- pickup 63,478
- Phoenix, AZ
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- autoshopper.com
2003 nissan frontier review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. The crew cab model is available with either a 4-foot-8-inch bed or a standard-length 6-foot bed. now the 2003 frontier is also the first compact pickup to offer electronic stability control, and the first to offer a tire-pressure monitoring system. nissan claims more than a dozen enhancements for 2003. Among them: frontier's optional 3. 3-liter v6 engine is more powerful and gets better gas mileage. . lineupnissan builds frontier in nearly three dozen possible permutations of cab style, bed length, driveline, and trim level. Retail prices range from $12,989 to $26,939. Frontier does not, however, offer what most pickup manufacturers call a standard cab. King cabs have two doors, front bucket seats and additional seating for two passengers in fold-down rear jump seats. To keep its overall length compact, the standard frontier crew cab features a shorter-than-standard 56. 3-inch bed (4 feet, 8. 3 inches). But the long bed crew cab, introduced last year, comes with the same 74. 6-inch bed as the king cab. The longer bed addresses one of the biggest drawbacks to the new breed of compact crew cab pickups. A supercharged v6 increases output to 210 horsepower and 246 pounds-feet (231 lb.-ft. With manual transmission). Of torque. a five-speed manual transmission is standard with all three engines. Automatic transmission is standard on supercharged crew cabs. 2wd and 4wd are available with v6-powered frontiers. xe base-level trim is pretty basic. Power steering is included but even air conditioning is an option 1199, which includes a radio and cd player). Se prices start at $20,569 for the king cab, $22,289 for the crew cab. supercharged frontiers are designated s/c and come with most se equipment, plus 17-inch aluminum wheels with p265/55r17 (4x2) or p265/65r17 (4x4) bf goodrich rugged trail tires, specially tuned suspension with raised ground clearance for 4x4 models, limited-slip differential, 100-watt am/fm/cd audio system and titanium-colored gauges. S/c prices start at $20,819 for the king cab and $23,789 for the crew cab. Leather-appointed bucket seats with red-on-charcoal stitching are an exclusive s/c option. New for 2003 is the frontier sve (for supercharged value edition), a premium supercharged 4x4 model starting at $21,409 for the king cab and $24,419 for the crew cab. desert runner is based on the 4x2 king cab v6 and emulates the specially prepared trucks used by teams to pre-run big desert races. Like those trucks, desert runners have two-wheel drive, but feature the same heavy-duty chassis, ride height and stance as the rugged 4x4 models. Special badges distinguish desert runner models, which are available in xe, se, and s/c trim. vehicle dynamic control (vdc) with traction control 749 on xe, $549 on se and s/c) is a new option for 2003 frontier 4x4s. Vdc controls brake pressure and engine torque automatically to reduce understeer or oversteer in slippery sit. walkaroundnissan frontier is a compact truck with a big, bold design, starting with an industrial-grade front end that looks like a cross between a power tool and a boxing glove. This truck won't go unnoticed, like the relatively bland toyota tacoma. that powerful look includes a body-colored grille, which incorporates a faux bash guard made of tough plastic, an original design. The hoodline is tall, the clear halogen headlights and round maxima foglights are oversized, and the turn signals goggle-like. Large fender flares with integral mud flaps span radial wheel arches, and have a finish that's deliberately duller than the body. They're attached by prominent tabs that look like bolt heads, which cause people to walk up and see if they twist. There's something right about any design feature that draws people to touch it. Because tailgates get smashed so easily the demand for them is high, which keeps thieves busy; the lock should slow them down at least. xe models have 15-inch wheels (alloys if they are v6-powered) shod in p225/70r15 rubber (p265/70r15 with the v6). Se models roll on six-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels, a new design this year. They wear p255/65r16 tires on the 2wd se; se 4wd and sve models come with wider and taller 265/70r16 tires. Flip the bed extender forward, close the tailgate, and it provides a contained area for groceries or other small cargo. Unlike a solid tailgate, however, the bed extender won't hold back dirt or anything that can slip between its aluminum tubes. on the roof is a beefy tubular rack, first featured on the xterra; it can be fitted with yakima attachments to carry skis, snowboards and mountain bikes. A bed-mounted bike rack is also available. the engine compartment is tidy and roomy, and everything looks well balanced and accessible. Se and supercharged models now come with a heavy-duty 100-amp alternator and an under-hood junction outlet for easy wiring of aftermarket accessories. Leather is available in the crew cab. The leather seats are truly excellent. The 2003 center dash and instrument panel represent a big improvement over the silver plastic used two years ago. The instrument panel is striking with a two-tone titanium-colored background. At night the numbers illuminate, but because they're outlined in white instead of being bold, they're difficult to read. The digital clock is positioned so it's virtually impossible to read in the sunlight, and the little green lights indicating air conditioning are too dim and tiny. the cd changer holds six cds, which can be selected with the six radio-station buttons. There are two cool buttons for the emergency flashers and rear window defogger, rectangular and totally flat on the face of the panel. The heater controls are three big switches with wings, easy to operate while wearing gloves. there are front and rear auxiliary dc outlets in addition to the cigarette lighter. Big fixed cup holders are provided front and rear. The front cup holders on the center console work well. There's another tray ideal for a cell phone forward of the shift lever. Three grab handles are provided for climbing in and out, and available running boards make the step up easy. Radio and cruise controls are located on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, with wide spokes positioned at 3, 9, 5 and 7 o'clock. The whole padded center of the wheel is a horn button, the best and safest arrangement because of the quick access it provides. technically, the crew cab is a five-seater, but don't count on it. Don't count on even two adults being comfortable for long in the back seat if they're taller than five-foot-two. Getting in and out of the back seat is awkward for adults, as they have to swing their feet around the b-pillars behind the front seats. The rear seat space is tight in terms of leg room and knee room, but there is good head room and elbow room, and children seem to find the space comfortable enough. There are provisions back there for the installati. Cruise Control✔ AM/FM✔ Bucket Seats✔ Power Windows✔ CD Changer✔ CD Player✔ Aluminum Wheels✔ Leather Seats✔ Air Conditioning✔ Alloy Wheels
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