TFL Titan gas verse diesel

The only reason it will sell is because of the "C" word. Stamp "Cummins" on anything (almost typed in a bad word!), and some people will be all over it. I really like the video series. They've done all kinds of comparisons in the past. Though, it is painful to see the MPG on these tests.

The truck manufacturers are being forced by our wonderful goobermint to increase fuel mileage. A diesel will have better mileage and it is the only reason for its existence. We like to think that a diesel will do more and brag about torque, etc., but that is only bragging rights and not reality.

Yes, I have a diesel because of greater MPG and no mandated ethanol.

Yep I'm thinking Fred is getting his resume in order right about now. I do like the trailer light check on the Titan that's cool. Me I just put on the four ways and parking lights then check every thing but being able to do it from the key fob is a great idea! Their take on the Ram box is nice, and should be cheaper the since it is not part on the rear fender.

All in all with a $5K up charge and no fuel mileage savings to speak of I can see why they are sitting on the dealer lots and not selling at a price tag of $56,530 for the Cummins and that is not the top of the line truck!

Don

I'm unimpressed. Poor performance, terrible axle ratings and GVWR, timing chains and a CP4 pump.

I'm historically a Nissan truck fan going back to the bulletproof VG series engine but this is a bust.

The new truck gas engines are designed with such a high rpm powerband these days. Yes, they make alot of horsepower, alot more than the older gas engines of similar size, but it's made wayyy up there in never never land rpm range, instead of down low, below 3000 rpm, where it can be used.

To top it off, the truck makers don't give the trucks enough gear ratio to ever reach those high rpms, at a reasonable towing speed. They'd have to be spec'ing the gas trucks with 4.88's and 5.13's, instead of 3.55's and 3.73's, to get those engines into their high horsepower rpm ranges, at speeds reasonable for towing.

The horsepower numbers look great on paper, but the puny gearing ensures that the engine's potential is never reached, in a real world towing situation.

So of course, the diesels, with their gobs and gobs of very low rpm torque and their much more reasonable horsepower rpm ranges, are going to handily out-pull the gassers, at reasonable road speeds, especially in a heavy, mountain towing situation, despite the higher horsepower of the gas engines.

Nissan has never had a major share of the 1/2-ton pickup market. Their sales have always been very very very tiny, compared to the big 3. So I wouldn't expect their diesel offering to make any big difference in sales, compared to the big 3 either. It's just nice that they're offering a diesel at all. :)

Well, you're only looking at an 80 HP deficit and 154 lb-ft torque advantage (on the diesel Titan). I'm willing to bet that during the whole rev range of the gas motor, and with gearing, it has more torque that it can effectively put down to the ground. On the Big 3 HD's, the worst case difference for diesel versus gas is RAM, which (considering only automatics), has a difference of 40HP between the HEMI 6.4 (410 HP) and 68RFE equipped Cummins RAM (375 HP). Then torque wise, the Cummins has about a 371 lb-ft advantage (800 lbft total). In Nissan's case, there isn't quite enough to differentiate their diesel from their gas motor capability wise. In the case for Chevy and Ford, the Diesels and Gassers either have nearly the same horsepower, or less horsepower than the diesels. Torque wise, well the diesels are both around 800 or 900 lbft while the gassers top out around 400 something. I feel Nissan should had aimed for something like a 350/650 power/torque rating. But the video does show that at its fully-loaded GCWR, the Titan adequately gets the job done with either powerplant. The gasser is just faster (and thirstier).

On the MPG front, results seemed to be what I expected. It basically ended as 3.7 mpg versus 3.0 mpg. May not sound like a lot, but that's either 19% or 23% better fuel economy for the diesel depending on which POV you take (Relative to gas or diesel?). I'm sure the case would be even better in steady-state flat ground towing since that's when the diesel is allowed to run even leaner and squeeze more fuel efficiency from partial state throttle.

Im shocked. I just cant see the Diesel ever selling. Really this truck is not all that impressive in my opinion. I does nothing that the other big three aren't already doing at a much cheaper price on an already proven platform. Sure there me some buyers but it will never be a competitor to them sales wise.

goducks10 wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVDoo5fiLCg
This it?

Yep.

Interesting results IMO, not only with the overall time and the gas beating diesel, but the MPGs were very close too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVDoo5fiLCg
This it?