V-6 Gas Mileage, Performance

One of the disappointing elements of the V-6 Frontier — and one that many people in the market for a smaller truck will likely be concerned about — is its gas mileage. With an automatic transmission and four-wheel drive, it gets an EPA-estimated 14/19 mpg city/highway, which is similar to what the full-size Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks achieve with V-8 power. If you're looking for better gas mileage, rear-wheel-drive Frontiers come with a standard four-cylinder engine that gets up to 19/23 mpg with a five-speed manual.

Aside from its gas mileage, I like the V-6 drivetrain. The 4.0-liter V-6 makes 261 horsepower (the most of any midsize six-cylinder pickup) and offers strong acceleration when merging on the highway or pulling away from a stoplight.

The V-6 Frontier I tested had the optional five-speed automatic (a six-speed manual is standard), and the transmission is a smooth-shifting unit. However, it likes to run in a high gear, even when cruising at midrange speeds, to keep engine rpm low and save fuel. This didn't prove detrimental to performance because the V-6 is so powerful.

    See also:

    Locking with key
    Driver’s side Manual (if so equipped) To lock a door, turn the key toward the front of the vehicle 1 . To unlock, turn the key toward the rear 2 . Power (if so equipped) The power door l ...

    How to use the SETUP button
    How to use the SETUP button When the SETUP button is pressed, the Setup screen will appear on the display. You can select and/or adjust several functions, features and modes that are availabl ...

    Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory (if so equipped)
    This system supports various USB memory sticks, USB hard drives and iPod players. There are some USB devices which may not be supported with this system. ● Make sure that the USB device is c ...