2021 Nissan Titan

Nissan’s Titan is built in Canton, Mississippi and Toyota’s Tundra hails from San Antonio, Texas. Try as they might, however, these two import-brand pickups have always had a hard time winning over customers loyal to Detroit’s big trucks. Nissan has made a more targeted effort in the last few years than Toyota, completely redesigning the Titan in 2016 and giving it a significant refresh in 2020, adding more driver-assist gear and tech in the process.

Even with those updates, Titan sales accounted for just 1% of the full-size pickup market in 2020 according to Motor Intelligence. After last year’s updates, the Titan coasts into 2021 relatively unchanged. While a decent truck with a whisper-quiet interior and interesting bed storage options, the truck still isn’t up to speed with its American rivals and doesn’t offer nearly as many configurations as they do.

The Titan is offered in two cab and bed combinations, Crew Cabs with a 66-inch bed and King Cab, Nissan’s term for a traditional extended cab, models with a 78-inch bed. There’s also only one powertrain, a 5.6-liter V8 that makes 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque.

Depending on the layout, several trims are available: S, SV, Pro-4X, SL and Platinum Reserve for Crew Cab Models, and S, SV and Pro-4X for King Cabs. Most models come standard with rear-wheel drive, but they can be upgraded to four-wheel drive for $3,250. Pricing ranges from $38,345 for the base 4×2 King Cab S model to $61,075 for the range-topping Platinum Crew Cab model. Those prices include the $1,695 destination and handling charge.

The base Titan S is work truck simple and comes with 18-inch wheels, cloth upholstery and a 7.0-inch touchscreen. All Titans get a suite of driver-assist tech that’s one of the best in the class. It includes lane departure warnings, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, forward collision warnings, blind spot monitors and rear cross-traffic alerts. On domestic competitors, these features are mostly added-cost extras.

Moving up a trim, the SV adds LED taillights, NissanConnect services, adaptive cruise control and unlocks several standalone options including rain-sensing wipers. The mid-range Pro-4X model gets a slew of off-road-friendly features, which include hill descent control, an electronic locking rear differential, all-terrain tires, factory-installed spray-on bedliner, special badging, a lower-radiator skid plate, front tow hooks, a built-in tow package and special seat materials.

Both the SL and Platinum Reserve trims get 20-inch wheels. SL models also get LED in-bed lighting, leather upholstery, heated front seats, power seats and more. The range-topping Platinum Reserve model adds exclusive upholstery, special towing features, chrome exterior trim and the ability to add several options packages for features such as a dual-panel moonroof. The moonroof gives the truck an airy feel, but cuts into headroom thanks to the tall seat bases.

The 5.6-liter V8 may be the Titan’s only option, but it’s a good one. The engine and its nine-speed automatic transmission play well together, providing smooth and competent power delivery. On the road, there’s plenty of grunt for both in-town and highway drives, and the Titan is eager to jump into traffic when asked. Reaching highway speeds is a breeze, and the truck’s exhaust provides a throaty V8 soundtrack to match.

Though sprightly to drive on its own, the truck’s towing and load abilities are distinctly less than titanic. While most pickup buyers never use the maximum towing capacity of their trucks, the Titan’s 9,370-pound max tow rating is the lowest in the full-size truck class and a definite demerit. Its 1,680-pound max payload rating is also well below the domestics.

Ride quality, while far from awful, seems to have been pushed aside in the hunt for off-road prowess and overall capability. Potholes and broken pavement can make the Titan feel unsettled at times, especially at higher speeds. The Pro-4X’s Fox shocks help smooth the bumps a little, but the Titan can’t match the smooth moves of the Ford F-150 or Ram 1500.

It’s easy to scoff at marketing heavy product names, such as Nissan’s Zero Gravity seats, but this is one situation where the product lives up to its name. The seats are supremely comfortable, supportive in ways few trucks have ever been and they remain comfy for the long haul. Those seats, combined with the Titan’s excellent interior sound deadening, provide a uniquely peaceful interior few other trucks can match. That said, the rest of the interior is strewn with low-rent materials and bland design. The crew cab’s back seat, though not small, has less legroom than the competition.

Interior storage is vast, but there’s not much in the way of small-item management or useful places to store things that are needed close at-hand. The Titan’s bed and cargo capabilities go a long way toward making up for its interior shortcomings. The trucks come standard with an assisted tailgate for easy handling, and Nissan offers several cargo and bed upgrades to allow for more convenient tie-downs, smaller item storage and more.

The Titan’s deep bench of driver assistance features help augment its crash test scores, at least in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluations. IIHS gives the 2021 Titan mostly Good ratings, though it earns only an Acceptable rating in the Institute’s small overlap front passenger-side test and its headlights get a Poor score. 2021 Titan earned four stars overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, due mostly to its three-star rollover safety score.