To say that the 2021 Nissan Frontier is an old brand-new truck would be a massive understatement. The second-gen Frontier remains mostly unchanged since it arrived in the U.S. back in 2004. As a result, it lives on as one of the oldest brand-new models currently for sale.

As a result, you may expect that insuring such an affordable truck would be a walk in the park. However, Insurify reports that this old truck is very expensive to insure, creating massive long-term costs.

How old is the 2021 Nissan Frontier?

The second-generation Nissan Frontier arrived in the U.S. market back in 2004. This means Americans have been stuck buying what is essentially the same truck for over 16 years. It is worth noting that a new engine was introduced model much later in its life. The engine in question is a naturally-aspirated 3.8-liter V6. Power is rated at 310 hp and 281 lb-ft. Buyers can pick between rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive for off-roading trim levels.

2020 was particularly rough for the Nissan Frontier, selling just 36,845 trucks. In contrast, 2019 saw 72,368 of these trucks finding new homes, says CarSalesBase. While this dip is largely due to the global pandemic, the small pickup truck market has grown exponentially in recent years. For example, the Frontier now has to fight against best-sellers such as the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, and Jeep Gladiator.

In previous years, a low base price was enough to attract truck buyers. However, the 2021 model has a base price of $26,790. In contrast, a comparable Ford Ranger starts at $24,820. Additionally, a truck that is expensive to insure could create some high long-term costs.

How expensive is the Frontier to insure?

According to Insurify, a 2021 Nissan Frontier costs an average of $1,519 to insure annually. In contrast, the average annual insurance rate, according to Insurify, is just $1,208. While pickup trucks, in general, are more expensive to insure on average, the Frontier is more expensive than some full-size trucks. According to Insurify, a Ram 1500 costs $1,407 on average to insure annually. You could even insure a larger Ram 2500 for $1,476 annually.

If we look at a close competitor to the Nissan Frontier, the price difference becomes more significant. According to Insurify, a comparable Ford Ranger costs just $1,194 on average to insure annually. In terms of small pickup trucks, the most expensive of all is the Toyota Tacoma, which costs an average of $1,547 annually to insure.

The result here is that the Nissan Frontier will be more expensive to own over time than a newer Ford Ranger. Thankfully, it seems a brand-new Frontier may be just around the corner.

When will we see a brand-new truck?

As of writing, there is very little information available about the 2022 Nissan Frontier. However, Car and Driver compiled a list of all the facts we know so far. For starters, it seems the truck will cost somewhere around $28,000 marking a price bump over the 2021 model. Additionally, Car and Driver report that the truck will carry over the 3.8-liter engine in the current truck.

Since the 2022 Nissan Frontier will be an all-new truck, chances are it will be significantly more tech-filled inside. If we are lucky, this upcoming small truck will inherit some of the aggressive styling currently found on the larger Titan. Regardless, it seems we won’t have to wait long to find out.