Archives for July 21, 2016

Cavernous Interior and Special Touches

As you might expect, the Titan XD’s interior is sized right and is able to hold up to six adults. The test model came with a pair of bucket seats up front and a 60-40 split folding bench seat in the rear.

Yes, you can choose a bench seat up front (standard in the S and SV trims), but then you lose the highly purposeful center console and all the room it provides for your cups, cell phone, office materials, or what have you. It is a deep compartment and includes a removable cup holder and storage trays. A 12-volt outlet is found inside too.

The rear seat layout represents an intelligent design as the seats fold down and also fold up. When folded up, you’ll find in-floor storage, ideal for hiding out of sight your valuables and other important items. You’ll also find the expected drop-down center armrest with two beverage holders.

Back up front, you’ll find an instrument panel composed of a pair of analog displays — tachometer and speedometer with a digital driver’s information center located between the two. This model has a leather-wrapped tilt and telescoping steering wheel as well as wheel-mounted auxiliary controls and cruise control. A tow mode stalk is fixed to the right side of the column; the wiper controls are on the left side.

To the left of the steering wheel and on the lower dash are the light switch knob and switches for the cargo light and the 120-volt outlet. To the right of the steering wheel is the push button start/stop button and the four-wheel drive knob.

The center stack has a color display on top with audio, CD, auxiliary, navigation, and map modes as well as apps, phone, and camera access. Beneath that are audio system knobs and switches, followed by a trailer control switch and a USB port, auxiliary audio input, and a 12-volt outlet. At this trim level, heated front seats are included with switches located on either side of the open tray found at the base of the stack.

Nissan makes available leather seats and this model included them. Stitched leather covers the seats, runs across the top of the dash, and is on the door handles. Soft touch materials, high-end plastic trim, and harder plastics are found elsewhere in the cabin.

The power-operated driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive. Fatigue was not an issue and no back or thigh stiffness was experienced. The seat backs feature not one, but two pockets — a design I haven’t seen in my many years of evaluating new vehicles. If you’re using your Titan XD as a mobile office, that extra bit of storage space is welcome.

All four doors come with two drink holders and offer additional storage space. With two more cup holders at the rear of the center console, you have six in total. By the way, Nissan placed rear facing nets on the console as well as a 120-volt outlet. This model also comes with an overhead storage compartment and a pair of reading lamps. An integrated HomeLink system is also present.

Down the Road and Beyond

You have a modest 310 horsepower to work with when you press down on the accelerator pedal. I say modest because given the weight of the Titan XD it really isn’t all that much.

As a point of comparison, the flagship Nissan Maxima sedan weighs half as much and uses its 300 horsepower to sprint around. With the Titan XD, you’ll slowly move away from a dead stop and continue plodding along until you reach 1,600 RPM. Suddenly, torque kicks in and quickly moves up to the full 555 foot-pounds of pulling capacity, turning this languid beast into a true road animal.

I’ve driven each of the crew cab models supplied by Ram, Chevrolet, GMC, and Ford, and will tell you that the Nissan stacks up well against the competition. The Titan XD not only projects a formidable presence in appearance when stationary, but does more so as it travels down the road. I’m glad my model came with the split side mirrors as the lower portion shows traffic in the adjoining lanes.

Handling and ride comfort are enhanced by way of a heavy-duty suspension design, new to the Titan line. It features a double-wishbone suspension with a stabilizer bar up front and a rigid rear axle suspension with leaf springs and leaf bushings at the rear. Nissan placed twin-tube shock absorbers at all four corners and tapped American Axle to manufacture the front and rear differentials. An electronic locking rear differential is also available.

Any truck with 4×4 capabilities must be put through the paces. In my earlier test (found here), the Arizona desert was the backdrop. Flat lands reveal little about a truck’s abilities, but when hooked up with a boat or cargo and when ascending a roadway or bridge, its strength becomes evident.

Head off road and 4×4 versions have a control switch to the right of the steering wheel and fixed to the lower dash. You can shift on the fly from 4×2 to 4×4 Hi and move into 4×4 Lo once the transmission is in neutral. Wait about 10 seconds and the instrument panel schematic will show the transition in progress and as it is completed.

For my off-road test, I chose a gravel road, traveling it while in 4×4 mode, although that was hardly necessary. Toward the end of the road, I found my spot: a clay slough leading to a dirt trail. That dirt trail was off limits, but not the mire preceding it. So, I switched to 4 Lo, waited for the wheels to engage, and made my way through the glop.

If you’re going to get stuck, clay will do it. It makes for a nasty, sticky substance, just waiting to bog down the uninitiated. Quite frankly, I wasn’t certain how the truck would perform, but it passed through the quag with little difficulty. Then again, the deepest part was not even half way up the wheels, so I was safe. But not before kicking up a malodorous spray of burnt-orange clay to cover the entire right front of the truck, including the front passenger window.

Your Purchase Considerations

With everything you now know about the Titan XD, would you consider purchasing one? The diesel engine may make the strongest case for buying such a pickup truck, especially if that’s your preferred way of motoring. If you’re the type of buyer who wants many of the amenities Nissan offers in the Titan XD, prepare to spend north of $50,000 to obtain one. Discounting may bring your price down on some models in the form of cash back and bonus cash offers. See your Nissan dealer for more information.

Lastly, for buyers who prefer the light-duty 2017 Titan, you’ll have to wait until this fall to obtain one. Here, you’ll have your choice of V-6 and V-8 gasoline engines for your consideration; no diesel will be available. Prices and trims have yet to be announced. As of this writing, there are still 2015s available — again, no standard Titan 2016s were built.