Competing against Detroit’s full-size pickups takes guts. Toyota took the challenge, with a moderate level of success. Nissan also took the challenge with the Titan, with less glamorous results. And yet, after another week at the helm of this workhorse, we realize once again that there’s nothing inherently wrong with it.
But in the U.S., Ford sells 21 F-Series pickups for every Titan sold. In Canada, the ratio is 31 to one. Is Nissan doing something wrong?
Well, let’s put it this way: the F-150 offers a choice of four engines, while the Titan has one. The F-150 offers 3 cab sizes and 11 trim levels, while the Titan has 2 cabs and 4 trims. The F-150 offers multiple axle ratio choices, countless options and packages, several bed lengths, while the Titan has—okay, I think you get the picture.
As a work truck, Nissan’s full-size pickup makes sense. Our Crew Cab SL 4x4 tester’s payload capacity of 1,706 pounds (or 774 kg), which is pretty good. Towing capacity is rated at 9,100 lbs (or 4,128 kg), which trails its competitors but is still a very usable number.
The 5.6-litre V8 that equips every Titan develops 317 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 5-speed automatic, and its muscular growl is good for the occasional testosterone jolt. You won’t be able to brag much, however, as it gets piston-slapped by Ford’s 5.0 (360 hp) and EcoBoost V6 (365 hp), Toyota’s 5.7 (381 hp) and Ram’s 5.7 (390 hp). The Titan hits 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds, not bad for a 5,600-lb truck.
As for fuel consumption, our average of 16.7 L/100 km is, unsurprisingly, what you’d expect from a V8 engine that doesn’t benefit from any gas-saving technologies such as cylinder-deactivation or a 6-speed gearbox. Oh yeah, it’s winter, so we left the Titan in four-wheel drive pretty much the whole week.
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| Competitors offer several engine choices, while the Titan offers only one. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
But in the U.S., Ford sells 21 F-Series pickups for every Titan sold. In Canada, the ratio is 31 to one. Is Nissan doing something wrong?
Well, let’s put it this way: the F-150 offers a choice of four engines, while the Titan has one. The F-150 offers 3 cab sizes and 11 trim levels, while the Titan has 2 cabs and 4 trims. The F-150 offers multiple axle ratio choices, countless options and packages, several bed lengths, while the Titan has—okay, I think you get the picture.
As a work truck, Nissan’s full-size pickup makes sense. Our Crew Cab SL 4x4 tester’s payload capacity of 1,706 pounds (or 774 kg), which is pretty good. Towing capacity is rated at 9,100 lbs (or 4,128 kg), which trails its competitors but is still a very usable number.
The 5.6-litre V8 that equips every Titan develops 317 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque, mated to a 5-speed automatic, and its muscular growl is good for the occasional testosterone jolt. You won’t be able to brag much, however, as it gets piston-slapped by Ford’s 5.0 (360 hp) and EcoBoost V6 (365 hp), Toyota’s 5.7 (381 hp) and Ram’s 5.7 (390 hp). The Titan hits 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds, not bad for a 5,600-lb truck.
As for fuel consumption, our average of 16.7 L/100 km is, unsurprisingly, what you’d expect from a V8 engine that doesn’t benefit from any gas-saving technologies such as cylinder-deactivation or a 6-speed gearbox. Oh yeah, it’s winter, so we left the Titan in four-wheel drive pretty much the whole week.
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| The 5.6-litre V8 that equips every Titan develops 317 horsepower and 385 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |