2017 Nissan Titan Review

After a one-year hiatus, the full-size light-duty Nissan Titan is back for 2017. Fully redesigned, it boasts an aggressive new look, a vastly improved cabin design and a powerful V8 bolted to a seven-speed transmission.

Last year, Nissan revitalized its full-size truck line with the Titan XD, a pickup that uniquely slotted between the usual half-ton and heavy-duty markets in terms of payload and towing capacities. The Titan XD can tow more than 12,000 pounds with its available diesel engine, and its crew cab is paired with a standard bed (6 feet 6 inches) that makes it over 20 feet long. But if you don't need a pickup of the Titan XD's capabilities or just want something smaller, there's the completely redesigned 2017 Nissan Titan.

The regular Titan and Titan XD are similar inside and out; crew-cab size and feature availability are nearly identical between the two trucks. But the Titan crew cab is more manageably sized because it doesn't stand quite as tall and its stubbier nose and short bed (5 feet 7 inches) make it over a foot shorter. Work-truck versions can be had with a regular cab with a long bed (8 feet 2 inches), and an extended cab with a standard bed is expected next year.

The engine bay is where you'll find the next point of differentiation. For now, the only engine available on the Titan is a 5.6-liter V8 that produces a robust 390 horsepower and 394 lb-ft of torque. A V6 will debut next year, but you must look to the Titan XD if you want the Cummins diesel V8. Several thoughtful touches, such as a trailer brake-light check program accessible through the key fob, cargo rails on the bed floor and long bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage also contribute to the Titan's appeal.

But whether the new Titan is the truck for you might depend on what you think of the competition. The current generation of the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are fairly new, and both offer modern, high-tech cabins in addition to higher payload and towing limits. The Ram 1500 is a bit older and its capabilities are slightly less, but its ride comfort is second to none, and you can get it with a class-exclusive diesel engine. Toyota's still got a pretty nice truck with its Tundra, too. Overall, though, if you want a nicely equipped truck and don't need the ultimate in trailer-towing capacity, the 2017 Nissan Titan should suit your needs just fine.

The 2017 Nissan Titan full-size pickup is available across the board as a crew cab with a short (5-foot-7-inch) cargo bed, while the work-truck versions can be bought as a single-cab with a long (8-foot 2.5-inch)bed. An extended cab with a standard (6-foot-6.7-inch) bed is expected next year. The crew cab can seat five or six, depending on trim or equipment. The Titan is available in five trims: S, SV, SL, Platinum Reserve and the off-road-oriented Pro-4X. All are available with two- or four-wheel drive except the Pro-4X, which is 4x4 only.

The Titan S work truck is available with either cab and comes standard with 18-inch steel wheels, an active grille shutter, cab-mounted LED bed lights, a lockable damped tailgate, remote locking and unlocking, manual exterior mirrors, push-button ignition, air-conditioning, cloth upholstery, a vinyl floor, power windows and locks, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a 40/20/40-split folding front bench seat, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, a 5-inch color display, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, NissanConnect mobile apps and a six-speaker audio system with a CD player, an auxiliary input and a USB port.

Step up to the SV, the highest trim level that's available in either cab, and you'll also get alloy wheels, chrome exterior trim (bumpers, door handles and grille), power-adjustable heated mirrors, a carpeted floor, cloth and vinyl upholstery, a driver information display, satellite radio and Nissan's Trailer Sway Control (see the Safety section).

The Titan Pro-4X takes the SV's equipment and adds dark-finish wheels with all-terrain tires, off-road-tuned Bilstein shocks, a lockable rear differential, hill descent control, a receiver hitch and a seven-pin wiring harness connector. Additional standard features for the Pro-4X include front tow hooks, skid plates, automatic headlights, foglights, automatic wipers, a spray-in bedliner, a rearview camera, a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, keyless entry and ignition, front bucket seats, an eight-way power-adjustable driver seat (with power lumbar), unique cloth upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 7-inch touchscreen, voice controls (with Siri Eyes Free), a navigation system, a rear air vent, a 110-volt household-style power outlet and floor mats.

Next is the SL, which takes the Pro-4X's upgrades (minus the all-terrain tires and mechanical upgrades such as the Bilstein shocks) and adds 20-inch wheels, power-folding mirrors with puddle lamps, running boards, a power-sliding rear window, LED cargo box lighting, a Utili-Track bed rail system with four movable tie-down cleats, remote engine start, front and rear parking sensors, a power-adjustable steering wheel, driver memory functions, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a four-way power passenger seat, heated front seats, leather upholstery, a Rockford Fosgate 12-speaker audio system, a 120-volt outlet located inside the bed and the NissanConnect Services emergency telematics features suite.

