If your main objective is to use your truck as a source of revenue, choosing it as your trusty companion during days of hard labor - presumably in construction - and sometimes submitting it to more work than it was engineered to take on, then chances are you've already locked in on a full-size truck. Not many truck buyers these days settle on a small or midsize truck for work purposes.
In the past, the argument of a cheaper price tag and better fuel economy would justify opting for the smaller rig. But considering that the 20-mpg, 2025 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X I'm driving this week has a $44,000 MSRP, or about the same price as a decently-equipped and - ahem - 20-mpg Ford F-150, that argument no longer sticks. Rather, folks now opt for a midsize truck mostly because it's the fun truck to get, the one with which you'll tow all the fun stuff, too, like ATVs or snowmobiles. And the segment has capitalized so much on this in recent years that it has transformed itself into the most entertaining corner of the pickup truck market.
2025 Nissan Frontier Pro-4X TopSpeed 12
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In a fast-paced, at times hectic world, the 2025 Nissan Frontier's bareboned simplicity feels, good.
2025 Nissan Frontier front 3/4 exterior shot
2025 Nissan Frontier Exterior (14)
2025 Nissan Frontier Exterior
2025 Nissan Frontier Interior (6)
2025 Nissan Frontier Exterior (1)
2025 Nissan Frontier Exterior (10)
2025 Nissan Frontier Exterior (9)
2025 Nissan Frontier Interior
2025 Nissan Frontier
All 2025 Frontier grades wear a new front fascia, grille and bumper design, and add a telescopic steering wheel to better accommodate drivers of varying heights. The useful long-wheelbase, 6-foot-bed configuration is now offered on more truck configurations, expanding to PRO-4X and SL grades. Towing ratings increase by about 500 pounds across the board, to an impressive maximum of 7,160 pounds.
Stronger, Meaner, Beefier
2025 Nissan Frontier front 3/4 exterior shot
Small trucks aren't exactly small anymore. I mean, my Frontier is almost 19 feet long, 75 inches wide, and 73 inches tall. Parked next to an older Ram 1500 at a stoplight, I sat at about the same height as its driver. In terms of size, midsize trucks are basically where full-sized trucks used to be about two decades ago. Over time, these things were beefed up, widened, lifted, and given ever-more menacing front fascias to look tougher and more capable. Sure. But, why?
Funny thing is, the Frontier Pro-4X leans on the tamer side of the midsize segment in terms of looks. You can get much wilder from the Ford Ranger's more menacing Raptor guise. The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon looks like it can devour an entire mountain, the Chevy Colorado ZR2/GMC Canyon AT4 twins look like they've ingested way too much creatine, and the latest Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter just got out of the gym pumped up for a fist fight.
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As a car guy myself, but not really a truck guy, I find this war super cool and fun to watch from the grandstands. But each time I'm given the privilege of driving one to review, I never quite know where to take them. These trucks now come equipped with meaty off-road rubber, competition-level suspension systems, advanced four-wheel-drive systems, disconnecting sway bars, and a myriad of traction control technology, to say nothing of the flashy paint colors they now come in.
I mean, how much go-anywhere capability do I need from my small truck? Ironically, as more regulations are being imposed on offroading for environmental reasons, the midsize truck is getting more extreme by the minute.
The "Bro Truck"
Front-end shot of a 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD ProRunner
There's obviously no real need for these sorts of trucks. Sure, some owners might take their midsizer out to play in the wild once in a while, but considering how much these things cost now, most owners would rather be quite content with quietly paying off their loan while commuting peacefully at their helm. In the process, that'll prevent their splashy paint jobs from getting scratched.
Generally speaking, these adventure-seeking rigs are more of a status symbol for the typically targeted middle-aged boys looking for a bit of action in their otherwise mundane lives. See the midsize truck more like a companion for that middle-aged demographic; a "bro" that's just tagging along for the ride, always eager to partake in your silly activities, even if those activities end up being nothing more than mere fantasies.
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With all that being said, I'm incredibly grateful for the existence of this weird truck segment. First, because the current contenders all look cool as heck, attracting kids' eyeballs in the process. Two, because Marty McFly drove a tricked-out Toyota in the Back to the Future series. That resonates with my generation. But also because midsize trucks are arguably more fun to drive than their larger full-size counterparts.
Small trucks are nimbler, lighter, and generally more fun to flog around. The Frontier's instant throttle response and intake bark from its naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 is also a rare bird in this age of turbocharged everything. As a matter of fact, it's one of only three V6-powered midsize trucks still on sale, along with the Jeep Gladiator and Honda Ridgeline.
I know I don't need a Nissan Frontier Pro-4X in my life right now. But I definitely know that I want one.
This allows the Frontier to feel big and tough, along with its body-on-frame configuration and shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system. It also has hydraulic power steering, which is cool as hell in this day and age. And the Frontier won't hesitate to bob and weave when driven over a train track to remind you there's still a solid axle back there.
2025 Nissan Frontier Exterior (3)
In other words, there's nothing fancy or sophisticated about it, yet it's this simplicity and roughneck approach that makes it a feel-good vehicle. I know I don't need a Nissan Frontier Pro-4X in my life right now. But I definitely know that I want one. No idea why. Maybe I don't want to miss out on the auto industry's coolest party.
Source: The Midsize Truck Segment Is Where The Party's At
