"No single vehicle was used as a target, says Larry Dominique, Nissan’s chief product specialist for the Titan. Thus, when Nissan invited us to drive an early-development Titan mule, the company had on hand a Chevy Silverado, a Ford F-150, and a Dodge Ram for comparison. And when we had driven all the vehicles back-to-back, we could tell, for one thing, that the Titan’s throttle response and engine power were modeled pretty directly on those of the Chevy Silverado, which has an aggressive throttle tip-in and vigorous launch to attract younger drivers.

When we brought up that subject with Nissan’s assembled engineers, they conceded they’d had to come up with a separate—and more sedate—throttle map for low-range four-wheel-drive use. But regardless of personal throttle-response preferences, there should be little criticism of the 300-plus-hp, 5.6-liter Endurance V-8 (its output wasn’t finalized at press time) used throughout the Titan line.

With more than 90 percent of its 375-plus pound-feet of torque available from 2500 rpm, the big four-cam V-8 is almost guaranteed to find lifelong devotees among truck owners—particularly as the five-speed automatic it is teamed with offers perhaps the quickest kickdown response and smoothest shift transitions in the field."

Curb weight: 4700–4950 lb
C/D-estimated performance (rear-drive):
Zero to 60 mph: 7.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 21.2 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 15.5 sec @ 91 mph

"The Ram can’t quite match the quick Nissan, but it easily opens daylight on the others: 0 to 60 in eight flat, clearing the quarter in 16.2 seconds at 86 mph."