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She’s almost 5 years old, doesn’t have a name, and hasn’t had one single mechanical modification. As a matter of fact,
the only thing that’s different on her today than the day she rolled off the line is the tires and a NICO banner on the windshield.
However, this Frontier is hands-down the best vehicle I have ever owned and will stay in the family for as long as I can afford to
buy the gas and parts to keep her running.
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The day I bought my Frontier, she had 21,000 miles on the odometer. Fifteen months later, she has 44,000 miles. The only thing I
have done from a maintenance perspective is replace the oil, brake pads, and the tires. That’s it. She has been to Savannah, GA,
Carlisle, PA, all over the Carolinas, and last month she pulled a U-haul trailer 1900+ miles from Tennessee to Arizona at an average
interstate speed of seventy five miles per hour with no issues at all. She drives and rides like a Cadillac and not once did any of
us say, “Are we there yet?” The only |
adjustment required the whole trip was the occasional downshift into fifth gear due to a steep
grade.
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As I mentioned before, the Frontier is completely stock which means all the specs you would see listed in the owner’s manual still
apply. She is a 2005 Nissan Frontier SE 4x4 Crew Cab, has the 4.0L V6 engine, 6 speed manual transmission, and 6300 pound towing
capacity. The bed of the truck does not have super-capacity, approximately 5x5, but you can haul a lot of stuff in it if you know
how to pack well. The Sliding Bed Extender was an extra but as far as I’m concerned, if you ever plan to haul anything in it, it’s
as important as oil and fuel. If you are |
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considering buying a Frontier the Bed Extender is the one thing you should absolutely let
the sales people talk you into purchasing. Mine also has the Utili-Track system which is a system of rails and movable tie-down cleats
in the bed of the truck that allow you to better secure your load and keep items from sliding around. This was very helpful when I was
moving the antiques and other fragile items. I covered them up, locked them in place, and went down the road. No worries.
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Inside the cab, the interior wasn’t what I expected at all. It is very driver and passenger friendly. All of the controls are within
hands reach, easy to use, and nothing seems out of place. The Frontier also has some standard creature comforts that I never expected
to find in a truck, even as an option. Very comfortable seats (do not drive this truck when you are the least bit tired), three
charging stations for cell phones, cigarette lighters, mp3s, cameras, etc., (including one in the center console for the back seat
passengers), power windows, power door locks, a very good sound system, cubby holes in all of the doors, a two-level glove compartment,
four cup holders, a hidden cubby hole in the ceiling, lots of leg room in the back seat, even storage under the back seats, which fold
flat for another boost in available storage space. Cruise control buttons are on the steering wheel and to change from 2WD-4H-4Lo is
just the flip of a switch. By the way, 4Lo is extremely low-geared, something you wouldn’t fully expect out of a stock vehicle in
this classification. It would probably be quite comfortable on terrain I wouldn’t be comfortable taking it on.
The cost to own, operate and maintain is obviously dependent on the way you drive. My auto insurance for full coverage with all the
bells and whistles is less than $900 a year. I use regular unleaded fuel as she doesn’t seem to get any better gas mileage or performance
out of the higher octane fuel, thus I see no need to waste
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the money. Typically, MPG ranges between 17-19 mpg in mixed
driving. On some stretches of interstate, I can get close to 22 if it’s flat and I’m not fighting a headwind or crosswinds. I have
always used Castrol 10w-30 motor oil and never have I once heard a ping, knock, or a rattle. I’m running General Grabber 265/70/16s
on the original rims and they have enough bite on them to pull out of the snow or mud, but are also a very streetable tire as well.
With the power from the 4-liter, you can burn up some pricey rear tires with a quickness!
To summarize, the Frontier is a fantastic vehicle. You get the hauling capabilities of a truck, the sweet car-like ride, lots of standard
creature comforts, tons of options, good looks, and Nissan engineering and dependability at a very affordable price.
Base Specifications:
The 2005 Frontier is also available in Extended-Cab, crew-Cab and NISMO off-Road configurations
2005 Nissan Frontier Performance |
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3,954 cc 4 liters V 6 front engine with 95.5 mm bore, 92 mm stroke, 9.7 compression ratio, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder VQ40
Unleaded fuel 87
Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 20 and EPA city (mpg): 15
Multi-point injection fuel system
21.1 gallon main unleaded fuel tank
Power: 198 kW , 265 HP SAE @ 5,600 rpm; 284 ft lb , 385 Nm @ 4,000 rpm
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2005 Nissan Frontier Handling |
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Four-wheel ABS
3.133:1 axle ratio
Four disc brakes including four ventilated discs
Fullsize steel rim under body spare wheel
Wishbone front suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs , beam rear suspension rigid with leaf springs
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2005 Nissan Frontier Exterior |
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Chrome front and rear bumpers
Driver and passenger externally adjustable black door mirrors
External dimensions: overall length (inches): 205.5, overall width (inches): 72.8, overall height (inches): 69.7, ground clearance (inches): 8.8, wheelbase (inches): 125.9, front track (inches): 61.8, rear track (inches): 61.8 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 43.3
Complex surface lens halogen bulb headlights
>Metallic paint
Straight side pickup bed
Sliding rear window
Rear platform step
Tinted glass on cabin, rear and side
Weights: gross vehicle weight rating (lbs) 5,690, curb weight (lbs) 4,323, gross trailer weight braked (lbs) 6,301 and max payload (lbs) 1,367
Windshield wipers with variable intermittent wipe
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2005 Nissan Frontier Interior |
12v power outlet: front and 3
Air conditioning
Fixed mast antenna
RDS audio system with AM/FM and CD player
Automatic drive indicator on dashboard
Below seat storage under rear seat
Cargo area dimensions: length (inches): 72.4, front width (inches): 61.4, width between arches (inches): 44.4 and height (inches): 17.9
Rear tailgate cargo doors
Clock
Full dashboard console with open storage box , full floor console with covered storage box
Delayed/fade courtesy lights
Front seats cup holders fixed , rear seats cup holders pop out
Door ajar warning
Door pockets/bins for driver seat, passenger seat and rear seats
Driver and passenger front airbag intelligent
Bucket driver and passenger seat
Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat
Front seat center armrest
Glove compartment
Two height adjustable head restraints on front seats , two head restraints on rear seats
Internal dimensions: front headroom (inches): 39.7, rear headroom (inches): 38.3, front hip room (inches): 55.8, rear hip room (inches): 55, front leg room (inches): 42.4, rear leg room (inches): 25.4, front shoulder room (inches): 58.3 and rear shoulder room (inches): 54.9
Low fuel level warning
Low tire pressure indicator
Low washer fluid level warning
Power steering
Front reading lights
3-point reel rear seat belts on driver side and passenger side
Two symmetrical jump front facing rear seats with zero adjustments
Rear view mirror
Upgraded cloth/velour seat upholstery with additional upgraded cloth/velour
Seating: four seats
Four speaker(s)
Plastic steering wheel with tilt adjustment
Tachometer
Driver and passenger vanity mirror
Ventilation system with recirculation setting
Article by: Becky Childs (nissangirl74)
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The life of a car enthusiast
From The Desk Of:
The Hitman
From The Desk Of:
audtatious
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