2004 Nissan Titan

2004 Nissan Titan 2004 Nissan Titan
First Drive Review

With its 2004 Titan, Nissan has launched an all-out assault on the full-size-pickup-truck market. From the look of it, the Titan was designed to take on the domestic-truck makers on their own terms. After assessing the particular strengths of domestic-brand trucks, Nissan's engineers targeted those aspects and then set out to best them.

No single vehicle was used as a target, says Larry Dominique, Nissan's chief product specialist for the Titan. Thus, when Nissan invited us to drive an early-development Titan mule, the company had on hand a Chevy Silverado, a Ford F-150, and a Dodge Ram for comparison. And when we had driven all the vehicles back-to-back, we could tell, for one thing, that the Titan's throttle response and engine power were modeled pretty directly on those of the Chevy Silverado, which has an aggressive throttle tip-in and vigorous launch to attract younger drivers.

When we brought up that subject with Nissan's assembled engineers, they conceded they'd had to come up with a separate-and more sedate-throttle map for low-range four-wheel-drive use. But regardless of personal throttle-response preferences, there should be little criticism of the 300-plus-hp, 5.6-liter Endurance V-8 (its output wasn't finalized at press time) used throughout the Titan line.

With more than 90 percent of its 375-plus pound-feet of torque available from 2500 rpm, the big four-cam V-8 is almost guaranteed to find lifelong devotees among truck owners-particularly as the five-speed automatic it is teamed with offers perhaps the quickest kickdown response and smoothest shift transitions in the field.

Capable of towing up to 9400 pounds when appropriately equipped, the Titan's V-8 revs like a high-performance car engine, yet it burbles throatily at low rpm so the folks in the parking lot can appreciate its big-bore bent-eight truck credentials. Despite the all-aluminum overhead-cam design, the Titan's Endurance V-8 feels and sounds like the granddaddy of all truck engines. Whereas Toyota's Tundra is a seven-eighths-scale truck with subtle, almost feminine sensibilities, the Titan is thoroughly butch.

Tall people will fit easily in the big passenger compartment. In the case of the crew cab (there is also a smaller King Cab), four or five big guys will find a surprising amount of space, since front and rear legroom dimensions are almost identical. Nissan deliberately designed the cab so the floor would be flat, with minimal intrusion from the rear bulkhead. When the rear seats are not in use, they fold up against the bulkhead, providing a generous and unobstructed interior cargo area.

Everything about the Titan is big and bold. The ladder frame has large cross-section, fully boxed longitudinal side members. (Most pickups use C-shaped open-section side rails.) Beefy steel control arms suspend the front wheels, and dual-stage leaf springs with shackles mounted on the frame sides for better off-road clearance control the excursions of a solid rear axle.

As it is, the ride proved flat and reasonably supple at Nissan's Arizona proving ground. Body motions were well controlled, and the Titan resisted seesawing over the rough-surface section where most of the rivals did not.