When it comes to full size pickups, three words have dominated headlines over the last six months: Toyota, Toyota, Toyota. Can the Tundra penetrate the Big 2.5’s final sanctuary? Who will crumble first, GM or Ford? It’s made in Texas! Yada, yada, yada. But Toyota’s not the only American-made foreign brand playing in the full-size pickup truck sandbox. Nissan was here first and they’re not going away. So can this Mississippi Titan play ball or is it destined to remain a third-string niche player?
Nissan jumped feet first into the full-sized truck market with their 2004 Titan model. Wide columns of chrome in the grill and front fascia projects mass and solidity. The now familiar look has aged well and bespeaks design originality. And there you have it.
If you’re asking “What pickup would John Stuart Mill Drive?”, Nissan gets high marks for glove-friendly door handles, standard factory spray-on bed liner, Utili-track cargo restraining system, a 12-volt bed outlet and a hidden strut that eases tailgate opening and closing. Gadget lovers will appreciate the “climate-resistant” lockbox positioned in the driver’s side rear quarter panel– until the the real world dents the panel and renders the cubby “climate-tolerant."
The Titan’s practicality continues with front seats that fold flat, providing blue print-wielding contractors with a useable work table. The Titan’s center console storage is large enough to stow and secure a laptop computer or, for Luddite load luggers, hang a few file folders. Pickup truck buyers love these features so much Nissan’s competitors have copied them.
Nissan’s laid out the interior controls and gauges logically, with genre-appropriate austerity. The Titan Crew Cab supplies abundant room for four husky carpenters or a family of five. Dashboard and door panels are appropriately washable. Passengers who utilize valet parking at Kennedy Center events will wrinkle their noses at the Titan’s confines. But that’s okay; this truck isn’t for them.
Country music lovers will applaud the Titan’s optional Rockford Fosgate 10-speaker audio system, including a bottom-tickling under seat sub-woofer. Other optional creature comforts include MP3 player connectivity, satellite navigation and radio, a DVD player and backup sonar.
What lies beneath is what usually gets hardcore pickup truck buyers blood a pumpin’. Nissan uses a fully boxed ladder frame supplied by Tower Automotive. Ford F-150 aficionados point out that the Titan’s “boxed” rails are really two C rails bonded together, rather than formed from one piece of material. Yes, well, the Titan’s frame’s cross members are welded into place for extra strength, rather than riveted. Overall, it's a professional grade tool, ready for years of action.
Most full size pickup trucks offer a wide array of engines of varying displacement: six-cylinders, diesels and big bore V8’s. Nissan keeps it simple: you get your choice of a 5.6-liter V8 married to a five-speed cog swapper or somebody else’s truck. For 2007, Nissan’s engine savants have finagled four percent more power from their 32-valve mill, boosting grunt to 317hp and 385 lbs-ft of torque. Too bad they forgot to do something about the abysmal 14/18mpg efficiency.
Still, it’s a dearth of power compared to Tundra’s 381hp and 401 ft.-lbs. of twist. But the Titan isn’t about to be left in the dust. A low first gear ratio and impatient torque converter get the 5,323lbs leviathan moving in a hurry– sometimes a little too quickly. Thanks to the standard limited-slip differential, I painted two symmetrical 10’ black lines on the concrete when I launched from a four-way stop. Fortunately the cop right behind me had better things to do than write a love letter to my spastic right foot.
My test truck’s [optional] Rancho performance shocks helped give the Titan surprising poise when maneuvering. Nissan’s pickup truck is decidedly more athletic feeling than Toyota’s new Tundra. For that matter, the Titan’s considerably more agile than trucks from Ford, GM or Dodge. The Titan’s no Lotus Elise through the slalom, but it delivers far more confidence through a cloverleaf than any of its rivals.
When Nissan first ushered the new Titan onto American dealer's showroom floors, the 'Merican made pickup was considered big, bad and bold. Since then Ford, GM and Toyota have updated and enlarged their models. These days, the Titan looks a whole lot less Titanic, and its prospects have dimmed.
Since the Titan’s introduction, Nissan’s plant has been operating just below its 90k units per year capacity. While not an abject failure, it’s not the runaway success Nissan envisioned. Reliability issues have certainly not helped it chances. And now Toyota’s entrée with a true full-sized truck is forcing deep discounts at Nissan dealerships. For buyers, that's a good thing. The Titan is a worthy (if sometimes quality challenged) competitor in a field crowded with excellence.
These are nice trucks. I think Nissan’s failing reliability reputation is keeping these from being more successful.
And what’s up with the Horsepower wars? When 317hp is considered a “dearth” compared to the Toyota’s 381hp, we are officially too spoiled in the power department. The farm trucks in my rural town seem to do just fine with their 200hp 5.0L engines.
If car manufacturers started paying as much attention to fuel economy as they do horsepower…
This Titan was the first new vehicle I have owned in my 60 years! It is also by far the WORST vehicle I have ever owned! And Nissan could not care less! Between recalls through the years and rust that makes the truck seem like it is 20 years old instead of 6! Last month all the catalitic converters had to be replaced. Luckily the government MADE nissan replace them for free as I only have 47K on the truck!
But now better yet! The entire engine has seized! YEP dead as dead can be. 47K and it is no more! And although no one has actually checked out why the engine has died, Nissan has DENIED my claim and will not replace my engine or my truck!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about JUNK and talk about bad customer service! I have waited 3 weeks so I can be told since they don’t know why it died (because no one has bothered to check!) they will not do anything for me! This vehicle has been well maintained from day one, there was no oil leaks, no tell tale signs of problems – one night on the highway it just quite. Get rid of your truck while you can!!!!!!!! Nissan does not stand behind the vehicles! Although this fight is not over yet, I am just beginning my posts and contacts. I will fight on, but want to warn you if you have one ditch it!
The chassis of this truck is almost a carbon copy of the PN96 F150. Toyota’s new truck chassis is a generation behind that. The fact that they are already making a small dent in the market speaks volumes to the trouble that the next generation will spell for Detroit.
The new Nissan Mississippi plant is plagued with quality issues while the Tennessee plant manufactures an excellent product. The mericanized Nissan is exhibiting Merican issues.
I think the numbers understate the power output, because Nissan also switched to the new SAE standard for 2007.
I don’t currently include pickup pricing in truedelta.com’s database, because it would be a huge amount of work and few site visitors seem interested. Are many visitors to TTAC interested in pickup pricing?
That toolbox/storage space behind the rear wheel looks like an opportunity for rust.
I don’t think big horsepower necessarily means poor fuel economy. Big horsepower numbers just mean that you’ve got an engine that can breathe and therefore burn tons of fuel in the upper revs. If you lay off the gas, you’ll be fine vis a vis Corvette
Don’t know much about Titans, but I bought an 05 Frontier a couple years ago. That thing was the most problematic vehicle I’ve ever owned. 6 minor problems over 18 months, then one biggie–an improperly installed clutch that eventually cracked the flywheel.
Two different dealerships and multiple calls to Nissan Consumer Affairs didn’t resolve anything. One dealer refused to acknowledge the obvious rattling from the clutch and basically told me to piss off. Another had the audacity to keep my truck for a week while I rented a Kia, only to inform me the noise was caused by brake lines against the firewall. I’m not the only person to have this particular problem either. I only know of one guy who actually got it fixed.
I don’t have the time or patience to deal with this kind of hassle so the truck is gone now. Traded for a Toyota, imagine that. Incompetent, insulting dealers; apathetic Consumer Affairs; and slipshod quality have ruined me on Nissan. Never again.
My titan is the WORST vehicle EVER! And Nissan is the worst customer service I have ever dealt with! They don’t care if you are happy or not once they have your money! After 47K I have a seized an engine and been denied help because —get this — they can’t figure out why it happened!!!!
