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Looking at either, you really should look at a full-sized truck. The 'small' trucks have gotten so big and expensive that they aren't 'small and cheap' anymore. (Don't compare, BTW, size-to-size. The backseat of an extended cab full-sized truck is likely bigger than the 'quad cab' compacts. A full-sized Quad cab is a f'ing Limo)
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I gave in and got an F150, myself. Today's "small" trucks are no longer small. They'd be better classified as mid-sized. The current gen Tacoma is damnear the size of the first gen Tundra.
Between the Tacoma and Frontier, I'd say 2001-2004 goes to the Tacoma. 2005+ goes to the Frontier. Just my opinion based on having Toyotas and Nissans in both year ranges.
I had a 2001 Tacoma Xtra cab TRD 4wd I loved. Got totalled with 115k on the odo, and I'm pissed and bitter about it to this day. Got a 2011 Tacoma SR5 Quad cab 4wd to replace it, and it just wasn't the same. It was bigger yet didn't seem to have much more interior space. Had a weak rear suspension I had to have upgraded through a TSB. AC fan chirped, and the TSB just calls for a replacement of the same design. Stereo was weak. AC was weak. Driveline is very sensitive to any modification in height. Two-piece driveshaft is a pain when chasing vibes. The motor and power was okay. But I wasn't happy overall and ended up trading the truck after a few months and about 7000 miles.
Got into a Pro4x Xterra and was much happier. The Xterra is basically an SUV version of the Frontier. Chassis and drivetrain is near identical, and interior is the same, for the most part. I think the Frontier is what the Tacoma used to be. The current gen Tacoma is just riding on the company's reputation.
The one bad thing I have to say about the Nissan is the 4.0 V6 is a gas hog, getting only about 15mpg.
Ultimately, I wanted to get back into a pickup, hence, the F150. I'm actually on my 2nd F150 in 5 months due to a clerical error resulting in title issues with the first. First was a 2013 SuperCrew 4x4 XLT with 3.55 locking differential. Current is a 2014 SuperCab with the same options. Either one is priced lower than what you'd probably pay for a Quad Cab 4x4 TRD Tacoma.