2004 Nissan Titan - First Drive

Towing was a breeze also. As befitting a Real Truck, we hooked up a Real Load-a fifth wheel sporting a 25-foot Boston Whaler (GCW: about 7,700 pounds). The Titan behaved as if almost pulling an empty trailer, hauling the barge up long grades at altitude without breaking much sweat or losing undue steam; the optional trans temp gauge (it comes with the towing package) kept us well informed of the slusher's status. On downgrades, the V-8's compression braking and the adjustable 4-5 and 1-2 shifter detents on the five-speed gave us the flexibility we needed to find the right gear for the grade and retain optimal control of the towed load. The Continental-Teves 12.6-inch disc brakes showed little signs of fading, even during prolonged pedal input.

There are more bells and whistles on this puppy than we have space to mention here-lest we forget the factory spray-on bedliner (and 12-volt powerpoint in the bed), the 12-speaker Rockford-Fosgate stereo, and the electronic rear locker that's coming in mid-model year-so you'll have to content yourself for now with these brief notes. We'll have a Titan in our stable soon for our 2004 4x4 of the Year competition, so keep an eye on these pages for future testing and full specs.