Compare the2022 Nissan FrontierVS 2022 Ford Maverick

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Frontier are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Maverick doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Frontier offers optional Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Maverick doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Frontier PRO-XPRO-4X offers an optional Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Maverick only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Frontier’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Maverick doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Frontier and the Maverick have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, rearview cameras, available four-wheel drive, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Nissan Frontier weighs 590 to 1210 pounds more than the Ford Maverick. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 14th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan 21st in reliability. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 22nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 9 places higher in reliability than Ford.

The Frontier’s standard 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 119 more horsepower (310 vs. 191) than the Maverick’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The Frontier’s 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 60 more horsepower (310 vs. 250) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (281 vs. 277) than the Maverick’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Frontier uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Maverick requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Frontier has 7.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Maverick Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (21 vs. 13.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Frontier has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Maverick 2.0 EcoBoost’s standard fuel tank (21 vs. 16.5 gallons).

The Frontier’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Maverick are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Frontier has larger tires than the Maverick (265/70R16 vs. 225/65R17). The Frontier’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Maverick (265/70R16 vs. 235/65R17).

The Nissan Frontier’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Ford Maverick only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Frontier has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Maverick doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Frontier Crew Cab’s wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the Maverick (126 inches vs. 121.1 inches). The Frontier LWB Crew Cab’s wheelbase is 18.7 inches longer than on the Maverick (139.8 inches vs. 121.1 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Frontier PRO-4X Crew Cab has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Maverick (9.4 vs. 8.6 inches), allowing the Frontier to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Frontier Crew Cab shortbed has a much larger cargo box than the Maverick shortbed (40.1 vs. 33.3 cubic feet).

The Frontier’s cargo box is larger than the Maverick’s in almost every dimension:

The Nissan Frontier has a standard tailgate assist feature, which prevents the heavy tailgate from falling with a crash and causing injury. It allows adults and children to easily open and close the tailgate with one hand to better facilitate loading and unloading. The Ford Maverick doesn’t offer a tailgate assist.

The Frontier’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Maverick’s (6370 vs. 2000 pounds).

The Frontier has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Maverick (1610 vs. 1500 lbs.).

The engine in the Frontier is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Maverick. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Frontier’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Maverick does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Frontier PRO-XPRO-4X’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Maverick’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

The Nissan Frontier comes in extended cab and crew cab bodystyles; the Ford Maverick isn’t available as an extended cab.