JUNK JUNK JUNK and Nissan is a total bunch of rude uncaring money mongers- buy a chevy, buy a ford, buy a Ram….but whatever you don’t don’t buy a nissan!!!!!!
The Titan’s primary shortcoming is the undersized rear axle – no matter how much you try to reinforce it, a Dana 44 isn’t enough axle for a half-ton truck (especially one rated to tow 10,000 pounds). If you look at any of the Titan discussion forums, you can find a large number of rear-axle failures – esp. if folks tow on a regular basis. Four Wheeler magazine had two rear axles go out on their project truck, and eventually replaced it with a custom Dana 60. As they later said, “Like an Achilles tendon, these lightweight axles plague Nissan’s first attempt to capture America’s healthy 1/2-ton truck market.” Since then Nissan has tried to make the rear axle slightly stronger, but they haven’t fixed the underlying problem.
I think this is the primary reason Toyota went overboard in the other direction with the Tundra, using the largest rear axle in any of the half-ton trucks. They saw the problems Nissan had with the Titan, and wanted to make sure that their truck didn’t get a similar reputation.
I still find a GM pickup as one of the best built and a great value. Where Ford’s may still be running the interior after 4-5 years is falling apart with seats cracked and plastic with 1″ gaps (seen this all to often). I have a ‘99 Silverado 1/2 ton (5.3 v8) for towing and real big loads from Home Depot and with just over 130k on it still going strong. It does have some problems here and there (electronics seem to work when they feel like it – the side windows work at different speeds) but if you buy 5-6 year old used GM pickup you can’t pass up the great deal you can get. On top of that I’m able to get about 16-17 mpg combined and even towing the racecar and equipment (~ 4,500 lbs total) I still get 10-11 mpg.
A Toyota or Nissan are a little overpriced new and especially used. GM has the quality that a truck needs (cars – that is another story). No I don’t go out and wash/wax/detail my truck every week and am scared to even drive it on a gravel road (you should see these poser pickup owners in my neighborhood – these gas guzzlers are their daily driver). So if you want a truck to be a car – get the Toyota or Nissan or Honda. If you want a truck to be a, well, truck get a nice used and maintained GM and save yourself a lot of money.
LK, where did Four Wheeler find a Dana 60?!!!
Nissan will continue to eat Detroit and Toyota dust unless they get their quality issues sorted out. The Armada and QX56, based on the same platform, have abysmal quality records and one would assume they aren’t worked nearly as hard.
# Blunozer:
April 30th, 2007 at 7:18 am
If car manufacturers started paying as much attention to fuel economy as they do horsepower…
The EPA (not known for their automotive innovation) introduced a hydraulic hybrid system for large trucks and used a Ford Expedition for the test bed. Fuel efficiency was doubled. No batteries, it uses a hydraulic accumulator for energy storage. Research is ongoing at several places. I’ll bet that in the era of $4 gas the first pickup truck maker to introduce a truck getting 30 mpg city will make bazillions.
http://www.epa.gov/otaq/technology/
NickR – They got theirs from Dynatrac, though I think it was a custom job (they don’t specifically list the Titan on their website). The original article is at:
http://www.fourwheeler.com/projectbuild/129_0506_2004_nissan_titan_custom_dana_60_axles/
While they ended up doing quite a few modifications to their Titan, I think the first rear axle failure (and perhaps even the second) occurred while the truck was still stock.
Any Nissan Titan with country music playing is DEFINITELY an undercover cop William!
socsndaily: Owners of this American-made “import” only listen to Min’yō music?
The article says: “Sales of the new Tundra are set to eclipse the Titan’s in short order.”
But the old Tundra already sold much more than the Titan. In 2006, Nissan sold 72,192 Titans, but Toyota sold 124,508 Tundras.
I’m not referring to the old comparatively small “full-size” Toyota pickups. My comparisons to Toyota throughout this piece are to the new full scale full-size Tundra’s, which are finally apples-to-apples competitors to The Big 2.5.
If you look at any of the Titan discussion forums, you can find a large number of rear-axle failures – esp. if folks tow on a regular basis.
