2022 Nissan Titan

The Titan is Nissan’s full-size pickup truck. It comes as either an extended or crew cab, with a heavier-duty model called the Titan XD also available. Last refreshed in 2020, the Titan doesn’t receive significant changes for 2022.

The engine is a 5.6-liter V-8 making 400 horsepower in rear-wheel drive or available four-wheel drive, mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission. The Pro-4X off-road edition gets Bilstein shock absorbers and a locking rear differential, while the Titan XD has a stronger frame and a longer wheelbase, making it the best model for towing, rated for 11,000 pounds.

The cabin is convenient and spacious, with good infotainment including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It seats five or six depending on the version. The six-seat crew cab is by far more common.

The Titan earns EPA ratings of 15 mpg city, 21 highway, 18 combined with four-wheel drive. The big tires in the Pro-4X models drop it 1 mpg. Regular fuel is recommended.

The NHTSA gives the Titan four stars overall. Standard automatic emergency braking can detect pedestrians and cyclists, a big plus.

Model Lineup

Made in Mississippi, the Titan is available as a base S, SV, Pro-4X or Titan XD.

A Titan S with rear-wheel drive extended cab costs about $39,000, and it’s well equipped, although the front seat is a bench. A crew cab with 4-wheel drive pushes $45,000.

The SV has bucket seats in front, and adds other features. A crew cab with four-wheel drive costs about $48,000.

The Pro-4X costs $5,000 more, and brings some extras including the Bilsteins and the locking rear differential.

A Titan XD Platinum Reserve can reach $65,000. It comes with all-wheel drive, and has leather upholstery, heated and cooled seats, and a good sound system.

The warranty is excellent, at 5 years or 100,000 miles.

Exterior

The Titan has a typical pickup-truck body, with flat sides and a bluff front end. Nissan’s drew a big grille on the nose of the Titan, one with wide spans of bright metallic trim on some models, and a dark gray finish on others. A lot of lines break up the surfaces of the front end, while subtle curves at the wheels give the body some shape.

Interior

The Titan offers room to stretch in the cabin, with simple controls and average materials. The standard front seat is an old-fashioned bench for three riders, with cloth upholstery; the extended cab doesn’t have much room for passengers behind the bench, while the crew cab seats six comfortably. And the rear seat in the crew cab flips up to create more cargo space.

Leather is available on top models, but that’s as fancy as the cabin gets. The door pockets are deep and the center console is huge, so there are plenty of places to put things.

The Titan comes with either a 6.5-foot bed on the extended cab, or a 5.5-foot bed on the crew cab, however the Titan XD has the crew cab and long bed. There are many bed accessories, such as a bedliner and tie-downs.

Driving Impressions

The 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V-8 has the sweetest deep sound in truckdom. It feels like it can pull a train; not quite, but it can pull a lot, 9,300 pounds for the basic Titan or 11,000 pounds for the XD. The 9-speed automatic transmission can handle it, and makes towing smooth.

The Titan has a rugged truck ride, with steering that allows lots of play on-center. The longer-wheelbase Titan XD wears bigger wheels and carries more heft; it’s not quite a heavy-duty truck, but like most heavy-duty pickups it rides better when the pickup bed is full.

Nissan doesn’t offer air springs or adaptive damping as some other trucks do: the Titan’s an old-school pickup, and refreshingly simple. So is the basic four-wheel-drive system, though it is available with a locking rear differential.

Final Word

The 2022 Nissan Titan is likable and can tow and haul thousands of pounds. It makes better sense in Titan S and Titan SV trims—and no matter which you choose, it comes with that sweet-sounding, torquey V-8.

—By Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection