2020 Nissan Frontier vs 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

When comparing the aesthetic appeal of the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the 2020 Nissan Frontier, each truck presented distinct characteristics.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offered a variety of design elements that provided each version with its own unique appearance. This included different grilles, finishes, wheel sizes, styles, and a choice of black, body-color, or shiny bumpers. Depending on the preferred style, buyers could choose from Regular Cab, Double Cab, and Crew Cab styles, with trim levels ranging from Work Truck (WT), Custom, LT, RST, LTZ, to the High Country. The Trail Boss treatment was available for off-roading enthusiasts in the Custom or LT trims. The MSRP for the Silverado ranged from $28,500 to $57,100, excluding a $1,595 destination charge.

The test model, the LT Trail Boss, came with a previously unavailable 6.2-liter V8 engine and several option packages, which increased the price to $59,185, including the destination charge. The black paint, wheels, and blacked-out exterior trim offered a custom, albeit high-maintenance look. In terms of usability, the Silverado's raw architectural strength reflected an industrial appearance with a cabin filled with possibly outdated, rather busy designs. Despite the leather seats, the interior felt somewhat underwhelming considering the price close to $60,000.

Moving over to the 2020 Nissan Frontier, its design seemed almost preserved from 2005 but had aged well. Notably, the PRO-4X trim stood out with a tube-style roof rack, unique 16-inch alloy wheels, white-lettered tires, a standard spray-in bedliner, and cool bedside graphics. Nissan offered the Frontier in King Cab and Crew Cab styles with multiple trim levels including S, SV, and PRO-4X. Our test model was a Frontier PRO-4X Crew Cab priced at $38,745, including a $1,095 destination charge.

The Frontier's cabin brought a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of mid-2000s Nissan designs characterized by symmetry, modularity, and prevalent silver plastic. While the Frontier’s interior was mostly hard plastic, it was impressively solid, with no squeaks or rattles even on rough surfaces. This demonstrated the benefit of a long production run, ensuring a well-screwed-together structure.

Performance-wise, the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offered a diverse range of engines and transmissions. Chevrolet provided five engine options and three transmission choices. New for 2020 was a 3.0-liter turbodiesel 6-cylinder engine, which delivered 277 horsepower at 3,750 rpm and 460 pound-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm. The turbodiesel could achieve up to 27 mpg on the highway but came at an additional cost of up to $6,705, dependent on trim level.

The LT Trail Boss test truck was equipped with a 6.2-liter V8 engine, producing 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. This engine ensured excellent acceleration and a satisfyingly robust exhaust note. Though the Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac tires were a bit noisy on pavement, they performed brilliantly on rugged trails, coupled with the Z71 Off-Road Package that included an off-road suspension and other off-roading essentials. The 6.2-liter V8 managed an average of 16.8 mpg, close to the official EPA rating.

In comparison, the 2020 Nissan Frontier underwent a significant drivetrain update featuring a 3.8-liter V6 engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission. This new engine replaced the older 4.0-liter V6 and 2.5-liter four-cylinder, delivering 310 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 281 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. The new V6 brought smoother operations and refined power delivery, resulting in greater performance and fuel efficiency. The Frontier managed an average of 19.3 mpg, exceeding the EPA estimate.

However, the Frontier’s steering was slow and effort-intensive, with a wide turning radius. Despite the high-pressure Bilstein off-road shocks soaking up most irregularities, the truck’s older platform meant that road surfaces often reverberated through the cabin.

The interior functionality and comfort saw a stark contrast between the two trucks.

In the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, the leather upholstery and 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat were comfortable, making long drives pleasant. However, the front passenger seat missed a height adjuster, which was a let-down for some occupants. The Crew Cab's back seat was spacious with good thigh support, and passengers in certain trims benefited from rear heating, USB ports, and air conditioning vents.

Storage options in the Silverado were plentiful, from dual glove compartments and a large center console to hidden rear seatback compartments. The Silverado had significant hauling and towing capabilities, with the ability to haul up to 2,250 pounds of payload and tow up to 13,400 pounds in certain configurations. The test LT Trail Boss could handle a payload of 2,170 pounds and tow 11,300 pounds with the Max Trailering Package.

The 2020 Nissan Frontier, despite its aged design, offered practical storage solutions, including dual glove compartments and a decent-sized center armrest bin. The PRO-4X's eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat sat high and provided good support, although prolonged periods became uncomfortable due to the lack of modern seat design features. The Frontier Crew Cab’s rear seats were tight and lacked modern conveniences like rear air conditioning vents and USB ports.

In terms of cargo capacity, the Frontier PRO-4X could haul up to 1,020 pounds of payload with its standard spray-in bedliner and Utili-Track channel system. However, its bed volume was limited to 27.1 cubic feet due to the shallow 18-inch bed height.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offered a 7-inch or 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Chevrolet Connected Access services, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot as standard. Upgrades included navigation, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, wireless device charging, and a 7-speaker Bose premium sound system. However, even the 8-inch screen felt small by modern standards, and the advanced trailering system featured remarkable camera views but minimally extended trial periods for preferred features like WiFi.

In contrast, the 2020 Nissan Frontier seemed technologically outdated with its 5.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Although it included NissanConnect Apps, satellite radio, navigation, and a 10-speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system, it lacked Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Siri Eyes Free offered a more contemporary voice control alternative, but otherwise, the Frontier's tech suite appeared both refreshingly simple and frustratingly archaic.

Safety features reflected significant differences and shortcomings in both models.

The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 came with standard rear-seat reminder systems and Teen Driver technologies but fell short in offering advanced safety features across all trims. Only the LTZ and High Country models had access to essential features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. With a 4-star overall rating from the NHTSA and marginal IIHS small overlap frontal-impact ratings, the Silverado’s crash-test results indicated room for improvement.

For the 2020 Nissan Frontier, safety technology and ratings revealed fundamental issues. The Frontier had NHTSA's overall 4-star rating, with underwhelming three-star frontal-impact and rollover resistance ratings. The IIHS ratings included a marginal small overlap frontal-impact rating and poor headlight performance. The Frontier's safety features included a basic reversing camera, antilock brakes, traction control, and stability control but missed on modern driver-assistance technologies.