2020 Nissan Titan SL Crew Cab: A DriveWays Review…

by Frank A. Aukofer

Pickup trucks, especially those that are similar to the 2020 Nissan Titan SL 4X4 Crew Cab, are as much a phenomenon as utilitarian work vehicles.

Think about it. How often do you see a pickup loaded with furniture, cabbages, appliances or potted palm trees? And how often do you see empty pickups with only the driver threading his or her way through urban rush-hour traffic?

Of course, much depends on where you live. If you’re commuting in a big city, the pickups you see are likely substituting for the subway or bus. If you live in a rural area in Texas or the Central Valley in California, you’re likely to see them loaded with hay, cabbages or lettuce.

Americans love pickups. Around the world, they are small work trucks for people who need to haul stuff and can afford something more than a skinny-tired motorcycle on crowded streets, piled high with goods—and maybe even mom and one of the kids.

In the U.S., pickups are mostly giant vehicles that can carry a ton of cargo and tow motor homes or boats on trailers. They are undeniably popular with buyers, many of whom have no real need to haul trash to the dump or sod for the back yard. They are often family cars used occasionally to haul lawn chairs and kayaks to the beach.

In 2019, a banner year for motor vehicle sales, Americans bought 17,108,156 cars, pickups, SUVs, crossovers, vans and assorted specialty vehicles. Of that number, six full-size pickup nameplates accounted for 2,550,659 sales — or 14.9% of the total.

Leading the exclusive pack of six, as it has for nearly 40 years, was the Ford F-Series with 896,526 sales. It was followed by Ram at 703,023, Chevrolet Silverado at 575,600, GMC with 232,323, Toyota Tundra at 111,673 and the subject here, the Nissan Titan with 31,514.

Note that the sales statistics include all versions of a particular pickup. For example, the Ford F-Series includes the light duty F-150 as well as Super Duty models F-250, F-350 and F-450. The same goes for the other nameplates.

Unless you are a pickup enthusiast, you might scratch your head over why a buyer might choose a Chevy Silverado 1500 or Ford F-150 over the Nissan Titan SL that is the subject here. After all, they’re all about the same size with plenty of power — in the Titan’s case a 400-hp, 5.6-liter V8 engine that makes 413 lb-ft of torque.

The Titan is 19 feet long with four doors and 98 cubic feet of passenger space, along with a payload rating of 1,697 lbs and the capability to tow 9,240 lbs, according to Nissan’s specifications.

Competing pickups obviously can match or exceed that so perhaps the clincher has to do with price. The Titan is not particularly cheap, with a sticker price of $61,160. But the tester was the top-of-the-line SL with four-wheel drive and options that would do justice to a luxury car, including such items as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, Nissan’s comfortable “zero gravity” seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, panoramic sunroof, around-view rear camera, memory settings for the power seats and steering wheel, blind-spot warning, SXM satellite radio, and Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity, among others.

The interior was as luxurious as it was accommodating, with perforated leather upholstery and wood grain trim. The back seat offered generous room for three with a center-rear seat that was almost as comfortable as the outboards.

So the question might be: Why does the Nissan Titan sit in sixth place among full-size pickup trucks with sales in five digits, way behind the other brands? There are many reasons, but a prominent one is loyalty. U.S. pickup buyers are notoriously loyal to their chosen brands.

Still, to some non-pickup people, pickups are basically alike. They all do pretty much the same thing, so there’s little reason not to shop around and pick what suits you, never mind that your family has always driven GMCs or Rams.

The tested Titan, driven empty, had the choppy ride typical of heavy-load carrying pickups. But it cruised nicely at freeway speeds, with only the muted drone of its mighty V8 engine. The nine-speed automatic transmission shifted easily and the Titan’s handling, even on curving roads, was capable and secure — as long as you didn’t go too fast.

Specifications

Model: 2020 Nissan Titan SL 4X4 Crew Cab four-door pickup truck.
Engine: 5.6-liter V8; 400 hp, 413 lb-ft torque.
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic with four-wheel drive and two-speed transfer case.
Overall length: 19 feet.
Height: 6 feet 4 inches.
EPA/SAE passenger/cargo volume: 98/47 cubic feet (estimated).
Weight: 5,603 pounds.
Payload: 1,697 pounds.
Towing capability: 9,240 pounds.
EPA city/highway/combined fuel consumption: 15/21/18 mpg. Premium fuel required.
Base price, including destination charge: $58,785.
Price as tested: $61,160.