Towing With the 2023 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X: How Good Is It?
The 2023 Nissan Frontier was mostly new when it was redesigned for the 2022 model year, mainly because the frame was updated from the previous generation versus being a clean-slate design. Nissan also did things a little differently by releasing its new 3.8-liter V-6 engine and nine-speed automatic transmission in the final year of the previous generation. With its more powerful engine, how well does it tow? We hooked up a trailer that, by the specs, should be a bit too much for the Frontier to see how it would handle the load.
Related: Is the 2022 Nissan Frontier a Good Truck? Here Are 6 Things We Like and 4 We Don’t
Towing Capacity
The Frontier’s towing capacity maxes out at 6,370 pounds in the configuration I tested — four-wheel-drive crew cab with the short cargo box — which is adequate towing capacity for a mid-size truck. Per the owner’s manual, the maximum frontal area (width times height of the trailer) should be no more than 30 square feet; frontal area measures how much of the trailer is impacted by wind resistance, with excess frontal area increasing strain on the tow vehicle. Oddly enough, this is lower than the SAE J2807 minimum requirement of 40 square feet for a towing capacity between 5,000 and 7,700 pounds, so we contacted Nissan and were told they comply with the SAE J2807 standard and that the owner’s manual should read 55 square feet for the maximum frontal area, not 30.
As-Tested Trailer
For this test, the trailer had a total weight of only 4,650 pounds. While the weight of the trailer isn’t significant, the frontal area is. Our test trailer has a frontal area of nearly 80 square feet, which is well over the recommended spec. Therefore I don’t recommend regularly towing a trailer of this size with the Frontier. In previous tests, vehicles towing this trailer have returned appreciably lower mileage when compared to much heavier trailers with lower profiles.
The as-tested payload capacity of this 2023 Frontier Pro-4X is 1,070 pounds, which is more than adequate for the 450-pound tongue weight of the trailer being towed; the Frontier’s maximum payload capacity is 1,620 pounds in other configurations.
Tow Route
The tow route included some steep climbs, starting at an elevation of roughly 4,500 feet and topping out at just over 6,200 feet. There is a short freeway section, and the remainder is mostly four-lane roads with 45 to 55 mph speed limits and grades approaching 10%.
Connections
On many pickup trucks, the hitch receiver is flush or sticks out from the bumper an inch or two. On the 2023 Frontier, the receiver is under the bumper by 1 3/4 inches. Depending on the hitch or ball mount used, this could be a problem; the ball mount used in this testing touched the bumper enough to leave marks.
Nissan recommends that a weight-distribution hitch be used for trailers weighing over 5,000 pounds. This trailer is under that weight,; however, it’s always a good idea to use weight distribution with sway control when towing a large boxy trailer. I opted to use a Fastway Flash Scale ball mount; it reads the trailer tongue weight but doesn’t provide as much stability as a weight-distribution hitch. For evaluation, I prefer to tow without the weight distribution and sway control so I can get a better feel for how the truck performs when towing. (I’m a mechanical engineer and former product engineer for Progress Mfg. Inc. in Utah, makers of the Equal-i-zer hitch and Fastway Flash ball mounts.)
There is no standard or optional factory trailer brake controller available on the 2023 Frontier. For braking needs, a wireless Curt Echo was used. This controller has worked quite well in the past and was flawless in this test. I always recommend a wired brake controller if using a vehicle to tow more than a few times. Many modern vehicles, including this Frontier, have the wiring already in place to quickly and easily install an aftermarket wired controller.
How Well Does It Tow?
Merging onto the freeway on an uphill on-ramp required full throttle from the Frontier. However, it reached freeway speeds before needing to merge into traffic. Once on the freeway, the truck had to remain down a couple of gears to maintain speed consistently. Cruising in 7th instead of 9th gear isn’t a big deal but could cause more fatigue over longer drives from the extra engine noise.
Between the nine-speed auto and fairly flat torque curve of the 3.8-liter V-6, the Frontier towed this load uphill without any issues. Gearing is great for always having the engine at the right speed. There were no sway issues, but some of that is due to the massive amount of wind resistance on the trailer. As expected, the factory mirrors are much too narrow for a trailer this size.
Heading downhill was just as easy. With assistance from the trailer brakes, reaching a complete stop was smooth and controlled. For consistent stretches of steep downhill grades, the engine braking was better than expected. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the towing capability and control of the Frontier.
Fuel Mileage
Sticking to lower speeds for much of this test helped fuel mileage. The Frontier returned 11.9 mpg (per the onboard computer) over the entire route. This is actually a pretty good number for most vehicles towing this trailer.
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Towing Takeaways
Mid-size trucks vary significantly in size, designed use, power and refinement. Nissan clearly focused significant resources on the powertrain, driving performance and towing. Overall, the everyday work use of the Frontier provided a much better experience than expected with great results all around from the little truck.
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