CARGAZING
Titan Raises Warranty Bar
Nissan Trucks Get Industry’s Longest Pickup Coverage
By Derek Price
Pricing starts at $34,780 for the Titan
and $36,290 for the Titan XD when
equipped with the 5.6-liter V8.
CARGAZING.COM
N
issan is trying to shake up the
truck world with its newly
redesigned Titan pickup line
this year, and now it’s taking
an even bolder step by making its warranty the longest in the industry.
The 2017 Titan and Titan XD are
­covered by what Nissan calls “America’s
Best Truck Warranty,” a bumper-tobumper policy for five years or 100,000
miles, whichever comes first. The
­company made the announcement
on Aug. 15.
To be sure, this strategy — launching
new products backed up by longerthan-typical warranty coverage — isn’t
original. Korean brands Hyundai and
Kia have used the same tactic to help
them increase market share and set
sales records in recent years, with their
bragged-about warranties directly
attacking the perception that Korean
cars have lower quality than their
competitors.
As a Japanese brand, Nissan
hasn’t struggled with the same quality questions as Kia and Hyundai, but
its truck sales numbers have
­nonetheless remained a tiny sliver of
the Ford, ­General Motors and Ram
What was tested?
2016 Nissan Titan XD Endurance
V8 Platinum Reserve ($55,520).
Options: None. Price as tested
(including $1,195 destination
charge): $56,715
Wheelbase: 151.6 in.
Length: 242.7 in.
Width: 80.7 in.
Height: 78.8 in.
Engine: 5.6-liter Endurance V8
(390 hp, 401 ft. lbs.)
Transmission: Seven-speed
automatic
Fuel economy: Not rated
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NISSAN TITAN XD ENDURANCE V8
The Nissan Titan and Titan XD are not only all-new products this year, but they’re also backed up by
the longest warranty in the pickup market. Nissan just announced a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty
for the trucks.
The cabin in the new Nissan trucks is surprisingly refined and quiet,
including in the built-for-towing Titan XD, shown here.
pickups that dominate the American
market.
Nissan hopes the onslaught of new
and improved trucks — which are more
capable and vastly more refined than
their predecessors — coupled with the
best-in-class warranties can change
that.
After driving the new Titan and Titan
XD, I don’t have any doubts about their
quality or performance, including on
the newly released 5.6-liter Endurance
V8 gasoline engine.
While the Cummins diesel-powered
truck makes gobs of low-end torque for
towing, the gas V8 is no slouch, either.
In fact, I thought it offered even more of
an off-the-line kick than the diesel did,
enough to make the huge Titan XD feel
sprightly and the lighter Titan feel like a
rocket.
Nissan elected to launch the notquite-heavy-duty Titan XD first, in late
2015, and now the standard Titan is hitting the market to satisfy more meatand-potatoes buyers.
I drove the V8-powered Titan XD
at home in Texas and the new Titan
at its press launch in California, and
the differences between the two are
striking.
The XD, with its larger frame and
stiffer springs, drives more like the work
truck that it is, compared with the halfton Titan that feels downright cushy in
comparison. Its soft ride and silent
cabin — one of the quietest on the
­market — make it a joy to drive on the
highway.
In both trucks, the Endurance V8 is
a masterpiece, with 390 horsepower
and 401 pound-feet of torque to make
it powerful enough to do tough jobs
but also responsive to throttle input.
With direct fuel injection and variable
valve timing, it checks all the right
boxes to get decent fuel economy, at
least by big, powerful pickup standards.
Unfortunately, government mileage
ratings haven’t been released yet for
the Titan, so that’s purely a guess at
this point.
RATINGS
Style: 8
Performance: 9
Price: 8
Handling: 6
Ride: 6
Comfort: 7
Quality: 7
Overall: 8
Video review
2016 Nissan Titan XD
Endurance V8
bit.ly/16xdv8
Why buy it?
A powerful gasoline V8 engine
makes Nissan’s newly designed
Titan and Titan XD pickups even
more appealing. It’s far more
refined and capable than before,
with the longest warranty period
of any pickup brand.