A Dana 44 in something that big with that much motor? Nissan obviously didn’t do their homework there. Yikes.
But that new frame sounds like it will fare better in Ford’s comparo test they have on the F150’s website. The old Titan’s bed was flopping all over the place on that bumpy road.
Fair review, all in all. I own a 2004 Titan KingCab SE and have been happy other than the front brakes. These have been the subject of several bulletins/recalls and seem to be corrected now. I personally like the way Nissan is selling these – one top of the line engine and transmission for every truck. Price the big V8 in any competitor and see what it (and the mandatory options)costs. But others seem to quibble about this and want to mix and match with their dollars.
As to gas mileage, I get a consistent 14-16 no matter how easy or hard I drive. The same as my previous F150 and the same with every honest person I know who owns a full-size gas truck. nest gets
Minyo? Not my point, but now that you mention it, I suppose NPR IS more likely than George Jones to be heard from of a Titan’s tweeters.
The target demographic was openly admitted to be the J Crew crowd. Not exactly the Wrangler wearin’ crowd.
“But that new frame sounds like it will fare better in Ford’s comparo test they have on the F150’s website. The old Titan’s bed was flopping all over the place on that bumpy road”
What new frame? It’s the same as it has been since the Titan was introduced. And flopping? I’m on my second Titan now, and while the ride is trucklike (duh…) I have never felt the way it rides is like ‘flopping’.
My GTI’s stereo pumps out plenty of George Jones, Dwight, and Bocephus. Also a spare pair of wellingtons in the back.
Never did try to tow a boat, though.
….All my exes live in Wolfsburg?
Back to point though: didnt the Ford Ranger, circa 1979, have a similar rocker panel storage feature?
Let me expand on what William had to say about the suspension allowing more “poise,” based on my personal experience driving a Titan in the summer of 2004.
I crested a hill, and was prepared to go down a ramp on the other side; said ramp was to get onto I5 north. I stopped, to allow the driver of a Dodge Ram pickup, who was executing a sharp right-hander onto that same ramp to go. I then had to wait for about two or three minutes, to get onto the ramp.
I goosed it to get across the street, going east/west, and was on the pipe, looking off to my left (as I could) to watch the flow of traffic and probably hitting 45 to 50 mph. That big V8 in the Titan allows for a good zero-to-whatver you want.
But there, up ahead, for no particular reason, was the driver in his Dodge Ram, at a dead stop, waiting for… well, I am still not sure.
I went from “I am going to collide with his rear end and die or go to the hospital” to “I must do what I can” in seconds. There was a bit of roadway to his right and dirt. I had no idea, given the width of the Titan, if would tumble off; but I figured that would be a lot better than colliding with the rear of his truck.
I had hit the ABS to slow down – great thing there, of course, is you can still steer – and edged to the right of this doofus. I just made it around him and breathed a sigh of relief – no exaggeration.
About quarter-mile out on the freeway, I saw this same pickup driver, on my left; and he saw me looking. He just shrugged. I still can’t believe it. The man himself didn’t know what he was doing or why – only that he’d almost caused me to die.
It made me a big believer in that big truck known as the Titan. Additionally, I seem to recall reading in the press materials – but never did try to ascertain the accuracy of the claim – that the towing capacity of the Titan is 9,000 pounds.
True enough, the mileage isn’t very good. But hey, if you’re a contractor, and you don’t use this truck to drive to the honky-tonk on Saturday night, but instead for work, my feeling is this rig is a much better choice, in terms of cost/benefit ratio, than the Tundra or Sierra. Besides, it just might save your life.
Both Titan and Tundra show an appalling lack of styling restraint. They look like a Japanese interpretation of the monstrous American ego. They’re willfully ugly because I guess the Japanese think the more ugly the truck, the more ‘masculine.’
One thing I absolutely love about the Titan is that they put the ‘good’ engine in standard. I think this is a practice that would have taken hold decades ago if engineers ruled at the carmakers. Think about how much better a chassis you could design around only ONE engine. It would be customized and ‘tuned’ to maximize weight savings, handling and ride etc.
