The operative theme in truck interiors these days is "car like," which means if you don't look in the rear view and see the truck bed out back, you won't know you're in a pickup. After years of Spartan efficiency, truck interiors now have softer edges, better upholstery, thoughtful ergonomics and comfort. Nissan's Frontier has all of this.The optional bucket seats in the XE are comfortable and provide good support. We didn't feel like we were sliding from door handle to door handle in quick transient maneuvers. The interior is attractive and functional. Cup holders, big utility pockets and an LCD odometer with dual trip meters add convenience. Visibility is good. Big, square mirrors, slightly convex on the right side, make it easy to see traffic behind and to the sides -- an important consideration when the rear window is blocked. The air conditioner can really frost your Ray Bans. In Nashville, we left the Frontier baking in 100-degree heat with nearly 100-percent humidity, but still had to turn the air conditioning down after just a few minutes. The King Cab extended cab adds a heck of a lot of convenience for carrying items you want to keep inside. It adds a half-inch of front legroom, but head-, shoulder- and hip-room are the same, the rear jump seats are only suitable for children and there's still nowhere to hook the dry cleaning.
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