2014 Nissan Titan

The 2014 Nissan Titan offers a good basic toolkit for the heart of the truck market, with plenty of capability for both work and play. The Titan also delivers some of the basic technologies you need with a modern truck. If you’re just looking for a little help with parking and hands-free connectivity, Nissan has you covered. However, some rivals offer more features and a wider range of cab configurations.

The Titan is a full-size truck that competes against other light-duty, “half-ton” pickups like the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra. Nissan offers the Titan in extended cab (King Cab) and Crew Cab configurations. Four trim choices are available: S, SV, Pro-4X and SL. A V8 is standard with a five-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. Four-wheel drive is optional.

There are no major changes for the 2014 Titan.

Exterior

The Titan has a relatively low-key appearance compared with most full-size pickups. Instead of the outlandish grille design you see in more recent trucks, the Titan has a simple trapezoid-shaped opening with a pair of strong slanted bars. They create a smaller trapezoid holding the Nissan grille badge. Beneath that is a bumper that looks like a solid piece of metal with a punched-out space for the lower intake.

The standard King Cab body style features two traditional front doors and two wide-opening rear-hinged back doors. The Titan Crew Cab has four traditional doors. The King Cab carries a 6-foot-7-inch cargo bed. The Crew Cab is available with 5-foot-7-inch or 7-foot-3-inch beds.

Standard equipment includes halogen headlights, manually adjustable mirrors, a rear spoiler and 18-inch styled steel wheels. The Titan is available with automatic headlights, fog lights, a power moonroof, front tow hooks, underbody skid plates, heated power-adjustable mirrors with puddle lights and integrated turn signals. You can also get options like a lockable damped tailgate and 18- and 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. A lockable storage compartment built into the outside of the bed wall is optional as well.

Interior

The Nissan Titan shows off a thick and blocky dashboard with distinct modules for the instrument panel and center stack. Small storage spaces on the top of the dash add a practical touch. A 40/20/40-split bench seat is standard up front, while the standard rear bench has a 60/40-split with flip-up bottoms for extra cargo capacity. The King Cab model allows 33 inches of rear-seat legroom versus 40.4 inches for the Crew Cab setup.

The King Cab also comes standard with cloth upholstery and air conditioning. White-faced gauges and embroidered two-tone cloth upholstery help distinguish the Pro-4X trim. The Titan is further available with leather-appointed seats, heated front seats, power windows, power door locks, dual-zone automatic climate control, wood-tone trim, power-adjustable pedals and a leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel.

Performance

The 2014 Nissan Titan is equipped with a standard five-speed automatic transmission and a 5.6-liter V8. That unit makes 317 horsepower and 385 pound-feet of torque, which is enough for a tow rating of 9,500 pounds. But that’s the only engine choice. Many full-size trucks have three engines on the menu, including more efficient V6s and more powerful premium V8s.

Nissan supplies rear-wheel drive as standard, and four-wheel drive is optional. A heavy-duty solid rear axle and leaf springs are also standard to help with capability. Yet they won’t deliver the smooth ride of some rival’s standard coil-spring setups. The Titan Pro-4X gets standard Rancho shocks and an electronic locking rear differential for enhanced off-road performance.

The base model’s fuel economy ratings are 13/18 mpg city/highway.

Technology

The Titan’s standard audio system bundles an AM/FM stereo, a CD player and six speakers. Infotainment options include a navigation system, a 5.8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, a USB port, an auxiliary input jack, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and an eight-speaker Rockford Fosgate sound system. A rearview camera is available, too.