2022 Nissan Titan XD

With more comprehensive changes to its exterior style and technology unveiled two years ago, the Nissan Titan XD carries into 2022 with only minor changes. A trim level has been dropped, and a few previously standard items — notably a gooseneck trailer hitch and Wi-Fi hotspot — have been shuffled to option packages.

But the premise of the 2022 Nissan Titan XD remains sound: It aims to offer more capability than the average full-size pickup, without the heavy hardware and bumpy ride of a workhorse commercial pickup. Essentially it tries to split the difference between light- and heavy-duty trucks, with enough muscle to haul big workloads but not quite so much as to ruin its smooth ride and recreational character. In short, the Titan XD can haul your bathroom tile project, but it's really best at towing your boat.

But in this case, aiming for the middle hits no one. The Titan XD isn't stout enough for the big commercial work, yet it's priced like trucks that can. And light-duty rivals like the Ford F-150, which can tow more and haul nearly as heavy a load, have already eclipsed the Nissan's capabilities. Even the recently redesigned Toyota Tundra can tow as much as the Titan XD. We like the Titan XD concept in theory, but in practice, most of today's light-duty pickups have caught up, or surpassed, the Nissan XD and cost less.