The Nissan Frontier is a class leader in the compact pickup truck category, and the Nismo trim line is designed for top off-road performance.

The Nismo engine is a 4.0-liter V6 that produces 261 hp and 281 pound-feet of torque. The rear-wheel drive configuration offers only a five-speed automatic, which reviewers found quite sophisticated. Kelley Blue Book commented that the engine "might be the smoothest, strongest V6 ever put in a pickup." Performance is brisk, and the ride is extremely stiff â?? reviewers recommend the Nismo trim for off-road use only. Gas mileage is a drawback. The EPA rates the V6 with rear-wheel drive and the five-speed automatic at 15/20 mpg.

The rear-wheel-drive Nismo trims offer off-road suspension and cargo upgrades: Nismo-spec Bilstein off-road performance shocks, skid plates, BFGoodrich Rugged Trial T/A tires, 16-inch, six-spoke aluminum alloy wheels, the Utili-track Channel System, and a factory-applied spray-on bedliner with bed rail caps. (The four-wheel-drive Nismo trims offer even more off-road optimization.)

The Crew Cab configuration is "more sedan-like," with rear bench seating. Reviewers consider it the overall choice for carrying people, but even with that extra space, reviewers found "kid-size" rear legroom.

The front-wheel-drive Nismo Crew Cab can carry 1,297 pounds and has a maximum towing capacity of 6,300 pounds.