Street Scene
by Larry Mason
2005 Nissan Titan 4x4 SE King Cab

Journalism | New Car Reviews

Think Big. Live Bigger! That was the theme of the all-new full-size Nissan Titan pick-up truck launched last year. Will the Titan be strong enough to make inroads into the market segment dominated by Ford, GM, and Dodge? What’s this you say - I forgot to mention Toyota?

I didn’t forget; Toyota just doesn’t dominate the market. Furthermore, if you were to put a Tundra alongside any of the big three or the Titan, you’d find that it’s really more of a 7/8 scale truck. Enough about that – let me tell you why I think that the Titan is going to change the light duty truck segment in years to come.

First of all, it has the most powerful standard V8 in its class. It pumps out a ground pounding 305 horsepower along with a tree-stump pulling 379 pound-feet of torque. Yes, I know that the Dodge Ram Hemi puts out 345 horsepower (but that’s an option, not standard) and their new V10 powered SRT10 even blows that away (with 500 hp), but let’s talk about standard fare products. You can order a Titan in XE, SE, or LE as either King Cab or Crew Cab trim and they all come standard with the DOHC 5.6 liter, all-aluminum Endurance V8 and five-speed automatic transmission with tow mode. This is an all-new engine for Nissan and is shared in slightly different variations in the Armada full-size SUV and in the Infiniti QX56. Weighing in at 5,287 pounds, the Titan still accelerates hard off the line and all the way through the gears. It has a class-leading maximum towing capacity of up to 9,400 pounds. The four-wheel drive system is controlled by a rotary knob on the dash to select 2WD, Auto Mode, Shift-on-the-Fly 4WD High, and 4WD Low - very simple and efficient.

There’s an off-road package you can order that gives you extra skid plates, locking rear diff, 3.36:1 rear end ratio, 17” wheels and tires, Rancho shocks, and fog lights. You can also order a tow package that includes a class IV receiver hitch, heated extendable tow mirrors, transmission oil temperature gauge, 7-pin wiring harness plug, active brake LSD, pre-wiring for the brake controller, 3.36:1 rear end ratio (included with the off-road pkg), and heavy duty battery.

Independent front suspension and Dana solid axle in the rear coupled with four-wheel ABS disc brakes are all standard. The ride quality is certainly firm yet I wouldn’t rate it as harsh. The interior is very quiet with only some slight wind noise coming from the massive side-view mirrors. Although on this particular truck, my passenger did notice a bit of wind noise from the right window.

Inside, the Titan is modern if plain looking with copious amounts of plastic trim. What they don’t tell you is that the driver’s seat has a built-in massage feature! Well it’s really the subwoofer underneath that’s powered by the optional 350 Watt Rockford Fosgate sound system. Holy mackerel Andy, you can really split some ear drums with that thing! While the sound system sounded terrific while playing CDs, the FM sound quality wasn’t anywhere near as good. I think you’d have to play with the bass, mid, and treble a bit more to be really enjoyable. On the other hand, it’s easy to be comfortable with the 8-way power adjustable driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar support and adjustable pedals. Cruise control and audio controls are both mounted on the steering wheel to let you focus more on driving and reduce fatigue. The overhead console has plenty of space for storage as does the lockable center console that’s large enough for a laptop computer. Additionally, the front passenger seatback folds flat (like a table top) to utilize as a workspace or for hauling more cargo inside. You can order the Titan with either front buckets or a bench seat. The 60-40 split rear seat bottom folds up to provide abundant storage space on the nearly flat floor and includes grocery bag hooks as well. You can also fold the rear seatback down horizontally to provide two layers of rear storage. What you’ll really like in the summer time is the ability to remotely lower both front windows with the key fob to allow the interior to cool a bit before you get in. A class exclusive and really cool feature of the Titan King Cab are the wide-open rear doors that open up a full 168 degrees! I can’t even begin to tell you how handy that feature is in the parking lot when you’re trying to get through from front to back. There’s even an extra detent on the fuel door side so that you don’t clobber the fuel nozzle.

For those that are extra safety conscious, the Titan also offers front seat active head restraints and optional side airbags in addition to the standard front SRS setup. If you really want to spend some money, opt for the crew cab with leather, DVD entertainment system and DVD navigation!

Titan exceeds expectations with what’s behind the cab. It has the only factory applied spray-in bedliner (courtesy of PPG’s $20 million investment at the Canton, MS plant), and the unique Utili-track™ system. This is basically a series of five sets of C-channel rails that surround the side (near the top) of the bed along with two sets placed parallel in the bed floor [Toyota now has a smaller version of this in their new Tacoma]. With Nissan’s clever tie-down cleats, the tie-down configurations are endless. Nissan also sells a sliding tool box, and numerous other accessories for this system. Furthermore, the C-channel is standard industrial size so that you can go to your local hardware store and buy your own hardware to fit and customize it even further. By the way, the Titan also has the standard four tie-down hooks in the corners of the bed. Along with Utili-track™, you also get the tailgate workstation which consists of a 12-volt power outlet in the back of the bed and two lights that illuminate the tailgate area. New this year is a feature “borrowed” from Ford – dampened tailgate assist. Lastly, there’s a convenient side-door locking compartment in the lower left quarter panel that’s water resistant and handy to carry bottles of oil, flares, gloves, tow hitch and anything else like that you can think of.

The Titan is rated at 14 and 18 city/hwy mpg. I recorded 16 mpg in predominantly highway driving in the 2WD mode. If you’re looking for a new truck, whether as a tow vehicle for your race car or not, I highly recommend you check out the new Titan. It might be hard for true blue Ford fans and GM loyalists to even consider, but take a look anyway. You just might come away thinking that someone else can also build a big tough truck with the right amenities. By the way, Titan also comes with a 5-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty. This one started with a base price of $27,500 and as equipped came in with an MSRP of $30,750. Take one for a test drive today, and you might find yourself in a new long-term relationship!

Titan King Cab with wide-open rear doors

Photo courtesy of Nissan.

Utili-track gives you infinite options for securing cargo

Photo courtesy of Nissan.

The locking storage box on the side is convenient for all sorts of things

Photo courtesy of Nissan.

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Larry Mason