2012 Nissan Frontier

...buyers looking for a touch more 'tude in a midsize truck will likely find the Frontier right up their alley.

Turning radius...leaves something to be desired, but the hefty steering feel is reassuring.

We noted some hard shifts in the five-speed automatic transmission under heavy acceleration...

Typical trucklike bounding and jiggle over bumps is quickly quelled.

The larger overall size results in much improved passenger room, but the overall materials quality is still average.

Ride and handling is improved...although, it's still a bit bouncy as you might expect from a compact truck.

With a tough new look, innovative features and big horsepower under the hood, the new Frontier should provide serious competition for the new trucks from Dodge and Toyota.

The large V6 engine that is standard in all but the very base model of the new Frontier is more powerful than any of its competitors' five-, six-or even eight-cylinder powerplants.

The...Nissan Frontier has a bold and aggressive stance like its big brother, the full-size Nissan Titan, though in less intimidating dimensions.

...this F-Alpha architecture gives the Frontier a solid foundation that can be tuned for hauling cargo, traversing rough trails and for providing a comfortable ride around town or at expressway speeds.

Front seats are comfortable yet supportive. Passengers riding in the back seat of the Crew Cab won't be complaining about being cramped, not with 33.6 inches of legroom.

The driver grasps a nicely sized (not too large) steering wheel with a rim that has a tab-like enlargement on each side, right where you want to rest your thumbs to maintain a proper 9 and 3 o'clock driving position.

Nissan...seems to have exorcised the rude, crude behavior common to small trucks.

Steering seemed the only glaring drawback.

The engine responds promptly, sounds good, propels the truck smartly.