Titan XD First Impression
I've been reluctant to post this because I'm pretty certain I know where you guys will go with it, hopefully someone will find it useful. I purchased a Nissan Titan XD 5.0L Cummins SV 4X2 a little over a week ago and here's my first impression of the truck. My reference vehicle is 2006 Silverado 4X2 2500HD EC LB 8.1L 6 spd Allison with 4.10 diff. that I've owned the last 10 1/2 years so this is what I’m comparing it to.
When I first saw the truck in person it seems larger than it does in pictures, it's slightly taller maybe a tad wider than the Silverado but maybe a foot shorter. I noticed it right away climbing into the cab. The driver’s seat I find comfortable as well as driver position. The trim level of the SV is on the low end so nothing all that fancy compared to the high end Platinum Reserve model. No touch screen on the dash and no backup camera on this one. The huge fold down center console is nice for storing things and is easily accessible. Plenty of room in the back seat for a couple grand kids being a CC is a nice addition over the extended cab.
The ride of the truck is excellent, very smooth and less noise than the Silverado. This is a heavy truck that weighs in at 6800lbs. The sound of the diesel is noticeable at lower speeds but on the highway not so much. The Aisin transmission shifts are firm and very similar to the Allison 6 spd. I can feel the extra 100lbs of torque the diesel has over the 8.1L.
Towing! Sunday I made the adjustments to the WD hitch and took the Jayco out for spin. The trailer has been over the scales though 6 years ago and goes just a tad over 8k lbs full of water. Tongue weight was measured at the dealer loaded when I bought it at 925lbs. The towing experience was excellent to say the least. The extra power was noticed on a long 1/4 mile hill that’s puts me on the highway near my house. The truck shifted through the gears up to 4th at 55 mph where it stayed to just before the top then went to 5th. The 8.1L would stay in 3rd to the top to maintain 55 mph. The gearing difference doesn’t make it a apples to apples comparison but the XD does feel like pulls better. The 8.1L rated 330 hp and 450 ft/lbs, the 5.0L 310 hp 555ft/lbs. The truck was very stable during towing and no problems getting the IBC setup and working.
The truck has less than 400 miles on it and the mpg empty all highway 65-70 mph has averaged 20.6 and 14.5 mpg during the 32 mile tow mostly flat. So far I don't have any negatives to report on the vehicle, I did my research on it before walking into the show room. It doesn't have 700ft/lbs + of torque like the new big three ¾ tons, and the GVWR is lower as well. If you added 4 WD and all the extra options the GVWR takes a hit and is probably the trucks biggest issue. I can stay within its limits so the GVWR is not a problem for me but it certainly wouldn’t be a good choice for medium to large fifth wheel for sure.
So there you have it! The Titan XD has impressed me so far and is just as capable as the 06 Silverado it replaced. Nissan is giving big incentives on this truck right now and you can get it for a lot less than the MSRP. This is the main reason I purchased this truck over the other options. My sticker was $45.9K and I was able to get it down to $33.2K before my trade in. I couldn't touch a Chevy 3/4 gasser for that price at the lowest trim level from my local dealers. There could certainly be some unknowns down the road being the first model year but I’m willing to take the chance. The worst problem being reported so far has been with the 4WD models front running gear. Only time will tell!
When I first saw the truck in person it seems larger than it does in pictures, it's slightly taller maybe a tad wider than the Silverado but maybe a foot shorter. I noticed it right away climbing into the cab. The driver’s seat I find comfortable as well as driver position. The trim level of the SV is on the low end so nothing all that fancy compared to the high end Platinum Reserve model. No touch screen on the dash and no backup camera on this one. The huge fold down center console is nice for storing things and is easily accessible. Plenty of room in the back seat for a couple grand kids being a CC is a nice addition over the extended cab.
The ride of the truck is excellent, very smooth and less noise than the Silverado. This is a heavy truck that weighs in at 6800lbs. The sound of the diesel is noticeable at lower speeds but on the highway not so much. The Aisin transmission shifts are firm and very similar to the Allison 6 spd. I can feel the extra 100lbs of torque the diesel has over the 8.1L.
Towing! Sunday I made the adjustments to the WD hitch and took the Jayco out for spin. The trailer has been over the scales though 6 years ago and goes just a tad over 8k lbs full of water. Tongue weight was measured at the dealer loaded when I bought it at 925lbs. The towing experience was excellent to say the least. The extra power was noticed on a long 1/4 mile hill that’s puts me on the highway near my house. The truck shifted through the gears up to 4th at 55 mph where it stayed to just before the top then went to 5th. The 8.1L would stay in 3rd to the top to maintain 55 mph. The gearing difference doesn’t make it a apples to apples comparison but the XD does feel like pulls better. The 8.1L rated 330 hp and 450 ft/lbs, the 5.0L 310 hp 555ft/lbs. The truck was very stable during towing and no problems getting the IBC setup and working.
The truck has less than 400 miles on it and the mpg empty all highway 65-70 mph has averaged 20.6 and 14.5 mpg during the 32 mile tow mostly flat. So far I don't have any negatives to report on the vehicle, I did my research on it before walking into the show room. It doesn't have 700ft/lbs + of torque like the new big three ¾ tons, and the GVWR is lower as well. If you added 4 WD and all the extra options the GVWR takes a hit and is probably the trucks biggest issue. I can stay within its limits so the GVWR is not a problem for me but it certainly wouldn’t be a good choice for medium to large fifth wheel for sure.
So there you have it! The Titan XD has impressed me so far and is just as capable as the 06 Silverado it replaced. Nissan is giving big incentives on this truck right now and you can get it for a lot less than the MSRP. This is the main reason I purchased this truck over the other options. My sticker was $45.9K and I was able to get it down to $33.2K before my trade in. I couldn't touch a Chevy 3/4 gasser for that price at the lowest trim level from my local dealers. There could certainly be some unknowns down the road being the first model year but I’m willing to take the chance. The worst problem being reported so far has been with the 4WD models front running gear. Only time will tell!
