2021 Nissan Titan Review

Name: 2021 Nissan Titan Review
Brand: Nissan

Price Range: $25,995 - $44,998

Titan Platinum Reserve Crew Cab Pickup Exterior Shown

+261

The Titan has a standard V8 engine, a comfortable cabin and enough towing capacity for most jobs. It's a perfectly competent full-size light-duty pickup truck. Otherwise, the Titan fails to impress. It doesn't have enough personality to make up for the lack of choice in powertrains, features and body styles that rivals offer. The Ford F-150, Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 are better trucks overall.

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Nissan Titan types

Crew Cab
King Cab

2021 Nissan Titan Review

byTravis Langness^{Reviews Editor
Travis Langness has worked in the automotive industry since 2011. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career.}

Pros

Comfortable front seats
V8 engine comes standard
Many advanced driver safety features also come standard

Cons

No alternative engines or axle ratios
Maximum towing and payload capacities fall behind class leaders
Mediocre in-cabin storage
Hard to see out of the back and to the sides

What's new

No changes to features or equipment
Small price increase over 2020 model
Part of the second Titan generation introduced for 2016

Overview

All right, so with your best Don LaFontaine (the famous movie trailer announcer) voice, say: "In a world where all of the light-duty pickups are thoroughly modern and highly customizable, there was one that stood up to resist the change: the Nissan Titan." Catchy, right? You'd watch that, or at least catch it when it came out on Netflix. Alas, the 2021 Titan might be better as a movie than a pickup you'd want to buy.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Nissan Titan S 4dr King Cab SB (5.6L 8cyl 9A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $2.93 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$201/mo

$220/mo

Avg. Large Truck

Calculate my fuel costs

Although Nissan rolled out a variety of updates last year, this is still pretty much the same truck that hit the streets back for the 2016 model year. So it's not surprisingly behind the times in regards to capability and configuration flexibility. True, a V8 comes standard, but you don't get any choice if you want higher fuel economy. Also, the Titan's towing and hauling numbers, while decent, are quite a ways off from what you can get from a Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 or Ram 1500.

Overall, it's hard to recommend the Titan considering how good the competition is. But you can learn more by reading our in-depth Expert Rating.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Our Verdict^{The Edmunds Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.}

Below Average

7.1

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

Rated for you by America's best test team.

Performance

6.5/10

How does the Titan drive? You get a standard V8 engine in the Titan. That's fine if you like V8s but other trucks give you a lot more choice. The Titan we tested accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, which is unremarkable for a light-duty pickup with a V8. But the V8, paired with the nine-speed automatic, puts the power to the ground smoothly.

We didn't expect the Titan to raise any eyebrows dynamically. But the steering is surprisingly heavy and cumbersome in a way that hinders maneuverability at low speed. You have to press hard on the brakes for full stopping power, and you feel the weight of this 3-ton truck on winding roads.

Comfort

8/10

How comfortable is the Titan? The Titan rides smoothly over even pavement and handles cracks and bumps in the road without upsetting the cabin. It's a comfortable ride made better by the front seats that are cushy and supportive.

The automatic climate control springs into action quickly. But the fans are awfully loud and contribute to high levels of ambient noise that always seems present in the cabin. At speed, there is noticeable wind noise, and you need to speak louder to hold a conversation on the highway.

Interior

7.5/10

How’s the interior? This is a familiar truck interior, with a traditional column-mounted shift lever and clearly labeled large buttons well within reach. Inside there's a lot of hard plastic, but Nissan does a good job of dressing up higher trims with soft materials and wood accents. Passenger space is good in the front and acceptable in the rear, though many rivals in the class are more impressive.

The door handles are huge, and it's easy to climb in and out. There's a high, commanding view of the road — taller drivers may actually wish the seat lowered a bit more — and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel helps with finding a comfortable position. Front visibility is fine over the hood, but the blind spots are huge, even with large convex sideview mirrors. Thank goodness for the blind-spot monitoring system.

Technology

7.5/10

How’s the tech? The 9-inch touchscreen that comes on most Titans provides crisp and clear graphics, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. Unfortunately, parts of the screen wash out if you're wearing polarized sunglasses. Also, the rearview camera's resolution is poor and looks particularly pixelated and low-tech on such a high-definition screen. Even the Fender stereo system is only so-so.

Nissan deserves kudos for making Safety Shield 360, its suite of advanced assist features, standard equipment. The adaptive cruise control is especially effective, managing changes in speed smoothly even when other vehicles drift in and out of your lane. We also like the NissanConnect app services including a live on-call concierge who can troubleshoot tech problems or send directions straight into your vehicle.

