2008 Nissan Titan Review

The Titan is a full-size pickup truck that first debuted for 2004. Despite being a Nissan, the Titan is a truly American truck, designed and produced in North America. It was nominated for "North American Truck of the Year" in 2004. This year it receives both an interior and exterior update.

The BuyingAdvice Team Says:

The Nissan Titan left Detroit running scared when it first debuted. It was a comfortable, capable truck that easily bested the top-sellers. Of course, the big three wouldn't give up without a fight, and now the Titan looks somewhat dated compared to its recently-updated competitors. However, Titan still has a roomy cabin, a powerful base engine and more available safety options than most of what the big three have to offer.

What's New For 2008:

The exterior has received a facelift with revised bumpers, wheels, grille and headlights. The seats have been redesigned as well as the gauges and instrument panel. A long wheelbase model is now available.

Request a free, no-obligation, new 2008 Nissan Titan price quote or choose any other model you're interested in and receive the Buying Advice Team's Insider Report for New Car Buyers.

Vital Stats

Starting MSRP:
$24,390

Rebates & Incentives:
yes

Seats:
6

Gas Mileage:
12/17

Engine:
5.6L V8

Horsepower:
317@4900RPM

Torque:
385@3600RPM

Transmission:
5 Speed Automatic

Drive:
FR/RWD

Fuel Capacity:
28

Fuel Type:
gasoline

Basic Warranty:
36/36000

Powertrain Warranty:
60/60000

Rust Warranty:
60/Unlimit

What is the Predicted Reliability:

J.D. Power data is not available. Problems with the Titan include engine knocks and stalling, transmission leaks, electrical shorts, leaking windows and cold-start issues. It's been recalled four times for damaged shifters, stuck seatbelts, inoperable airbags and weak door hinges. Expect average reliability. The basic warranty lasts for three years or 36,000 miles.

Analysis Of Safety Ratings And Features:

The Titan earned 4.5 stars in government frontal crash tests. In IIHS tests, it earned "Good" in frontal tests, and "Acceptable" in rear tests. Anti-lock brakes are standard. Side airbags and stability control are optional on all but the XE.

Pros and Cons:

Pros
+ Roomy cabin
+ Available safety options
+ Powerful engines

Cons
- Pricey
- Limited engine and cab style options
- Aging design

Head-To-Head Competition:

The Titan offers over 100 more hp than the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, but costs $7,000 more. It offers nearly double the passenger space of the Dodge Ram 1500, as well as 100 more hp, but costs about $3,000 more. The Titan also offers more than 100 more hp than the Ford F-150, but costs about $7,000 more.

What Others Are Saying:

"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 its chances. And now Toyota's entree 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." - The Truth About Cars

"Watch out, Detroit, Nissan offers a truly competitive full-size pickup with the power, refinement, and features to gain traction in the segment long-dominated by the Big 3." - Automobile Magazine

"The hulking Titan is the he-man of full-size pickups. With a potent all-aluminum V-8 producing lots of power and torque and fronting a standard five-speed automatic transmission, this bad boy can tow up to 9500 pounds and romp to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds." - Car and Driver

Read more about the 2008 Nissan Titan at the Nissan manufacturer web site.

Published on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 - Email to a friend

Copyright 2006 BuyingAdvice.com, INC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, or redistributed.

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What do you think?

Road Test: Nissan Titan
Read User Comments

The introduction of the Nissan Titan full-size pickup really got the attention of GM, Ford and Chrysler because the Nissan Titan was no joke. Powering onto the scene, it let the world know that it was loaded to compete. In 2007 the Titan was dressed up a bit with some chrome and wheel upgrades, but more importantly Nissan bumped the horsepower up to 315 and the torque up to 385.

Chosen Model Trim:

Nissan offers three trim levels, the XE, SE and LE in Crew and King Cabs and in 4X2 and 4X4. My test truck was the 4X4 SE King Cab. With the SE Popular package, Sirius Radio, the Off-Road and Tow packages, the Utility Bed Package plus shipping, the sticker came to $35,255, which isn't too awful for what you get. It featured a 5-speed automatic transmission with the Tow/Haul feature, and 4-wheel ABS along with the Shift-on-the-Fly 4-wheel drive systems standard.

Exterior & Interior features/comforts:

The Titan has a muscular, no-nonsense front end and a decent profile, but nothing really stands out like some of its competitors do. Inside the Titan is all about functionality without sacrificing comfort. The doors open very wide and with no B-pillar in the way, loading the interior is very easy. There is a huge console with plenty of storage space and room for a lap-top, and a place for hanging files. The front passenger seat folds flat to use as a work station or cargo space. It's a great mix of form with function. A nice touch is the use of big knobs and buttons for those workers that may be wearing gloves. There's even dual-zone heat and air.

Driving Experience:

These days, even in trucks I expect a decent ride, and to that end the Titan didn't disappoint me. It is a pretty robust truck with a suspension set up to tow over 9,000 pounds and carry up to a ton in the bed, but the ride was very accommodating. There wasn't a lot of harshness. Surprisingly the truck didn't feel as cumbersome in city driving or in parking lots as I thought it would, although the turning radius is always a problem on big 4X4s.

Summary and My Opinion:

The Nissan Titan is a serious contender in the full-size pickup market. All you have to do is look on the highway today to prove that point, because there are a lot of them running around. It offers great towing capabilities, plenty of performance and enough comfort to satisfy a lot of pickup buyers including the ones that want, but don't need a truck. There are some very nice accessory packages that can make this truck very eye-catching and even add a bit of pizzazz.

User Comments

2008 Nissan Titan Review discusses a capable pickup.

Friday, July 25, 2008

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2008 Nissan Titan Review