Long-Term Road Test
Having a full-size he-man pickup in the family is a little like having a brother-in-law named Buster who wears flannel shirts and can bench-press 350: You're not eager to take him to social occasions, but he's sure handy to have around when you're moving a Hide-A-Bed sofa or hauling your boat out of the water.
So it is, or was, with our Titan long-term tester. Nissan's first offering in the full-size-pickup market looks like a truck, sounds like a truck, and rides like a truck, attributes that don't really enhance everyday commuting or errand running, particularly in the 'burbs. But when there was real truckin' to do--towing, hauling, or combinations thereof--the Titan endeared itself to one and all along glittering Hogback Road. Dress them up as you may, this is still the fundamental mission of trucks. All big pickups are capable of performing this mission, of course. But some of them do it with more zeal than others, and the Titan ranks right up there among the real zealots.
Not only is this Nissan's first full-size pickup, but it's also the first import-nameplate full-size truck to undergo the rigors of a C/D long-term evaluation. Toyota has been in this previously all-American game much longer, but tiptoed cautiously onto the court with a series of sub-size, underpowered offerings to avoid stirring up anti-Japanese backlash. Which paved the way for Nissan to take a less inhibited approach.
Our Titan rumbled into the parking lot here in November 2003, a mid-level SE 4x4 crew cab augmented by a number of option packages that raised the price to $33,950. The extras included the $1300 Popular package (a power driver's seat, power-adjustable pedals, an in-dash six-CD audio system with steering-wheel controls, a rear overhead console with wireless headphones, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass readout, and a universal garage-door opener), the $700 Off-Road package (17-inch wheels and BFG tires, Rancho shock absorbers, a shorter final drive, fog lamps, skid plates, and tow hooks), the $600 Big Tow package (a Class IV hitch, extendable side mirrors, a transmission-oil temp gauge, and stability control), and the $900 Utility Bed package (a spray-on bedliner, adjustable tie-down cleats, a lockbox, a 12-volt outlet, and Nissan's Utili-track channel system).
It's clear that our ordering intent was focused more on utility than on hedonism. Although not exactly austere, the Titan lacked leather upholstery and a DVD player and used lots of shiny-looking plastic. The cloth-clad seats came in for criticism, but it had to do with their comfort (so-so, particularly on long trips) and the quality of the cloth (stain-prone, as well as unattractive) rather than the absence of cowhide.
There are four key components in a truck's utility index--power-to-weight ratio, cargo capacity, gross vehicle weight rating, and towing capability--and the Titan measures up well in all, particularly in the area of sheer muscle. As a newcomer, Nissan couldn't offer the multiplicity of powertrain choices common to Yankee pickups and had to settle on one combination: a five-speed automatic mated with a 5.6-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8--just one offering, but a potent one. With 305 horsepower and 379 pound-feet of torque, the Titan's V-8 is a very robust motivator. At 5394 pounds, our Titan was 271 pounds lighter than our long-term Dodge Ram Quad Cab ( C/D, June 2003), and a similar Titan was second-lightest (120 pounds heavier than a Toyota Tundra) in last year's crew-cab comparo ("Four-Door Pickups," C/D, February 2004)--in which the Titan prevailed. At 7.6 seconds to 60 mph, that Titan was quickest in its test group, and our long-term tester was even quicker: 0 to 60 in 7.3 seconds when new, and 7.2 seconds after 40,000 miles.
V-8 muscle and robust structure also gave this truck a strong work ethic. Payload capacity for the 4x4 crew-cab version was rated at 1453 pounds, and although we never crowded the limit, the loads did go over a half-ton more than once, without any marked degradation of performance. Towing was a particularly strong suit. The Titan's 9400-pound rating is near the top of the heap in half-ton pickup trucks, which made it a big favorite with club racers on staff here.
The only negative comments concerning the Titan's shortcomings as a work truck had to do with its relatively short (67.1 inches) cargo bed. On the other hand, the short bed was complemented by a vast rear-seat area--61 cubic feet, plenty of room for three adults, and with the rear seats folded flat, plenty of room for cargo.
There were other complaints, although only one of them--an excessively noisy HVAC fan--was universal. There were also negative comments concerning the incessant macho muttering of the V-8 and the bifocal side mirrors--normal in their upper two-thirds, wide-angle at the bottom. But both of these generated almost as many positive comments.
Problems were few, and merely annoying, rather than debilitating. For example, the right-front door lock malfunctioned, making it impossible to open the door from the outside. A dashboard vent louver cracked. The CD player malfunctioned. The driver's power-seat switch stopped functioning. And at the end of the Titan's term of service, there was a factory recall for a seatbelt fix. All the repair work was covered under warranty.
Routine maintenance costs, however--five scheduled service stops over the course of the test--were steep at $736. Every 7500 miles, the Titan required an oil change and tire rotation that ran about $50. The 30,000-mile service broke the bank with a $517 workup that included a new air filter, various inspections, and a rear-differential oil change. For contrast, scheduled service for our Dodge Ram Quad Cab came to just $266. We also replaced the Titan's worn-out original tires (BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/As) at 38,916 miles with a set of BFG All-Terrain T/As that added $808 to our operating costs and eroded skidpad performance from 0.71 g to an indifferent 0.66.
Fuel economy, of course, is an oxymoron with vehicles in this class. With a hefty percentage of towing baked into its workload, our Titan averaged 14 mpg. Thanks to high fuel prices, this added up to a resounding $6829.
On the other hand, in terms of power, payload, performance, and price, this package is very attractive. The Titan lacks the posh interior materials that distinguish the Ford F-150 and the quiet refinement that makes Toyota's Tundra so easy to live with. But as an all-around workhorse, ol' Buster is tough to beat.