Towing and Storage

7.5/10

How are the towing and storage? There is a lot of storage space inside the Titan, but Nissan hasn't made it as clever or configurable as the storage in other trucks. For example, there's a handy soft smartphone grip in the Titan, but it's located in such a way that it takes away from accessible center storage space. The Ram 1500 has a similar smartphone grip, but it is tucked out of the way, pressed against a wireless charging pad.

The Titan's maximum towing capacity when properly equipped is 9,310 pounds. That's enough for a typical trailer but it's far from the best in the light-duty pickup class. Maximum payload capacity of 1,690 pounds is also a bit lightweight. But the bed is spacious, and it's easier to reach over the side than it is in other full-size pickups.

Fuel Economy

7/10

How’s the fuel economy? A Titan with 4WD has an EPA-estimated 18 mpg combined in city/highway driving. That's on par with rival V8s, but Nissan doesn't offer a more fuel-efficient engine option as competitors do. Our test Titan returned 18.6 mpg on our mixed-driving 115-mile evaluation route. Many vehicles we test on this route easily do better than their EPA estimate.

Value

7/10

Is the Titan a good value? The Titan has little to offer here. Warranty coverage is average, and there's no way to save on gas with a more fuel-efficient engine. Plus, the Titan is not exactly cheap, which makes hard plastics in the cabin more of an eyesore. It's harder to justify the costs and trade-offs associated with this truck than it once was.

Wildcard

6/10

There's nothing that's special about the Nissan Titan. It will get you and a whole lot of stuff where you need to go, but little stands out about the experience besides basic competency. Even the powerful V8 engine lacks character, and some clever touches (such as the smartphone grip) are overshadowed by their unintended consequences.

We typically wouldn't expect a ton of personality from a full-size truck. However, the Titan's competitors have largely figured out how to stand out from the crowd in some way, shape or form. That's an obstacle Nissan has yet to conquer.

Which Titan does Edmunds recommend?

With a wide variety of available option packages, the midlevel SV trim is our pick for the 2021 Nissan Titan. It offers standard features including adaptive cruise control and trailer sway control, as well as option packages that include creature comforts such as dual-zone automatic climate control and a larger 9-inch infotainment screen.

2021 Nissan Titan models

The 2021 Nissan Titan is available in five trims: S, SV, Pro-4X, SL and Platinum Reserve. There are two cab sizes to choose from: the extended cab (Nissan calls this the King Cab) and the crew cab. The extended cab is only available in S, SV and Pro-4X trims, while the crew cab is available in all five trim levels. Every Titan is powered by a 5.6-liter V8 (400 horsepower, 413 lb-ft of torque) and paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission. The feature highlights include:

S
The base S starts off with:

18-inch wheels
Heated side mirrors
Two USB ports (one standard USB and one USB-C)
8-inch touchscreen display
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
Six-speaker stereo with satellite radio
Trailer sway control (helps stabilize a towed trailer while driving)

The S also comes with Nissan's Safety Shield 360 suite of driver aids. It includes:

Automatic emergency braking (warns if a front impact is imminent and applies the brakes if you don't respond in time)
Rear automatic braking (brakes if sensors detect an imminent collision with an object behind the vehicle)
Blind-spot monitoring (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
Rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle behind you is about to cross your vehicle's path while in reverse)
Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)
High-beam assist (automatically turns the high beams on and off)

SV
The SV trim is similar to the S but has:

Front tow hooks (with 4WD)
Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)

You can also get the SV with the following packages:

SV Convenience package

Parking sensors
Leather-wrapped steering wheel
Automatic dual-zone climate control
Remote engine start
Keyless ignition and entry
Heated front seats
Power-adjustable driver's seat
Power-sliding rear window
9-inch touchscreen display with navigation
Extra USB and power ports

SV Tow package

Tow mirrors
Trailer brake controller (allows adjustment of a trailer's brakes from the cab)
Class IV receiver hitch and four-pin/seven-pin harness connector

SV Utility package

Cargo tie-down system
120-volt power outlet in the bed
Rear bumper step
Electronically locking tailgate
Automatic wipers

Pro-4X
The off-road-focused Pro-4X features a number of upgrades that include:

Most features from the SV Convenience package
Standard four-wheel drive
LED headlights
Bilstein off-road shock absorbers
Electronic locking rear differential
Hill descent control
Two-speed transfer case with 4-Hi and 4-Lo
Radiator skid plate
Spray-in bedliner

The Pro-4X's packages include:

Pro-4X Convenience package

Leather upholstery
Surround-view parking camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Titan and its surroundings for tight parking situations)
Power-adjustable front passenger seat
Heated front seats
Power-adjustable heated steering wheel
Driver-seat memory settings

Pro-4X Utility package

Combines the SV Towing and Utility packages
12-speaker premium audio system

SL
The SL loses the 4X's off-roading hardware but maintains most of its features. It also adds:

Features from the Pro-4X Convenience package
20-inch chrome wheels
Chrome exterior and interior trim
Running boards

