2017 Nissan Titan SL 4x4: The Brand’s New King Of The Road

Highlight: The Titan offers a 5-year or 100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, the best of any truck in the industry.

Test Vehicle’s MSRP: $51,015 (base S gas crew cab model $35,975)

Seating Capacity: 5 or 6, depending on trim

Standard Safety Features: airbags; ABS; a removable locking tailgate; a vehicle dynamic control system; a traction control system; a hill start assist system;  brake override technology; and a tire pressure monitoring system

Standard Equipment S Model: 18-inch wheels; a 7-speed automatic transmission; a rear wheel drive vehicle; 4-fixed tie down hooks; bench manually adjustable front seats with cloth and vinyl; crew cab; bucket seats with center console; a 5-inch audio screen; a manual adjustable tilt steering wheel; remote keyless entry; a rear sliding rear window; black bumpers; black door handles; privacy glass; and two, 12-volt power outlets

Standard Equipment SL Model: 20-inch wheels; a full size spare tire; automatic headlights; Daytime running lights; foglights; footwell lamps; a spray-in bedliner; 4 moveable aluminum cleats; cargo bed lights; LED light under the bed rails; a leather heated steering wheel; a power telescopic steering wheel; fixed aluminum running board; oil pan fuel tank skid plates 4x4; a built-in tow package pin connector; a receiver hitch power operated chrome outside mirrors; puddle lights; convex spotter mirrors; power operated  bucket front seats; leather seats; heated seats; memory driver’s seat with auto entry/exit; a folding center armrest; flip up seat cushions; fold down seatbacks; locking seatbacks; a 7-inch infotainment screen; a 12-speaker AM/FM/CD with satellite; a navigation system; a rearview camera; rear reading lamps; front and rear audible back up systems; rearview auto dimming mirror with compass; an electronic blind spot system; and a rear traffic cross alert system

Other CrewCab Trims:

S CrewCab
SV CrewCab
P4X CrewCab
Platinum CrewCab
Single Cab
Single Cab XD
Crew Cab XD

Optional Features On Test Vehicle: tow mirrors; a trailer brake controller; a trailer light function check; and front tow hooks for 2WD models.

Standard Audio On Test Vehicle: a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system

Bluetooth Connectivity: Standard

USB Connectivity: Yes
                                                                                                        
Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty: 5 years or 100,000 miles

Powertrain Warranty: 5 years or 60,000 miles

Standard Engine/Horsepower: 5.6-liter, 8-cylinder/390-hp

Recommended Fuel: Regular

Standard Fuel Mileage:
13-city/18-hwy

Towing Capacity 4x2: 9,210 lbs

What’s New: After Nissan decided to take a different route, first introducing their heavy duty trucks and then launching their half ton pick up, they finally have a balanced portfolio. The new light duty trucks are available as a single cab and a crewcab in both a half ton and HD configuration in either a 4x2 or 4x4 configuration.

Why: With the current generation Titan, Nissan finally offers a full line of trucks equipped with 8-cylinder engines. The all-new Titan is available in several configurations: single cab, a dual cab, a light duty or a heavy duty truck. The bold looking and what appears to be a well-executed truck offers the best bumper-to-bumper warranty in the truck. In fact, in order to sway the traditional American truck buyer, Nissan has upped the ante offering a 5-year or a 100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, the best in the class.

And to compliment Nissan’s brawny trucks, the Japanese automaker offers a mix of strong capable engines, too. The loaded up 4x4 we reviewed was outfitted with the crewcab’s standard 8-cylinder, which pumped out 390 horses. An  8-cylinder diesel engine is also available too.

In addition to two 8-cylinder engines, the Titan offers a variety of trims to fit one’s budget and lifestyle. The Titan can be used purely for farming, construction gigs or cruising in town to an after work business mixer.

The 2017 Titan can be literally loaded to the max with a number of features that can easily convert this vehicle from being a workhorse to an understated luxury rig on wheels. Nissan’s interior design team has managed to transform the truck as they did with our review vehicle by offering everything from leather seats to a heated steering wheel to a power rear sliding window to a rearview camera. Yes, Nissan pretty much packed everything into this monstrous truck, with the exception of the kitchen sink.

Furthermore, unlike some of the vehicles in the segments, we found this one to have great road manners, making it easy to manage despite the truck’s intimidating size.

But: Depending on the tire, the vehicle can be a little too grippy when traveling at highway speeds. We noticed it intermittently on our Titan 4x4. Moreover, since all of the Titans are outfitted with one of two eight-cylinder engines, the powertrain group made no room for a more fuel-efficient six-cylinder engine to go head-to-head with its competitors.

And finally, some truck buyers might notice that the pulling carrying capabilities could be slightly less than its fullsize competitors.

Verdict: Nissan has finally made its stake in the fullsize truck game, with its current generation Titan. Finally they have a full line of both light duty and heavy duty trucks to offer, with a choice of cabs and powertrain configurations. Nissan shows they are ready to gobble up every inch of market share they can peel away from the traditional American loyal truck buyers. And the best in class bumper-to-bumper warranty adds a level of confidence to the traditional truck buyers who might decide to cross over to the other side.

Overall, we think that Nissan's new line of trucks finally lives up to its Titan name.

Competition: Ford F 150; Chevy Silverado; GMC Sierra; Ram 1500; and Toyota Tundra