They give us a ‘bad’ engine standard in order to charge $1000 for the ‘good’ engine.
Socsndaisy:
Ford had something like this since at least ’73 – the original design came out in ’67 and those may have had it.
Chevy/GMC had something similar behind the cab for the ’67 to ’72. ’73 ‘saddlebag’ gas tanks, made infamous by NBC, precluded that. Then they moved it to the rear 1/4 like Nissan.
Stuff like this – amazing how few really new ideas are out there. Ford even sold a “Contractor Special” that essentially did the same thing Chevy claims for its Silverado hybrid: it had a generator so contractors could power tools with the pickup. It was a factory option package too.
As noted in the review, gearing is a major contributor to the Titan’s low-speed acceleration. Compars the ratios in the five-speed Nissan transmission with those in a four-speed domestic truck automatic, and you’ll be surprised by the difference. Very steep first gear considering the size of the engine.
Not mentioned in the review is the Titan’s mediocre ride quality compared to the new Tundra or to GM’s new trucks.
The lack of different cab/engine configurations really hurts the Titan. Also, the numerous reliability issues associated with the Titan made a lot of buyers stay away from it. Even though Nissan has improved the truck’s reliability, the perception still stands, and the weak rear end of the truck still remains.
Hydroforming – not riveting!
Johnson: Not mentioned in the review is the Titan’s mediocre ride quality compared to the new Tundra or to GM’s new trucks.
The Titan’s ride is more taut than its competitors but it is not harsh or unpleasant. Personally, I prefer the greater composure – I feel more in control of the machine. But you are correct, the GM is smoother riding than the Titan. The Toyota is not. At high speeds the Toyota suspension is way too lose for comfort (i.e. good control) and at certain lower speeds it fails to dampen road chop – a real disappointment.
jwfisher: Hydroforming – not riveting!
Riveting.
Hydroforming would be how the rails are shaped. Many manufacturers are opting to hydroforming their lower vehicle structures as an alternative to stamping to achieve lighter and more rigid structures.
The riveting or welding referred to in the article describes how the frame cross members are fastened to the frame rails.
Someone should write death watch articles for the little sisters of the Japanese automobile industry. The market now clearly puts Toyota and Honda in the top tier, Nissan and Mazda in a second tier and then Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Isuzu in the dead and dying category. Subaru gets it’s own special AWD niche which they generally do well with.
Nissan’s quality is no better in general that that of the 2.5. Mazda is more a Ford product every day, and the resale values on Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Isuzu vehicles are horrible with good reason.
I really don’t see any good reason for most of these companies other than Toyota and Honda to remain in the US market 5-10 years from now.
jthorner: The market now clearly puts Toyota and Honda in the top tier, Nissan and Mazda in a second tier and then Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Isuzu in the dead and dying category.
While Isuzu is probably gasping its last breath in the US passenger vehicle market, Mitsubishi and Suzuki are showing a sales increase over last year. Overall, Suzuki sales are up 4.3% and Mitsubishi sales are up 23.2%. They both have new products which seem to be doing relatively well in the US market.
You are exposing your bias for Japanese manufacturers here. Headlines have not been “Toyota, etc.,” but rather the 2007 Chevy Silverado cleaning up all of the awards on merit (not sentiment). And while you generally take every opportunity to show domestic vehicles in bad light vs. an import counterpart, here you fail to mention that the GM trucks get better mileage than either Nissan or Toyota, and are better-priced to boot. Given the Silverado’s objective superiority (in spite of Sajeev Gupta’s negative review), why can’t you bring yourselves to classify the Titan in its true compeptive light as an also-ran?
GM Philosopher: You are exposing your bias for Japanese manufacturers here.
If for some reason I though that I needed a pickup truck in my life (I don’t) I would probably be GMC Sierra or Ford F-150. How’s that for Japanese bias?
