2023 Nissan Frontier vs 2022 Ford Maverick

The 2022 Ford Maverick stood out in its traditional pickup guise, drawing design cues from its larger kin like the Ford F-150 and Ranger. Its prominent wheel arches and familiar taillights gave it a rugged familiarity. The front end, however, deviated with its large headlights and distinct grille crossbar, offering a mixed reception among enthusiasts. Measuring in at 199.7 inches in length and 68.7 inches in height, the Maverick was about a foot shorter and nearly 5 inches lower than the Ranger. It rested on the C2 unibody platform, borrowed from the Ford Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs, unlike the traditional body-on-frame construction.

The base Maverick XL came with 17-inch steel wheels, progressing to 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels in higher trims. A First Edition package for the Maverick Lariat boasted black accents, a soft tonneau cover, and special wheels and paint. Luxury packages on XLT and Lariat trims introduced leather-wrapped heated steering wheels and heated seats.

Inside, the Maverick decked out even the base model with playful, multicolored plastic and innovative design touches like exposed fasteners and minimalistic door cards, plus intricately woven fabric or optional leather seats. These elements highlighted that economy doesn’t mean sacrificing style, marking the Maverick's interior as one of its most standout features.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier offered four trim levels: S, SV, Pro-X, and Pro-4X. It kept its 1986 Hardbody-inspired exterior and fresh interior from 2022. The new Midnight Edition on the SV trim introduced blacked-out exterior details and accents. Pro trims sported Lava Red interiors, with bold stitching and accents on the steering wheel and door-mounted speakers.

Heated front seats and steering wheels featured on Pro trims, while both Pro-X and Pro-4X trims had high-power 6-way adjustable driver’s seats and flip-up rear bench seats. Nine exterior color options, including tactical and vibrant shades, added to its visual appeal.

The 2022 Ford Maverick delivered a hybrid powertrain as standard, led by a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine paired with a single electric motor and CVT, combining to produce 191 hp and 155 lb-ft of torque. An optional EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine churned out 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid came exclusive with FWD, while the EcoBoost offered standard FWD and optional AWD. An FX4 off-road package added improved suspension, underbody protection, hill-descent control, and specialized drive modes.

In real-world off-road challenges, the Maverick FX4 handled rocky and muddy terrains competently but inclined toward more traditional pickups for extreme off-roading. On paved roads, its unibody platform delivered a smoother ride than many body-on-frame trucks. The tall hood slightly impeded forward visibility, but ample exterior mirrors and low door sills aided maneuvering.

In our tests, the hybrid powertrain offered more linear power delivery and a smoother ride, while the EcoBoost powertrain provided AWD, superior towing, and zippy acceleration.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier rocked a robust 3.8-liter V6 engine generating 310 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission—also seen in the Nissan Titan and Z. While nimble for in-town driving, highway acceleration required numerous downshifts, sometimes hindering response times.

RWD was standard, with an optional shift-on-the-fly 4WD system available. Hill-start assists featured across the lineup, while hill-descent control was exclusive to 4WD models, aiding tricky maneuvering on challenging terrain.

Balancing off-road prowess with smooth on-road manners was Nissan’s goal for the Pro-4X trim, resulting in progressive suspension tuning, a softer jounce bumper, and significant noise reduction efforts. Notably, the hydraulic steering gave the Frontier a responsive feel, enhanced by a 16% boost in the steering gear ratio for easier low-speed maneuvering.

The Frontier's towing capacity peaked at 6,720 pounds, with a payload capacity of 1,610 pounds, and its fuel economy reflected at 20 mpg combined for RWD and slightly lower for 4WD configurations.

The 2022 Ford Maverick was available as a four-door crew cab, offering impressive front and rear legroom, surpassing the larger Toyota Tacoma and edging out the Hyundai Santa Cruz in some areas. With storage galore, it flaunted clever compartments behind and beside the touchscreen, under the rear seats, and in the door designs, alongside the FITS (Ford Integrated Tether System) for customizable storage.

A 4.5-foot bed offered 1,500 pounds of payload capacity, with innovative features like FlexBed’s tie-down cleats and divider indents. The multi-position tailgate facilitated securing 4x8 sheets of plywood. The Maverick hybrid could tow up to 2,000 pounds, while the EcoBoost pushed that capacity to 4,000 pounds.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier featured two cab options. The Crew Cab, standard on Pro-X and Pro-4X trims, boasted larger interior space and a 5-foot bed, with an optional 6-foot bed for the SV Crew Cab. The King Cab, standard on S and SV trims, offered a 6-foot bed but limited interior space.

Newly added under-rail bed lighting and a taller bed wall for increased cargo volume of 40.1 cubic feet for the 5-foot bed and 46.4 cubic feet for the 6-foot bed added utility. The hydraulic tailgate provided a controlled, single-hand operation. The Pro-4X trim added three steel under-body skid plates and an aluminum front skid plate for protection. Additionally, zero-gravity seats and ample in-cabin storage enhanced the interior's practicality, with under-seat storage available starting from the SV trim.

The 2022 Ford Maverick stuck with the Sync 3 system, enabling standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired versions), supported by an 8-inch touchscreen and a built-in WiFi hotspot capable of supporting up to 10 devices. The dated but functional interface missed embedded navigation, but slots for phones and USB ports added usability. Hybrids included a brake-coaching feature for optimized driving.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier updated to wireless Apple CarPlay for Pro trims, with wired connectivity required for earlier trims and Android Auto users. Pro trims boasted additional USB-A and USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad. Infotainment for S and SV trims utilized an 8-inch touchscreen, whereas Pro-X and Pro-4X upgraded to a class-leading 9-inch display. A four-speaker system came standard, while higher trims offered six speakers, and a premium 10-speaker Fender audio system was available.

Standard 7-inch digital gauge clusters were across the board, with additional off-road-specific displays on higher trims. The Frontier also featured Nissan's AVM with off-road mode available on Pro trims.

The 2022 Ford Maverick included standard Co-Pilot360 features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high beams. Optional safety features extended to adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane centering, and evasive steering assist. Official crash-test ratings from IIHS and NHTSA remained unavailable.

The 2023 Nissan Frontier came equipped with forward-collision warning, trailer sway control, driver-attention monitor, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, and rear-door alert. Advanced features like lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control were available. Exclusive to Pro-4X were traffic-sign recognition and intelligent cruise control. NHTSA awarded the 2023 Frontier a four-star overall rating, with the 4WD Crew Cab scoring highest in side impact tests.