Last month I traded in my 2020 Ford Ranger for a 2024 Nissan Frontier. This previously unheard of move (in my family, at least) to purchase a truck not made by Ford was the culmination of years of heartache with Ford product decisions. Here are a few reasons why I decided to move to a different truck.

The Engine

The base engine in the Ranger since it’s return in 2019 is the 2.3L I-4 EcoBoost. Let me start by saying this engine is an absolute rocket, and I added an ECU tune which boosted the HP well into the 300’s. When you drop it into sports mode and floor it, you can easily bark the tires at each shift. Even on the freeway when you mash it the tires chirp and it slams you into your seat.

All wonderful for the Mustang. But this is not an engine for a truck. To be fair it has a very smooth powerband for a turbo, and not a ton of noticeable turbo lag. But, a 4×4 needs torque at low RPMs to do what it does best, and a normally aspirated V-6 or even four cylinder is more appropriate.

Reliability

The practical effect on manufacturers of EPA regulations is that they are consolidating product lines, especially when it comes to what’s under the hood. More and more vehicles are using small displacement engines that are efficient on fuel and use a turbocharger to create power.

A turbocharger is a high-velocity air pump that generates a ton of heat. They fail. My wife has driven two vehicles that required a turbo replacement, and a third that was starting to show signs. While driving the Ranger was a blast, a truck approaching 100k miles and expired warranty is a ticking time bomb.

The Frontier has a 3.8 DOHC V-6. It develops plenty of power and has low-end grunt. It just feels right in a midsize pickup. Anecdotally, I see a ton of older Nissan Frontiers on the road. Granted they have the last generation 4.0 V-6, but I think their reliability is established. A properly maintained N/A V-6 (which can take regular old non-synthetic motor oil, by the way) will easily run for 200k miles.

Simplicity

I ordered this truck from Military Auto Sales back in the summer of 2020. I was planning on paying it off and driving it for the longest time, so I bought pretty much every bell and whistle. I justified the decision to spec it out becuase so the price was right with all the discounts. But, there’s something that just doesn’t feel right to me about driving a pickup with so many options. I realized that leaving the dog at home because I didn’t want him to trash the interior was totally unacceptable.

I found a more base model truck on an end of model year closeout. It’s got a few of the options I like (minus a sliding rear window), and anything else I want I can add. Bonus is I’m getting back to my old hobby of working on my vehicles, which is something that I kind of forgot I loved doing.

Nipponophilia

Yes this is a real word, and no it is not obscene or racist. I’ve made a few trips to Japan, and I just love Japanese engineering, style, and culture. My wife drives a Lexus, and I wanted to tryout a Japanese truck for myself. I looked at the Tacoma but it’s just not right for me. Plus if you’ve ever driving on Phoenix freeways you know that every third vehicle is a mall queen Jeep or Tacoma. The last thing I want is to look like everyone else.

When Nissan debuted the redesigned Frontier in 2022 I loved it. This was my opportunity to try something new.

Conclusion

I loved that Ranger. It had everything I wanted, and I loved the silver paint with dark charcoal trim. But, it was all way more than I needed. Downsizing was right for me. I’m spending less and having more fun with a plain white pickup.

Now, time to start shopping for accessories.