Platinum Reserve
The top-of-the-line Platinum Reserve adds to the SL trim with features such as:

Premium leather seating
Wood trim on the dash, doors and steering wheel
Leather-wrapped center console
Heated and ventilated front seats
Heated rear seats

Other Titan options include:

Rear-seat entertainment system
Panoramic sunroof
Nissan's Titan Box in-bed storage

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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

3.5/5Above Average

#2 out of 19 among Fullsize Trucks

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Nissan Titan from 2008-2022.}

$555/yr

vs. $752/yr
for Average Fullsize Truck

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

1x/yr

vs. 0.98x/yr
for Average Fullsize Truck

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

15.4%

vs. 19.9%
for Average Fullsize Truck

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2021 Nissan Titan.

5 (61%)

4 (21%)

3 (12%)

2 (6%)

1 (0%)

4.4

33 reviews

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Most helpful consumer reviews

The last real truck?

Papa Joe, 06/11/2023

2021 Nissan Titan PRO-4X 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (5.6L 8cyl 9A)

I don't understand the negative reviews by the "professionals" while the actual owners rate the truck quite well. It rides very smooth for a 1/2 ton truck. The use of analogue displays/gauges combined with the 7" digital display allows for the best of both worlds as you can select many different views from the digital display. The zero gravity seats are amazingly comfortable and the … standard safety features of the titan cost thousands as options on competitors (with the exception of the Toyota Tundra). While some pros praise the new hybrid and turbo V6s, they are yet to be proven for long haul hard work in trucks. V8s including the 5.6 endurance V8 have been around and proven to reach 300K plus miles. Price: When shopping the capabilities, I looked at the Ram Rebel, the Ford Tremor, the Toyota TRD Pro, and the Titan Pro 4X. When comparing all things equal, leather seats, moon roof, V8, adaptive cruise, running boards (short wife and kids)... I ended up with a list of preferred items. By shopping those items, the Toyota doesn't offer a big 8 anymore and the price is a solid $12K or more with no incentives. Ford and Ram offer the 5.0 in the Tremor and the 5.7 in the rebel, but easily cost $10 to $14K more with no incentives or very few. The Titan offered 0% financing for 60 months and discounts with an already lower price. All in, the Titan cost almost 30% less than the competition ($10 to $14K in price plus thousands in financing charges with the current interest rates). Sticker Titan Pro 4X at $64k with incentives down to 60K with taxes, fees, and zero % interest for 60 months totals $64,201 by the time the loan is paid. The comparable Rebel at $74K with the same percent of taxes and the same exact fees at 5% interest for 60 months = $89,575 by the time the loan is paid. The Ram is great truck and the interior is a little better, but I do not believe it is 30% better. Pros: Costs, powerful naturally aspirated V8, very smooth 9 speed transmission, ride quality, seat comfort, warranty (by far best in class), standard safety features, multiple camera views, traditional buttons and knobs integrated well with digital and touchscreen interface, front skid plate forward location... Cons: lower max tow rating than competitors, lower quality camera display, smaller aftermarket support due to market share, MPGs are as would be expected with a big V8. Final Thoughts: While it is not for everyone, the Nissan Titan Pro 4X offers a lot of truck for the money. If you are in the market for an American made (Mississippi) truck with a throaty V8 and lots of features, it should be in consideration and does not deserve the lower ratings given by some reviews. At the time of this review, you can get a Titan Pro 4X for about the same price as the new Colorado and Canyon (considering finance charges) and far less than the full size counterparts.

2020 Titan SV Crew Cab 4x4 - Awesome truck

Jeret, 05/28/2020

2020 Nissan Titan SV 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (5.6L 8cyl 9A)

I was in the market for a new truck and picked the Nissan Titan over the Ram and Chevy. I was upgrading from a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT with 5.7 HEMI. I did a significant amount of research on which vehicle was the better value for similar price points. I also looked at maintenance and consumer reviews and the Titan consistently had less issues and high consumer reviews. I know every … manufacturer has some kind of issue and nothing is perfect, but I didn’t see anything monumentally wrong with the Titan. I liked the maintenance aspect of this truck, since I do my own maintenance. No turbos, 16 spark plugs, etc. just a simple V8 that had really good power and didn’t require/recommend 89 octane or higher to run properly. These are my impressions of the truck: Ride quality - drives more like a car, but maybe not exactly like the Ram’s luxury car ride that I test drove. However, it is light years ahead of my previous truck. The steering is very good and responsive and I don’t feel like it’s a chore doing u-turns in it. The cabin is quiet and mostly hear the engine when I’m climbing RPM’s and the engine just sounds tough. Drivetrain - the 9-speed really applies the power appropriately and it just wants get off the line. The 5.6 is a solid engine and has “plenty” of power to make the truck feel nimble. Has great acceleration. Interior/Tech - I purchased the truck with the convenience package, utility package, and tow package. This truck has the 9” screen and looks good with clear definition and the Nissan connect software works really well. There’s no lag or hesitation when using the interface. I feel it’s laid out well and just easy to use. The seats are cloth and wanted leather seats, but the quality of the cloth seats are very nice and not in a rush to do the katzkin seat treatment. The seats are very comfortable. Overall the interior doesn’t feel cheap like the Chevy I sat in and is actually pretty nice. I think it’s better than the Chevy for sure and a little better than the Ford. It has plenty of space in the front and in the back for a crew cab and also has all the outlets and comfort you could possibly need. I really like it the interior and have no complaints. Overall, I think this truck is excellent and totally underrated. For all the amenities that you get for the price of the truck you just can’t beat it. Plus the warranty is 100k. Just a great truck and highly recommend.

