The 2009 Frontier is available only in crew cab configuration. Presumably, the price differential can be pegged to Suzuki's corporate powertrain warranty of seven years or 100,000 miles versus Nissan's corporate powertrain warranty of five years or 60,000 miles.
The 2009 Suzuki Equator crew-cab model with two-wheel drive starts at $24,760. The 2009 Nissan Frontier crew cab model starts at $22,990, including a $780 destination charge.
An optional sport package on the Equator RMZ-4 model adds another $2,050 to the bottom line. It bundles a moonroof, stability control, hill descent control, hill hold control, a 380-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system with eight speakers and a subwoofer, an auxiliary input jack and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Equator, built in Smyrna, Tennessee, has a standard 2.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine that makes 152 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque or an optional 4.0-liter DOHC V6 with 261 hp and 281 lb-ft of torque. Engines are mated to a five-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission. The latter is available only on four-cylinder models.
Inside Line says: The warranty coverage is the big differentiator here as you mull over whether to buy Equator or Frontier. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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