2009 Nissan Frontier

It's been awhile since I drove a compact truck for any length of time, and I'd forgotten how it feels to sit behind the wheel of something other than a full-size pickup. It only took one day of climbing in and out of several Nissan Frontiers to remind me just how much fun small trucks can be, and make me wish I had one in the garage (but can I convince my wife to trade her Z3 for a small truck?). The 4-cylinder Frontier XE handled straightaways and the curves of up and down mountain roads with ease. It's a basic, no frills truck, but it goes where you point it and responds quickly and smoothly when you shift gears or punch the gas. I switched to a Frontier PRO-4X to drive an off-road course (and took a Titan around the course a couple of times, too). The trucks performed well off-road, doing what they were built to do.

I encourage you to look at the Frontier lineup if you're considering a compact truck. They're available as King Cabs or Crew Cabs and Nissan offers plenty of configuration mixtures, from basic to sporty to more refined.

• First Drive: 2009 Nissan Frontier Truck
  
• Nissan Frontier: Features, Options, Configurations
  
• Nissan Frontier PRO-4X Gallery
  
• More Pictures of the 2009 Nissan Frontier
  
• Nissan Frontier Fuel Economy Ratings

_{Photo © Dale Wickell}