Nissan Titan
Size is everything |
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By Richard J. Newman
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Nits: The rear seats are uncomfortably upright.
G forces: There's just one engine for all trim lines, a muscular 305-horsepower V-8. It's adequate for just about all situations, and those with heavy-duty towing needs can spring for a tow package that upgrades capacity from 6,500 pounds to more than 9,000. The Titan handles about like it sounds it would—it lumbers, but with decent road feel for such a large, top-heavy vehicle.
Gizmology: The basic package is simple and practical, with sensible storage compartments and intuitive dashboard controls. Optional features included thoughtful touches like a series of rail-mounted overhead compartments that slide forward and back, handy overhead lights anyplace they might be needed, and extra power outlets for power tools or other gear.
Kidmarks: The rear seat on both the king cab and crew cab models is sedan-sized. The stretched crew cab has more legroom, for adults, but for kids, the shorter king cab might be better, since it brings them closer to the grown-ups in front. There's no escaping the fact that the Titan is a high vehicle and might be a stretch for small kids, or short Moms installing babies in car seats.
Hot or not: Hot. Pickups are defined by their boldness, and this one is well-defined.
Pain at the pump: Severe. Gas mileage ratings are 14 mpg/city and 19 mpg/highway.
Crash course: Earns nine stars out of 10 on the government's frontal crash test. Not tested for side-impact. Rollover resistance rating is three stars out of five for the four-wheel-drive model, and four out of five for the rear-wheel-drive model. More info: www.safercar.gov
Standard safety gear: Antilock brakes.
Price points: Base prices range from $24,105 to $31,055. Price as tested: $39,225. (All prices include delivery fees.)
More info: www.nissanusa.com
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Model year tested: 2006
Nissan got one thing right with this truck: the name. Others that might have worked: The Nissan Hercules. The Nissan Gargantua. Or the Nissan Enormity.
Everything about this truck is big, for two reasons: One, it's a full-size truck, made for big hauling needs. But as Nissan's first entry onto pickup turf long dominated by Ford, Chevy, and Dodge, the Titan had to make an unambiguous statement of virility too. Mission accomplished. The fenders bulge, the snout towers, the seats envelop, and the V-8 roars. You could haul an oak tree in the six-and-a-half-foot-long cargo bed, and the Titan can tow nearly one-and-a-half times its own weight. Anybody who wants a full-size pickup, whether for hauling wood around the ranch or kids around the neighborhood, will find the Titan's dimensions and dominating personality highly satisfying.
There are lots of other features that make the Titan better than just plain big, though you have to upgrade to one of the upscale trim lines or pay for other options to get them. The basic Titan includes the 305-horsepower V-8, along with chunky 17-inch tires and a predictable array of standard features, like air conditioning and a limited slip differential to improve traction on slippery surfaces. One disappointment: Side and side-curtain airbags must be purchased as a complicated separate option that can cost up to $1,200. Stability control, another key safety feature, is optional too. There are loads of other cool features, but they cost as well. A few favorites: An innovative four-channel tie down system for the cargo bed that makes it easy to secure a wide variety of heavy gear; a lockable storage compartment in one of the rear fenders, ideal for tools; a DC outlet in the cargo bed; and of course, four-wheel drive.
If you have the coin, you can create quite a terrain-conquering custom chariot. The rear seat on the extended crew cab version makes the Titan as big inside as almost any sedan. Add leather upholstery, an eight-speaker audio system, a fold-down DVD player for the kids, and regal captain's chairs, and you're not just towering over other drivers, you're outliving them too. Then wrap the whole package in chrome, and the Titan is both bigger and badder. The price will be too—think close to forty grand for a maxed-out model—but big ain't cheap.
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