Starting over for sons Vehicle due to wreck - Rangers vs Frontiers

[270quest]

So the Bronco Sport we bought my son was short lived as he was Tboned coming out of school and totaled the bronco. He was ok - no injuries thank goodness - but the little SUV not so much. He was hit by a prius going 30-35 mph - so too totally cave in and destroy the car, left me an uneasy feeling and has me wanting to find him something bigger and more stout.

Based on how it will all play out with insurance and the budget I think we will have for a new vehicle - 25-30k, I have started to look at 3-6 year old, sub 40k miles, Ford Rangers with the 2.3 eco boost and Nissan Frontiers with either the 4.0 or the newer 3.8. Just don't think I'll have the budget for a low milage tacoma as comparable are at least 5-9k more than the other two.

Anyone have any feedback on the rangers or the frontiers? My son wont be towing anything, but will use it for both back and forth to school and occasional offroad when he goes hunting, fishing, camping. Right now he drives about 10k miles a year.

Seems like I have read a lot of good stuff about the 2.3 ecoboost - many saying its fords most reliable engine. Also have read that the Nissan 3.8 is a great engine, but there new 9 speed transmission is a toss up? Whatever vehicle we get - assuming its used, we will be looking at extended service plans.

Thoughts?

 

[desertdwellerdyl]

So the Bronco Sport we bought my son was short lived as he was Tboned coming out of school and totaled the bronco. He was ok - no injuries thank goodness - but the little SUV not so much. He was hit by a prius going 30-35 mph - so too totally cave in and destroy the car, left me an uneasy feeling and has me wanting to find him something bigger and more stout.

Based on how it will all play out with insurance and the budget I think we will have for a new vehicle - 25-30k, I have started to look at 3-6 year old, sub 40k miles, Ford Rangers with the 2.3 eco boost and Nissan Frontiers with either the 4.0 or the newer 3.8. Just don't think I'll have the budget for a low milage tacoma as comparable are at least 5-9k more than the other two.

Anyone have any feedback on the rangers or the frontiers? My son wont be towing anything, but will use it for both back and forth to school and occasional offroad when he goes hunting, fishing, camping. Right now he drives about 10k miles a year.

Seems like I have read a lot of good stuff about the 2.3 ecoboost - many saying its fords most reliable engine. Also have read that the Nissan 3.8 is a great engine, but there new 9 speed transmission is a toss up? Whatever vehicle we get - assuming its used, we will be looking at extended service plans.

Thoughts?

So the Bronco Sport we bought my son was short lived as he was Tboned coming out of school and totaled the bronco. He was ok - no injuries thank goodness - but the little SUV not so much. He was hit by a prius going 30-35 mph - so too totally cave in and destroy the car, left me an uneasy feeling and has me wanting to find him something bigger and more stout.

Based on how it will all play out with insurance and the budget I think we will have for a new vehicle - 25-30k, I have started to look at 3-6 year old, sub 40k miles, Ford Rangers with the 2.3 eco boost and Nissan Frontiers with either the 4.0 or the newer 3.8. Just don't think I'll have the budget for a low milage tacoma as comparable are at least 5-9k more than the other two.

Anyone have any feedback on the rangers or the frontiers? My son wont be towing anything, but will use it for both back and forth to school and occasional offroad when he goes hunting, fishing, camping. Right now he drives about 10k miles a year.

Seems like I have read a lot of good stuff about the 2.3 ecoboost - many saying its fords most reliable engine. Also have read that the Nissan 3.8 is a great engine, but there new 9 speed transmission is a toss up? Whatever vehicle we get - assuming its used, we will be looking at extended service plans.

Thoughts?

2nd gen frontiers newer than 2012 are bullet proof. Nissan figured out and remedied the issue with the automatic transmissions by then (Google Strawberry Milkshake of Dead). The VQ40 is a reliable engine, I have a 2015 Nissan Xterra (SUV version of the frontier) and have never had any issues nor have I really heard of any issues with the trucks other than what I already mentioned. It's a nofrills truck as the interior and electronics are pretty outdated compared to other trucks.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Man getting taken down by a prius has got to sting

 

[LCguy]

Frontier all the way. Just as reliable as Tacoma without the Tacoma tax. Buddy is a mechanic at a Ford dealer and says Rangers are awful.

I have a 2019 frontier and I love it. 2012-19 Frontiers are some of the best trucks ever made.

 

[fngTony]

In before all the Tacoma recommendations . Honestly, I would look more at side curtain airbag availability, and crash tests in that scenario and not so much just vehicles themselves. In a front or rear end collision you have a good amount of vehicle to absorb a lot of the impact but on a T-bone there ain’t much there. I don’t care how strong the car is, definitely want some airbags there

 

[180ls1]

In before all the Tacoma recommendations . Honestly, I would look more at side curtain airbag availability, and crash tests in that scenario and not so much just vehicles themselves. In a front or rear end collision you have a good amount of vehicle to absorb a lot of the impact but on a T-bone there ain’t much there. I don’t care how strong the car is, definitely want some airbags there

Along the same lines, isn't cost of ownership very similar moving up to a full size? Maybe its worth considering giving the accident propensity of youth.

 

[S.Clancy]

Given that 35 mph T-bone is a pretty serious collision and he wasn't hurt, just get another Bronco. Vehicles are designed to crumple and dissipate energy so it doesn't get passed to the occupants. I'd rather have a smashed-up vehicle than an old steel pickup that looks like it could drive still after a wreck but I got thrown all around and messed up.

 

[StuckInTheEast]

Not seen much of the newer rangers yet to have an opinion there. Not many on the road around here honestly.
Pretty much same for newer frontier, just don't see many.
The 4.0l VQ was pretty solid to 200k usually. Have a bunch of NV vans we service with that engine. They do develop timing chain issues often around 200k. Tend to crack exhaust manifolds in NV platform, not huge ordeal.
Biggest downside to anything Nissan is parts support and expense.
Their market share seems to keep dwindling so parts can be trickier to find and more expensive...and if you do happen to have big issue, engine or trans failure, its likely to cost near double what most other makes would cost to fix/replace and parts availability is not great even through Nissan in my experience.
You will not likely have issues finding parts for a Tacoma pretty much anywhere.
$25-30k will get you into stripped down f150s im the mileage your looking at too...maybe couple years older...just another option.

 

[Dave Thomas]

I'm not a fan of Nissan but I would buy a Frontier over a ranger any day especially if the Ford has an ecoboost. Just have an independent shop that you trust check it over no matter how low mileage it is.

 

[wesfromky]

I have a 23 frontier, put 70k miles on it in like 17 months. They have some electric gremlins, but it has been great overall.

One thought - the reason to go mid sized instead of full size is maneuverability with off road and parking. The are generally not a whole lot cheaper and the mpg savings isn’t all that much depending on which trucks you compare.

 

[lil' bear]

Ive totaled 4 F-150's and walked away from every accident not a single injury. Including a rollover, a T-bone, and a high speed head on.. My best friend wrecked 1 Nissan in a T- bone and died instantly. Id go with the Ford.

 

[MNGrouser]

I had a Frontier that I loved. Unfortunately it was long enough ago that I don't even remember the year. I bought it used in the early 2000's. I'd probably still have that truck but I upgraded fishing boats and had to upgrade to a full-size so I could tow the bigger boat I got. I'm just lucky it fit in the garage or I'd have had to buy a bigger house too!