Compare the2023 Nissan FrontierVS 2022 Jeep Gladiator

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Frontier have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Gladiator doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Gladiator doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nissan Frontier has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Gladiator doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Frontier has standard head airbag curtains for front and rear seats which act as a forgiving barrier between the driver and outboard passenger's upper bodies and the window and pillars. Combined with high-strength steel door beams and lower side airbags this system increases head protection in broadside collisions. The Gladiator doesn't offer side airbag protection for the head and are only available for the front seats.

The Frontier has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Gladiator doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Frontier has standard Automatic Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Gladiator offers an available collision warning system without the automated brake feature that would prevent or reduce the collision if the driver fails to react.

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 Gladiator doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Frontier’s optional lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. The Gladiator doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The Frontier PRO-X/PRO-4X offers an optional Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Gladiator 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 Gladiator doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Frontier and the Gladiator have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available four-wheel drive, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Frontier has a 185-amp alternator. The Gladiator’s standard 180-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Jeep vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 32 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jeep is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 6 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

Engine

The Frontier’s 3.8 DOHC V6 produces 25 more horsepower (310 vs. 285) and 21 lbs.-ft. more torque (281 vs. 260) than the Gladiator’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Frontier is faster than the Jeep Gladiator (automatics tested):

	Frontier	Gladiator
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.9 MPH	83.4 MPH

Transmission

The Nissan Frontier comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Gladiator.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Nissan Frontier, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Gladiator.

Brakes and Stopping

The Frontier stops shorter than the Gladiator:

	Frontier	Gladiator
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Frontier has larger tires than the Gladiator (265/70R16 vs. 245/75R17).

The Frontier’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 70 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Gladiator Sport’s standard 75 series tires. The Frontier SV/Midnight’s tires have a lower 65 series profile than the Gladiator Overland’s 70 series tires.

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

Suspension and Handling

The Nissan Frontier’s independent front suspension is much lighter than the Jeep Gladiator’s solid front axle, which allows the Frontier’s wheels to react more quickly and accurately to the road’s surface, improving both ride and handling.

For much better steering response and tighter handling the Frontier has rack and pinion steering, like Formula racecars, instead of the recirculating-ball type steering of the Gladiator.

For better maneuverability, the Frontier Crew Cab 4x4’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Gladiator 4x4’s (42.4 feet vs. 44.5 feet).

Chassis

The Nissan Frontier may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 600 pounds less than the Jeep Gladiator.

The Frontier Crew Cab is 7.8 inches shorter than the Gladiator, making the Frontier easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Frontier has standard flush composite headlights. The Gladiator has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

Cargo Capacity

The Frontier Crew Cab shortbed has a much larger cargo box than the Gladiator shortbed (40.1 vs. 35.5 cubic feet).

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

	Frontier Crew Cab	Frontier King Cab	Gladiator
Length (short/long)	59.5”/72.7”	73.3”	60.3”
Max Width	61.4”	61.4”	56.8”
Min Width	44.5”	44.5”	44.8”
Height	19.4”	19.4”	17.7”

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 Jeep Gladiator doesn’t offer a tailgate assist.

Towing

The Frontier’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Gladiator’s (6260 vs. 4000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The Frontier uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Gladiator uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Frontier’s standard power windows allow the driver or passenger to lower and raise the windows without leaning over or being distracted. Power windows cost extra on the Gladiator.

The Frontier’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Gladiator’s optional power window controls are down in the center of the dashboard, away from the windows and mixed with controls for unrelated features.

The Frontier’s standard power locks allow the driver or passenger to lock or unlock all the doors at a touch without leaning over, or reaching to the back seat. Power locks cost extra on the Gladiator.

Consumer Reports rated the Frontier’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Gladiator’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Frontier has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Gladiator only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Frontier PRO-X/PRO-4X offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Gladiator doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Model Availability

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

The Frontier is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Gladiator doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Frontier owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Frontier will cost $220 less than the Gladiator over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Frontier will be $971 to $7244 less than for the Jeep Gladiator.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Frontier second among midsize pickups in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Gladiator isn’t in the top three.

The Nissan Frontier outsold the Jeep Gladiator by 465 units during the 2022 model year.