Nissan Frontier vs Toyota Tacoma: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota Tacoma burns about $2,550 of fuel annually against $2,950 for the Nissan Frontier. That $400 yearly gap compounds to roughly $2,000 over five years and $3,200 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Toyota Tacoma leads in both cycles — 23 mpg city and 26 mpg highway against 19 and 24 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Nissan Frontier is recorded with 4 distinct engine configurations (SIDI, SIDI; ISS and AGS, 2.5), the Toyota Tacoma with 4 (SIDI & PFI; 3-mode(Sport/Normal/Eco), w/SS, SIDI & PFI; 2-mode(Power/Normal) TM, w/SS, SIDI & PFI). Across 57 recorded Nissan Frontier configurations and 90 for the Toyota Tacoma, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Nissan Frontier is offered with Rear-Wheel Drive, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive, the Toyota Tacoma with Rear-Wheel Drive, Part-time 4-Wheel Drive, 4-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Small Pickup Trucks 2WD and Small Pickup Trucks 4WD respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Toyota Tacoma emits 379 g/mile of CO2 versus 423 g/mile for the Nissan Frontier. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.