The Nissan Titan is the only full-size truck with a standard V8 in its basic model. Toyota just underwent a makeover that replaced the previous V8 with a standard turbocharged V6 engine. Although some purchasers may find it advantageous, many will discover an outdated vehicle with few other redeeming qualities apart from its robust primary powerplant. Contrary to rumours, the Titan will continue to be produced for at least one more model year, starting in 2022. Nissan’s Titan sales began well in the middle of the 2000s but slowed down. In 2021, Nissan sold just over 27,000 Titans. In contrast, the Toyota Tundra sold around 82,000 vehicles in 2021.
Four trim levels of the Nissan Titan are available: S, SV, Pro-4x, and Platinum Reserve. Additionally, versions of the king cab (139.8-inch wheelbase, 228.2-inch overall) and crew cab (151.6-inch wheelbase, 244-inch overall length) are offered. 2023 The primary S grade with two-wheel drive is $41,495 (with a $1795 destination fee); four-wheel drive is a further $3,290; and the top Platinum Reserve model costs more than $63,795. Although the $54,605 Pro-4X is more challenging than the others, the Nissan sadly lacks a designated hard-core off-road option. A premium variant with high-end materials and technology is also lacking. The highest Platinum Reserve trim is a start, but the GMC Sierra Denali, Ram 1500 Limited, and F-150 Limited are superior, along with Toyota’s new Capstone level.
A 5.6-liter V8 engine with 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque is standard on all Titan models. It comes with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive with a nine-speed automatic gearbox. The Pro-4x adds hill descent control and a locking rear differential, while the truck receives hill start help and an active brake-actuated limited-slip differential.
The Titan seems less polished than rival trucks from other manufacturers, relying on air suspension, coil springs, and additional suspension gimmicks to balance ride comfort and off-road performance better. Although it has passable off-road capabilities, its road manners are not maintained. The result is a truck that sometimes seems twitchy, rough, and unsteady on bumpy roads. Pro-4x vehicles seem even stiffer on the road despite having beefier off-road tires and suspension components.
Nissan’s Zero Gravity front seats are among the most comfortable buckets in any vehicle, delivering bottomless, well-padded buckets with decent support and bolstering. The Titan’s interior is quiet, roomy, and comfy. Nissan saves the finest materials for the highest trims, making the truck’s interior substrates and finishes imperfect. Lower trim levels include harsh plastics and materials that seem cheap, taking away from the truck’s upmarket appearance. All passengers have enough head and leg room, and there is a lot of small item storage space and decent storage in the centre console.
Nissan was denied a Top Safety Pick designation from the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for the Titan, only getting “Good” ratings in the majority of crash test categories and “Superior” ratings for collision avoidance systems. It has Nissan Safety Shield as standard equipment, which includes automatic high beams, rear automatic braking, blind spot warnings, rear cross-traffic alerts, lane departure alerts, and automated emergency braking with pedestrian recognition. A surround-view camera system, adaptive cruise control, driver alertness monitoring, and traffic sign recognition are further options for customers. It received a total rating of four stars from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), with a maximum of five stars.
Performance: Nissan Titan
The Titan’s 5.6-litre V8 engine’s standard output is 400 hp and 413 pound-feet of torque. It has a nine-speed automatic gearbox to power the rear or all four wheels. Despite having strong acceleration and a powerful sound, the Titan’s V8 doesn’t give any performance advantages over Ford’s turbocharged six-cylinder engine or any of its competitors’ V8s. Although the Titan’s stopping strength is assured and direct, its steering isn’t as communicative or sensitive as others, and it sometimes needs repeated interstate adjustments. When fully outfitted, the truck can tow 9,323 pounds, falling thousands of pounds shy of some of its competitors.
Ford provides an aggressive performance version of the F-150 called the Raptor, while Chevy also sells an off-road Silverado dubbed the ZR2. Even Toyota produces TRD Off-Road variants of the 2017 Tundra in addition to Ram’s TRX and Toyota’s TRX. The Titan is now the outlier among trucks regarding performance and off-road options.
Fuel efficiency: Nissan Titan
The Nissan Titan with two-wheel drive gets 16 mpg in the city, 21 mpg on the interstate, and 18 mpg overall. With four-wheel drive, the city’s fuel efficiency drops to 15 mpg. The Titan Pro-4x achieves 17 mpg combined, 20 mpg on the interstate, and 15 mpg in the city. The truck only comes with a V8 engine; sadly, Nissan does not provide a hybrid or electric version.
The General Motors twins have four-cylinder gasoline and six-cylinder diesel engines, while Ford offers hybrid and electric versions of the F-150. While none of the other full-size trucks are offered with a V8 engine as standard equipment, Chevrolet and GMC both provide a diesel (Ram’s V6 diesel gets withdrawn at the end of the 2022 model year); all of the other full-size trucks offer more effective fuel-saving choices.
Safety & Driver Support
The Titan fared well in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) crash testing. However, it was not named a Top Safety Pick. The vehicle received “Good” ratings across the board, except for one tiny overlap front passenger side test, which received an “Acceptable” rating. However, the IIHS gave it a “Poor” rating for its headlights, noting that they were insufficient on both sides of the road and in bends. Nissan offers generous standard safety equipment, such as automatic highlights, blind spot monitoring, and automated emergency braking.
Top Safety Pick honours for 2022 were given to the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500. They get many of the same safety features as the Nissan and receive higher ratings in crash tests. However, both the Silverado and Sierra have decent standard equipment.
