2-2-2007 2007 Nissan Titan by Dave Stall

2007 Nissan Titan LE is a pure joy to drive When Nissan came out with a full size pickup truck back in 2004, it gave the pickup drivers another choice beside the big three. Still, most drivers looked at the Nissan Titan wondering if it could do what a full-size truck does. But I remember a little Datsun pickup truck at a dealership I worked at back in the '80s that could haul more than a Ford F-150 pickup, so I wasn't surprised when the word got out that this is a great truck. The 2007 version doesn't have much new from '06 except a little more power under the hood, a little more "bling" and a few more creature comforts for the driver and passenger. My tester came from Quality Nissan in Temecula where the whole crew treats you like family, guys such as Fareed "Freddie" Peerzad. He worked his tail off getting my Titan ready for the road. The ride back to Alpine was a pure joy. The two-wheel drive pickup rides like a car like until you need to get off-road a little (which I did for photo purposes). I test drove the LE, which means it was loaded with goodies such as an optional entertainment center with a flip-down video screen and controls in the backseat for easy operation. Up front is an in-dash AM/FM/6-CD/MP3 player with 10 speakers and a sub woofer. Wow, what a sound system! The big front captain seats are very comfortable and have seat heaters. Between them is an oversized center console that houses the DVD player, but still has enough room for other goodies as well. The driver and passenger seats have plenty of electrical adjustments. The passenger seat also folds flat for a work area. The only problem I found was that I couldn't reach the passenger seat due to that oversized center console. The view from the driver seat is great and there's a power rear window so you can get some serious ventilation going (most truck rear windows operate manually). All the windows in the back are tinted for privacy and to keep it cooler inside. The instrumentation has more gauges then a Kenworth, so if you need to see what's going on, the Titan keeps you informed right down to the optional transmission temperature gauge. I didn't like the dash layout at first, but once I found how all the buttons worked, it seemed OK. My Titan came with a healthy V8, producing 317 horsepower from a 5.6-liter dual overhead camshaft 32 valve V8 and a hefty 385 pound foot of torque - all on a two-wheel drive truck (this is only engine choice). As far as transmissions go, there's only get one choice as well - a five-speed automatic with overdrive and tow/haul mode. While limiting the engine choice may be off-putting to drivers, test drive the Titan and you'll see that Nissan put a lot of thought into this engine and transmission combination. It will satisfy 99 percent of the full-size truck drivers out there. Fuel mileage isn't all that bad either, with 14 miles per gallon in the city and 18 MPG on the open road. Nissan did a couple of things to the Titan you would have done once you bought the truck, such as putting in a spray on bed liner and a rail tie-down system. In fact, I don't think they missed a thing when it comes to driver and passenger comfort. This is a full-size truck and the room in the backseat is massive - there's enough room for three if you kick up the center armrest. Don't need to haul anyone in the rear but want more storage? Flip up the seats in the rear and you're set. This truck even has a standard sonar back-up system (which I used), a locking tailgate that's easy to operate and a storage box on the driver's side of the bed (a nice touch). Other standard features are a 12-volt DC outlet in the bed and a very bright cargo light. There are plenty of safety features in this Nissan Titan - more than I have room to mention. But if you call Peerzad at (951) 816-2327, he will be happy to fill you in where I left off. My test truck based out at $33,150 plus tax and license and you can build one just the way you like it. I was very impressed. The Titan is ready for any future challenges from any of the competition, so be sure to include one in your truck search! Next week, a Volvo from San Diego Volvo.