Test Drive: 2011 Nissan Titan

Design

The look of the Nissan Titan is pretty consistent with pickups. However, what’s surprising about the Titan is that it feels much larger than it looks. Unlike it’s American brothers, the Nissan pickup is slightly smaller and not so in-your-face with a massive grille and hugely flared fenders. Instead, the Titan is understated in its look and design.

The Crew Cab model (which we had) changes the shape and look of the truck just a bit, making the cab a 4-door cabin and shortening the bed. The elongated cabin balances well with the shorter bed and means more room for our work buddies, but much less room for cargo in the bed.

Inside the Titan feels a bit too dainty to be a real man’s truck. Where the Ford trucks always feel like they can handle anything you shove in the cabin, the Titan felt and looked like it would require a bit more finesse down the road. Buttons and knobs are smaller, storage compartments are smaller and everything is just a bit more refined -- not really what you’d be looking for in a pick-up.

Drive

The 2011 Nissan Titan has one engine offered across all trim levels: a 5.6-litre V8 coupled with a 5-speed automatic transmission. The engine pushes out 317 horsepower with 385 lb-ft of torque. The Titan is rated at being able to pull just over 9,000 lbs. That’s not a huge amount considering what some trucks on the road can pull today, however, it is still functional as a truck.

Driving the Nissan Titan, the truck feels a lot bigger than it looks. It’s a bit deceiving. The mirrors aren’t big enough to make driving easy-going, and parking is a bit of a hassle as well thanks to the shorter mirrors. While the bed isn’t large, it’s still larger than a normal car and is often harder to maneuver.