Driving Impressions: 2021 Titan Crew Cab Pro-4X - 4X4

By: Mark Moskowitz MD

If there was a major flaw or glaring problem with the Nissan Titan, I was unable to find it. Yet in the18 years of its presence on the American scene, it has failed to leave the bottom run rung of the full-size (1500 type truck) sales ladder. Ford sells slightly more F-150s every two weeks than Nissan sells Titans in a year.

One might cite the fact that the base model Titan's list price is the highest in the field but when you go feature for feature adding options for equality, the pricing metric can change dramatically among all the brands.

I spent a week with the upscale 2021 Nissan Titan PRO 4X - 4 x 4 crew cab. I admit to the reader that I did not put its features to full use. Like most of us, my drives were on the highway and some bumpy dirt roads, but I didn't crawl rocks or climb severe grades. I found the car to have a bit more body lean than I might have expected. This may have something to do with its tall stance. It is 2.1 inches higher than most other Titan offerings. And the Titan still rides on traditional leaf springs and a live axle in the rear.

Other brands do make some allowance for this. Dynamic suspensions are available, and one can change the height of some Ram models with air shocks.

Overall, I had a positive impression of the truck and share a few of the high points and my few concerns.

The PRO 4X looks the part. I would not have expected Baja Storm (medium brown) paint to have presented so well. It was nicely offset by the blackened grill, window and fender surrounds, running boards, rear bumper and paired simulated rollover bars (Sport Bars) connected by a die cut metal plate with the Titan logo and letters cut out. Red tow hooks jut from the front and red lettering is seen on the front, rear and sides. The front skid plate is displayed in silver. Daytime and nighttime appearance are enhanced by frontal LED lighting.

Nissan ads call attention to the brand's zero gravity seats. It uses a computer algorithm to locate and place 14 points of support in the back alone. It would seem difficult to make this work for drivers of all weights and sizes, but I found the seats to be among the most comfortable I have experienced in a truck. The remainder of the interior presented well and had ample foot and head room and storage though I found a bit too much hard plastic in the rear cab. Others have found the rear seating cramped but with adequate room to place one's foot beneath the front seat, a six-footer should have no problem. A surprising find in this pickup was the optional and attractive dual pane panoramic moonroof.

There were no complaints about the power. Titan's standard and only engine is a 400 hp 32 valve DOHC V8 backed by a smooth shifting nine-speed automatic. I was able to achieve 60 MPH in just over seven seconds. Passing and entering high speed roadways was never a problem and the exhaust produced the pleasant rumble typical of a high-performance sedan.

Towing capacity is rated at 9310 pounds. A longer wheelbase (151.6 inch) Titan XD has a numerically higher rear end gear and offers 11,040 pounds of gooseneck towing capacity.

The Titan has most of the safety features one would hope for as standard. Included are lane departure warning, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and automatic braking. Controls and touchscreen are easy to access and see. The Titan would benefit from an optional heads-up display.

Light trucks are an incredibly important market segment. The annual sales total of America's most popular SUV and sedan (RAV4 and Camry) is far less than that of Ford's F150. So, what will it take for Titan to leave the sales cellar? One standout feature is Nissan's truck industry best 5 year/ 100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. And the truck is good looking. But that's not enough. It does seem that the brand needs an outstanding feature – perhaps industry best towing or handling, or lowest base price. Or be a leader rather than a follower in the integration of such standards as Apple CarPlay or a multi-function tailgate. Maybe the biggest touch screen. It's too late to be the first hybrid pickup. If I had all the answers…….well, maybe NASCAR.

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Photo credit: Mark Moskowitz MD

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