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When North Americans think “full-size pickup,” the names F-150, Silverado, Sierra, and Ram enter their consciousness more often than not, while Toyota’s Tundra has been prompting much interest thanks to a dramatic 2022 redesign, but a more subdued Japanese alternative is worth looking at too, especially if you require a personal truck for family or small business purposes.
While on the topic of 2022s, being that it’s now late in the year I’ll be covering what you can expect to find in the 2022 Nissan Titan as part of this review, with the key takeaway being that very little will change. It should also be noted that 2022 Titans won’t be arriving anytime soon, something I verified after noticing that Nissan’s U.S. retail site was still promoting the 2021 throughout November, and continues to do so into December. This prompted me to contact the automaker’s U.S. director of product communications, Dan Passe, who quickly responded with the following:
“TITAN remains in our lineup for 2022 – however it will not be on sale until early in 2022, so no formal announcements yet. There are some trim changes but the vehicle continues in our lineup for the foreseeable future.”
On a less positive note, those reading from north of the 49th need to know there won’t be a 2022 Titan in Canada, so if you like what you see, don’t hesitate to reach out to your local Nissan dealer to find out if any new examples remain in stock. My guess is you’ll get a fabulous deal if you can find one.
Domestic trucks owe some of their success to offering more body styles than their Japanese counterparts, and while both American-made imports come in smaller King Cab (Double Cab for Toyota) and Crew Cab (CrewMax) layouts for 2021 (and 2022), the big three win hands down in the wheelbase and bed length variance war, not to mention available trims and engines. The redesigned Tundra does kill off Toyota’s ultra-dependable V8 for a new twin-turbo V6, one even including a hybrid setup, so we’ll need to see how those new mills fare over time.
Just like for 2021, all 2022 Titans will utilize Nissan’s well-proven 5.7-liter V8 with 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque; an improvement over the 2021's 5.6-liter engine. It comes mated to an advanced in-house (Jatco) nine-speed automatic transmission, which while one gear short of the latest Tundra, as well as Ford’s F-150 and some of the two GM trucks, is still highly efficient and two years into its real-world dependability “test”.
Looking forward to the upcoming 2022 Titan, other than some standard equipment and option/package updates throughout the range, nothing changes. More specifically, base S trim will soon come standard with a trailer hitch and a spray-on bedliner, while the latest SV will get the previously-optional Convenience package as standard, meaning all SV trims will feature a powered driver’s seat, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, integrated navigation, front and rear parking sensors, remote start, etcetera.
Pricing will probably increase slightly, but being that Nissan has kept silent about such details so far, let’s refer to the 2021 model that remains available from $36,950 for the King Cab S 4x2 or $39,680 for the Crew Cab S 4x2, plus $3,230 for 4WD. Mid-range SV trim remains $40,790 for a King Cab 4x2 or $43,130 for a Crew Cab 4x2, plus $100 less to move up to a 4x4.
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SV 4x4 Crew Cab trim is where 2021 Canadian-spec Titans begin, although thanks to more standard features and a less valuable dollar, this base Titan starts at $63,698 CAD (about $50,618 USD). Nissan Canada no longer shows the Titan on its retail site, but Canadians can find pricing, trims, and year-end discount information at CarCostCanada.
Notably, neither truck comes close to matching the (2021) base prices of their domestic rivals, with the segment dominating F-150 XL available at just $28,940 ($34,079 CAD). The Silverado 1500, a top budget truck for 2021, starts at $29,300 ($32,048 CAD). Additionally, the Sierra 1500 starts at $31,100 ($33,248 CAD), and Ram 1500 at $32,795 ($37,190 CAD). These lower prices are mostly due to the inclusion of regular cab body styles, V6 power, and bare-bone trims, with the bottom end of each U.S. brand oriented toward high-volume fleets.
The 2021 Nissan Titan I most recently tested was nicely optioned in off-road optimized Pro-4X trim, which starts at $50,690 ($66,998 CAD). While this price is significantly higher than just-mentioned domestic alternatives, it’s right in the realm of pricing acceptability for rivals with similar features.
As for details, my Pro-X4 tester’s padded dash top was entirely covered in soft-touch leatherette with orange contrast stitching. The luxe look was further enhanced by a padded and stitched leatherette bolster ahead of the front passenger. Similarly, Nissan provides padded leatherette door panels with yet more contrasting thread above comfortable armrests, but unusually the door uppers are made from elbow-irritating hard-shell plastic.
