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Like Toyota, Nissan didn't care to produce the cornucopia of configurations necessary to cover the entire full-size truck market; both companies simply want the biggest piece of the action. The difference is that Nissan went all the way: big dimensions (225" long x 79" wide x 77" tall), big wheelbase (140"), and instead of a 4.7-liter V8 stands 5.6 big liters that grind out a big 305 horsepower and bigger 379 pounds-feet of torque. A V6? Don't even ask.
Nissan likes to quantify its victories, such as the way this engine earns them best-in-class max towing capacity of 9,500 pounds (vs. the Ford F-150's same, the Dodge Ram's 9,200, the Chevy Silverado's 8,000, and the Toyota Tundra's 7,100). Even if payload is nothing special at 1,387-1,587 pounds, this engine proves its worth by shoving the Titan to 60 MPH in 7.2 seconds while the others can barely crack 8, among those that can at all. We at Automotive.com would like add the cute little statistic of 13 miles per gallon - the newest low on record in our database - but har har, fuel economy is for wimps, right?
A wimp the Titan is not. A torrent of acceleration awaits no matter what you're doing; sending the tires up in smoke at a red light is within easy reach. The Titan also turns more eagerly than the other trucks. The fast-acting gas pedal response (too fast, some say) is exactly opposite of Toyota's easy-does-it approach, and the Titan snarls through its exhaust no matter how lightly you press on it. Nissan seems to have modeled the sound of this DOHC V8 after a classic Chevy V8, and like an NBA pointguard filling in for an NFL linebacker, the effect isn't entirely natural. At least it's LOUD, right? Those who believe that real men always shout will probably like it.
The Titan's off-road resume starts with 10.3 inches of ground clearance and an optional part-time 4-wheel-drive system with a 2-speed transfer case containing 4WD High and 4WD Low (2.596:1 ratio). Want more? Get the Off-Road Package for its electronic locking rear differential, Rancho performance shocks, 3.36:1 final drive ratio, BFGoodrich Rugged Trail tires of size P285/70R17, skid plates, and fog lights. It's surprising not to find the Frontier's Hill Descent Control or Hill Start Assist, or the full-time all-wheel-drive found on the Pathfinder and Armada (or Chevy Silverado, for that matter), but you can count on the Titan being able to rough around with the others in the dirt.
Not that it doesn't know how to behave in on-road society. Its one transmission, a 5-speed automatic, is as smart and smooth as they get, and conservative gearing has the engine kickin back at 1,900 RPM when cruising at 70 MPH. If the suspension's kicks are a little firm - along with truck-typical hip-hoppity freeway behavior - the ride is about as good as any Tundra's or F-150's, which all share the more advanced coil-sprung double-wishbone front suspension design. It's about as quiet, too (except when accelerating, of course), and Nissan's stiff and fully-boxed F-Alpha structure is nearly flex-free. There isn't the same feeling of sportiness found in Nissan's smaller Frontier, but the Titan's fairly alert steering (despite a slow-sounding 19.5:1 ratio), fat wheels and tires (17"s or 18"s on all models), and firm Bosch disc brakes (ABS-EBD-BA-equipped) keep it from feeling more boat-like than it has to be.
Denying size isn't always easy, though. Every now and then, a U-turn springs up that reminds you the hard (and sometimes embarrassing) way of just how long in the body this sucker is. The Rear Sonar System aids parking somewhat, but after living with the Tundra Double Cab and now this Titan, I'm ready to declare the cutoff point for an acceptable wheelbase somewhere south of 140 inches.
But that's the Titan for you. It refuses to be ignored.
The Titan flaunts its dimensions from both sides of the looking glass. Inside, you sit on fat, flat seats, stare ahead a giant speedometer, and look out through colossal square windows and right into bi-focal mirrors (which are simultaneously confusing and helpful) that were probably meant for U-Hauls.
Functionally, the controls are classic Nissan. There are a few million useful storage cubbies, several power outlets, and everything's exactly where it should be and works intuitively (unlike the domestics) and within easy reach (unlike the Tundra). The steering wheel doesn't telescope but in this case doesn't need to, height-adjustable pedals can be had, and the optional navigation system is of the jack-in-the-box type that leaves all of these well-placed ergonomics undisturbed. Radio performance wasn't so hot for a 10-speaker, 350-watt Rockford-Fosgate, but an auxiliary input jack for your portable MP3 player makes a nice bonus.
Aesthetically, however, the Titan is all about massive slabs of gray plastic, a formless steering wheel, not much crispness in the motion of the switches, and not much sign of class or imagination. Also, the armrests swing down too low to be really useful (also blocking the belt latches), and the soft seats don't quite live up to the tough guy exterior. In the end, the Titan's about tied with the F-150 and Tundra, which also have good-but-flawed insides, but Nissan was the one who raised the bar with the ergonomic masterpiece found in its own Frontier. Why not retrofit its innards to the Titan and lead two segments?
