Nissan Trucks are a part of me and have been since 1985 when I bought my first Datsun King Cab; a 1981 model. It was very similar to this one, except mine had a high rise camper shell. I’ll never forget this smooth running 2.2 litre 4 cylinder with 8 spark plugs and auto transmission. This was a very nice truck until I t-boned against a mid 70’s Chevy truck that ran a red light in 1988.
Fast forward to 2005 when I bought another Nissan truck, or more specifically, a Nissan Xterra. This one…
This was the SE model and had the 4.0 litre engine. My wife was driving a 2000 Pontiac Montana at the time, which had less than 100,000 carefully maintained miles, yet was unreliable and it had to go. She had a friend who owned a first generation Xterra, which he recommended and knowing what I knew then about the Xterra, I readily agreed on buying one. I remember two things; the 380 watt Rockford Fosgate 6 CD stereo system (awesome) and the fact it towed our 20 foot Jayco for many thousands of trouble free miles.
More than a few miles were towed without an equalizer hitch, but after adding one, the ride was much more stable and secure. I also liked the fact that the 5 speed automatic never once failed me in spite of the many miles I towed this RV.
I liked (loved even) the Xterra so much that I bought a new 2006 Frontier double cab like this one…
As you may know, the Xterra, the Pathfinder and the Frontier were all built on the same platform; there was little to no difference in power and performance between them. Even the interiors were the same. I added a black high rise camper shell to ours; and while my wife drove the X (as we called it), I drove the Frontier.
Around about 2006 I picked up a 1999 Frontier at auction. Like this one…
It was a basic 4 cylinder 5 speed truck, which I bought cheap and flipped it for a profit.
In 2010, for reasons I can’t explain, I traded in the black Frontier and bought a Toyota Venza for my wife and I took over driving the X. She really didn’t like driving the Venza and wanted her X back, but by then the 2005 X was nearing 175,000 miles and needed some work. So, a new X was needed in 2017; the thing is, they stopped making Xterras in 2015. I then searched and searched for the best used one I could find and found this 2014…
McKinney Texas was 285 miles away, but it was worth the trip to get a clean low mileage X in like new condition.
So this brought us to owning 2 Xterras; the 2005 silver one and the 2014 white one. They both were 2WD SE models, but as often happens, carmakers decontent their models and this was the case with the 2014 X. So no 380 watt stereo system. Oh well.
Our happy ownership of 2 Xterras came to an end in 2019 when the ’05 silver one met its demise at 195,000 miles when our son ignored the fact that it was overheating. This cooked the ’05’s engine and left us with just 1 truck; the 2014 Xterra.
In 2021 we traded in the white X for what? That’s right – another Nissan truck.
This was a used 2020 model with under 6,000 miles and unlike the many previous models with the 4 litre 5 speed automatic, this one had the 3.8 V6 with the 9 speed automatic. The power and performance was great in the older models, and it is even greater in the new ones. Pattie is old school when it comes to technology and she really didn’t want the new updated 2021 Frontier with its high tech options, so she is perfectly happy with no Apple Carplay and other modern accessories. Hers has the heated seats, and she’s more than fine with that.
So there you have it. Nissan Trucks (SUVs) have been a staple in our family since forever.
Awesome! Big Nissan truck fan here, too. But from the Hardbody D21 age, never had a Frontier.
And for all the years and years that they made the hardbody, I never owned one of those.
I’m glad you had good luck with your trucks. My 1981 Datsun King Cab was not so good; blown head gasket and lunched transmission (manual) in under 100k miles. But I do love the Xterra, and I’ve even read rumors that Nissan may resurrect the model name in a serious (non-EV) SUV.
Hats off to you for your brand loyalty. I’m sort of the same way with Honda and Volvo.
Your ’81 King Cab reminds me of the ’82 Mazda Sundowner I drove for a while. Those early import trucks were so tough and so much fun to drive!
The Nissan in the first photo is gorgeous.
Midsize Japanese pickup trucks from the 1980s tend to appreciate in value over the years.
Before I bought my 65 F100, in 2006, the only truck I personally drove before that was a 1973 Datsun 620 at a dealer. Thinking, but it was too darn short for my 34″ inseam. Next time was when my girlfriend, in 1982, had a 620 around the outer edges of San Francisco. Now I saw their shortcomings with rusted out cowls and A pillars.
All great choices!
My 1998 Frontier is very basic with a 4-cylinder and 5-speed manual and looks very similar to the 1999 model pictured (same wheels even), except mine is a regular cab. I’ve had it for nearly 27 years and just over 109,000 miles.
Loved my ‘74 620 pickup, with torsion bars cranked and oversized tires all around. It was a beast off road, keeping up with a new ‘78 CJ-5 and a ‘76 Power wagon. Except on the steepest hill climbs, it surprisingly kept up and dumbfounded my buddies. Great fun. Great article, Elky.
I bought an ‘88 Hardbody SE-V6 Kingcab new. My first car with power window and locks and air conditioning! I loved the 5-speed on that thing. Lasted 13 years and 250k miles before I needed 4 doors and airbags when the kid came along. I sold it in 2001 for $2500 and it immediately headed to South America….
Good to hear Nissan is still making basic work trucks, nothing beats them IMO .
I too don’t like/need/want a T.V. screen in the dash or other crap that will fail in a few years .
? Are the Nissan V6 engines any good ? . I foolishly bought a Toyota Camry with a V6 and it was junk, what a disappointment .
Many years ago I briefly dated a rich woman who bought a then new Pathfinder, 4 cylinder automatic, I thought it great but she didn’t and sold in on after a few years of trouble free driving ,
“Happy Wife = happy life ” .
-Nate