The seats were covered in real hides, with the driver’s flatter and less bolstered than my small-framed body normally prefers, but then again, it’d likely be great for larger folk, plus the contrast stitching, complete with “PRO-4X” embroidery, provides some nice eye candy. Power controls made it adjustable for most any size and shape, although two-way lumbar didn’t meet up well with the small of my back.
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At least the Titan’s cab is spacious, especially in back where limousine-like legroom lets rear passengers stretch out in style. An optional panoramic sunroof allowed for an open, airy ambience, while those in the window seats benefitted from seat heaters.
Back in the driver’s seat, the Pro-4X steering wheel is leather-wrapped with sporty thumb spats for comfort and control, plus contrast stitching ups styling while a heatable rim makes winter more bearable. That wheel visually frames an attractive set of brightly backlit analogue gauges bookending a sizable 7.0-inch feature-filled multi-information display.
Likewise, the Titan Pro-4X’s 9.0-inch center touchscreen (an inch larger than lesser trims) is bright and colorful and therefore easy on the eyes (although a previous journalist killed it by cleaning with ammonia), plus it comes filled with all expected features like Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, navigation, etcetera, while a $3,390 Convenience package added a surround camera and the power tilt and telescopic heated leather steering wheel and seats, driver’s memory, a four-way powered front passenger’s seat, an auto-dimming side mirror with reverse tilt and puddle lights, plus more.
Additionally, before adding the upgrade package the Pro-4X already included an auto-dimming center mirror, rain-sensing wipers, Rear Door Alert, and many of the latest advanced safety features (although not enough for IIHS Top Safety Pick status), while its 12-speaker Fender audio upgrade sounded great.
Being that I grew up on column-shifters, swapping gears next to the Titan’s steering wheel wasn’t an issue, while the classic arrangement frees space on the lower console (hey, if it’s good enough for Mercedes). The nine-speed auto is two steps up from the seven-cog gearbox used in 2019, allowing wonderfully smooth shifts with near immediate kickdowns for quick acceleration away from stoplights or overtaking on the highway, both of which are performed without hesitation and with a deep, throaty V8 growl.
Fortunately, the 4WD Titan’s 15 mpg city, 21 highway and 18 combined EPA fuel economy (15.1, 11.1 and 13.3 L/100km respectively in Canada) is pretty good for a formidable V8-powered half-ton, albeit the Pro-4X is slightly thirstier than the base model at 15, 20 and 17 mpg.
The Titan rests on a rigid fully-boxed frame and uses an independent front suspension plus a traditional rear leaf setup to maintain composure over most any surface, plus all that strength makes it a good choice off-road. The simple twist of a dial engages the part-time four-wheel drive system, from 2WD to either 4WD high or low, while all expected mechanical and electronic driving aids, especially in the trim tested, turned my off-road foray into a comfortable walk in the park. Bashing over rocks and logs before barreling through rutted, muddy pits and sandy spits came naturally to this Pro-4X, while ride comfort never wavered.
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Similarly, the Titan provides a lot of hauling capability, with a rating of 9,210 lbs (4,178 kg) in as-tested trim, plus a best of 10,790 lbs (4,894 kg) in its heavy-half XD body style, whereas payload weights equaled 1,650 lbs (748 kg) as-tested, or up to 2,240 lbs (1,016 kg) for the beefier model. This compares well against similarly sized competitors.
The Titan should hold up well over time too, and not only when it comes to reliability, as its depreciation after five years is a reasonable 42-percent according to CarEdge, albeit beaten by Tundra’s 39 percent.
In the end, the Titan isn’t perfect, but neither are any of its rivals. Compared to some competitors, this Nissan offers up loads of time-tested credibility along with better than average expected dependability, and that could end up being a priceless lifesaver when 50 miles into the wild.
On that note, the Titan tied for runner-up with Ram’s 1500 in J.D. Power’s 2021 Initial Quality Study, both beaten by Toyota, and did likewise in the same third-party analytical firm’s 2021 Automotive, Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study with GMC’s Sierra, beaten by Ram.
Still, I like the Titan Pro-4X’s refinement and upscale feature-set, but can’t say it’s a favorite for styling. Like so many things, choosing a full-size pickup will come down to weighing pragmatic pros and cons along with personal preferences, and to that end I’d respect anyone’s decision to purchase this well-made Japanese truck.
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