2022 Ford Maverick vs 2022 Nissan Frontier

The 2022 Nissan Frontier represented Nissan's latest stride in its "Nissan Next" strategy. With a bold, blocky, and rugged design, the Frontier's aesthetics echoed the old Nissan Hardbody pickup from the 1980s and 1990s. Lead designer Hiren Patel likened the design process to machining a solid block of metal, giving the Frontier its robust and solid look. The truck came in nine exterior colors like Tactical Green, Deep Pearl Blue, and Boulder Gray Pearl, with two interior shades available: charcoal and sandstone. The test model, painted in Baja Storm with charcoal leather seating, showcased the off-road-ready PRO-4X trim's exclusive combination.

The Frontier's length slightly increased from its predecessor, though it remained garage and parking friendly. It carved a niche within the midsize pickup segment, with closest comparisons being the Chevrolet Colorado, Ford Ranger, GMC Canyon, and Toyota Tacoma. The Frontier offered two cab configurations: the King Cab and Crew Cab. The Crew Cab, suitable for backseat passengers, came with either a 5-foot bed or an optional 6-foot bed on SV trims. The King Cab had a 6-foot bed but limited rear seating.

Nissan provided an optional spray-in bedliner, LED bed lighting, and a three-channel tie-down system. The top of the tailgate featured an integrated spoiler to enhance aerodynamics. The interior saw significant improvements, marked by the famous Zero Gravity front seats and better insulation for a quieter ride. Customization also played a big role, with over 80 optional accessories available.

The 2022 Ford Maverick, on the other hand, favored a conventional pickup look, highlighting similarities with larger Ford trucks like the F-150 and Ranger. However, the front end diverged with large headlights and a grille crossbar that didn't make a striking statement. The Maverick measured 199.7 inches, almost a foot shorter than the Ranger, with a height of 68.7 inches, making it smaller and more agile. It utilized Ford's C2 unibody platform, shared with the Escape and Bronco Sport SUVs.

The base Maverick XL featured 17-inch steel wheels, while higher trims sported 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels. The Maverick First Edition package enhanced the look with black graphics, a soft tonneau cover, and exclusive wheels and paint colors. Despite its entry-level status, the Maverick's interior was innovative with multi-colored plastic, exposed fasteners, and minimal trim pieces that lent character. Even the base trim had seats with a unique weave pattern, while higher trims offered leather upholstery.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier housed a retuned 3.8-liter V6 engine, initially introduced in 2020. This engine delivered a class-leading 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque, ensuring strong acceleration and ample passing power at highway speeds. With a tow mode for optimized shift points under load, the Frontier could handle a payload of 1,610 pounds and tow up to 6,720 pounds. These figures, while not class-leading, were quite competitive.

A nine-speed automatic transmission managed the power, offering either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD) with 4-Hi and 4-Lo modes. The transmission adeptly shifted down for uphill climbs and up for fuel economy on level or downhill stretches. Fuel economy for the Frontier stood at 18 mpg city, 24 highway, and 20 combined for RWD models, while 4WD models recorded 17/22/19.

Unlike the Tacoma's electric steering, the Frontier used a hydraulic rack and pinion system, providing a heavier steering feel. Off-road enthusiasts could opt for the PRO-4X trim, equipped with hill-start assist, hill-descent control, a locking rear differential, Bilstein shocks, steel underbody skid plates, and an aluminum front skid plate. A surround-view monitor with off-road mode enhanced obstacle navigation, and the PRO-4X boasted a best-in-class approach angle of 32.3 degrees.

The Ford Maverick offered a standard hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, a single electric motor, and a CVT. This setup produced 191 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque. An optional EcoBoost 2.0-liter turbocharged engine generated 250 horsepower and 277-pound feet of torque, coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The hybrid Maverick came as FWD only, while the EcoBoost had standard FWD and optional AWD. The FX4 off-road package, available for AWD XLT and Lariat trims, included different suspension tuning, additional underbody protection, hill-descent control, Mud/Rut and Sand drive modes, and optional all-terrain tires.