CARGAZING
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NISSAN TITAN XD ENDURANCE V8
The Nissan Titan and Titan XD are not only all-new products this year, but they’re also backed up by the longest warranty in the pickup market. Nissan just announced a
five-year, 100,000-mile warranty for the trucks.
Titan Raises Warranty Bar
Nissan Trucks Get Industry’s Longest Pickup Coverage
By Derek Price
CARGAZING.COM
N
issan is trying to shake up the truck world with
its newly redesigned Titan pickup line this
year, and now it’s taking an even bolder step
by making its warranty the longest in the industry.
The 2017 Titan and Titan XD are
covered by what Nissan calls
“America’s Best Truck Warranty,” a
bumper-to-bumper policy for five
years or 100,000 miles, whichever
comes first. The company made the
announcement on Aug. 15.
To be sure, this strategy —
launching new products backed
up by longer-than-typical
­warranty coverage — isn’t original. Korean brands Hyundai
and Kia have used the same tactic
to help them increase market
share and set sales records in
recent years, with their braggedabout warranties directly attacking
the perception that Korean cars
have lower quality than their
­competitors.
As a Japanese brand,
Nissan hasn’t struggled with
the same quality questions as
Kia and Hyundai, but its truck
sales numbers have nonetheless
remained a tiny sliver of the
Ford, General Motors and Ram
pickups that dominate the
American market.
Nissan hopes the onslaught of
new and improved trucks — which
are more capable and vastly more
refined than their predecessors —
coupled with the best-in-class warranties can change that.
After driving the new Titan and
Titan XD, I don’t have any doubts
about their quality or performance, including on the newly
The cabin in the new Nissan trucks is surprisingly refined and quiet, including in the built-for-towing Titan
XD, shown here.
released 5.6-liter Endurance V8
gasoline engine.
While the Cummins diesel-­
powered truck makes gobs of
l­ ow-end torque for towing, the gas
V8 is no slouch, either. In fact, I
thought it offered even more of an
off-the-line kick than the diesel
did, enough to make the
huge Titan XD feel sprightly
and the lighter Titan feel like a
rocket.
Nissan elected to launch the
­not-quite-heavy-duty Titan XD
first, in late 2015, and now the
­standard Titan is hitting the market
to satisfy more meat-and-potatoes
buyers.
I drove the V8-powered Titan XD
at home in Texas and the new Titan
at its press launch in California, and
the differences between the two are
striking.
The XD, with its larger
frame and stiffer springs,
drives more like the work truck
that it is, ­compared with the
­half-ton Titan that feels downright
cushy in ­comparison. Its soft
ride and silent cabin — one of
the quietest on the market —
make it a joy to drive on the
­highway.
In both trucks, the Endurance V8
is a masterpiece, with 390 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque
to make it powerful enough to do
tough jobs but also responsive to
throttle input. With direct fuel
injection and variable valve timing,
it checks all the right boxes to get
decent fuel economy, at least by
big, powerful pickup standards.
Unfortunately, government mileage
ratings haven’t been released yet for
the Titan, so that’s purely a guess at
this point.
Pricing starts at $34,780 for
the Titan and $36,290 for the
Titan XD when equipped with
the 5.6-liter V8.
A CLOSER LOOK
AT A GLANCE: FACTS, FIGURES AND RATINGS
What was tested?
2016 Nissan Titan XD Endurance V8 Platinum Reserve
($55,520). Options: None. Price as tested (including $1,195
­destination charge): $56,715
Wheelbase: 151.6 in.
Length: 242.7 in.
Width: 80.7 in.
Height: 78.8 in.
Engine: 5.6-liter Endurance V8 (390 hp, 401 ft. lbs.)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel economy: Not rated
RATINGS
Style: 8
Performance: 9
Price: 8
Handling: 6
Ride: 6
Comfort: 7
Quality: 7
Overall: 8
Video review
2016 Nissan Titan XD Endurance V8
bit.ly/16xdv8
Why buy it?
A powerful gasoline V8
engine makes Nissan’s newly
designed Titan and Titan XD
pickups even more appealing. It’s far more refined and
capable than before, with
the longest warranty period
of any pickup brand.