Talk me in or out of buying a new Pro4x. Coming from hybrid Maverick, family of 4

I was between a pro 4x and the new ranger. Ended up going with the ranger as I come from a ford family and liked the interior design / layout much better. But the 4x was definitely a contender.

I agree with the Toyota tax, not worth it.

Pros; Real emergency brake, not electric Soft drop tail gate Rear Leaf springs and shocks Dana rear axle 9 speed transmission non-cvt Optional* fender 10 speaker with sub is super clear and clean Comfortable ride Nice handling in the corners Very good tech driver assist cruise, cameras, proximity sensors, Nissan app Optional* heated mirrors Optional* heated seats Optional* sun roof Optional* bed rails and bed lighting 6230 lbs tow capacity Pretty quiet ride for a truck Decent styling looks good inside and out Price is fair for what it is

Cons: Driver seat controls in poor position- seatbelt will adjust the back tilt Auto stop start- fuel savings at stop light- must disable every time you start. If your bigger than 6ft 250 lbs head room may be an issue seat may be too small Low ground clearance for off road - lift required 4 doors=5ft bed

I’ve had mine for 3 months, in the shop for 5 weeks of that getting hail damage repaired 11k$ and I missed it every day it was in the body shop. I hope you join the club - good luck Oh and I came from a Toyota 2007 FJ cruiser that I bought new 17 years ago

I bought a 23 SV and we love it. At the moment I have a carseat and a 100lb dog in the backseat and they fit great. I had a 2nd gen Tacoma, and had a 1st gen before that. The toyotas are great. But my Taco was a tighter fit for sure. That was the primary reason for the upgrade. Also the toyota tax has gotten outright ridiculous. My SV had 20k miles on it when I bought it but it is fully loaded with every package possible lol. I paid a little less than 35k OTD. Its got more power than the comparable taco, and is far more comfortable on the road. I test drove newer ones and was more impressed by the Nissan. Also I have friend 6’ or so in height that have ridden in the back for as long as an hour and no one has complained, also though they were used to my taco.

Man I love my P4X, but with 2 kids, and wanting to wheel, I’d recommend finding a good used 4Runner. It would be perfect. If you wanna stick with Nissan, like 2015 Xterra p4X.

Bro what about a Titan? You can get an SV 4x4 crew van for about the same price/gas mileage too

I’m 6’1 and can fit in the back but I would really hate it if i had to do it for a long trip over 30mins

And I think Frontier has one of the better back seats. Maybe you should look into SUVs, I feel like truck backseats won’t get as good as SUV backseats.

For full size and on a budget maybe look into Tundras

Yeah, used F150 with the 4x4 and 2.7 V6

More room.

We just bought a 2024 Pro4x after my boyfriend did a LOT of research over several years. He has twin 13 year olds who say the back seat isn’t bad and they’re fine with it. We haven’t taken the truck on a long trip yet, but usually the twins would tell us even for short trips if it was uncomfortable (lol, preteens/teenagers and their unfiltered opinions).

The back seat isn’t able to recline and is almost vertical, but it must be decently comfortable because they like the Pro4X (and that’s after they’ve enjoyed my 2023 Honda CRV Sport Touring hybrid with a backseat that reclines A LOT.)

The primary purpose of a pro4x is to sell the aesthetic and more expensive options. I assure you that a neither a FWD Maverick or a RWD Frontier would have any trouble going on the various dirt roads in state or national parks.

For decades, trucks and cars did not have 4x4 and people have been hiking and fishing this entire time. That said, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to buy a cheap set of recovery boards as extra insurance.

My wife is 5’11 and she didnt enjoy the rear seat. She much preferred the F-150 crewcab rear seat.

I got a 2024 in Feb and I mostly love it. Came with the luxury package. Only major thing I'm having a hard time getting used to is the difference in gear ratios from switching to the 9 speed transmition. Just shifts in weird spots.