On a test off-road course, the Maverick FX4 navigated rocky hills and muddy tracks, although hardcore off-roaders might prefer traditional pickups. Its unibody platform made it drive like a small car or crossover on pavement, with a stable ride quality free from the shudder common in body-on-frame vehicles. The tall hood slightly hindered forward visibility, but large exterior mirrors and low door sills helped maneuvering in tight spaces. The hybrid powertrain provided linear power delivery and smooth operation, while the EcoBoost offered all-wheel drive, better towing capability, and more spirited acceleration.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier boasted an impressive blend of comfort and capability. Front seats with Nissan's renowned Zero Gravity technology offered unmatched comfort in the midsize pickup segment. Convenient storage options were abundant, making it feel more spacious compared to competitors like the Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon. The Crew Cab's backseat offered manageable headroom and legroom, although King Cab's jump seats were impractical for passengers.

Nissan equipped the Frontier's Crew Cab with eight cupholders, four of which could hold a 32-ounce bottle, and additional storage beneath the rear seat. Overall, the Frontier was a step ahead in comfort and convenience.

The 2022 Ford Maverick was exclusively available as a four-door crew-cab configuration, offering more legroom than the larger Toyota Tacoma and slightly more front-seat legroom than the Hyundai Santa Cruz. However, the Santa Cruz offered more headroom and shoulder room across both rows. Interior storage in the Maverick was superior, with numerous cubbies, a large storage bin, under-seat storage, and the innovative Ford Integrated Tether System (FITS). This system allowed for customizable storage solutions, with slots for various accessories, including user-designed 3D-printed items.

The Maverick's 4.5-foot bed was shorter than the crew-cab Ranger's bed but still provided a 1,500-pound payload capacity. It featured in-bed power outlets, tiedown cleats, and a multi-position tailgate that could secure large sheets of plywood. The Maverick's maximum towing capacity of 4,000 pounds (2,000 pounds for the hybrid) was competitive, although less than some crossover SUVs. However, its FlexBed feature maximized utility, with cleats and indents for DIY dividers and a false floor.

The 2022 Nissan Frontier saw significant technological advancements. A standard 8-inch touchscreen adorned the S and SV trims, while PRO-4X models featured a 9-inch screen. The interface was user-friendly, with physical knobs for volume and tuning, hard buttons for audio source, map, and camera, and a dedicated menu button. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto required wired connections, but wireless phone charging was available. An optional Kicker tailgate audio system and a 10-speaker Fender stereo were also offered, though the latter came bundled in the costly Premium Package.

Nissan's Premium Package included leather seats and a moonroof, while the Technology Package added blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. The Convenience Package encompassed a spray-in bedliner, bed lighting, a trailer hitch, and heated mirrors, seats, and steering wheel.

The 2022 Ford Maverick came with the older Sync 3 infotainment system, offering standard Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and an 8-inch touchscreen. While it lacked advanced features like embedded navigation, the system's graphics and functions sufficed given the Maverick's price point. The inclusion of a WiFi hotspot supporting up to 10 devices added value. Ford also provided a slot for phones with available wireless charging and a stand-up slot with easy cable threading.

Hybrid models benefited from a brake-coaching feature to optimize regenerative braking, though its everyday use remained questionable. Overall, Ford focused on getting the basics right.

Safety ratings from NHTSA and IIHS were not available for both the Frontier and Maverick due to their new designs. However, the 2022 Nissan Frontier offered a comprehensive suite of standard safety features under the Nissan Safety Shield 360 umbrella. These included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, driver attention monitor, intelligent forward collision warning, trailer sway control, and more. Eight airbags were standard, with optional features like traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and rear sonar.

The 2022 Ford Maverick, under the Ford Co-Pilot360 banner, provided standard forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and automatic high beams. Optional features included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane centering, and evasive steering assist.