Secure In Its Own Truckulinity: The 2025 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X

The midsize truck market is heating up, and that especially applies to off-road versions of mid-sizers.

In the last year and a half, I've reviewed a chunk of 'em---the Chevrolet Colorado Trail Boss, the Ford Ranger Raptor, the Toyota Tacoma TRD PRO and the Tacoma TRD Off Road.

The Raptor and the TRD PRO are high-priced ($60K-plus) and hardcore. The heart of the off-road midsize market are the TRD Off-Road, the Colorado Trail Boss and now, the Nissan Frontier PRO-4X. These are trucks with 8/10ths the off-road chops of their more tricked-out siblings, with price tags that begin in the low-to-mid $40,000s.

The Nissan wins immediate points from me for not trying too hard with its styling. There's no "my truck wants to eat your house" vibe.

Like the Colorado, the Nissan Frontier PRO-4X has a V6 under the hood---in this case, a 3.8-liter with 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque. With a nine-speed automatic transmission, the EPA fuel economy estimate is 16 city/20 highway.

There's plenty of effortless power, with a smoothness and quietness that tells you it's a V6 and not a turbo four.

There are two wheelbases available. The short wheelbase version (our tester) has a towing capacity of 6,680 pounds, beating Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma. The long wheelbase max towing capability is 6,270.

There's 9.8 inches of ground clearance, with an approach angle of 32.3 degrees, a breakover angle of 19.6 and a departure angle of 23.

The base price of the 2025 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X Crew Cab SWB 4X4 Automatic V6 is $41,770 ($43,280 including destination).

As of this writing, the tariff picture continues to be unclear. The Frontier is built in the USA (Canton, Mississippi), but only 40% of its parts content is from North America. The price may (or may not) be higher at your dealer by the time you read this.

Standard equipment, in addition to what I've already mentioned, includes, a shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system, two speed transfer case with 4HI and 4LO, active brake limited slip, Bilstein off-road shocks, an electronic locking rear differential, 17-inch PRO alloy wheels, all-terrain tires, an aluminum front skid plate, underbody steel skid plates, LED headlamps and fog lights, dual outside power mirrors, a dampened and locking tailgate, cargo bed illumination, cargo tie-down hooks, lava red tow hooks, over fender flares, sliding rear glass, dual-zone climate control, trailer sway control, tow/haul mode switch, leather steering wheel and shifter, seat stitching, a manual tilt/telescope steering column, second-row underseat storage, a six-way power driver's seat with two-way power lumbar and a four-way power adjustable front passenger seat, intelligent key, hill start assist and hill descent control, a 12.3-inch color touchscreen, an eight-speaker audio system with four USB ports, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM satellite radio and a wi-fi hotspot.

Our tester had some extra-cost options, as well:

• Pro Convenience Package (spray-on bedliner, Utilit-track system with two adjustable tie-down cleats, 120-volt outlet in bed and rear console, heated outside mirrors, heated steering wheel and heated front seats, LED under-rail lighting, remote engine start, trailer hitch with wiring harness, intelligent around view monitor with moving object detection and off-road mode and wireless charging): $2,190

• Pro Premium Package (Ten-speaker Fender premium audio system, leather-appointed seats, auto-dimming interior rearview mirror with HomeLink, auto-tilt and slide sunroof with manual shade, door-to-door navigation, traffic sign recognition, Sirius XM Traffic and Travel Link+): $3,080

• Afterburner Orange paint: $425

• Interior Protection Package (door scuff protectors and all-season high wall liners): $280

• Two-tone beadlock-style wheels: $990.

All told, the bottom of the window sticker reads $50,245.

Of all the midsize off-road trucks I've driven, the Frontier PRO-4X strikes me as the easiest to live with, most pleasant to drive and best-equipped for the money.