[cmac]

I have not posted to this forum but have been following for quite some time. Finally had a chance to see the new titan pro 4x at the local dealership that they were displaying at the BC lions stadium. It was covered in lions decals. However it was the black and silver two tone pro-4x.

First impressions. This truck looks great in person. Pictures absolutely do not do it justice. It may not be a photogenic truck but in person I thought it looked really good. And I was a fan of the looks of the old titan so I was a little concerned about how it looked when I kept checking out the photo's.

engine bay was roomier than current gen titan (ie easier to change fan belt) Running gear for a heavy half looked like heavy running gear. I've been a full size truck owner since I could drive and there was a lot of stuff I liked about this truck.

Interior - huge upgrade from current gen titan and I would say on par with the best that is out there now. seats are super comfortable. cabin is roomy and lots of storage. gauge cluster looked great. They would not activate any of the infotainment stuff for us.

Nice aggressive stance for a production vehicle. Lots of brakes front an back. clean underneath (no hangy down below the frame things)

for those with existing titans, I measured the utilitrac system and it is the same dimensions as the existing so products designed to fit in the existing titan tracks like tool boxes, racks, etc will fit the new one.

I like the old slider better but this is the style slider used by ford and I believe a couple other manufactures so I'm sure there is a reason they couldn't fit a drop down slider in the back of the cab.

I hear some people complain that they are not offering every possible option that is on other vehicles, I believe they had to trim the options somewhere so they could price this vehicle comparably with others. I'll forgo power folding mirrors for the spray in bed liner and utilitrac cargo management system anyday and built in trailer hitch. etc. Power sunroof would be a nice option but considering it is usually a $1000 option, they are probably trying to keep the purchace price as reasonable as they can so I'm o.k with that considering what the rest of the truck is offering.

All said, I'm due for an upgrade and considering what I know is available in the current truck market, I would definitely not make any purchases until I can take this beast for a spin and get some real world numbers on it.

For those who are comparing to a 3/4 ton or 1 ton or a ford raptor. If that is the kind of truck you require for your use then this is probably not the truck for you. It is a heavy half and by the looks of the running gear a very capable one at that. I have been towing a 7500lb boat with my current titan which has 180Km on it with no problems to date (except for the cracked exhaust manifold but my banks exhaust drowns that out) but would like something with just a bit more carrying capacity and pulling power so i'm in the category of people who this truck would work very well for.

Maybe a little longer post than needed. Just my real world impressions of the truck and I get tired of the comments from ford and dodge lovers. If you want a ford because you think fords are the best buy a ford, if you want a dodge buy a dodge. If I was looking for a 1 Ton or 3/4 ton, It would be a dodge. I've had my share of ford quirks to last me a lifetime.

 

[cdsaeco]

Thanks for the info. Did you notice if the bed height is as high as a 3/4 ton Ram 4 by 4? Don't want to have to lift my fifth wheel trailer, to get proper clearance between the bed and the trailer overhang.

 

[NavyCuda]

Which dealership has it?

Nice writeup! Better than most professional reviewers can write!

 

[Forge]

What type of truck are you currently in? Just curious what your reference point is.

 

[TurboDiesel]

Glad to have someone on the forum coming from a background of trucks you have.

How many Ford have you had?

What do you think about the new Fords?

 

[RTAflex]

Thanks for the useful information. It's a breath of fresh air on this forum that sometimes has been pretty stagnant. I too saw it in person in March and I agree it is a very good looking pickup in person. People who think it is ugly will be surprised how handsome it looks. I remember that the bed height was much more in line with a half ton or maybe a bit higher. The 2500 Ram with air suspension I was cross shopping at the car show had a much higher bed to the point where it was almost an inconvenience for easy loading and unloading. The Titan I saw in particular was the Platinum Reserve one that by now we have all seen 100 times over.


Still would like a sunroof though... maybe I will have to wait until 2017 like one member mentioned... and those power folding mirrors so I can fit it in my driveway.

 

[1atalbot]

Thank you for the gracious write up, I am a currently a Nissan Armada owner and tow a 7500lb camper looking to move to a 32ft 5th wheel with a pin weight around 1,400lbs currently look at a Crusader 297RSK so my needs of payload are every bit of 2,000lbs after you factor in the hitch & passengers I am tapped out. Although I know the Titan XD will managed very well!

 

[nisslover]

I haven't seen it in person yet, but I have seen a couple of youtube vidoes of the truck in natural lighting and it looks much better than the pics suggest. This is one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvCfRDFHOJ0

 

[cmac]

Just to answer some of the questions

Thanks for the info. Did you notice if the bed height is as high as a 3/4 ton Ram 4 by 4? Don't want to have to lift my fifth wheel trailer, to get proper clearance between the bed and the trailer overhang.

sorry couldn't tell you the difference. My dad has a 2013 ram 3500 with the 6.7, and my brother a 2011 ram 2500 standard with the 6.7. My brothers is considerably higher because of rims and tires. my dads is close. I think if you don't get the pro 4x, you won't be any higher than the competition. best diesel pickup truck engine to date for longevity was the 5.9 cummins. My dad has one with 480000 bush km on it and still going. the rest of the truck is toast and falling off or been rebuilt but the engine still starts and runs good. My other friend with an excavating business is on his 5th set of turbo's on his 2011 F350. Maybe just a lemon or maybe he drives it too hard. I have another friend whose a plumber and he has not had issues with his F350 but the biggest thing he tows is a quad.

