The Frontier is the right-size truck for an urban environment, and with the available V-6 engine it offers decent capability, too, with a large 6,500-pound maximum towing capacity and a 1,541-pound maximum payload rating when properly equipped. There's more capability to be had by stepping up to a full-size truck, but the larger size is a serious drawback in city driving.

The as-tested price of our Frontier King Cab 4x4 SE was $26,580, including a few options that added around $1,500 to the final price. The Frontier is available in notably more affordable variations if you want to pass on the V-6 engine and four-wheel drive, but at this price it seems expensive for what you get — especially if the bigness of a full-size truck isn't a factor where you live — because this price is right in the range of entry-level full-size models.

Unless you're planning on using the Frontier mainly for commuting — and there are better alternatives for that in the car and crossover world — the greater capability afforded by a full-size model is tough to pass up.