GM Philosopher: Headlines have not been “Toyota, etc.,” but rather the 2007 Chevy Silverado cleaning up all of the awards on merit (not sentiment).
Okay, I have not done a scientific media survey to count how many articles have been published regarding Toyota’s Tundra in the last six months compared to other pickup truck headlines. You’ve got me there. But I suspect that you haven’t done so either.
My impression is that there has been far more buzz surrounding the launch of the new Toyota than anything else. I have observed far more articles analyzing this event because it is a potential death knell for the domestic auto industry. This is a huge story.
Furthermore, whatever accolades the GMT900 trucks have gotten has been largely ignored – except by faithful GM Cool Aid drinkers.
GM Philosopher: …you fail to mention that the GM trucks get better mileage than either Nissan or Toyota, and are better-priced to boot.
Yeah, but this is not a review of GM’s trucks. As for the subject vehicle’s gas mileage, I characterized it as “abysmal.” How could that statement possibly be construed as anti-American?
GM Philosopher: …you generally take every opportunity to show domestic vehicles in bad light vs. an import counterpart…
What? I only made one unfavorable comparison to GM, Ford or Dodge trucks: I correctly observed that the Titan is more agile.
GM Philosopher: Given the Silverado’s objective superiority (in spite of Sajeev Gupta’s negative review)…
I think you mean Sajeev Mehta.
GM Philosopher: …why can’t you bring yourselves to classify the Titan in its true compeptive[sic] light as an also-ran?
Because the Nissan Titan has many virtues that make it a truly competitive truck.
With all due respect, I would say that you are grasping at straws to find bias where there is none.
The Titan’s real-world mileage is actually better than GM’s comparably sized engine (or any other manufacturer’s full-size for that matter).
Don’t take my word for it:
==http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4212506.html?page=2==
It would seem that the bias is against the Japanese coprporations treading on sacred American ground. From a Titan (and former F150) owner again, the review was very fair. As to gas mileage, no one buys a full-size truck based on mileage. And the tests I have read indicate the GM models get much worse than the EPA sticker – one review had them at 12MPG. This would not dissuade me from a purchase anyomre than the 14MPG I get in my Titan.
“Blunozer:
April 30th, 2007 at 7:18 am
These are nice trucks. I think Nissan’s failing reliability reputation is keeping these from being more successful.
And what’s up with the Horsepower wars? When 317hp is considered a “dearth” compared to the Toyota’s 381hp, we are officially too spoiled in the power department. The farm trucks in my rural town seem to do just fine with their 200hp 5.0L engines.
If car manufacturers started paying as much attention to fuel economy as they do horsepower… ”
I also find it interesting. Way back in the 60’s and before, 200 hp and 200 ft-lbs of torque were considered plenty. People driving trucks didn’t care about 0-60 times; what mattered was utility, reliability, and hauling/towing capacity. The result was a simple design for ease of repair and reliability, tough structural construction, and high gear ratios for good low end pulling power. This fits right in with the commercials for Hyundai’s SUV touting it’s acceleration and handling. What about off-road ability? If I get an SUV, it ain’t for the race track.
Of course, if somebody came out with a truck with only 200 hp and 250 ft-lbs of torque and 4.10 gears for good towing/hauling ability and that got 22/30 mpg with today’s engine technology, the automotive press would lambaste it for a lack of power and top end speed, no matter the towing and cargo numbers.
What new frame? It’s the same as it has been since the Titan was introduced. And flopping? I’m on my second Titan now, and while the ride is trucklike (duh…) I have never felt the way it rides is like ‘flopping’.
My mistake, I thought the PR folk mentioned a new frame when I attended a press show, but their media website says nothing about it.
As far as the flopping/bad ride, check the Silver Creek Shootout on Ford’s website: http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/f150/truth/
There MUST be some trick to their test but its still an alarming video. The Titan’s rear wheels struggle to stick to the road toward the end…while the Ford just cruises over everything.
I expect the new GM trucks will do about as well as the Ford, since the chassis and suspension bits are similar.
