The 2022 Nissan Frontier is updated for the new model year, while the 2022 Chevy Colorado is at the end of its model cycle, still awaiting updates in appearance and features. If you need a midsize truck for 2022, the Frontier’s updates are worth considering for its new cabin comfort, ride quality, and tech features. Looking at the 2022 Nissan Frontier vs 2022 Chevy Colorado, Nissan makes its tough Frontier a contender for the bigger manufacturers with this new design. Taking into consideration the excellent powertrain offered by the 2022 Frontier and the standard features you get at the entry level, buyers may want to keep the Frontier in mind while shopping for a midsize truck.
Ride Quality and Suspension
For 2022, Nissan upgraded the suspension system in the Frontier, making the ride quality far superior to the previous model year. In the past, the Frontier had a stiff ride quality that translated a lot of road chatter into the cabin, which made it uncomfortable to use as a daily driver. With a larger stabilizer bar in the front and a new design for the rear, the imperfections of the road are far less noticeable while you drive, and off-roading will translate less of the large drops from running over obstacles. Nissan also added hydraulic cab mounts that reduce the feel of the road surface in the cabin by 80 percent, which is a vast difference from the past design.
Chevy has made the Colorado with a comfortable ride quality for its most recent generation, and it handles obstacles well for off-road duty as well. For this particular aspect of the 2022 Colorado, buyers are likely to find that now the Nissan Frontier is on par with the larger manufacturers in terms of ride quality and handling, which used to be a drawback. Nissan improved the insulation of the cabin against road noise so the cabin will be quieter on the highway, too. The refreshed interior of the cabin is where buyers are most likely to find that Nissan may outstrip Chevy for midsize truck comparisons, with the Frontier now sporting a more updated appearance with nicer materials in contrast to the Colorado’s dated design.
To keep pace with the numerous options buyers have in the market, Nissan now offers buyers the choice to customize their 2022 Frontier with aftermarket parts available at dealerships, perfect for off-road enthusiasts. The PRO 4X off-road trim in the 2022 Frontier comes standard with extras like Bilstein shocks, skid plates, and electronic locking rear differential, which marches to the same tune as the off-road ZR2 for the Colorado. Nissan gives the PRO 4X hill ascent control, and all trims come standard with hill descent control as part of standard equipment that Chevy doesn’t include until you buy the Z71 trim in the upper range of pricing.
Engine Options Amount to Confusion
When you buy any truck, midsize or otherwise, the powertrain is most likely the reason you would purchase it. Without a decent powertrain, a truck can’t really do the things you generally do with a truck. Buyers often see options as a positive thing, and in the case of the Chevy Colorado, you have three engine options available. That looks good when you’re shopping, and Chevy knows it. They know that people looking to buy a truck are going to feel good about having the choice of three engines, and then you get into the building of the truck and wonder where all your choices went.
The 2022 Colorado engine options, starting with the four-cylinder that only produces 200 hp, means if you want a more powerful engine at the entry-level, you have to pay for it. In the less expensive trims, this means you have access to the gas-powered V6 if you buy the Crew Cab version, but purchasing the standard Extended Cab will mean you get the inline-four. To get access to the diesel engine, you have to range up into the Z71 trim level, again only if you buy the Crew Cab. Buyers of the Nissan get the same powerful engine for all trims without having to compromise which cab or bed length you want.
Sometimes, life is easier when you have only one option. Buying the 2022 Frontier means you get best-in-class standard horsepower for every trim level with the 3.8-liter V6 that generates 310 hp with 281 lb-ft of torque. Chevy’s most powerful engine for the Colorado makes just shy of that at 308 hp, and the diesel option only makes 186 hp. Towing numbers range from 3,500 to 7,700 pounds for the Colorado, and then you have to account for the body style to calculate how much your truck can actually tow. The 2022 Frontier is a more straightforward translation of numbers, with the variation in capability only ranging from 6,460 to 6,720 pounds between the body types. You know how much you can tow without having to do calculus or read a complicated diagram.
Just in case that wasn’t confusing enough, if you’re looking to save money on gas, you have to opt for the diesel engine with rear-wheel drive in the Colorado. That means once again ponying up for the more expensive trims to save money, which defeats the purpose of getting the more efficient engine. With the 2022 Frontier, you really do just get a great engine that gets fairly good fuel efficiency right down the middle at about 20 to 21 MPG on average. The 2022 Colorado is going to get about the same unless you pay more for the diesel engine or if you buy the ZR2 model that gets very thirsty.
Technology Wars
In terms of technology, particularly where driver-assist safety tech is concerned, trucks often don’t come with much standard equipment. Buyers who purchase the entry-level trim will usually be stuck with a tiny screen for a backup camera, a small instrument cluster, and little more than Bluetooth for hands-free phone use. In the 2022 Colorado, Chevy at least provides a decent seven-inch touchscreen loaded with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and you have two USB ports in the front seat at entry. Safety features are minimal at best, with only a rearview camera, traction control, and Teen Driver as standard. Chevy does offer optional driver-assist safety features like forward collision alert, lane departure warning, and rear park assist, but that’s all you get. Period. If you plan to drive your truck for daily use, it would be nice to have the choice for more if you want it.
Nissan gives the 2022 Frontier a better set of tech features as standard, starting with a larger eight-inch touchscreen and a seven-inch driver display. The inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is accompanied by Siri Eyes Free and SiriusXM, and driver-assist safety features are almost in line with what you find on most other vehicles on the road. Nissan makes auto emergency braking, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, and Intelligent Driver Alertness all standard. Add to that the included trailer sway control and hill start assist for towing safety, and the 2022 Frontier easily takes the lead ahead of the 2022 Colorado.
Even for the available safety features, Nissan delivers far more choices in upper trims with adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera system, rear cross traffic alert, and even traffic sign recognition. There are a lot more features where that came from, and when you compare it to the Colorado’s available safety features, they pale. Even if you toss in the available OnStar capability for the Colorado, Nissan meets that with its own NissanConnect system, which gives buyers similar features. There simply isn’t a comparison if you value tech and safety. Nissan wins, hands down.
The Best Midsize Truck for You
Overall, the 2022 Nissan Frontier has come into its own with the updates Nissan has built into the new design. It now stands shoulder to shoulder with the larger manufacturer models, and in some cases, it overshadows them. Even if you happen to be a stout Chevy Colorado fan, you may want to give the Nissan Frontier a test drive to see if the 2022 model wins you over to a new brand.