The range-topping Platinum Reserve builds upon the SL's features, adding unique wheels, dark chrome exterior trim, a 360-degree parking camera, upgraded leather upholstery, chrome and wood interior accents, a heated steering wheel with wood inserts, ventilated front seats and heated rear seats.

Several option packages are available for the Nissan Titan, many of which bring the luxury and utility features from higher trims to the lower trims. Other notable packages include the SL Towing Convenience package (tow mirrors, a trailer brake controller and front tow hooks for rear-wheel-drive models), the SV and SL's Chrome package (20-inch chrome wheels, chrome exhaust tips and a chrome grille) and the Platinum Reserve's Bed Utility package (in-bed "Titan Box" storage bins, a remote locking tailgate and a bed utility step). The Platinum Reserve can also be ordered with a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and an Off-Road package with the Pro-4X's 18-inch alloys, all-terrain tires and Bilstein shocks.

For now, every 2017 Nissan Titan is powered by a 5.6-liter V8 engine producing 390 hpand 394 lb-ft of torque (a V6 is expected to bow later this year). It is paired to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is standard, and four-wheel drive (4WD) is optional on all but the Pro-4X, which comes standard with 4WD.

Whether equipped with RWD or 4WD, non-Pro-4X models earn EPA fuel economy estimates of 18 mpg combined (15 city/21 highway). The Pro-4X's off-road features (including the deletion of the front air dam) knock its fuel economy down slightly to 17 mpg combined (15 city/20 highway).

When properly equipped, the crew-cab Titan can tow up to 9,390 pounds in RWD configuration, and 4WD versions can tow up to 9,230 pounds. These ratings are a bit lower than V8-powered crew-cab competitors; the Ram 1500 crew cab can tow up to 10,330 pounds, while the Ford F-150 and Silverado 1500 crew cabs can each tow up to 10,800 pounds. The Titan's maximum payload is 1,590 pounds for RWD models and 1,610 pounds for 4WD models.

Every 2017 Nissan Titan comes with stability and traction control, antilock disc brakes, front-side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and hill start assist. The Pro-4X also comes standard with hill descent control, and SV models and above come with Nissan's Trailer Sway Control, which helps keep a trailer tracking straight when buffeted by crosswinds or while driving on poor-quality roads.

A rearview camera and a blind-spot monitoring system with rear-cross traffic alert are standard on the Pro-4X level and up, and can be added to the SV by opting for the Comfort & Convenience package. A 360-degree parking camera is standard on the Platinum Reserve and can be added to the Pro-4X via the Luxury package.

The SL and Platinum Reserve come with NissanConnect Services, a subscription-based service that includes automatic crash notification, stolen-vehicle recovery assistance and roadside assistance. It's added to the Pro-4X when you buy the Convenience package.

The 2017 Nissan Titan's cabin is spacious, although it doesn't feel cavernous the way the F-150 crew cab does. Still, there's plenty of room for five, and the rear passenger area features nifty storage options. Optional on the SV and standard on above trims is a cab-width lockable bin with removable dividers located under the rear seats. Flip the seats up, and you'll find the unfolded cargo platform features bungee tie-downs for keeping your stuff secure.

All controls on the center stack are within the driver's reach, including the trailer brake controller, which is out of the way but easily accessible at the bottom of the stack. The entire stack, and indeed much of the cabin overall, isn't overwhelmingly impressive or distinctive from a design perspective. Functionality seems to be the guiding factor — as opposed to the sleeker look of the Silverado, which keeps many of its controls confined to touchscreen menus, or the F-150, with its usable and attractive layout.

The 7-inch touchscreen and user interface also lags behind the best. Having physical buttons control top-tier menus is a good idea, but the buttons are fairly small. The interface also features small, horizontal virtual buttons that can be difficult to operate accurately. On the bright side, the optional 360-degree camera view is easy to view and makes it easy to navigate the Titan into a parking space. Bear in mind that systems with a rearview camera but not the surround-view camera do not feature dynamic guidelines, making it more difficult to predict the Titan's path while turning.

We haven't extensively tested the 2017 Nissan Titan yet, but initial impressions are favorable. The 5.6-liter V8 feels strong from the moment you press on the gas. Braking effort is predictable, and the pedal stroke isn't overly long, so the Titan should prove easy to drive in traffic. Steering effort is lighter than in the Titan XD, and in general the Titan feels more nimble than its heavy-duty relative. Check back later for further driving impressions.

This review was written by a member of Edmunds' editorial team of expert car reviewers. Our team drives every car you can buy. We put the vehicles through rigorous testing, evaluating how they drive and comparing them in detail to their competitors.

We're also regular people like you, so we pay attention to all the different ways people use their cars every day. We want to know if there's enough room for our families and our weekend gear and whether or not our favorite drink fits in the cupholder. Our editors want to help you make the best decision on a car that fits your life.