Given the Silverado’s objective superiority (in spite of Sajeev Gupta’s negative review), why can’t you bring yourselves to classify the Titan in its true compeptive light as an also-ran?
GM Philosopher:
You have GOT to be kidding me.
Did you read my Tundra and Tacoma reviews? Look under Sajeev Mehta, not Gupta. They will give you plenty to philosophize about.
I stand by my words on the Silverado: its a dull looking truck (inside/out) with a great motor and a decent chassis/suspension. Don’t expect me to be content with Chevy’s offering, that dog won’t hunt.
Sajeev: You can’t really expect us to take Rick Titus seriously? TTAC prides itself on independence, Rick Titus seems to be the exact opposite of that (BTW; is he related to Christopher Titus of TV fame?).
I prefer to rely on more independent sources (like the Popular Mechanics link I posted earlier), preferably comparisons. While the Titan certainly didn’t win all comparos, it usually scored pretty good. And I don’t remember the ‘flopping’ mentioned at all. Not saying it doesn’t exist, just that I would be interested to find out how to recreate it.
You can’t really expect us to take Rick Titus seriously?
No not really, and that’s exactly why I said there “must be a trick” to that test.
Having driven a few of the trucks on Titus’ test, there might actually be some merit to that test. Just a little. I mean, the last-gen Tundra sure feels like the frame is made out of wet noodles compared to the Chevy/Ford/Dodge. As far as flopping: that’s the last-gen Tundra in the Titus’ video, not the Titan. Again, my mistake…sorry about that.
I wonder if he’s related to Christopher Titus too…
I really don’t care much about pickups, much less the Titan, but a review that asks “What kind of truck would John Stuart Mill drive?” is one of the reasons why TTAC’s reviews are worth reading. Believe it or not, there is a utilitarianism.com.
jthorner.
While Suzuki and Isuzu might be non-players in the US market, they are doing very well overseas. Suzuki is seeing great sales and profits in Asia, and Isuzu continues to be one of the world’s biggest makers of diesel engines and commercial trucks.
Nissan had/has many problems with labor down south.
The workforce down there is not used to manufacturing combined with southern work ethic Nissan faces uphill climb.
Soon, Hyudai/KIa will learn.
This is the first truck I’d choose behind the new Tundra. Always liked the looks, and the utility and performance, not to mention practicality only add to that. Now if the reliability could only improve..
It seems reliability is the major concern with the Titan. In my mind, the only reason to purchase an import truck is for reliability (ala Tundra). If the Titan can’t deliver this, why wouldn’t I choose its domestic counterparts?
In response to kjc117 @ 7:32:
What a completely baseless statement. Nissan’s Titan problems have nothing to do with the “work ethic” in the South. Actually, many of our best vehicles are manufactured in Southern US states. I love Nissans, but their quality issues have existed for a long long time, well before they began manufacturing stateside. Nissan quality has never matched Toyota, Honda or even GM or Ford.
I agree with Blue Adidas, there is nothing wrong with the “work ethic” of Nissan’s US factory employees. Nissan’s quality problems are all a matter of poor management, including the engineering and production decisions said management has been making. The conceit of one man (Ghosn) thinking he can do a great job of running Nissan, Nissan-US and Renault by keeping himself constantly in the air is doing those companies in. The respective Boards of Bystanders at Nissan and Renault are letting him do anything he likes, including running both companies into the quality wall.
When talking about work trucks you can’t expect to get good gas mileage when you are hauling 1 ton or towing 3 tons. I think people are forgetting that. Work trucks are not meant to be fuel efficient, it is nearly impossible. They are meant to tow and haul large amounts of weight. The point is that Nissan is attempting to have a better nissan header truck “image” in the market and to do this they believe that it needs to be “bigger, bolder, badder”. So that is what they are doing.
