The Nissan Frontier is a tough and dependable pickup that you can use for work or play. It's rugged enough to handle heavy loads and off-road driving, but it's polished enough to feel good driving it to pick up the kids at school, head to a date, or even meet with clients.

What many buyers want to know when it comes to a new truck is how it performs. The 2017 Nissan Frontier offers engine choices that let you get exactly what you need in performance, whether it's more power, better fuel economy, or greater payload capacity. You have the choice between a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine or a 4.0-liter V6. Here's what you need to know about how the two choices compare:

Engine Power

As you might expect, the four-cylinder engine is not as powerful as the V6 engine. The base four-cylinder engine puts out 152 horsepower and 171 lb-ft of torque, which is respectable enough to give you a solid ride. But if you want a little more power on the road, you might want to opt for the V6, which puts out 261 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque. It also comes with a six-speed manual transmission instead of a five-speed. You will feel more in control of your ride, and you'll have more get-up-and-go.

Fuel Economy

Of course, with a more powerful engine, you'll get less fuel economy, but that trade off may be worth it to you. With the base engine in the new Frontier, you get an estimated 19 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. If you upgrade to the V6, you'll get just 16 mpg in the city, but only a slightly lower 22 mpg on the highway. The difference isn't that great, but it could add up over time if you spend most of your time driving shorter distances in town. It's something to consider when making your choice.

Towing and Payload Capacity

Tone of the many bonuses of having a more powerful engine is that it can handle more weight. The V6 engine is able to tow up to 6,500 pounds, while the base engine can tow only 3,500 pounds. You can tow almost twice the load with the engine upgrade. Maximum payload capacity depends on a few more variables. Depending on the choices you make, you can get a payload of 936 to 1,496 pounds.  

Which is Right for You?

Do you need to haul heavy loads for your work? Or do you want to drive a truck that gets great gas mileage so you can use it as a family vehicle? You need to take these things and more into account when deciding which engine to choose for your Nissan Frontier. Then you need to visit a Nissan dealership to take a test drive and see what these engines can do in person. Make sure you check out the available features on each of the trim levels so you get the right configuration to meet all your needs.

The Nissan Frontier is a tough and dependable pickup that you can use for work or play. It's rugged enough to handle heavy loads and off-road driving, but it's polished enough to feel good driving it to pick up the kids at school, head to a date, or even meet with clients.

What many buyers want to know when it comes to a new truck is how it performs. The 2017 Nissan Frontier offers engine choices that let you get exactly what you need in performance, whether it's more power, better fuel economy, or greater payload capacity. You have the choice between a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine or a 4.0-liter V6. Here's what you need to know about how the two choices compare:

Engine Power

As you might expect, the four-cylinder engine is not as powerful as the V6 engine. The base four-cylinder engine puts out 152 horsepower and 171 lb-ft of torque, which is respectable enough to give you a solid ride. But if you want a little more power on the road, you might want to opt for the V6, which puts out 261 horsepower and 281 lb-ft of torque. It also comes with a six-speed manual transmission instead of a five-speed. You will feel more in control of your ride, and you'll have more get-up-and-go.

Fuel Economy

Of course, with a more powerful engine, you'll get less fuel economy, but that trade off may be worth it to you. With the base engine in the new Frontier, you get an estimated 19 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway. If you upgrade to the V6, you'll get just 16 mpg in the city, but only a slightly lower 22 mpg on the highway. The difference isn't that great, but it could add up over time if you spend most of your time driving shorter distances in town. It's something to consider when making your choice.

Towing and Payload Capacity

Tone of the many bonuses of having a more powerful engine is that it can handle more weight. The V6 engine is able to tow up to 6,500 pounds, while the base engine can tow only 3,500 pounds. You can tow almost twice the load with the engine upgrade. Maximum payload capacity depends on a few more variables. Depending on the choices you make, you can get a payload of 936 to 1,496 pounds.  

Which is Right for You?

Do you need to haul heavy loads for your work? Or do you want to drive a truck that gets great gas mileage so you can use it as a family vehicle? You need to take these things and more into account when deciding which engine to choose for your Nissan Frontier. Then you need to visit a Nissan dealership to take a test drive and see what these engines can do in person. Make sure you check out the available features on each of the trim levels so you get the right configuration to meet all your needs.