Comfort & Room: Nissan Titan
The Titan’s front seats are among the most comfortable in any consumer truck now, making everyday driving considerably more pleasant and relaxing. Both rows of car seats have plenty of capacity, and the second-row bench has ample room for children in car seats. Crew cab vehicles have 38.5 inches of back legroom, compared to 24.8 inches for king cab models. The controls are positioned, allowing the driver to reach and see them quickly, and visibility is decent. The Titan is penalized for its harsh suspension and flinty ride quality.
The cabin of the Ford F-150 is more ergonomic than the Titan’s, and it has massage and other high-end features. The interiors of the Silverado and Sierra have had upgrades that have brought them up to date, but the Ram 1500 has one of the best cabins of any vehicle now on the market.
Infotainment: Nissan Titan
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard features of the Titan. However, the UI is clumsy and unclear. However, it provides a responsive method to engage with the vehicle and functions effectively on both accessible screens. Nissan has an 8-inch touchscreen as standard equipment. However, a 9-inch model is also offered. Top trims include wireless phone charging, an audio system with Fender branding, a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, and other features.
One of the industry’s finest and most feature-rich user interfaces, Ford’s SYNC 4 system operates on big, responsive displays that up the tech factor. Two applications may run concurrently on trucks with the more prominent optional display, and the system has over-the-air upgrades to keep current. While not the newest, the Ram’s Uconnect system is a tried-and-true entity that seems light-years ahead of Nissan’s interface and is just as user-friendly as General Motors’ system.
Storage & Cargo Space:
The Titan is available from Nissan with either a king cab with a 6.5-foot bed or a king cab with a 5.5-foot bed. The trucks have a cargo management system that includes several tie-downs, two heavy-duty metal cleats, and three-bed rails. The Titan’s interior small-item storage is adequate, but its competitors provide more excellent rooms that are more organized and more accessible. For in-bed cargo management, Nissan includes storage bins and other attachments. The vehicle also has a spray-in bedliner and a 120-volt power outlet.
With more strategically placed amenities, including its smartphone storage compartment that takes the phone out of the way while keeping it safe, the Ram 1500 provides superior internal storage. All pickups in the Titan’s class have spacious cargo beds with various tie-down and management options, and the F-150 has comparable straightforward storage.
Design: Nissan Titan
Nissan opted for a conventional boxy body, abundant chrome for the top trims, and enormous proportions from practically every aspect when designing the Titan. Even so, the vehicle is well-designed, and the 2020 update adds a grille with much better coherence. The front fascia and external trim pieces of higher trim levels have chrome elements, but the Titan’s overall appearance is muted and does not include some of the bright graphics packages that Ford and Ram offer on their trucks. The truck’s inside is likewise spotless, and Nissan did a great job fusing more modern features with traditional physical controls.
With its sleek design and clean lines, the Ford F-150 has firmly entered the modern era. Although it doesn’t have the same hefty appearance as the Titan, the F-150’s form works well nevertheless. The Ram 1500 still has the same upscale good looks from its last facelift, and the aesthetic has held up nicely over time. Full-size pickups from Chevy and GMC have been revamped with an aggressive aesthetic that is difficult to ignore. Both have busier visuals compared to the Nissan, Ford, or Ram.
The Nissan Titan 2023: Is It Worth It?
It is difficult to suggest the Titan when there are so many better, more recently updated trucks. Nevertheless, it’s one of the cheaper ways to put a V8 in a full-size truck, and it’s challenging to overlook Nissan’s basic and powertrain warranties, valid for five years or 100,000 miles. Additionally, the Titan is less expensive than many competitors, particularly at the top of the trim range. For instance, its Platinum Reserve level’s beginning price of $60,465 is cheaper than the top trims from Ram and Ford.
Due to the Titan’s basic V8, the best version is also the least expensive; therefore, choosing a trim level near the bottom offers the most significant value. The starting price for a basic 2023 S king cab with four-wheel drive is $44,785, which is great for a full-size 44 with a V8. The Titan may still work in your favour when considered a bargain play amid a sea of pricey competition. Getting the same choices in a full-size truck from another manufacturer costs thousands more.
How Much Does the Nissan Titan Cost to Insure?
The Nissan Titan is more costly to insure than most of its competitors. Our statistics show the nationwide average premium for an essential Titan S for a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean driving record is $2,013 annually. The Ford F-150 costs $1,656, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 costs $1,906, and the Toyota Tundra costs $1,785.
Nissan Titan Generations
Second Generation
2016 to Present
For the 2016 model year, Nissan updated the truck, introducing new body types and combinations but not many engine choices. Like the original version, there is just one engine, a 5.6-liter V8. The truck has received progressively more driver-assistance technologies over time, and in 2020, it had a significant outward update. Due to weak sales, the conventional cab and 8-foot bed option, which had just been offered in 2016, was discontinued.
First Generation
2003 to 2015
In 2004, the Titan was launched. A long-wheelbase variant with modernized external and interior style was debuted in 2008. All trim levels now come standard with side, curtain, and stability control enhancements as of 2010. Between 2011 and 2014, there were several minor modifications.
Verdict
The Nissan Titan is not as opulent or contemporary as its American competitors, but it does come with an excellent warranty and robust basic engine specifications. Even so, it has a competitive price and is the only half-ton truck with a base-model V8 engine. When properly equipped, it can tow up to 9660 pounds (9240 in basic form), so customers seeking a work truck without frills may find the Titan a good deal.
