After getting Addy to school, I had to drop off the rental car. I contacted the salesperson who helped me yesterday and she came and picked me up at the bodyshop to give me a ride to Clark Nissan so we can finish this transaction.

I picked up my new truck up this morning (as great an experience that one can have buying a car), and after driving around since then, I think the deer probably did me a solid in a bizarre way. My first impression is that this Frontier is such a better fit for me. It is pretty solidly-built so it feels much safer. I am getting the same gas mileage as the Tacoma – a steady 23+ mpg – and I am quite happy about that. There is SO much more room now that I have been driving it a while and it is quickly & easily noticeable. The touchscreen is twice the size of the Tacoma and is so much better from a user experience.

This truck doesn’t have some of the tech gadgetry the Tacoma had (the most important missing one for me being a trailer brake controller, which I have to have to tow), but this one also has a few cool things that the Tacoma didn’t; I can turn on the rear camera without shifting into reverse. Many of you hate this next feature, but this one shuts off the engine when stopped; I do not mind it myself and am leaving it on to save a little fuel. It has some cool off-roading features like a button to help with slowing your descent down a steep grade and five different “driving modes” for various conditions. I have more horsepower and no expensive-to-repair turbo. There is a fold down step on the rear corner that pulls down to give you a step up into the bed safer & easier. There’s skid plates and bun warmers and tow hooks, oh my!

It also came with a few interior accessories that are kind of cool. There is a camoflage gray “medic kit” for first aid emergencies. There is a matching seatback organizer with several pockets to keep things in. There is also another matching backapck that is the “Off-Road Adventure Kit’ consisting of all sorts of things like emergency supplies for nearly any non-serious situation you might encounter, a tow rope, duct tape, zip-ties…it’s quite a lot of stuff. And, the owner’s manual Is the same gray camo.

Even though I bought both of these trucks pretty quickly I don’t regret buying either truck. I knew the things I did not much care for in the Tacoma but I really was backed into a corner after my Avalanche gave up. I needed to do something and I knew I was buying a Tacoma. This Frontier was also a hurry-up purchase but I got to do a little research and was able to get a truck that is better for my needs.

After I got that stuff done I had to go back to the house to pick up some paperwork for my Tacoma claim to get my payout. I had to go back to town to FedEx to get those overnighted to Progressive then run a few more errands. It is so good to finally have nothing going on and I can sit around a relax a bit.

I am certainly glad to have my own wheels again; pictures forthcoming. In the meantime, please enjoy the back end of this septic tank pump truck (pun intended):

Until next time…

Shawn