There is a new Nissan Frontier for 2022. How will that affect the value of the previous generation Nissan midsize truck? In these crazy times for used car prices, we wanted to see how used 2020 Nissan Frontier pickup prices are faring with these two dynamics converging.
What are the criteria for the 2020 Nissan Frontier resale value?
Nissan Frontier | Getty
We looked at only 2020 Frontiers, with a range of 20,000 to 50,000 miles. The Frontier came in a variety of body styles, so we tried to keep it to 4×4 crew cabs both long and short wheelbases. And we picked east coast and west coast cities to get an average price.
When new, 2020 4×4 crew cab Frontiers were priced from the low to high $30,000 range. Trims included S, SV with both a short and long wheelbase, and the top-of-the-line Pro-4X. Most of the trucks we found were well under 50,000 miles, with some as low as under 10,000 miles.
In the Los Angeles area, prices ranged from $27,000 to $32,000 for used 2020s. These are dealer prices. From private sellers, the prices are usually $3,000 to $5,000 less. But, of course, there are no 90-day warranties buying from a private seller.
The 2020 Frontier looks like it has only lost a few grand in two years
2020 Nissan Frontier | Nissan
Looking at the Philadelphia metro area, the prices were all sitting at $28,500. And none had more than 21,000 miles on the ticker. Still, these prices seemed low, so we took a gander at the Atlanta region, where prices were more in line with the Los Angeles area.
Keep in mind that pricing is usually driven by consumers and not dealers. If overpriced, it won’t stay that way for long, as dealers will lower prices to move the metal. Generally, the Frontier has always been a popular truck, and for a time one of the few midsize offerings from any company. So its popularity and size keep prices elevated.
Nissan has sold on average from 50,000 to 80,000 Frontier pickups a year. So the supply has not hindered its resale value, applying the supply and demand formula. Also, throughout the lifetime of the Frontier, it has stayed relatively the same, without the typical mid-term facelift. So really, anything from 2005 up looks like it is a 2020 truck.
Used car prices will stabilize, but the Frontier won’t lose a lot of value
2020 Nissan Frontier | Nissan
As can be seen, the Frontier has held its value well. It sells for only slightly less today than it did when new. Yes, the used car prices are artificially high for all of the reasons you know about already. And though prices will stabilize sometime this year (some think it has as of March 2022), Nissan’s midsize truck will still garner decent prices.
Even hypothetically estimating a 20 percent loss in a year, a 2020 Frontier would still be around $23,000 to $25,000, for a truck that sold on average at around $34,000. That is not bad for what would be by that time a three-year-old pickup.
Keyword: There’s a New Nissan Frontier: How Is Resale Value for Older Ones?