coquihalla across central BC or wherever.
I am 6'4" and the truck is comfortable on long trips. I do have to fold a bit to get in but once I am in it is fine. My wife bought a lumbar support pillow for her seat on long trips so she might rate the comfort a little lower but her pillow fixed that.
Power is more than adequate for all my usage (occasional hauling, passing on single lane rural highways if need be, climbing the Coquihalla, etc.). The motor needs RPM on steep hills, that was an adjustment from my GM. I am not bothered by the high RPM on steep hills.
Cost of ownership has been excellent so far. Zero repairs, beyond routine maintenance, tires, battery etc. All recalls are complete and done by Toyota free of charge. I do my own oil changes, have replaced one set of tires and replaced one battery. Nothing bad about that.
Nice storage compartments, both inside the truck and in the bed. Tie down cleats at all 4 corners, soft open tailgate all excellent. It has a 110v outlet in the bed but I have never used it.
Interior wear is excellent, nothing showing so far and the paint is pretty good, not too soft, not many swirls / twig scratches etc. Interior is roomy for 4 adult on trips.
The HVAC is excellent, great heat, great cooling. Real knobs to adjust parameters too.
The So-So:The truck is noisier than all my GMs. Cabin / wind noise is quite noticeable. Took a while to get used to it. It is not terrible but more than my GMs. Yes I know it is a truck but I am comparing to other trucks I have owned. Also, the engine is quite noisy, I am not referring to high RPM while hill climbing (that is loud too) but just at idle, going through a Wendy's drive through or whatever. They are all the same, this 3.5L it sounds like a quiet diesel at idle. It was like that from Day 1. Not a big deal once you learn it is "normal" (engine design etc.) but certainly noisier than my other trucks. None of this is a deal breaker for me.
Brakes are ok... but not great. I am referring to unloaded normal braking here. I do like the hand brake over the old style foot parking brake. But the service brakes are just ok. When I do a pad and rotor change I can probably make that better.
The Bad:I really dislike the transmission control / power train control programming. It is terrible. It is always upshifting early (for economy) then downshifting because it upshifted too quick etc. Mid throttle acceleration can result in a crazy too many gear downshift so it is unstable that way. The constant shifting just drove me insane for the first while. Toyota has flashed the PCM a few times, I don't know what revision I am at now, it has been a few years. It just isn't good. I have gotten used to it and live with it. The transmissions are reliable in these trucks as far as I know talking with other owners and mine is fine but... I still don't like excessive shifting... shifting generates heat and clutch wear... it can't be good. There is a tow button (ECT) that stabilizes things a bit but you shouldn't need to engage that unloaded.
That is it for bad, which is pretty good in my opinion.
I hope to keep this truck for many more years. If it got stolen or written off tomorrow I would go shopping for either a new Silverado (back to a full size GM) or the 4th Gen Tacoma. The only reason a full size GM is back in the mix is I am getting old and that fold I do to get in is getting harder.I thought you were referring to japanese competition in general, not specifically in the mid-sized market.
Mitusbishi's does have a mid-sized truck. It's actually quite nice and it's a "real truck", not like a Ridgeline. You can get one as a rental in places like Thailand. It's a ladder-on-frame, leaf springs, rwd. The "manual" transmission is more like a paddle shifter on the floor though, there's no shift linkages, it's a manually shifted automatic. They just refuse to bring it to the US.
I don’t tow anything that big.
I researched and test drove all the mid size trucks when I was looking last year. I also preferred a v6 vs the turbo 4 cyl so I was looking for newer used and not brand new. Tacoma - too much $. Ranger - ugly and uncomfortable. (My buddy bought one a couple 3-4 years ago, had it less than a month and hated it, traded in for a Tacoma SR5 and is happy). Frontier - decent in all categories for me. Colorado/Canyon - found a nice low mileage 2022 ZR2 (V6) but the dealer didn’t budge a dime on the price. Found a low mileage 2022 Canyon AT4 (V6) and the dealer accepted my offer. The Colorado / canyon drove / felt just as good if not better than the others. The 2022 is the last year of the V6 engine and after 6 months, I don’t regret the purchase at all. The frontier was 2nd place. Tacoma 3rd.
Depends on the choices.
Yes-both are unibody vehicles. Will new Nissan vehicles be rebadged Hondas?
Over on Tacoma World there are 6 or 7 multi page threads on seat comfort. And they are not talking about how comfortable they are.....
Like now much do ou need to haul?
If its just cruising around muddy job sites an AWD Hybrid Mavrick with some different tires?
As far as midsize trucks if i was buying it would be a 2.7 Ranger FX4 XLT High.
If its just cruising around muddy job sites an AWD Hybrid Mavrick with some different tires?