2020 Titan is impressive!

lsutigers, 08/02/2020

2020 Nissan Titan PRO-4X 4dr Crew Cab 4WD SB (5.6L 8cyl 9A)

After looking at similar offerings from the big 3, I compared them against the Titan and came away impressed with the overall package. Each of the manufacturers has their high points and low points, for instance: Ram has the nicest interior/infotainment system and best ride but falls short on reliability. GMC has a great 360 degree camera system for trailering but the interior … materials quality is at the bottom of the segment. It has a lot of catching up to do in that dept. Ford offers a great turbocharged V6 option (Ecoboost) with a lot of power and great fuel economy. They also tout the highest towing numbers in the class but in real-world towing situation, it just doesn’t feel confident towing over 10k lbs. go with a Super Duty truck if you want to tow more that 10k. Finally, while the Titan doesn’t offer the most configurations, it does most things really well and is a good compromise between quality and value. For 2020, they have stepped it up with a ton of high-tech safety features as standard equipment. Basically, all of the options available in high-end luxury cars now come standard on the Titan. Yes, it only offers one engine option but it is very powerful and the truck/platform pulls and tows with great confidence. The interior was recently updated with more standard tech than the competition and is only behind Ram as far as nav screen size goes. It also offers lots of connectivity options (standard) inside the cabin and the materials feel high quality. There is also an optional panoramic moonroof! Overall, you can’t go wrong with the Titan. If offers a ton of standard equipment and you can get a great deal if you negotiate, significantly cheaper than the competition. Not to mention that it offers by far the best warranty in the business, 5yr/100k miles. The Titan is not just a great value proposition, it is a very capable truck. Just spending a few minutes in a Titan, you can instantly tell that truck is built very well with high quality materials and feels very solid and planted. Unfortunately, most truck buyers will never get to experience how great the Titan is as they will only consider one or maybe two options from Detroit. Even the Tundra gets little to no respect with domestic truck buyers. Speaking of the Tundra, it is due for a major redesign in 2021 or 2022 and feels very dated so I didn’t even consider it as an option at this time.

Great except for mileage

James Donnelly, 04/13/2021

2021 Nissan Titan SV 4dr Crew Cab SB (5.6L 8cyl 9A)

This is a pretty good truck. The only downside is bad gas mileage. The steering wheel feels good. The seats are comfy. Never had a problem with any of the three Titans I have owned. I would recommend this truck as long as you shop around and get a good price. The Nissan people in Gallatin, TN are some of the best. The only deal breaker the truck used to have was it's terrible …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Nissan Titan, so we've included reviews for other years of the Titan since its last redesign.

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2021 Titan Highlights

Type:

Crew Cab

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$39,680
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	18 MPG
Cost to Drive	$207/month
Seating	6 seats
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Max Towing Capacity	9,310 lbs.
Warranty	5 years / 100,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Titan models:

Automatic Emergency Braking: Warns if a front impact is imminent and applies the brakes if you don't respond in time.
Intelligent Cruise Control: Maintains a driver-set distance between the Titan and the car in front.
Blind-Spot Warning: Alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
DriverNot Rated
PassengerNot Rated
Side Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Side Barrier Rating
OverallNot Rated
DriverNot Rated
PassengerNot Rated
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front SeatNot Rated
Back SeatNot Rated
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover19.8%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Acceptable
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2021 Nissan Titan Review

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2021 Nissan Titan Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Nissan Titan S 4dr King Cab SB (5.6L 8cyl 9A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $2.93 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Towing and Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

Which Titan does Edmunds recommend?

2021 Nissan Titan models

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Most helpful consumer reviews

The last real truck?

2020 Titan SV Crew Cab 4x4 - Awesome truck

2020 Titan is impressive!

Great except for mileage

2021 Titan Highlights

Safety

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Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 Nissan Titan S 4dr King Cab SB (5.6L 8cyl 9A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $2.93 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.}