2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 vs 2022 Nissan Frontier

The 2022 Nissan Frontier captured attention with its rugged, blocky design that harked back to the old Nissan Hardbody pickup from the 1980s and 1990s. This model was part of Nissan’s “Nissan Next” strategy, aiming to unveil 10 refreshed, redesigned, or new vehicles over 20 months. It showcased shades of old-school toughness with a solid more modern look. Designed under Hiren Patel’s guidance, the Frontier looked like it had been machined from a block of metal, combining strength with finesse. Available in nine exterior colors, including distinctive shades like Tactical Green and Boulder Gray Pearl, the truck came with two interior color options: charcoal and sandstone. The model we tested was in the unique Baja Storm color with charcoal leather seating—a combination exclusive to its off-road-ready PRO-4X and 2WD PRO-X trims. Slightly elongated from its predecessor, the 2022 Frontier featured a hail of practical elements while maintaining a comfortable fit for common garage and parking spaces. It targeted competitors like the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, GMC Canyon, and Toyota Tacoma.

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, on the contrary, stirred mixed feelings with its styling. Though Chevy had historical designs that aged gracefully (like the split-bar grilles of the 1990s), the current generation’s small headlights with body panels jutting into the grille below appeared eccentric to some. Its aggressive traits reflected a design consistent with the current Chevrolet lineup, which has a somewhat “Transformers” vibe. Its multiple appearance packages like the Rally Edition, Midnight Edition, and Redline Edition added varied visual flairs. The Silverado’s cabin offered multiple interior layouts based on trims, ensuring that controls were conveniently placed for a highly functional, user-focused experience. The WT and Custom trims retained a classic look with smaller screens and physical controls. The other trims boasted a more modern dash with a large, intuitive touchscreen.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier came with a prominent powertrain featuring a retuned 3.8-liter V6 engine that Nissan initially unwrapped in 2020. This engine produced a class-leading 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque, making for strong acceleration and ample highway passing power. Managing this power was a nine-speed automatic transmission with traditional shifter control, which seamlessly shifted through gears to optimize power and fuel economy. Although not the most fuel-efficient, the Frontier’s EPA estimates stood at 18 mpg city and 24 highway for rear-wheel drive models, with slightly lower figures for 4WD models. For off-road enthusiasts, the PRO-4X trim added delightful features like hill-start assist, hill-descent control, an electronic locking rear differential, Bilstein shocks, and multiple skid plates.

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 had a range of engine options, starting with a turbocharged 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine delivering 310 horsepower and an impressive 430 pound-feet of torque. Those craving V8 power could choose between a 5.3-liter engine with 355 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque or a 6.2-liter engine with 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. A six-cylinder Duramax turbodiesel option offered 305 horsepower and 495 pound-feet of torque. The base engine routed power through an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the other powertrain options used a refined 10-speed automatic. Towing was a major strength for the Silverado, with a maximum towing capacity of 13,300 pounds (with the 6.2-liter V8 and Max Towing package) and a payload capacity of up to 2,260 pounds. The truck surprised us with its handling prowess, as its massive size effectively tackled the trail and handled field conditions smoothly.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier excelled in combining comfort and utility in the front seats. The Zero Gravity seats enhanced the overall comfort, which was rare in the midsize pickup segment. Additionally, its convenient storage options and the spacious cabin behind the wheel felt broader and welcoming compared to competitors like Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. Although the Crew Cab provided decent headroom and legroom, the King Cab wasn’t suitable for anything larger than a toolbox due to its rear jump seats. With eight cupholders scattered around the cabin and additional storage compartments beneath the rear seats, the Frontier was well-equipped for convenience.

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 offered various body styles, including regular, double, and crew cabs, with three different bed lengths ranging from 5 feet 8 inches to 8 feet. The regular cab typically featured in work-focused trims had a front bench seat accommodating three passengers. The double cab boasted conventional car doors for easy rear seat access, suitable for short commutes. In contrast, the crew cab version was highly spacious, offering abundant headroom and legroom, with the rear bench seat folding up for added in-cabin cargo space. This flexibility made the Silverado a practical choice for work and household needs.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier saw significant technological advances from prior models. A standard 8-inch touchscreen led the way for the S and SV trims, while the PRO-4X boasted a larger 9-inch screen. The interface was user-friendly, featuring physical knobs for volume and tuning plus hard buttons for essential functions. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, albeit wired. Optional features included a robust Kicker tailgate audio system and a wireless phone charger. The available 10-speaker Fender stereo provided premium sound quality, although bundled within an expensive package that included leather and a moonroof.

Conversely, the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 equipped its WT and Custom trims with a 7-inch touchscreen, straightforward and functional. Higher trims incorporated a 13.4-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, indicating a leap toward modernity. The screen was vivid and responsive, enhancing the overall user experience. Higher trims like the LTZ also added wireless device charging, making technology accessibility seamless.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier came loaded with Nissan Safety Shield 360, featuring automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention monitoring, and intelligent forward collision warning. Other standard features included trailer sway control, rear-door alert, eight airbags, and an easy-fill tire alert. Optional safety tech added blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition, though crash-test scores weren’t available yet due to the model’s recent redesign.

The 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 came with a comprehensive suite of standard advanced driver assistance features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, and lane-departure warning. It also featured a Teen Driver system for setting speed and volume limitations with a secondary set of keys. Higher trims supplemented with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a 360-degree camera system, rain-sensing wipers, and GM’s Super Cruise highway driving system. NHTSA rated the Silverado 1500 with a commendable five out of five stars overall, and it received high marks in IIHS crash tests, making it a solid choice for safety-conscious buyers.