Kelley Blue Book ® - 2003 Nissan Frontier Overview

The Nissan Frontier comes in both King Cab and Crew Cab, 2- and 4-wheel drive and with a wide choice of engines and option packages. As the company's only pickup, the Frontier design has to be versatile enough to serve as an entry-level truck, a full-blown 4x4 Crew Cab and everything that falls in between the two.

Nissan's base truck begins its life as an extended cab model; there is no single-cab truck in the line. The King Cab and King Cab XE 2WD models come standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 143 horsepower, more than adequate for this size truck. SE and 4x4 XE models are powered by a 3.3-liter V6 good for 180 horsepower and those wearing the S/C trim get a super-charged version of the 3.3-liter V6 engine that produces a whopping 210 horsepower. The supercharged engine is also an option on the 2WD Desert Runner model.

King Cab models do not have a third mini door like the Ranger and S-10, but they do have two fold-down rear jump seats to accommodate passengers for short trips. If you need more space than the King Cab provides, the larger Frontier Crew Cab is an excellent choice. With seating for up to five passengers, the Frontier Crew Cab can still be ordered with a full 74.6-inch bed. Now you can have the luxury of the Crew Cab without having to sacrifice precious cargo capacity to get it. Though the Crew does offer a full set of seats, the space available to occupants is still on the tight side; this is a compact pickup after all.

The interior of the Frontier is decidedly non-truck like. The dash features three pod-like binnacles that house the speedometer, tachometer, fuel and temperature gauges. A satin silver center stack houses the heating, ventilation and audio controls and plush fabrics on the seats and door panels add an upscale look to the Frontier.