Overview & Reviews

The Nissan Titan, introduced for 2004, was the first Japanese pickup to truly possess the attributes that buyers typically expect from a full-size truck. Manufactured at Nissan's Canton, Mississippi, plant, it boasts dimensions and capabilities that are very similar to those of domestic full-size pickups. Though it hasn't sold as well as its rivals and is now growing quite long in the tooth, a new or used Nissan Titan can still meet the basic needs of many truck shoppers.

Current Nissan Titan
The Nissan Titan is a full-size pickup truck. In terms of size, it's very similar to the trucks offered by domestic automakers, which means it provides competitive amounts of cargo and interior room. There's a fully boxed frame underneath for maximum rigidity and strength, as well as a traditional solid rear axle with leaf-spring support.

Nissan currently offers the Titan in extended-cab (King Cab) and crew-cab styles, with two bed lengths each. Buyers may also choose between standard- and long-wheelbase versions, with the latter adding 20 inches in length. The King Cab is offered with either a 6.5- or 8-foot bed, while those on the crew cab are each 1 foot shorter. The King Cab's rear-hinged doors open extra wide to aid cargo loading or a passenger's entry to the rear seats. The crew cab has four traditional doors and a larger rear seating area with more available rear legroom than the extended cab.

Each Nissan Titan body style is available in four trim levels. Similar to other Nissan products, there's the entry-level S, the midgrade SV, off-road-focused PRO-4X and the luxury-oriented SL. The S has a front bench seat, while captain's chairs with a flow-through console are standard on the other trims. Standard safety features now include stability control, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags. Notable options, depending on trim, include upgraded audio systems, a navigation system, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and utility-enhancing cargo bed features. For those who anticipate pulling trailers, the SV Value Truck or SL Max Utility tow packages are also available.

The PRO-4X trim level adds equipment for serious off-roaders that include Rancho shocks, a lower final-drive ratio, skid plates, an electronic locking differential and 18-inch off-road wheels with aggressive off-road tires. Unique exterior and interior styling cues to differentiate the PRO-4X from the other Titan models are also included.

For power, Nissan offers only one combination: a 5.6-liter V8 connected to a five-speed automatic transmission. The V8 is rated at 317 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque. The transmission features a tow/haul mode for when the truck is used for pulling or carrying heavy loads. For every body style and trim combination, two- or four-wheel drive is available.

In Nissan Titan reviews, our editors have found it to be powerful and capable both on- and off-road. Downsides include a lack of additional powertrain choices and the absence of a heavy-duty model. The Titan has also been outclassed by newer competitors in terms of comfort and overall design. Still, we think Nissan's Titan is worth a look.

Used Nissan Titan Models
The current, first-generation Titan debuted for 2004, and these earlier trucks could be a good choice for a shopper searching for a used late-model pickup. The first couple of production years, in particular, outclassed domestic pickups in many ways. The most notable changes for the Nissan Titan came for the 2008 model year and included the addition of a long-wheelbase model, exterior and interior styling refreshes and new features. Models built for 2007 and earlier were available in one wheelbase length only, lacked the two different bed lengths for each body style and also had a reduced maximum payload.

It should be noted that stability control, side airbags and side curtain airbags were not standard on all Titans until 2010. Used shoppers should investigate whether the truck in question is equipped with them. Also, the current trim levels were introduced for the 2011 model year; previously, the Titan's three main trims were XE, SE and LE, though feature content was broadly comparable.

User Reviews:

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  Titan is Superb! - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By Big Dee - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I got the king cab w/ leather. Ive only had it a week and a half, but I absolutely love the thing. Great handling, acceleration and power. 6 CD changer by Rockford Fosgate is the bomb! Had GMCs for years and this just blows it away. Made in U.S, too. Way too many little things to mention. Very well thought out machine. My buddy works at the dealership and he went to Texas for a closed road testing all day. He was very impressed w/ handling and braking. Has disc brakes all around. I would highly reccomend it. The only thing I really dislike is the gas mileage but it should get better as engine breaks in.

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  I Love this Truck - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By kingraulph - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I have only owned my Titan for a month but it is the best truck I have ever owned it rides great and looks good. Nissan did a good job on designing this truck. I love the way it drives it has a lot of comfort and power. All of the interior part are were the driver has easy access. the engine has so much power this truck will nearly fly it is a very smooth ride it feels like you are floating and truck has great pick up speed and also great stoping. It handles great it is not like most vehicles where you have to get acclimated to it to drive it. The truck will not nose dive on quick stops. All around I think nissan did a great job on this truck.

