The 2021 Nissan Titan, which you can find at your local Nissan dealer, stands out from the crowd of big pickups. Unlike the slate of other full-size pickup trucks, the Titan is more focused and capable, providing exactly the features you really need as standard. Other trucks from other manufacturers are designed to nickel and dime the buyer until their accounts are bare, but the Titan is a straight shooter. It provides ample power, can be used for an enormous variety of tasks, and has an interior that is a very nice place to be in general. If you are looking for a truck with all of the features you need, the style you want, and a price you can afford, the Nissan Titan is the one to drive.
Capabilities and Drivetrain
The most impressive standard feature of the 2021 Nissan Titan is the 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine. This all-aluminum medium-displacement engine produces an impressive 400 horsepower, which is backed up by the low-end grunt of 413 lb-ft of torque. This power is made despite the engine being noticeably lighter and smaller displacement than many of its Ford, Ram, and GM counterparts. Nissan made this happen by using a dual overhead cam 32 valve valvetrain setup. This allows a large amount of airflow through the engine, and an engine that breathes easily works powerfully.
Additionally, the Endurance V8 injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber itself for maximum efficiency and performance. Variable valve timing is also used, and these technologies combined with the Endurance’s rather lightweight and low compression ratio to make for an extremely reliable and surprisingly powerful engine. The Endurance’s power is routed into a well-rounded nine-speed transmission. The large number of gears and quick shifting capability make this transmission perfect for extracting the maximum amount of efficiency and power from the engine at any speed, with minimal downtime devoted to changing gears.
From the transmission, power is conveyed to either the rear differential or in four-wheel drive equipped Titans to a transfer case. The Nissan Titan features the PRO-4X four-wheel drive system, which includes a low range capability. This allows for the Titan to be used in serious off-roading environments that would result in less optimized vehicles certainly getting stuck or even heavily damaged.
Whether or not four-wheel drive is optioned on a Titan, the solid full-size pickup has an array of driver-assist features to make the driver’s life easier in any environment. Systems like Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) keep the Titan firmly under control. VDC is an advanced stability and traction control system that is teamed with other assist vectors such as Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control.
While replete with advanced technology, the Titan is just as capable in terms of old-fashioned grunt. The Nissan Titan’s pickup maximum payload is 1,590 pounds when equipped with the two-wheel drive configuration, while the PRO-4X four-wheel drive unit equipped version can move 1,650 pounds of payload. In terms of towing, the Titan can ferry well beyond 9,000 pounds in either a two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive configuration when fully equipped. In terms of its brute strength, the Titan is true to its name.
Chassis
The Titan offers something of a masterclass in full-size pickup frame design. Building an appropriate truck chassis necessitates that seemingly conflicting goals be satisfied in several different individual areas. But Nissan managed to get the job done with aplomb and then some.
The first two conflicting requirements are the most obvious: structural strength and weight. A pickup truck is useless if it isn’t tough, and but if it is so heavy that owners can’t make it to the next gas station due to how terrible the mileage is, that isn’t much better. The Titan’s engineers erred on the side of caution with this, but despite building the Titan’s bulk somewhat heavier than most, it is far from being impractically heavy. The Titan is incredibly durable while not breaking the scale, and thus the wallet.
Another area of seemingly contradictory requirements is the suspension system. On a pickup, the suspension has to be able to handle an enormous amount of load while still being able to provide plush comfort to the driver when the truck is empty and not towing a load. The Titan achieves these design goals through the use of good materials and fine suspension tuning, allowing for the best of both worlds.
Interior
The plushness of the ride translates to the interior. Sleek, professional, and well-appointed, the interior of the 2021 Nissan Titan is just as perfect for long cruises as it is for quick trips. It’s both comfortable and quiet enough that it makes for a halfway decent escape even when the truck is just sitting in a parking lot.
One of the primary keys to the Titan’s expansive interior comfort is simply having an expansive interior. The front row has 41.8 inches of legroom and 38.5 inches of legroom in the Crew Cab (24.8 inches in the King Cab) keeps those in the rear from ever feeling cramped. Furthermore, the vast 63.3 inches of shoulder room and 63.6 inches (Crew Cab) or 64.6 inches (King Cab) give occupants plenty of comfort by giving each of them plenty of space.
This standard and traditional kind of comfort is bolstered by the Titan’s many available infotainment capabilities. SiriusXM satellite radio, two illuminated USB-A charging ports, real-time weather and traffic information capabilities, and a 9-inch touchscreen display all make getting connected and staying apprised a sinch. In terms of comfort-based features, the Titan has available Auto Dual Zone HVAC, remote engine start, 8-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar, rear HVAC vents, front row heated seats, and a dedicated cell phone holder. The Titan’s interior volume is a full 119.7 cubic feet in the Crew Cab (97.7 cubic feet in the King Cab), and every bit of it is used to keep the occupants as happy as possible.
Comparison
The Titan compares quite favorably to other large modern pickup trucks. None have both the full breadth of standard features the Titan has by default and the raw capability it has in terms of towing capacity and payload. Other trucks may be more customizable from the factory, but that really just means either going with smaller engines or far more expensive equipment than most would ever actually use.
For example, the standard engines of both the Ram 1500 and the Ford F-150 are small naturally aspirated V6s, which have either the power or economy to come close to the standard Endurance V8 in the Nissan Titan. The Honda Ridgeline doesn’t even have a V8 option whatsoever, and as such, has maximum towing numbers just over half what the Titan can pull. The competition does have some good machines, but none that offer anywhere near the same number and quality of standard features.
Conclusion
The 2021 Nissan Titan features an impressive array of standard features, starting with its lightweight and powerful 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine. The rest of the drivetrain is just as serious, with four-wheel drive models coming equipped with low range capability. All 2021 Titans have a full suite of driver-assist functions, including some that are specifically designed for off-road use. Available at a local Nissan dealer near you, the 2021 Nissan Titan offers a deal in the full-size pickup market segment that other trucks are simply not prepared to be able to counter. Power, style, capability, durability, and even rarity, all standard at no extra cost.