Which dealership has it?

Nice writeup! Better than most professional reviewers can write!

Was at the campus Nissan in Victoria just for a day on Sunday. Not usually open sunday but was open just for the viewing of the titan and a few free hot dogs and burgs

What type of truck are you currently in? Just curious what your reference point is.

still driving my 2007 titan bought new and sell/trade in soon. I like to get my mileage out of trucks if I buy them new.

Glad to have someone on the forum coming from a background of trucks you have.

How many Ford have you had?

What do you think about the new Fords?

I actually think the new fords are performers. But I have problem with both the aluminum body and engine for the following reasons. Aluminum is the hardest thing to repair, and I've had to repair a few dents in my vehicles before. All it will take is connecting an incompatible mud flap to an aluminum body and you'll be missing a portion of the wheel well in a few years do to galvanic corrosion. Have to be very careful when using dissimilar metals and that includes stainless with aluminum.

The engine(were talking the 3.5TT), good fuel mileage empty, bad fuel mileage towing. You have to boost the s#$t out of those engines to get that horsepower and we will have to see how they work out in the long run. They are building them like a diesel so they don't blow up but then why not just build a diesel engine and get better mileage. Like they say there is no replacement for displacement. best longest lasting engines are usually the higher displacement lower horsepower end of story. I've got a old Kubota with a naturally aspirated 6cylinder with 8000/hrs on it and runs good. good luck getting that with the new turbo'd three cylinders in the minis.

Ford is just always pushing the limits and sometimes it doesn't work out. but for the average user, I'm sure it works out fine. I'd rather have a truck that refines tried and true to be even better than a company that likes to try before its true. When the current gen titan came out, it took the best of what the other trucks had to offer in similar packages and just made it better. They just happened to hit a couple stumbling blocks with a poorly selected rear end and a jobber exhaust system that wasn't up to snuff. I don't think they are going to make those same mistakes again. A lot on the line for Nissan in the full size truck market. There is no doubt the current gen titan is a little out of date but its still a performer for a lot of people in a 13year old design.

My opinion on diesel engines is that the inline 6 is still the best layout for a diesel engine. That is why all commercial truck engines these days are inline 6's. but we are talking about pickup trucks and I don't know anyone who's got a million miles on a pick up truck. I do know lots of commercial trucks with a million miles. And yes I have my Class 1 (Canadian truck driving license. Not sure what it is in the U.S.) And I have driven many dump trucks and tractors. Have a considerable amount of mechanical diesel experience and used to be an excavator operator. (my dad still runs an excavating business but I've moved on to a cushy office job. Which is why I don't need a 1ton.

Just to be clear if you need a serious duty work truck to be bouncing up and down the logging roads every day. Buy a 3500 class truck. Should have solid front axle, greasable u-joints and steering components, Steel rims and high load rated tires or it just wont last.

For me, I need a truck that is capable when I want it and comfortable when I don't. That little diesel will last the life of the truck if not abused or some significant design flaw shows up. Timing chains vs gears are fine if designed properly. The old 6.5L chevy turbo used chain drive cam and got lots of miles on those engines. More than the truck could handle anyway.

Most truck failures are due to abuse or a design flaw. I've never had a problem with my truck engine, trans or rear ends but I don't abuse it. You can drive and work them hard but that's different than abuse.

Things I like about my current gen titan.
-still steers strait as an arrow
-still starts and runs like the day I bought it (that 5.6 is a dependable engine)
-well balanced handling and pretty decent 4x4 off the shelf. Gets around pretty good in the mud.
comfy and roomy, love the fold up back seats, can shove an amazing amount of stuff in the back.
-spray in box liner and cargo management system is just awesome for a stock truck.

Things I don't like
-stupid breather on rear axle. That should never occur on a modern vehicle.
-should have had Dana 60's not 44's but I've never had a issue with that but they are a little light for the truck. And I'm getting a bit of slop in the rear end now.
-Front A-arms need more travel dist before they connect with the strut mount.
-spring pack is just too soft in back. needs a better overload spring (similar issues with the dodge)
-Its just a little tiny bit, too light duty for my liking. The xd hits the sweet spot that way for me. I'm just not wanting to move up to 2500 series just based on ride, handling and parking in the city.


But hey, this is just one mans opinion.

 

[SilverJett09]

I've got a old Kubota with a naturally aspirated 6cylinder with 8000/hrs on it and runs good.

Kubota is the epitome of diesel engines! If only you could get one in a pickup truck...

 

[honda250xtitan]

-stupid breather on rear axle. That should never occur on a modern vehicle.
-should have had Dana 60's not 44's but I've never had a issue with that but they are a little light for the truck. And I'm getting a bit of slop in the rear end now.
-Front A-arms need more travel dist before they connect with the strut mount.
-spring pack is just too soft in back. needs a better overload spring (similar issues with the dodge)
-Its just a little tiny bit, too light duty for my liking. The xd hits the sweet spot that way for me. I'm just not wanting to move up to 2500 series just based on ride, handling and parking in the city.


But hey, this is just one mans opinion.

PRG uppers would fix that. Also some extended travel coil overs to go with those.

I'm glad nissan fixed the mounting point of the upper control arm compared to the coil bucket. IE, they made the spindle shorter, or made the shock/spring longer so now the upper control arm is built around the coil bucket, not on top of it lol.