Nissan Diesel

[TugCE]

My Buddy and I stopped to look at one of the Nissan Diesels they had a $65,000 price on it. Looking a little closer to the sticker the Dealer added $6,800 for their "Add On's". It was a really nice truck but for that price you could get a loaded 3500.

So the salesman admitted that he was new so he brought out the expert on the Trucks. So, I asked him what was the max payload that you could put in the bed. He went back in and returned to tell us that it was around 1,500 pounds. I showed him the door sticker (there was not any stickers in the glove box) which listed 1,488 pounds total, including Passengers and Cargo. The look on his face was priceless.

By the time we were getting ready to leave he was asking me questions about Why the rating was so low. Hopefully he learned a couple of things but I doubt it.

[jerem0621]

My take on this Nissan Diesel is that it will be an outstanding half ton tow vehicle.

With LT tires, decent suspension, sturdy frame, 500 lb ft of TQ it will jerk half ton towable TT's with ease. It should help a lot of newbies make the jump from car to truck...from not towing to towing...with ease.

Maybe I am reading too much into it...but I think there is a market for this truck...a true 3/4 ton truck...not a HD truck hiding behind 3/4 ton badges.

Just like GM and Toyota have proved that there is a market for a 3/4 size "half ton"...

thanks!

Jeremiah

[goducks10]

drittal wrote:
Basically, some of you will never like it because it's a nissan. Some of you won't ever like it because it's not a 2500. Some won't like it because it's not a 1500.

Some will like it because they don't want or need a 2500 but are left wanting a better towing experience than a gas V8 1500.

Spot on.

[brulaz]

With respect to payload the gas version is much better. But I imagine the mileage is much worse, more in line with the other "3/4 ton" trucks.

Here's some info on gas XD capabilities:http://www.titanxdforum.com/forum/193-2016-nissan-titan-general-discussion/11577-2016-titan-xd-gas.h...

[TugCE]

The rear axle is Definitely NOT Full Floating.

As for Payload, At first the Salesman at first said that you could put maybe 600-900 pounds on the GN hitch, which I was pleasantly surprised with as it was most likely pretty close to the truth. After he went back in to "re-check the numbers" he came out and said, before I showed him the sticker, that you could put 1,500-1,600 pounds in the Goose Neck Hitch.

As for the Truck it was really nice but I did forget the most important thing. For $65,000 you get a TWO WHEEL DRIVE Truck! I missed this but my buddy went so far as looking under it to make sure it was not 4x4.

[drittal]

Basically, some of you will never like it because it's a nissan. Some of you won't ever like it because it's not a 2500. Some won't like it because it's not a 1500.

Some will like it because they don't want or need a 2500 but are left wanting a better towing experience than a gas V8 1500.

[drittal]

Yeah, but add 500lbs of GVWR and now the argument isn't how low the payload, but why buy a truck with 9400lb GVWR and small diesel when I can buy 2500 with same payload and more power.

The XD is basically a 1500 with GVWR high enough to handle a 5.0l cummins.

[otrfun]

It would be interesting to see the internal correspondence between Nissan's marketing and engineering departments when the whole Cummins XD Cummins program was in its infancy. Did they originally intend the Nissan XD Cummins to be a "tweener" with 1400-1500 lbs. of payload? Or, did engineering (or their bean counters) promise something they couldn't deliver?

IMO, the Nissan's XD Cummins' apparent lack of a full-floating axle is its potential downfall. Certainly the frame and differential are in "tweener" territory. The Aisin tranny is HD capable. As for the suspension, increasing payload with a couple more leaf-springs is a cheap, low R&D fix.

This truck only needed a measly 400-500 lb. higher GVWR to make it really competitive and a real "tweener".

[rjstractor]

brulaz wrote:
Supposed to be a modified frame from a NV3500. And the drive train up to and including the rear differential is very stout as well to support the Cummins torque.

What seems to be limiting payload is the rest of the rear axle: semi-float, and the nice/soft suspension, wheels and maybe tires.

I agree, subbing in a few components from the NV3500 would give the truck a RGWAR of over 6000, a GVWR of around 10K and a payload of 3K. The problem is that it would then get trounced in the horsepower and torque ratings of the big 3's 2500 series trucks. Nissan couldn't really claim better mileage either since there are no EPA ratings in that weight class. Doesn't seem as though the XD really gets much better MPG anyway.

[kw_00]

I think my buddy's new Chevy Colorado 4 cylinder gas truck has more payload..... But people will buy the Nissan and lift it up and make it look like an HD truck. So many newer 1/2 tons in my area are just like that... Some look good, most look all glitzy.....but all loose payload and power when they lift it, and put big tires on it... Looks good but not for me.. I need a truck that works, if not then it's gone and onto one that does..

[brulaz]

GeoBoy wrote:
I glanced at a Nissan/Cummins as I was coming out of the hardware store and the frame tube looked awful small to me. Maybe that is why it is only rated at 1500 lb. total payload. $65K!! are they kidding?

Supposed to be a modified frame from a NV3500. And the drive train up to and including the rear differential is very stout as well to support the Cummins torque.

What seems to be limiting payload is the rest of the rear axle: semi-float, and the nice/soft suspension, wheels and maybe tires.

A quick change in that area (HD payload option?) would make a more capable truck. But it would then compete with the other diesel "3/4 tons". So why not buy a RAM Cummins 2500 instead? Especially as it appears to get about the same mileage. Not very good mileage is another weak point with the 5L Cummins for some reason.

[GeoBoy]

I glanced at a Nissan/Cummins as I was coming out of the hardware store and the frame tube looked awful small to me. Maybe that is why it is only rated at 1500 lb. total payload. $65K!! are they kidding?

[RobertRyan]

otrfun wrote:
There's a huge market segment who spend $60k on their 1/2-ton trucks. They only use them as grocery getters and as "check out my new flashy driveway queen" in the suburbs. IMO, these are the folks that'll keep the Nissan Cummins a viable product for the short term. Once they become less of a novelty and lose their initial curb appeal . . . all bets are off. It's going to be very difficult for a truck with 1500 lbs. of payload to be taken seriously (in any big way) in the commercial or recreational towing market.

I still have trouble wrapping my head around a truck with a gooseneck hitch that only has 1400-1500 lbs. of payload. It's almost like putting a class IV hitch on the back of a Camry or Accord 😞

This would pull less than the Global Pickups with a 5th Wheeler, hitch weight would be pretty light as well.
Quite obvious, few people in the US were using their Pickups for more than personal transport, All nice and shiny and very few with sign writing

[tinner12002]

There's a lot of trucks I'd buy before spending a dime on a Nissan.

[1jeep]

I agree, but it would be a small block gasser just for the simplicity of the engine compared to new diesels.