I have been driving a Nissan Titan now for 2 years. I LOVE it. I have hauled rock, dirt, and sand with out any problems. I also get 18-20 mpg in the city and 22-25 on the highway. I live in oregon and our mountains can get pretty hairy in the winter. My Titan had no problems in snow (my friends GMC can’t say the same). When I bought my Titan it was cheaper than than Dodge and Toyota and it came with alot more features. I don’t know why they say my external toolbox is “weather resistant”, I have seen no evidence of moisture, and all my cargo is perfectly dry. I livein Oregon and it rains 300 days a year here. My toolbox seems to be weather proof. I use my Titan daily and it has never let me down.
I keep hearing about “reliability issues”. Some one please enlighten me. I have an 05 crew cab LE and other than the brake problem, which Nissan repaired, I have had NO problems with this truck. I now have 36,000 miles on it. On road/off road, up mountains pulling two 4 wheelers, pulling a 6000lb boat 600 miles from Fairbanks to Homer, etc, etc. It has done everything I have asked of it without so much as a whimper. Great Truck and probably the most comfortable truck I’ve ever owned…and I owned a bunch.
As far as the engine is concerned, I would LOVE to have it in my boat instead of the Chev 350 that’s in there (experience talking).
I believe every new truck out there is a damned good truck and I’m not going to bad mouth any truck…but you can find problems with any of them, including mine…and yours. Keep in mind, even Mighty Toyota has had their start up problems with the Tundra, and you can’t beat Toyota for build quality and reliability. I had a T100 4×4 that I put 260,00 trouble free miles on before the Titan.
I had an 05 Titan crewcab, now have an 07.
As aforementioned, except for the brakes (04-05) what reliability issues are you talking about? I’ve had Fords, 2 Chevy Avalanches and currently also have an 07 Dodge Ram 1500, and the tautest, smoothest driver is the Titan. (Chevy Avalanche’s were excellent, they’ve just priced them too high now). Only one complaint with the Titan — turning radius sucks. Power, rigidity, ride smoothness, acceleration, quietness, roominess, ergonomics, fit and finish, are all strong attributes.
The truck market and mainstream auto press has forgotten one of the best kept secrets and values of the past 3 years. That is the 2005 and 2006 Toyota Tundra Double Cab. Toyota made significant changes to the engine and size of the truck resulting in a true full size truck, with the variable valve v8 and 5 speed automatic. The mainstream automotive press barely noticed this but it demonstrated just how ferocious Toyota was willing to compete in the full size truck market by changing the scaled dimensions of the Tundra to sell just two more model years. The 2005/2006 tundra weighed subtantially less than the current crew max beast, drove "smaller" than its size, was as quick if not quicker than the Titan, offered vehicle stability control, and provided a perfect size "Goldilocks" back seat. If you look at the current Toyota line up the double cab back seat space is too small and the crew max is too big. Furthermore, you give up a 72 inch bed to get a Tundra crew max. The 2005 Tundra gave you 37 inches of comfortable back (stadium) seating with a 72 inch box. That is a combination that is a sweet spot in full size four door pickups that Toyota has left behind or forgotten. Toyota's heavily incentive leases on the 2005 and 2006 Tundras means a bargain lease transfer or 2 to 3 year lease/trade return will be a fantastic deal for someone who wants to buy a truck equal too or better than a Titan, and lighter/easier on the eyes than the current Tundra. Toyota may have committed a significant mistake in attempt to beat the competition, they made their new truck into the fat ugly American forsaking the genius packaging balance sine qua non of Japan.
Have a 2005 titan and to tell you the truth, this is the best truck for the value… Rides good, looks good and when you want power, it’s there in an instant. Only one compliant as if this is real nit-picky, the automatic seat adjustment is a little touchie sometimes and can be a problem if you don’t sit right in seat.. at 6′-3″ and 250 lbs can sometimes get a little too far off to the left and the automatic seat adjustment will be touched off..But to me it’s the best of the bunch. Ford forget it, Chevy’s don’t look good, dodges are not for me.. the Toyota’s have priced themselves out of the market with what you get…
Also have a Murano which my wife will kill over. Have had no issues as some have stated with reliablity.