2023 Nissan Frontier vs 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning looked surprisingly normal despite being a revolutionary electric vehicle. It had unique exterior styling cues but resembled other traditional F-150s on the road. Ford offered it in four trim levels: Pro, XLT, Lariat, and Platinum, all featuring a single cab style and bed length. The Pro trim was the base model, targeting fleet use and cost-conscious buyers. Identifiers of the Lightning included a distinctive LED headlight bar, a plastic façade replacing the traditional grille, and badges on the rear flanks.

On the interior, the F-150 Lightning was spacious, offering more legroom than most two-row crossovers. Interior materials in the Lariat trim were of good quality, with some plastic elements but numerous nice touchpoints. The Lariat also featured a panoramic sunroof, extra under-seat storage, and an impressive 9.6-kilowatt-hour power supply with multiple power outlets. The air conditioning was strong, and the ventilated seats added comfort. The Lightning also had Ford’s interior work surface feature, which provided a nifty workspace by folding down the shift lever and flipping the center console.

In comparison, the 2023 Nissan Frontier came in four trim levels: S, SV, Pro-X, and Pro-4X. The 2023 updates included a Midnight Edition on the SV trim, which added black exterior and interior accents, and Lava Red interior highlights in the Pro-X and Pro-4X trims. Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and power-adjustable seats were available on both Pro grades. The Frontier offered nine exterior color options, including unique shades like Baja Storm and Tactical Green, enhancing its visual appeal.

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning stood out for its performance. It employed dual electric motors, delivering 426 horsepower with the standard range battery and 563 horsepower with the extended range battery. The torque was a hefty 775 pound-feet across all configurations, and all Lightning models featured all-wheel drive. A standard-range battery provided an estimated 230 miles of travel, while the extended-range battery offered 320 miles. The Lightning’s independent rear suspension and low center of gravity improved handling, though its heavy curb weight and tame tires limited off-road capabilities.

The Nissan Frontier, debuting its second generation in 2022, continued with its 3.8-liter V6 engine in 2023, producing 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque. It employed a nine-speed automatic transmission, standard rear-wheel drive, and an available shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive system. The 4WD system allowed switching to 4HI at speeds under 70 mph and required stopping to engage 4LO. Hill-start assist was standard, and hill-descent control was available with 4WD. The Frontier aimed to balance off-road capability with on-road comfort, featuring a progressive suspension and noise reduction measures. Its hydraulic steering, towing capacity of up to 6,720 pounds, and maximum payload of 1,610 pounds made it a solid performer.

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning offered a functional pickup truck with a 5.5-foot bed equipped with tie-down points. Its standout feature was the Mega Power Frunk, a 14.1 cubic feet front trunk with an underfloor storage bin, ideal for storing ice. The Lightning could function as a backup generator, powering a typical household for three days with a full battery. Its towing capacity reached 10,000 pounds, and it had a payload capacity of 2,000 pounds, although these maximums impacted driving range. The Lightning's onboard scales helped manage payload and driving-range adjustments.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier provided two cab configurations: the larger Crew Cab and the smaller King Cab. The Crew Cab offered a 5-foot bed, upgradable to 6-foot on the SV trim, while the King Cab came with a standard 6-foot bed. Pro-X and Pro-4X trims featured LED bed lighting and a spray-in bedliner. The 5-foot bed offered 40.1 cubic feet, and the 6-foot bed offered 46.4 cubic feet of volume. The hydraulically assisted tailgate opened slowly and was designed to be lightweight. The Pro-4X trim included an aluminum front skid plate and three steel under-body skid plates for off-road protection. Interior storage was abundant, with significant storage volumes in the center console, door pockets, and under the rear seats.

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning came with advanced technology, featuring a 12-inch touchscreen running Sync 4 on the Pro and XLT trims and a 15-inch portrait-oriented screen on the Lariat and Platinum trims. While the larger screen was visually impressive, it could be complex to navigate. The Lariat trim included a wireless charging pad and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Lightning also had infotainment games, which proved useful during charging sessions.

For 2023, Nissan made wireless Apple CarPlay standard on Pro-X and Pro-4X trims, while a wired connection remained necessary for other trims and for Android Auto users. These Pro trims also featured wireless charging pads and multiple USB ports. The infotainment system was hosted on an 8-inch touchscreen for S and SV trims and a 9-inch touchscreen for Pro-X and Pro-4X trims. A four-speaker audio system was standard on lower trims, while the Pro trims came with a six-speaker system and an optional 10-speaker Fender premium sound system. The Frontier also featured a 7-inch digital gauge cluster, with the off-road versions including an angle meter when 4WD was engaged.

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning was equipped with Ford’s Co-Pilot 360 advanced driver assistance systems, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alert. Higher trim levels offered additional safety features like adaptive cruise control, intersection assist, and Ford's BlueCruise hands-free driving system, which required the driver to pay attention and worked only on certified roads.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier came standard with forward-collision warning, trailer sway control, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert were available but not standard. The Pro-4X trim included traffic-sign recognition and intelligent cruise control. The NHTSA gave the Frontier a four-star overall safety rating, with strong side crash performance but lower scores in frontal crash and rollover tests. The IIHS rated the 2022 model highly for crash prevention and seat belt reminders, though the 2023 model had not been tested yet.