Remember the Titan? Nissan half-ton debuting facelift in Chicago
With Toyota's coming out party for the Tundra in full swing, the full-size truck segment has been getting a lot of attention. With the spotlight focused intensely on any vehicle with a bed, Nissan decided it was time for the Titan to show up looking its best. To that end, Nissan will be giving its full-size pickup a new set of threads for the Chicago Auto Show next month. Of course, the Autoblog team will be there to bring you all the live shots you've come to expect from us.
Nissan really needs to start focusing on the customer again, having lost some of the half-ton pickup market share last year. The new Tundra will certainly continue to draw sales away, as well. In fact, Toyota is hoping to move 200,000 Tundras this year, and most expect those sales to largely come out of the Titan's customer base. While others believe the domestics are more vulnerable, the loyalty of their buyers is so strong that Nissan is a more likely target. Will a new nose help? Probably not, as we've seen first hand that truck buyers are more interested in frame rails and transfer cases.
[Source: The Car Connection]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Joe K. 6:10PM (1/16/2007)
hopefully they will do something more than just skin and deal with that woeful rear dif. That Aluminum band-aid is only so effective.
-Joe
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$0.02 7:32PM (1/16/2007)
I looked closely at the Titan when purchasing a truck and it is a competitve vehicle. Truck builders have to face the fact that this is one of the most competitive segments and most trucks are very good. Most have to hope for 'good luck' and wait to see the sales results at the end of the year
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Andy 11:58PM (1/16/2007)
"Truck builders have to face the fact that this is one of the most competitive segments and most trucks are very good."
They already do. That's why Toyota has been delaying the new Tundra and pouring hundreds of millions of dollars in production and advertising. The Nissan Titan was rated well when it debuted for 2004. The F series won out in the awards department, but the Titan earned good word. This is a very tough market segment. With the big truck boom burning out, though, I wonder if manufacturers (especially American) will put as much effort as they have in the past.
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Silverado Rules!! 7:52PM (1/16/2007)
Titan is and was a lame truck. Nissan makes JUNK!!! Toyota truck is hidious looking.
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Jim 9:22PM (1/16/2007)
A facelift would just be lipstick on a pig; the Titan is the ugliest full-size truck there is. Has some cool options, like the tie-downs and the bedside storage, but that's not enough to overcome the styling.
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Dave 9:06PM (1/16/2007)
Both Toyota and Nissan are attempting to be Butch. The Titan ultimately was a lame duck.
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AZMike 10:05PM (1/16/2007)
I seriously looked at the Titan before I purchased another Dodge Ram.
problems I saw with the Titan:
1) which shade of gray did you want inside? no other choices, just gray. looks like choices they got from a funeral director's convention. too grim for me.
2) a power seat requires the purchase of a $1255 option package. it is not available as a freestanding option. for that matter, not much else is, either. you need to purchase a factory bed liner to get floor mats!! let me know what these two items have to do with each other, other than increasing Nissan's bottom line.
if you expect Toyota to be any better in this department, they aren't. they put everything in packages (no domestics do this), and you end up buying many things you don't want to get what you do...and they make a lot more money. they obviously don't understand the mind of a serious truck buyer.
neither Toyota or Nissan have had any success with conquest sales in the truck market. over 85% of Toyota and Nissan truck buyers trade in respective products on them. this is 'death' for manufacturers, as they are steaing from themselves. I don't see this changing.
Nissan has had really bad quality control issues with everything coming out of the plant in Canton, Mississippi. this includes the Titan, Armada, and Infiniti QX56. even "the small timer's bible", Consumer Reports, has noted this.
Mike
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laserwizard 10:28AM (1/17/2007)
What's different. After seeing this rolling eyesore at a car show and seeing how poorly it was made (flimsy dash panel, awful color coordination, poor assembly, and overall unattractive package), the best thing Nissan could do is to stop building trucks. They've abandoned making nice trucks and insist on building rolling examples of dog stools.
Woof! Barf!
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Mike from Scarborough 10:33PM (1/16/2007)
Mike that's a good point about the options...I have a 2001 Tundra,If there was an Oscar Award for Boring Biege Plastic interiors or Grey, Toyota would win in hands down.Even the new tundra has cheap looking plastics.That's the problem when the PU trucks went into the main stream,they have packages.I too want just a power seat,cruse,windows,and locks.But No!!! They decide for us what we want.It's Like Canadian Cable TV. You get alot of Bullshit Stations Just to get Speedvision.This Time around I'm going to Cobo Hall Compare all 5,and will probably wait for the GMC Extra cab Plain Jane with air,tilt,cruise......Dunno???