It really depends how your kids feel about the backseat. Because a Frontier backseat is …. rough. The angle of the seat back is weird. It’s a no go for adults, for sure. Small kids would do ok for short trips. Cross country would suck. And if you aren’t doing any HARDCORE off-roading, maybe consider an S or SV with a nice package, over a P4X. There are mechanical benefits to a P4X, but if you don’t use them, you’re simply paying up for fender flares, grill trim, and a sticker. I myself would never benefit from the split differential or the Bilstiens. I have an SV. I think the black trimmed S models look best of them all. At the core of it all, they’re all the same truck. Decide what add-ons you’re paying for. And I think more than anything, DRIVE ONE (if you haven’t already, of course). It will be SO different. The hydraulic steering is especially interesting. Frontier is a ‘modern classic truck’ in a lot of ways.

Care to elaborate on the list of negatives for the Maverick? I just bought a Pro4X, coming from a crossover that got about 20-21 mpg. I've had the Frontier for a little over a month and I am getting 16-17 mpg. I do a mixture of city and highway driving. Probably the most comfortable vehicle I've driven on the highway, but the complete opposite in the city. I think it's the heavier weight of the steering and size that I am still getting used to. Don't get me wrong I do like the truck a lot. It has a great balance of tech and traditional features in the interior, and it is fully equipped with LEDs (minus the third brake light which is an easy modification). Smooth transmission too. It's just my wife, my dog, and I, so I can't comment on whether it would be good for a family of 4, but my guess would be that it would not be great as the primary hauler due to the rear seat positioning and space.

I f you can’t appreciate the frontier engine don’t buy it.

Family of 4?

Have you looked at the SuperCrew lineup of F150s? Can't beat that interior/comfort space.

Emperor Palpatine voice: "Do it."

Just don’t end up paying a ton for features you will not use that may make city driving worse. I’ll admit it, I leased a pro4x 23’ with all kinds of off road dreams, and I really do love the car. But I only took it camping twice, and in reality, I could have just used a sv trim with road tires. Most of the time, the car is driving over city paved roads. I was worried about tow capacity, but only towed once. You have a truck now, do you feel that you are limited by the capacity of the truck now? If not, I’d vote for just keeping the maverick. Can’t beat that gas’s mileage.

Ps: For most of the road trips with kids, we end up taking our awd suv as it’s more comfortable for longer drives.

I moved from a Ranger fx4 to a Frontier p4x. I had serious concerns about the longevity of the Ranger and I also originally wanted the Frontier.

What I miss about the Ranger is the great gas mileage and the engine. Yeah it was a Turbo I4 but that thing took off. It made merging onto highways and overtaking other vehicles so much fun.

The frontier doesn't get as great mileage, (about 21 mpg hand calculated) but it is such a a great truck. It feels well made, the seat warmers and steering wheel warmer are a blessing in the colder months. The seats are comfortable, I like the interior, and it just feels like a truck that will last a long time.

I went off roading about 2 weeks ago and it handled very well. I wanted a p4x for the same reasons as you.

I just got a ‘24 about a month ago. I have kids the same age. My only worry is the leg room for them. The back isn’t to comfortable for long rides over 3hours in my mind.

My question is will the Frontier be your only family vehicle? I have a Frontier but my wife has a Subaru with better seating capacity. If it’s just us going out or maybe one other person then the truck is fine. Any more than that and we take her car.

I have a 9 year old and she likes the back seat and when carpooling for work the guys sitting in the back don’t complain or have yet to even say anything about the seating but then again blue collar guys aren’t gonna cry about it and even when I asked them about the back they would just say “it’s alright “. Just my experience so far

For light wheeling you could just get an SV. I'd say I do moderate off roading and I've only used my locking diff two or three times... and they were when I was really pushing limits. 

That aside,  the back seat of the frontier is really small. Fitting a family of 4 on there is possible, but won't be comfortable, especiallyas the kids grow. If you don't need the truck bed a 4runner would be a great long term option. The upside off the Toyota tax is they hold their value, so if you need something bigger later you'll be out a lot less money than with a Frontier. 

Well first off. What’s your negatives about the maverick?