Nissan Titan
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Nissan has always been a leader on the fire trails and rock walls that so many 4×4 folks love – yet the Japanese automaker had never made a proper, full-size pickup. A brute, capable of wheeling just as well as hauling. That all changed with the 2000 introduction of the first Nissan Titan. This was no foreign-made truck, though, and so every Titan was manufactured in Mississippi. The initial production ran for an astounding 15 years with no redesign. What made the original Titan so good?
For starters, the Titan’s displacement was tough to match. A big, powerful 5.6L V8 – the Nissan VK engine – was eventually optimized to thump out 317 horses and 385 torques by way of double overhead cams, four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing, forged rods, and other goodies that might otherwise describe a built hot rod motor. Keep in mind, this motor was ahead of its time in 2001. But raw power only gets a 4×4 so far – the Titan needed to boast some other gold standards to qualify, and it did so quite easily with its off-road package, the Pro 4X.
A fully boxed frame provided plenty of strength and rigidity, while conventional leaf springs provided a more robust off-road experience. Damping all that force were Rancho shocks. Most importantly, an electronic locking rear differential provided that low-speed traction needed for trails and rocks. Skid plates covered the breakable bits underneath and large rotors and ventilated brakes ensured stopping power was both adequate and fade-resistant, even in those stop-and-go crawling scenarios.
Also ahead of its time, the first-generation Titan featured some pretty intelligent traction control that modulated power between each wheel. And of course, the Pro 4X’s all came from the factory equipped with BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A tires mated to 18-inch aluminum wheels.
Take a look at today’s Titan, and you’ll still find the very capable Pro 4X selling with popular demand. The refresh features the same 5.6L motor with even more power, newer and more capable Bilstein shocks, revised and stronger skid plates, the same capable off-road tires and 18” wheels, and the same rear locking diff. Added to the package is a very cool hill descent mode, a la Dodge and Mercedes.
That’s great and all, but it doesn’t explain why the Titan is on our list. We picked the Titan because it’s a truck you can beat up. It doesn’t have flashy chrome, finicky fascias, or leather that you’ll be worried about scratching. It’s meant to take abuse and keep on rollin’. What’s more, the Titan is an amazing value, with used models that sport fewer than 10,000 miles selling for just around $20,000. And lastly, most Titans are legendary for their reliability. Older model years are fetching $8,000 to $10,000 with over 150,000 miles on them – a simple but proven indicator of the Titan’s reliability. It’s tough to get any V8 truck made in America this cheap, let alone one that has as much power and performs off-road so admirably.