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mranton89 11:29PM (1/16/2007)
Before I purchased my 04 F-150 I checked out the Titan. It was breif - a quick build-your-own online proved that to get what I wanted I had to choose option packages. And once I chose an option package I was forced into others. And the kicker for Nissan is that this is not just a problem with the Titan but all of their models. Autoblog even mentioned it before when disucussing how with the Versa to get a moonroof you must, without choice, also pick up all other option packages.
Bad packaging=No Titan. The F-150 is still the truck to beat in my mind.
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mranton89 11:32PM (1/16/2007)
Another note - with Toyotas they stock their cars with option packages, but if you have one built and delivered you can have it built with standalone options/no packages.
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AZMike 11:39PM (1/16/2007)
#9,
don't agree with you. check out Toyota's web site, and try to order a power seat without an option package. it is absolutely NOT available. you need to work all the way to a package #6 (if I remember correctly) to get the power seat. of course, you're buying all sorts of other stuff (side impact air bags, hot rod radio, etc.) that you don't want.
Mike
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risingsun 1:58AM (1/17/2007)
I might be an import enthusiast when it comes to cars, but you'll find me towing that car to the race track in a good ol' American truck.
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researcher 1:59AM (1/17/2007)
Who cares about a Power Seat. A REAL man doesn't need a power seat in ANY truck.. Especially a Pick Up Truck at that!!!.. We're talking about oversize guzzlers that depreciate in value as soon as you drive it off the lot, not a rolls royce. I understand the logic behind getting the biggest bang from the money you will be spending.. But I want a truck that wont quit on me and is strong enough to do the job. Think about it.. how many of you are going to be worried about the interior when the tranny goes out? Am I going to be worried about some power seat when my truck isn't powerful enough to pull a damn trailor full of horses? Opinions about these current Japanese vehicles are useless without any facts. Let's just wait until the end of the year to make final judgement. "Americans Welcome No Competition Because They're SCARED!!"
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Brian 2:31AM (1/17/2007)
I've owned nearly all of them, 3 Toyota 4x4 SR5's, 94 Silverado, 99 F250, 2000 Dodge cummins 4x4, 2004 4Runner. As much as I loved the cummins diesel, the rest of the truck left a lot to be desired. The single fact is I put on 100's of thousands of miles on my 4 Toyota trucks without a single problem that wasn't normal wear and tear. A couple of those trucks I was even a bit harsh with. I can't say that about my Ford, Chev, or Dodge, and neither can any of my friends who own them who have had them for any significant amount of time. The cold hard fact is that Toyota builds top quality products that are nearly bullet proof and it took me 7 years of US Brand trucks to realize that I just cannot find what I'm looking for in US Brand trucks...I'm hesitant to say "American Made" because ALL of them are actually "American Made" even Nissan and Toyota. I've ALWAYS been 100% satisfied with every Toyota I've owned and I've NEVER been satisfied with a single Chev, Dodge, or Ford.
We currently own a 2004 Eddie Bauer Expedition and when people ask us how we like it my wife and I look at eachother and say "It's not a Toyota"...that sums it up right there for anyone who has ever owned a Toyota. Anything else is just sub-standard.
I don't forsee myself EVER buying another American made truck, and if I did it would probably be a Chevy because it was the most reliable for me...although I did love that Cummins motor!
I'm thrilled with this new Tundra and I'm 90% sure I'll be buying one in 2 years. I just saw one in person at the Auto show and I think it's a great looking truck, maybe the best looking truck out there. It's about time Toyota got serious about a full size truck. Let's hope we see a diesel from them by 2009!
For all those complaining about expensive options...those option packages save confusion and money. I can't stand looking at Ford trucks because it seems like there are 1000 options to choose from and the chances of finding the EXACT configuration is insane. With Toyota it's narrowed down to a few option packages which makes it easy to find what you're looking for. If you insist on wanting an option bundled in a package you don't want, well....custom order the damn truck!
haha...this post was supposed to be about Nissan...I just realized...ah I like the Titan too, but never owned one. Seeing the prices that you can pick them up for used, I'd be tempted to buy one. The brake problems people have had on them are no different than any of the problems people are finding in US trucks.
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KKop 7:00AM (1/17/2007)
Opinions and %$%holes....
Lots of opinion, but not one from someone who has actually owned a Titan. Call me crazy, but I'm on my second one (after the first one was totaled in an accident).
