2007 Nissan Titan 4x4

Nissan Titan 4x4: Hauling horses?

Sat, Dec 16th 2006

Definitely an unusual test-vehicle for me this week, considering my focus is on minivans, crossovers, wagons and SUVs — in other words, vehicles with room inside to transport dogs in safety, preferably in crates.

But of course, a lot of people with dogs have trucks, and it’s possible to safely secure crates in the bed, or even (as with some people who have sled dogs or hunting dogs) install a special carrier.

In general, though, a monster truck like the Nissan Titan 4×4 is just more than most people need. Too much size, too much power, and too darn hard to park. Fuel economy? Ah c’mon, do you have to ask? (Try 13/18 mpg for the 4X4 crew cab, better for the “smaller” king cab and 2X4.)

This is a truck aimed at men, mostly those who fall into one of three categories :

• Contractors.
• Ranchers.
• City or suburb guys who watch ads for “male enhancement products” and wonder, “Do those really work?”

You must keep in mind the work these trucks were developed for and the market they’re aimed at. That is why I could definitely appreciate it as the top-grade workhorse it’s designed to be. After a couple days of gingerly piloting it around town (mirrors are your friend, and parking spaces are always too small), I decided to pretend I was a cowgirl. I whistled Heather the retriever cow-dog into the shotgun seat, hooked up her stylish red safety harness, and set off for the feed store.

Because, well, my livestock needed some hay.

Yep, I looked the part, with my jeans, sweatshirt, Ariat paddock boots and University of Woof gimmee cap. The teenager at the feed store grunted in recognition, chirped at pretty Heather and hurled a 100-pound bale of fresh-cut timothy effortlessly into the bed, using those cool hay hooks.

“Just one?” he asked in surprise, and I nodded, slightly embarrassed to admit the hay was for bunnies, not horses. He thanked me and that was that.

I was passing for a cowgirl!

On the way home, we stopped at the grocery store, and a weather-beaten guy with an honest-to-heavens cowboy hat and Ford F150 glanced in the truck bed. “On the way to the stable?” he said, and I nodded again.

Whoa! It’s true: You are what you drive!

When I got home, I hauled the hay (using my little red wagon) under the patio cover next to the bunnies’ outdoor play yard. Before I did, though, I posed my young stud puppy retriever like the ranch dog he used to be before my friend Mary sent him west to me from her Texas cattle ranch. (No, Woody did NOT ride loose in the truck. It’s just a picture, OK? By the way: Here’s another. Yes, I love my pets.)

But enough about my ranching daydreams. My week with the Titan was up, and with it, so was my time as an urban cowgirl.

If I had a ranch, a horse-trailer or enough dogs to have a kennel box, I’d love the Nissan Titan. It’s comfortable, powerful, built like a freakin’ tank and clearly meant for years and years of hard physical labor. (Although it should be noted you need to buy the optional extension to put a sheet of plywood in the crew cab’s bed, which, I’m told, is a key requirement for a Real Man’s Truck.) The Titan’s design, though clearly aimed at men, is clean and attractive. Nissan’s biggest truck is even pretty well-priced for a massive four-wheel-drive, at $35,000 for the well-equipped model I drove.

Ranchers, contractors, cowgirls and guys with feelings of inadequacy: This one’s for you.

But for most of us urban or suburban dog-wranglers, it’s just not the right fit.

-- Gina Spadafori

Carguy Comments:The big and bold Nissan Titan 4X4 is trying mightily to dislodge the big three (Ford, GM and Chrysler) from their stake atop the pickup category. Titan is a Flexible Fuel Vehicle (FFV), allowing drivers to use gasoline alternatives like E85, an ethanol/gasoline mix. The Titan’s engine is a 5.6-liter V8 producing 317 horsepower, with a towing capacity of 9,500 pounds for the King Cab model and 9,400 pounds for the Crew Cab. Fuel mileage is 14/18 mpg. Cargo capacity is 125.6 (Crew); 112.8 (King). Emissions rating for the Titan is LEV I-ULEV.

-- Keith Turner, The Family Car

Nissan Titan: Unleash your inner cowpoke

Barking Lot Banter: Whether you are a rancher, a builder or just an urban dog-handler looking for a commanding ride and rugged appearance, the Nissan Titan 4X4 may be your choice. Parking the brute at the mall might be a challenge, but you’ll fit right in at the tack and feed store.