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  Love it so far - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By FormerDakota - January 22 - 2:26 pm

  I love driving this truck. My wife has a minivan but unless we are taking a trip, we take my truck and the three kids fit comfortably in the back seat. I love the bed and the things I can do with the adjustable bed rails. Gets what the sticker said it would for MPG when I use regular unleaded. I lose about 22% if I use e85 so I only use that when it is 22-25% less than regular. So far, that is often but my small town BP sells it so it is convenient for me. Fun to drive, nice to look at, and very functional. I need to go back to the dealer to fix the Bluetooth but otherwise, no complaints.

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  Titan vs. Ram (Titan wins in landslide) - 2008 Nissan Titan
  By James - January 22 - 5:50 am

  Former Dodge owner (was going to buy another) but Titan had better performance (acceleration, 4-wheel ABS) and way more features than similar Ram (R-F Stereo, pwr rear window, utili-trak bed/spray-in liner, rear sonar, rear panel storage). It would have cost an addl $4k to get Ram to similar features and Titan was less to begin with. As for the Titan itself, the captain’s chairs (and back seats) are very comfortable and there is tons of leg room in the back (not so much in the Ram). Gas mileage has been so-so, all city driving (including moderate hills) gets me 13.7-14.1 mpg but a truck is a truck. I haven’t really done enough interstate miles to get a good evaluation of that mileage.

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  Titan really rolls - 2004 Nissan Titan
  By BigRedTitan - January 20 - 10:00 am

  great truck, runs great loads of torque, gobs of power.. surprisingly thrifty on fuel

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  Great truck....Go Nissan! - 2006 Nissan Titan
  By Ned Booher - January 15 - 12:40 pm

  Makes a great work truck, and has a very comfortable ride. With 31,000 miles in 10 months, this rig is taking a beating. I recommend this truck to anyone who wants to have a lot of fun driving a very tough rig many thousands of miles. Heres to hoping I make it to 175,000mi w/out any major issues. :) PS...The brake replacement from Nissan is working nicely.

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  Since no one else has left a review - 2013 Nissan Titan
  By Kris Minnier - January 12 - 1:08 pm

  I have owned my 2013 Titan for almost 2 years now and have not had an issue. I have owned several full size trucks and to date this is my favorite. I put magna flow exhaust on it and is by far the best sounding note out of all the V8s I have owned. When we get snowstorms of 12 plus inches and the roads are not cleared the ol girl plows through it with ease. I plan on driving her until she just cant get down the road safely anymore which I hope is another 15 + years. I know of the few things that tend to fail such as exhaust manifolds and wheel seals but from all the research I have done and continue to monitor the engine and transmission are solid, which is the main reason for purchase.

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  Titan of Pick Ups - 2010 Nissan Titan
  By Vin - January 7 - 2:13 pm

  Not for nothing, but Ive owned a chevy and a gmc and they dont compare to the Titan. The Titan beat the Chevy in all performance (except MPG) and its styled and finished much better. My Chevy had 13 issues in the first 12 months of ownership and I couldnt wait to get rid of it. The GMC was better in terms of quality, but this Titan is tops. I have the LE short bed fully loaded and it rides and hauls great. The tech/DVD package my kids like too. Outside the horrible MPG (13 overall) I would never ever buy another truck. Nissan Titan all the way

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  Additional report - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By bo Slendak - January 2 - 9:33 pm

  This is the second time writing on this truck. Still truly awesome. This truck surpasses anything I ever dreamed about. Fun to drive, fast, dependable and looks great. Ill consider another one if I decide to get one, love this one too much, but leasing it and may consider another lease for business.

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  1st Time Nissan Titan Owner - 2007 Nissan Titan
  By Ed Knight - January 2 - 5:10 am

  My toy was a 2002 Ford F-350 7.3 Diesel, straight cab and long bed 4x4 Black and chrome, had it for 6 1/2 yrs. Had a chance to get this Nissan Titan Se KC 5.6 V/8 for a good price so I tried it. So far plenty of power to pull my 25 Travel trailer. A nice ride that my wife likes better than my Ford. I have owned a lot of Toyota trucks and all were awesome. Hoping this truck will be just as good or better.