Cargazing
By Derek Price
Truck marketers seem to love bragging rights.
In the Nissan Titan’s case, that means boasting about an important figure: the most standard horsepower of any light-duty truck for sale today.
The Titan’s 5.6-liter Endurance V8 makes 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, enough to top the base engines from its rivals at Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Ram and Toyota.
Unfortunately, that boast can easily be flipped to a downside for anyone who wants a different engine. The one and only option in the Titan is a V8 paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, a stark contrast to the slew of powertrains available in American-brand trucks and the better fuel efficiency from the fresh Toyota Tundra.
For people who need that rumbling V8 power, the Titan offers a lot of truck for the money, especially in its base configuration at around $40,000.
The Nissan Titan has only one engine available, and it’s a beast: a 5.7-liter, 400-horsepower V8.
It can tow up to 9,660 pounds, which is not as much as its rivals but more than enough for most owners.
It also comes with an exhaustive list of safety features at no extra charge, including Nissan Safety Shield 360 with automatic rear braking and Intelligent Forward Collision Warning.
Peace of mind comes from what Nissan calls America’s Best Truck Warranty. It includes bumper-to-bumper coverage for five years or 100,000 miles, a major selling point.
After its 2020 redesign, the Titan’s driving feel became much more quiet and refined than before. The cabin has roomy and incredibly comfortable front seats, but the space in back is a bit more compact than competitors.
From the driver’s seat, the Titan feels like it’s trying to combine several extremes: the power and utility of a commercial truck, the silky smoothness of a luxury car and the heart-thumping acceleration of a muscle car. Without any cargo to pull, it really does feel like a Mustang with a pickup bed.
The Titan’s cabin is available with a nine-inch touchscreen that runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for simple smartphone connectivity.
While the standard suspension is better for highway driving, my tester came with the PRO-4X suspension designed for off-roading. It uses Bilstein mono-tube shocks that deliver a stiffer ride, but it’s still compliant and quiet enough for daily driving. I actually liked the stiffer ride because it gave the truck a fun, surprisingly sporty ride for a pickup.
Offering only a V8 engine has an obvious downside: gas mileage.
The federal government rates the Titan at 21 mpg on the highway and 16 in city driving. My PRO-4X tester drops both those numbers by 1 mpg.
For the most part, the Titan rolls into 2022 unchanged from last year. Some content changes make the SV King Cab a better value, adding a number of standard features that were optional in 2021, including a nine-inch touchscreen, dual-zone climate control and heated front seats.
At A Glance
What was tested? 2022 Nissan Titan Pro-4X 4×4 Crew Cab ($51,200). Options: Pro-4X Utility Package ($2,190), Pro-4X Convenience Package ($3,390), Pro-4X Moonroof Package ($1,490), rugged step boards ($1,050), illuminated kick plate ($350), tow mirrors ($910). Price as tested (including $1,695 destination charge): $62,275
Wheelbase: 139.8 in.
Length: 229.5 in.
Width: 80.7 in.
Height: 77.2 in.
Engine: 5.6-liter Endurance V8 (400 hp, 413 lbs.-ft.)
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 15 city, 20 highway
RATINGS
Style: 9
Performance: 10
Price: 5
Handling: 6
Ride: 7
Comfort: 7
Quality: 7
Overall: 7
Why buy it?
For people who need or want a traditional V8 engine, the Titan offers compelling performance.