The Nissan Frontier has been an enduring facet of Nissan’s pickup offerings due to its popularity, reliability, and continually updating design. The 2021 Nissan Frontier returns with a lot of fan-favorite features, trims, and amenities that drivers are bound to love. As far as a purchase-worthy pickup goes, where does the Nissan Frontier fit into your 2021 budget, and does it feature what you expect from a pickup in today’s generation of automobiles? This truck starts at an affordable price, but does that mean it is simply cheap, or is the value still there? Let’s find out if the 2021 Nissan Frontier is the reliable and valuable truck that you have been looking for.
MSRP and Trims
The 2021 Nissan Frontier comes in seven different trims with two different drivetrain configurations, including rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. The Frontier is also available in two different cab configurations. The starting MSRP for the base trim, the King Cab S, is $27,090. A pretty reasonable starting price for a midsize pickup truck.
The next tier above that is the King Cab SV, which has a starting MSRP of $27,970. The Crew Cab S is next in line, with a starting MSRP of $28,200. The price goes up from the King Cab SV due to the four-door configuration, which offers additional space for up to five passengers and storage in the cabin. The Crew Cab SV is the trim above that, with a starting MSRP of $29,100. It’s also a four-door cab with a standard bed size.
The Crew Cab Long Bed SV has a starting MSRP of $31,710 and features exactly what the namesake infers: a longer rear bed. A special Crew Cab Midnight Edition is available with a starting MSRP of $31,090 in a standard rear-wheel drive format with special badging, a black fascia, and additional accessories. Finally, the Crew Cab PRO-4X Edition is available only as a four-wheel drive and features a moonroof, special suspension, and Bilstein shocks for $37,790 starting. This bad boy is the most expensive of the lineup but definitely has the power to match the price.
What Are Some of the Standard Features of a 2021 Nissan Frontier?
When determining if a vehicle is worth the price of entry, a lot of times, you have to survey what you get with the base MSRP. In this case, what do you get with the King Cab S for $27,090? Well, you get a 3.8-liter V6 that delivers 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque with a rear-wheel drivetrain, a 9-speed automatic transmission, power steering, a multi-leaf rear suspension, and an independent double-wishbone front suspension with a stabilizer bar.
Additionally, you have stability control and traction control, an active brake limited slip, cruise control, rear privacy glass, rear tailgate access, and UV-reducing solar glass. In terms of tech, you get a 7-inch LCD touchscreen, media streaming via Bluetooth connectivity, AM/FM radio, Siri voice-activated controls, steering wheel mounted audio controls, remote keyless entry with push-button start, and a USB port.
On the base trim, manual 4-way front driver and passenger seats come standard, along with cloth seating, and multiple front, side, and roof-mounted airbags. The lower anchors and tethers (LATCH) system comes standard, as well as active head restraints, seatbelt pretensioners, tire pressure monitoring, and seating for four people in the King Cab format. The base 2021 Nissan Frontier can tow up to 6,720 pounds when fully equipped and carry a maximum payload of 1,460 pounds with a rear-wheel configuration on a standard bed setup.
What Do You Get With the 2021 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X?
The 2021 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X is specifically designed for off-road adventures. It sports a number of interior and exterior features, both of the luxury and rugged variety, to help justify its price of entry. In addition to all the standard features that come with the 2021 Nissan Frontier base trim, the PRO-4X comes with a few defining features that set it apart from the other trims.
The most distinctive thing you will notice about the Frontier PRO-4X is that it comes with 16-inch 6-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels and all-terrain tires, opposite of the all-season tires outfitted on the other trims. To further set the PRO-4X apart are a number of exterior features made standard, such as skid plates over the oil pan, fuel tank, and transfer case. Fog lights, a roof rack with crossbars, front tow hooks, splash guards, a satin chrome grille, a power sliding moonroof, along with a Utili-track Channel System with four adjustable tie-down cleats are also included.
Inside the cabin, the Pro-4X comes equipped with dual-zone automatic temperature control with an in-cabin microfilter, auto-dimming rearview mirror, multi-functional trip computer, and a first-aid kit, which comes standard with the truck. An 8-way power front driver seat with lumbar support and leather upholstery also come standard, along with heated front seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. You will also have the voice-activated GPS, Nissan Mobile Partner, and the Nissan Navigation System. Additionally, the PRO-4X comes with a premium Rockford Fosgate audio system with 10 built-in speakers and a subwoofer. You also get a 3-month subscription to SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
What Is the Fuel Economy Like?
Budget-conscious shoppers are likely curious what they’ll be spending when it comes to keeping the 21-gallon fuel tank full on the 2021 Nissan Frontier. The four-wheel drive will gain you about 17 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway, while the two-wheel drive gives you 18 miles per gallon in the city and up to 24 miles per gallon on the highway. This is fairly standard for most midsize pickup trucks with a regular gasoline engine. If you wanted to do some light towing, the Frontier seems quite capable when it comes to accommodating a fine balance between towing capacity and fuel economy.
Are the Package Options Worth the Price?
There are four different packages available for the 2021 Nissan Frontier, including the Value Truck Package for the King Cab, the Value Truck Package for the Crew Cab, the Midnight Edition Package, and the Special Edition Package. The Midnight Edition Package and Value Truck Package come standard with the Crew Cab Midnight Edition Frontier. The Value Truck Package comes with fog lights, rear sonar, heated front seats, tow hitch receiver, factory spray-on bedliner, Utili-Track Channel System, auto-dimming rearview mirror, security system, and dual-zone temperature control.
Furthermore, Nissan allows you to customize each of the trims with extra accessories that aren’t available in the packages or some features that might be exclusive to other trims. For instance, you can outfit any trim with the Midnight Edition’s 18-inch wheels if you so desire or add extra exterior body protection, styling, weather protection, lighting, and storage. You can even include towing add-ons such as a hitch ball, a weight-distributing hitch ball mount, a tow hitch receiver, a trailer harness, or even a tow hook. Most of the add-ons are priced well under $500, with many add-ons being available for under $100, so you can very affordably mix-and-match what you want on the Frontier without breaking the bank.
Is the Nissan Frontier Safe?
This is a very good question for anyone to ask of any vehicle they plan to purchase. Thanks to a plethora of safety features, yes, the 2021 Nissan Frontier is safe. The pickup comes with a number of standard safety measures, such as an advanced Nissan airbag system with dual-stage supplemental front airbags and seat belt sensors to determine if any of the seats are occupied. Roof-mounted curtain airbags with side-impact rollover sensors also come standard across all trims. With front active head restraints, 3-point passenger seat belts, head restraints, the aforementioned LATCH system, and Nissan’s vehicle immobilizer system that works as a theft-deterrent system, there is plenty to keep you safe.
Discover New Frontiers With Nissan
For all intents and purposes, the 2021 Nissan Frontier is an all-around well-valued midsize pickup priced comfortably for those who want something efficient, reliable, safe, and capable of doing some weekend road trips when the spirit of adventure calls. The Nissan Frontier is definitely packed with valuable and desirable features that go above and beyond its price point. It is time for you to ditch the excessively expensive pickup trucks and discover new frontiers in the 2021 Nissan Frontier.
