Her + His Car Reviews
2018 Nissan Titan Pro-4X Diesel | Cummins® V8 Turbo Diesel
There are two sides to everything, right? To keep our car reviews innovative and interesting, we provide an animated, insightful, detailed and sometimes uncouth two points of view on the same car from - Her + His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate, women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| $58,665 | $58,665 |
| Performance | |
| This mega 2018 Titan V-8 Pro 4X Diesel has a lot to offer in a very competitive class. With 555 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed automatic, this pick up hauls 6 tons. That is the definition of reliability. With a bed over 8 feet, and extended crew cars, it has a comfortable and cable ride, powered from 310 horsepower. Nissan also has a V6 model. Maneuverability is smart and responsive. Braking is smooth and clean for a BIG mobile. And we went off-roading and the 'bounce factor' was negligible as it handled well. Comfort and drivability are all pluses, but towing ability and the upward MSRP work against Nissan Titans' sales. | Power comes from a 5.0-liter V-8 turbo diesel sourced from Cummins that makes 310 hp and 555 lb-ft of torque, paired to a 6-speed automatic. I find it interesting that other car writers think this combination is pretty slow, but I beg to differ. Acceleration was never, ever a problem or a question for me. Brakes and steering are all adequate, but it does feel like the steering needs a bit more correction while driving than was the case with other trucks I have driven. |
| Fuel Economy | |
| 15 miles a gallon in city; about 19 in highway. Pretty good in its class. | Overall mileage is rated at 15 miles per gallon, but that's a bit higher than the 13 or so that we got. Don't have the annual fuel costs for the Pro 4-X but the gasoline powered Titan costs $1,995 a year to drive based on $2.50 gallon gasoline. |
| The Vehicle | |
| A genuinely fine truck, we like the work-ability of this model and the ride is smooth. It's solid, in all phases. To be more competitive, Nissan needs a sharper opening price point and perhaps adding more towing capacity. All other comfort creatures are solid. It's a very good 'driving' truck. At this price point, we fully expected a running board to provide ease in getting in and out - 18% of women are buying trucks. For that matter, men who truck buyers appreciate this feature too - make it standard.
Captains chairs with 8-way power adjustability and lumbar are super comfortable; leather and heated - and ventilated, too. 60/40 Rear flip up bench seat storage and first fold floor. Center console has 12V outlets inside and 120V outlet on back of console. Rear A/C vent provides comfort for all. Framed with 18" or 20" alloy wheels, the 2018 Nissan Titan comes equipped with a full size spare tire. |
Well, here's the unvarnished truth. The Titan Pro-4xDiesel is a solid, strong performing WORK truck, not a light duty truck you see much more of on the street. Once you get used to it, you appreciate its quiet diesel operation on the road, its interior comfort is acceptable--not exceptional, and its got a killer warranty--five years/100,000 miles on everything. But--it is hard to park. Getting into it is a real chore without a board to help you out. It has a jolting, rough ride. The gasoline Titan is a much, much better prospect for most of us, and it ranks at the top of the heap. I recommend the gasoline version--not the Pro-4 Diesel work truck. |
| Safety | |
| Air Bags all over - Driver, Passenger, Front and Read Head, curtain and Sides. 4 Wheel ABS, 4 Wheel Disc Bakes, Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Control, Child Safety Locks, Traction Control. Vehicle Dynamic Control, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Nissan Vehicle Immobilizer System, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Nissan Intelligence Key, Trailer Brake Controller, Rear View Monitor, advance Drive Assist Display. LED Under Rail Bed Lighting, power slide Rear Window with Defrost, Electronic Locking Tailgate, Rear Utility Bed Step, Remote Engine Start, Auto Dimming Outside Mirrors. | Nothing to write home about. Pretty much the same stuff everybody else has. |
| Technology | |
| Lots of loaded technology in this bad boy. Bluetooth, USB port, upgraded premium Rockford Fosgate 10 speaker audio system, Satellite radio, 2 rear seat DVD entertainment system for both passengers, 7" touch screen infotainment screen, Siri Eyes Free, Voice recognition, upgraded Nissan Connect system with Navigation, text messaging assistant, a rearview camera. The NissanConnect infotainment system has some pretty cool features that keep the drivers focus on the road or are easy to reach from the driver's sear. We love physical buttons, vs the digital touch screen. 4G Wi-Fi for connectivity on the road. Also Surround-View Camera, Front and Rear Parking Sensors, Cross Traffic Alert and Blind Spot Monitoring - all vital in a truck this big. Heated Mirrors that dim, too. |
All versions of the 2018 Nissan Titan XD are available with a crew cab matched with a 6.5-foot bed. The extended-cab variant (Nissan calls it King Cab) is offered with the 6.5-foot bed in S, SV and Pro-4X trims. In all cases, shoppers can choose between a 5.6-liter V8 gasoline engine (390 horsepower and 394 pound-feet of torque) or a turbocharged 5.0-liter V8 diesel (310 hp and 555 lb-ft). Rear-wheel drive is standard, with four-wheel drive available as an option (it's standard on the Pro-4X model). The gasoline engine is mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission, while the diesel uses a six-speed automatic.
Standard features for the base model for the S work truck include 17-inch steel wheels, a black grille and black bumpers, a lockable tailgate, remote locking and unlocking, power windows and locks, a rearview camera, air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth, a bench front seat, 60/40-split folding rear seats, cloth-and-vinyl upholstery, a four-speaker audio system, and a 5-inch central display screen with a USB port. King Cab and crew-cab models get a six-speaker audio system. Getting the SV version adds chrome exterior trim, power-adjustable and heated mirrors, a receiver hitch with a 4/7-pin wiring harness connector, a trailer brake controller, an overhead console, upgraded instrumentation, carpeted floors, cloth upholstery and satellite radio. Four-wheel-drive models also add front tow hooks. The Pro-4X is an off-road version of the Titan, with standard four-wheel drive, 18-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tires, a two-speed transfer case, Bilstein shocks, a lockable rear differential, skid plates and hill descent control. It also comes with automatic headlights, foglights, a spray-in bedliner, automatic wipers, keyless entry and ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear air vents, unique cloth upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual front captain's chairs with adjustable lumbar support, storage space under the rear seats, a 120-volt outlet, a 7-inch touchscreen, navigation, blind-spot monitoring, Siri Eyes Free and NissanConnect mobile app integration. |
| Aesthetics & Styling | |
| Very brawny and athletic all the way around. Strong exterior lines accentuated by chrome, honeycomb design, and aggressive LED headlights with fog lamps. Inside the seats are generous in size, leather and heated in the front seats. The contrasting white stitching against the solid black seats adds for a nice touch. For a big vehicle, exterior noise is kept "OUT" by an acoustic glass that is used in the cab. Nissan offers a leading category warranty. | Imposing. Statement making. Awesome looking for truck lovers. But... I think it looks too much like Ford's F-150 series and I would not be surprised if there's some confusion as to which truck they are looking at--the Nissan Titan or the Ford F-150. The interior was roomy, but it was only a step or two above basic--certainly not the kind of comfort items you get on the top of the line Platinum Reserve model, for instance. |
| Warranty | |
| 5 Year/100,000 mile Basic Warranty and 5 Year/100,000 Mile Powertrain Warranty. | Five years/100,000 miles basic and five years/100,000 miles on powertrain. |