For now, Nissan will have to be content with leading the segment in comfort. With the Titan taking trophies in front and rear legroom, rear headroom, and total interior volume of 126 cubic feet, space will definitely not be an item on the complaints list. Passengers sitting on that high, firm bench can stretch out nearly all the way and get a nice view out, and the sliding back window on Crew Cabs powers down this year. The seats fold down the normal way or up against the wall, and the passenger's folds as well.
The box behind the cabin is your typical crew cab five-and-a-half-feet long enclosure (57.1" to be exact), found on every competitor except the six-foot-plus Tundra Double Cab. Nissan makes its box special with the industry's first factory spray-in bedliner, its Utili-track channel system with four adjustable tie-down cleats, bed lighting, yet another 12V power outlet, and as of 2005, a spring-assisted tailgate for easier lifting. The bed also has a sidekick in the form of a locking storage compartment in the left-rear corner of the truck for misc items. Neat. Aside from the improved tailgate, all are part of the $950 SE Utility Bed Package.
Going with the Titan Crew Cab, which shares the same wheelbase and length, won't do anything for maneuverability, but it will stretch the length of the box from 5.5 feet to 6.5 (78.9"), increasing the volume of the rectangle from 49.3 cubic feet to 58 (there's no ceiling, yes I know). The back seat shrinks to mediocre, but acceptable.
This would normally be the point where we navigate our way through an endless array of models, but as mentioned earlier, the Titan's lack of choices makes things easy. All you have to remember are:
1. King Cab 2WD V8 automatic - XE / SE / LE
2. King Cab 4WD V8 automatic - XE / SE / LE
3. Crew Cab 2WD V8 automatic - XE / SE / LE
4. Crew Cab 4WD V8 automatic - XE / SE / LE
That was fast. Just choose which body, how many wheels you want driving, your trim line, and you're done. To the base XE, the SE adds 18x8 5-spoke alloy wheels (replacing 17x7.5 steel) with P265/70R18 tires, chrome bumpers and grille, body side molding, rear privacy glass, heated power mirrors, captain's chairs and center console, leather steering wheel, folding passenger's seat, 6-disc CD, keyless entry, alarm, and on King Cabs, power windows and locks. The XE-to-SE jump costs $2,150 on King Cabs, $1,800 on Crew Cabs. The LE changes the wheels to a 6-spoke pattern and adds fog lights, Utili-track channel system, the bedliner and storage lockbox, rear sonar parking system, Rockford-Fosgate stereo, automatic headlights, HomeLink transceiver, puddle lights on the mirrors, heated leather power front seats with driver memory, power adjustable pedals, and "aluminum-look accents." The SE-to-LE jump costs $4,450, $4,300, $4,750, or $4,600, respectively, on the models listed above.
No matter the trim line, greedy Nissan makes the customer buy multiple packages before granting access to buy the Side Air Bags Package, which contains the usual six air bags plus stability control and brake assist. But along with the Tundra, the Titan is still the only one offering both of these key safety features. (The Ram has curtain bags in the rear, but that's it.) Other big packages go by the names of Off-Road, Big Tow, High Utility Bed, Trac (limited-slip rear differential for 4WD models), Mobile Theater (DVD player with 7" screen, aux inputs, remote, two wireless headsets), and a few more that add popular equipment to the XE and SE.
Not counting options, the Titan tempts with its price range of $23,620 to $36,070. That $23,620 buys an 2WD, V8, automatic extended cab, which costs just under 25 at Toyota and more than 26 over at Ford, Chevy, or Dodge. The Titan's case is even more enticing in the crew cab leagues, starting at $26,470 with Toyota a few hundred higher and Ford and Chevy starting on the wrong side of $31,000. (Dodge joins the crew cab leagues shortly.)
Nissan succeeded in filling in the holes Toyota left blank. The full-size truck market leaves a lot of ground to cover, and the Titan is big where the Toyota is small, the Tundra covers the entry-level engines while the Titan tackles the heavy-duty, and the Tundra's frustrating femininity is balanced by the Titan's borderline boisterous behavior. The two would make a cute couple.
But there is the question of quantity, and Nissan is clearly giving more truck for the buck here. The Titan is also free of its other competitors obvious flaws, like the aging Silverado's interior, steering, and suspension or the F-150's obesity problem, and it's the only one with a chance of matching the Tundra's reliability.
How can you argue with class-leading space, class-leading performance, and a puny price tag?
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