Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Every Frontier now features a 3.8-liter V-6 that makes 310 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque. It pairs exclusively with a nine-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or four-wheel drive. We won't know how much this new powertrain will affect the truck's performance until we can test one ourselves. However, we don't expect the Frontier's ride and handling to change much—if at all. While the last version we tested had a comfortable ride on most roads, its handling felt loose due to lazy steering feedback and excessive body motion. The soft suspension and slow steering work well for trail duty but not during evasive maneuvers. This setup was better at isolating passengers from harsh impacts; however, the roughest roads revealed squeaks and shudders throughout the cabin. Its soft-feeling brake pedal had excessive travel, and hard stops elicited an unsettling nose dive.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The 2020 Frontier's interior design is straight out of 2005, and its short list of options is also outdated. However, the hard-plastic habitat is appropriate for tradesmen and trail raiders. The uninspired switchgear is ugly but effective and provides straightforward operation. Too bad no amount of money will get you a telescoping steering wheel, cooled front seats, wireless charging, or even a heated steering wheel. The Frontier's crew cab has decent front-passenger space, but even its crew cab's back seat has limited legroom, which is similar to the cramped Toyota Tacoma. Although its two available cargo beds are smaller than those of its rivals, the pickup has ample interior storage space, and our crew-cab test truck held a respectable 10 carry-ons in the back seat. While its interior storage space isn't innovative, the Frontier has plenty of places to store loose stuff. There's a cubby above the center stack and a large tray below it for small items.