|
Country Grammar
Car of Choice: 2005 Nissan Frontier
Point A: Austin, Texas
Point B: The Middle of Nowhere, Texas
Scenario:
Don’t mess with Texas. I fully understand this adage, blazing
a soggy trail through the aftermath of flood season. Rising water
tickled the lip of my ride as I did my best to ease through water
over the bridge, blazing a trail of glory from Austin to the Texas
outback. I was thankful that my assignment dictated a beefy midsize
truck, the 2005 Nissan Frontier.
The folks in Nissan public relations couldn’t have asked for
more testing weather conditions on the truck’s durability,
safety and handling issues that arose with the water levels of the
November flood season in central Texas.
My journey began in snazzy Austin, where lady truck drivers vie
for space on the road, and unlike urban locales, I didn’t get
raised eyebrows when I pulled up to traffic lights.
Yet, after a few traffic stops and an entrance ramp, I found myself
on docile highways where I could feel the top-of-its class engine
respond to the pulse of the available 4.0-liter DOHC, 24-valve V6
engine. With an extremely respectful 265-horsepower and 284 lb-ft
of torque, I easily hung with the fleet of pickup trucks that are
the vehicle of choice in the Lone Star state.
Bridging the gap between baby pickup trucks that once were economical
replacements for passenger cars (think Ranger) and jumbo-sized road
warriors that can be overkill (think Silverado), the Frontier settles
in quite gracefully in the medium segment. It’s a true size
8 in women’s wear terms, at 125.9 inches in wheelbase, equaling
out to 9.8 inches longer than previous models. Yet, it maintains
a girlish figure at 205.5 inches total length, only slightly longer
than previous models. With refined proportions, the Frontier has
more muscle tone across the board, adding only width and height.
Everyone knows muscle weighs more than fat, and the Frontier is heavier
than other trucks in its segment, like the Toyota Tacoma. Frontier
weighs between 3,657 and 4,345 pounds, depending on the package.
 
As I maneuver the Frontier into the off-roading segment
of my mission, I sucked in my breath for the erratic jolts that come
with bumps in the terrain. Yet I was pleasantly surprised at the
truck's ability to graze over sharp inclines. Borrowing from the
brawnier Titan, the Frontier has a rear suspension with leaf springs
that respond to the jolts and jarring. The front end has coil-over
shocks and a stabilizer bar, accounting for the increased sensation
of balance. Less bounce to the ounce, so to speak.
Available features to control dips and daps include Hill Descent
Control, Hill Start Assist and 4-wheel limited slip. If you are a
straight off-roader, order the NISMO Frontier with Bilstein off-road
performance shocks.
The available factory-applied spray-on bedliner is ideal for those
who like to yuck up the pickup bed with messy gear. For those looking
to tow boats, horses or motorcycles, the Frontier is capable of towing
up to 6,300 pounds (V6 4x4).
Both the Crew Cab and the King Cab feature large back doors, good
for whatever you want to hoist in and out of the backseat – baby
seats, groceries, or some large bodyguards.
Available with five and six-speed manual or five-speed automatic
transmissions, the Frontier averages 22 miles per gallon (mpg) in
city settings and 25-mpg on languid, country roads, and is available
in 4x2 and 4x4 versions.
Base prices range from $15,500 for the XE King Cab, to $22,000 for
the LE King Cab/Crew Cab.
Back to the treacherous conditions on hand. Thankfully,
I was airlifted by helicopter away from the looming danger of the rocky
roads. Well perhaps I’m blowing my panic over the forecast a little
out of proportion, because actually, I felt quite safe in the feisty Frontier.
But after a day in the Texas wild, it was time to return to civilization,
kicking my Manolo Blahnik cowgirl boots three times and I was out.
|
|