Before buying the second one, I checked out the (Crew Cab) competition (just like I had before buying the first one):
- F-150: nice looking interior and exterior, anemic drivetrain. No place to put your left foot (important when you're 6'4"), cramped back seat legroom and headroom)
- RAM: Quad Cab has a very cramped back seat, not sure why you would buy this and not an extended cab with the same legroom. Coolest looking exterior of all trucks, OK interior. Nice engine (if you get the HEMI)
- Chevy/GMC: Looked at the new trucks that had just come out. Nice looking exterior and interior (in a 'wouldn't offend grandpa'-way). Nice engine, but paired with a clunky 4-speed auto?? For back seat, see RAM. The lack of interior room is going to cost them sales.
Which brought me back to the Titan: engine is sweet, 5-speed auto is the best I've ever experienced. Interior is, as mentioned before, too gray and too plasticky. But the leg and headroom is very good, the factory bedliner and tracks are great when hauling stuff (my motorcycle for instance). The exterior is certainly not for everyone, but to me having something that stands out from the sea of f-150's and Silverados
is a plus.
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Gale 9:17AM (1/17/2007)
I have 72,000 on my 2004 Titan and I love that truck. Real truck owners could give a crap about interior colors and power seats and option packages, so the previous poster must be moonlighting from their cameos on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy."
The domestics are the ones with the confusing options packages that run prices through the roof anyway, truth be told.
What truck owners care about is value, and the Titan in my mind is the best value out there right now. Mine is the best driving, best sounding (stock)truck in my town, and I don't need to tow over 9,000 lbs. Neither do 98% of you!
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roadside observer 9:54AM (1/17/2007)
Nissan management is funny. Maybe they should moonlight as comedians. From the link:
'Meanwhile, sales of the Titan have never quite lived up to expectations. Nissan executives suggest that the hefty marketing budgets deployed by companies such as GM and Ford have limited Nissan's ability to establish a beachhead in the full-size segment.'
Translation:
We couldn't manage to sell a paltry(!) 100,000 Titans in a full-size truck market of over two million units, so the problem is GM and Ford. Our truck is just fine, thanks.'
Methinks someone at Nissan should rethink their hubris about their truck. The fact remains that it simply wasn't competitive from day one.
I suppose that Nissan will also blame GM and Ford when the new Tundra take a hefty bite out of Titan's sales next spring, too.
Hey, Nissan, let us know when you're willing to take the full-size truck biz seriously. Until then, stop your crybaby whining.
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AZMike 9:51AM (1/17/2007)
trucks don't have use just on weekends for me, like for many people. if I'm driving my truck, it's pulling a 7,000 pound car hauler. I drive it without a trailer about 5% of the time, and drive 90,000-120,000 miles per year. most of my trips cover an average of 7,000-9,000 miles. my last trip was from here (southern Arizona) to Seattle, with stops along the way. my next stop after Seattle was in New Jersey; then on to south Florida, and home. for me, comfort is very important.
just loved the comments from the "real men" out there; in addition to not "wanting" that power seat, I'm sure you've decided to forgo the air conditioning, all the power stuff, have your butt perched on a vinyl seat, rubber mats on the floor, and listening to a one-speaker AM radio (Sknryd??), right? for some reason, I think not. in case you weren't aware (or your truck is a 1968 model), power seat installations are right around 70% in full-size pickups. I hear lots of folks are buying that new-fangled air condtioning, too.
I'm glad that some need their hands held when selecting options, as they obviously don't have a clue how to equip their truck themselves. the reason the domestic manufacturers know how to option their trucks perhaps comes from a little more experience (oh, let's say eighty years or so) than our Japanese newcomers. the newcomers are probably right, as their next truck buyer is probably trading in their Camry or Sentra, and wouldn't have a clue what to order.
however, I do.
Mike
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wulfgar 10:09AM (1/17/2007)
Well, don't want to get into the pi##ing match reagrding options, but the Japense started their "package" formula back when they shipped from the island. It made sense to limit how things were built/ordered when you could just send them over in bulk. Maybe this makes sense now/maybe it doesn't.
As to the Titan, I do own one and it replaced my F150 so possibly I can comment rationally. The Ford front rotors warped - Ford said it was my fault. The Ford fuel return line leaked - Ford said it was my fault. While I had no catastrophic failures in 100,000 miles, EVERYTHING on the Ford was my fault.
While the Nissan is not perfect, they have bent over backwards to correct EVERYTHING. Which to this point, has been the front brake rotors. The engine/transmission is the smoothest/best running of the trucks I tested 2 years ago. Interior space the best at the time. The interior lacks in style/materials but was outweighed by the other factors. A good value and a very good truck to date.
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