As far as midsize trucks if i was buying it would be a 2.7 Ranger FX4 XLT High.
The maverick is expensive for basically a car with a bed.
Sold a 20K mile 2022 Frontier Pro 4X this past weekend at my dealership and was pretty shocked with how nice it was. Admittedly, this was the highest spec Frontier I've ever seen (360 camera, heated steering wheel, parking sensors, full leather, etc) but it rode quite smooth at 80mph on the highway and had more than enough power (to me). I had a '21 Tacoma that I specifically got fully loaded with the TRD Off Road package and manual transmission. It looked super cool and I had fun modifying it for fun, but the ride was pretty terrible, gas mileage was TERRIBLE, and other than a well deserved reputation for long term reliability....I was pretty let down with it. Luckily, this was during the post Covid inventory shortage so I was able to trade it and profit after barely a year.
All that being said, not being a stereotypical truck guy, if I were to buy a new or gently used mid-size truck today, I would definitely get a Frontier over a Tacoma (new or used) and the new/used GM twins. I know you are looking at late model used but the new Ranger seems to be pretty legit with the 2.7 six cylinder turbo; I have no idea about the reliability of that engine though.
All that being said, not being a stereotypical truck guy, if I were to buy a new or gently used mid-size truck today, I would definitely get a Frontier over a Tacoma (new or used) and the new/used GM twins. I know you are looking at late model used but the new Ranger seems to be pretty legit with the 2.7 six cylinder turbo; I have no idea about the reliability of that engine though.
After having a couple 3rd gen Tacoma's, I guess I can chime in a little bit.
The truck itself does feel like a truck. Interiors are pretty good and hold up, just enough technology you need, but nothing you don't. It isn't really comfortable for long trips, but you work commute should be fine.
The 3.5V6 does initially appear weak, but you just have to step on it. Fuel mileage is not the greatest, but it's a truck.
The transmission choices, I've had both automatic and manual. The auto loves to shift in and out, never knowing what gear it wants to be in. The manual was clunky and clutch, while light, with the delay valve, clunky. It started out being really cool, but after a while I hated it. Honestly the manual in that truck ruined stick shift for me.
I know you do not like turbocharged engines, but just for grins and giggles at least test drive a 4th gen. It will actually surprise you. I really love mine. But, if it isn't your cup of tea, I understand. I won't spend all day trying to convince otherwise.
The truck itself does feel like a truck. Interiors are pretty good and hold up, just enough technology you need, but nothing you don't. It isn't really comfortable for long trips, but you work commute should be fine.
The 3.5V6 does initially appear weak, but you just have to step on it. Fuel mileage is not the greatest, but it's a truck.
The transmission choices, I've had both automatic and manual. The auto loves to shift in and out, never knowing what gear it wants to be in. The manual was clunky and clutch, while light, with the delay valve, clunky. It started out being really cool, but after a while I hated it. Honestly the manual in that truck ruined stick shift for me.
I know you do not like turbocharged engines, but just for grins and giggles at least test drive a 4th gen. It will actually surprise you. I really love mine. But, if it isn't your cup of tea, I understand. I won't spend all day trying to convince otherwise.
My wife’s Volvo is a turbo and it’s been pretty reliable. I am by no means against them. If I’d trust anyone to make a turbo charged truck, it’d be Toyota for sure.
I’m not entirely sold on the looks of the new Tacoma or 4R. They are also very expensive compared to a similarly optioned Nissan.
https://www.fortwaynenissan.com/new-Fort+Wayne-2025-Nissan-Frontier-PRO+4X-1N6ED1EK4SN619438
Leaning towards this.
On a side note, A dealer in Fort Wayne also has a 2016 Lexus GX460 that pretty cheap considering what it is. It appears to be a base. Might or might not have KDSS. Hopefully no air suspension or electronic rear hatch lift. While it’s not a truck, I feel I should at least look into it. I’m not opposed to an SUV. Needing a pickup truck is subjective too since we have her Grandpas old Silverado. No 4WD and it’s not proving to be the most reliable at the moment. It’s also not going to be used in the winter.
Leaning towards this.
On a side note, A dealer in Fort Wayne also has a 2016 Lexus GX460 that pretty cheap considering what it is. It appears to be a base. Might or might not have KDSS. Hopefully no air suspension or electronic rear hatch lift. While it’s not a truck, I feel I should at least look into it. I’m not opposed to an SUV. Needing a pickup truck is subjective too since we have her Grandpas old Silverado. No 4WD and it’s not proving to be the most reliable at the moment. It’s also not going to be used in the winter.
I think either of those would be great choices even though they are different. I'm a fan of the GX. The new Frontier has an upgraded infotainment screen that is larger but I don't think there were many changes since 2022.