2022 Nissan Titan Reviews, Pricing & Specs

U.S. full-size truck buyers have a long history of brand loyalty to the Big Three: Ford, General Motors, and Dodge (now Ram). Toyota has built a loyal following with the Tundra, on the scene since the 2000 model year. The Nissan Titan is the newcomer to the group; the first-generation version debuted as a 2004 model. In typical Nissan fashion, the original Titan hung around with minor changes until 2015—much longer than domestic-brand trucks usually go between redesigns. A new version of the Titan arrived for the 2016 model year, got some updates for 2020 and 2021, and remains unchanged for 2022.

If you study the sales charts and then line up all the available full-size pickup trucks, you’ll have to scratch your head when you look at the Titan. The Nissan truck is every bit as attractive as the other trucks. It’s got a rugged yet elegant exterior with strong lines and an expressive face. It doesn’t have a lot of frou-frou or extraneous detail. It has an assertive stance and nice proportions to go with first-rate fit and finish.

Get in the driver’s seat, and the theme continues. Clean lines, no clutter, excellent material selection and build quality, many cup and bottle holders, and generous proportions in an airy cabin. Our test vehicle came with an optional moonroof package ($1,490) that fitted a dual-panel panoramic moonroof with tilting and sliding one-touch open/close operation—further enhancing the cabin’s feeling of roominess—and a power sliding rear window to improve airflow.

Unlike several competitors, Nissan has decided to leave well enough alone regarding the Titan’s powertrain. All models have the same 5.6-liter gasoline V8 engine and nine-speed automatic transmission. The engine is a good one, with variable valve timing and direct gasoline injection. It puts out 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, and it’s well-mated with its transmission. RWD is standard on the S, SV, and Platinum Reserve models, while 4WD is standard on Pro-4X off-road model and available on the other trims.

Fuel economy for the RWD models is estimated at 16 mpg city/21 mpg highway/18 mpg combined; 4WD models rate at 15 mpg city/21 mpg highway/18 mpg combined. The Pro-4X slips down to 15 mpg city/20 mpg highway/17 mpg combined.

All Titan models use a fully boxed, full-length ladder frame, with an independent double-wishbone front suspension and leaf springs in the rear. Stabilizer bars are standard front and back, along with four-wheel disc brakes. Our test truck was a loaded 2022 Titan Pro-4X model, so it also had the available 4WD system, which includes a two-speed transfer case with high- and low-range. Pro-4X models also get an electronically locking rear differential, 18-inch alloy wheels with all-terrain tires, and Bilstein off-road monotube shocks.

Even with the off-road attitude of the Pro-4X and nearly 10 inches of minimum ground clearance, the Titan is a really nice truck to drive on the pavement. It has plenty of thrust, and the throaty engine note and linear power delivery characteristic of a V8. It behaves well when pushed a bit through the curves, remaining flat and composed even with an empty bed. This truck would be a good daily driver or family vehicle, as long as the optional step boards are installed—it’s a 21-to-24-inch climb to step into the cabin, otherwise.

But pickup buyers also care about towing and hauling capability. The Titan can be equipped with an integrated trailer brake controller, trailer sway control, tow/haul mode with downhill speed control, and a trailer light check system. The maximum towing capacity for the Titan is 9,310 pounds, and the maximum payload is 1,710 pounds. If you’re towing or hauling more than that, consider upgrading to the beefier Titan XD or one of the Ford, GM, or Ram heavy-duty trucks because approaching or exceeding a truck’s rated capacity can be disastrous.

The 2022 Nissan Titan comes in two body styles: King Cab and Crew Cab, both with two rows of seating. Titan S base models come with a 40/20/40-split-folding front bench seat with manual adjustment. The middle “20” section doubles as an armrest for the driver and front passenger when folded down and has dual cupholders and concealed storage in the seatback and bottom. Other trim levels come with dual power-adjustable bucket seats in the front separated by a center console.

Access to the King Cab’s second row, a 60/40-split bench seat, is via rear-hinged clamshell doors on each side of the cabin. The main front doors must open first, and the clamshells must close first. Legroom in the King Cab is quite tight at 24.8 inches, but the space is handy for occasional seating, lockable cargo hauling, pet transport, and other uses. The Crew Cab gets an SUV-like second row with 38.5 inches of legroom and full front-hinged doors that open and close independently of the front doors. An available flat-floor function adds tie-down hooks and storage boxes with removable dividers and lockable lids for genuine utility. The tradeoff of the bigger second-row area directly affects bed length, where the King Cab significantly outdoes the Crew Cab.

King Cab models get a 78.7-inch bed (6 feet, 6.7 inches), and Crew Cab gets a 67-inch bed (5 feet, 7 inches). The two body styles share a 139.8-inch wheelbase and 228.2-inch overall length. Unfortunately, the Titan isn’t available with a long bed, so carrying a full 4x8 sheet of plywood requires accessory tie-downs or an accessory ($270) fixed bed extender. Four fixed tie-down hoods are standard; four moveable aluminum cleats are available with the easy-to-use Utili-track Channel system (part of the Utility package). Accessory Titan Boxes ($1,990) take advantage of the interior space in truck bed sidewalls to provide locking waterproof storage compartments.

While the Titan doesn’t have fancy tailgate tricks up its sleeves like the Chevy and GMC trucks, it does have a nicely damped tailgate with available electronic locking. The removable tailgate is so well balanced it can be opened and closed with one hand and settles smoothly into the open position without clunking or drama.

The Titan got an upgrade to Nissan’s latest infotainment system for the 2021 model year. An 8-inch center area display screen is standard, while a 9-inch touchscreen interface is an available upgrade. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and a standard WiFi hot spot can accommodate up to seven devices simultaneously (WiFi data subscription required). NissanConnect is also standard, as is Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, audio streaming, and a hands-free text-messaging assistant. Two USB ports (one Type A and one Type C) live in the center stack.

The standard audio system comes with display audio, SiriusXM satellite radio capability (subscription sold separately), AM/FM with RDS, MP3/WMA playback, speed-sensitive volume control, and six speakers. The upgrade system (available on Pro-4x, standard on Platinum Reserve) is a Fender-branded 12-speaker setup with a subwoofer.

NissanConnect with navigation is available as an upgrade on SV models and comes as standard on Pro-4X and Platinum Reserve. It includes the 9-inch touchscreen interface, Nissan door-to-door navigation with 3D building graphics and imagery, over-the-air map updates, and online POI search. Subscription-based SiriusXM Traffic, SiriusXM TravelLink, and TomTom Weather are also included. Nissan voice recognition comes with the Pro-4X and Platinum Reserve trims but is unavailable on S or SV models.

Safety was once an afterthought for pickup trucks. Riding in the bed wasn’t unusual, and smaller vehicles were well-advised to give way in traffic. Thankfully, times have changed. Pickup trucks are often primary transportation for families, and many safety innovations developed for passenger cars and SUVs have migrated to trucks—including the Titan.

Nissan has made its Nissan Safety Shield 360 standard on the Titan. The Titan’s standard Nissan Safety Shield 360 driver-assist package includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, high-beam assist, and rear automatic braking.

The Titan also gets standard intelligent forward collision warning. This radar technology detects the distance between the two vehicles ahead of the Titan and their relative speed. If sudden braking occurs, the Titan driver gets a warning to help avoid a collision. Eight airbags (dual-stage front, driver and front-passenger knee, roof-mounted curtain side-impact, and front seat-mounted side-impact are standard as well.

The Titan received top “Good” ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in all but the “small overlap front: passenger-side” crash test, where it received an “Acceptable” rating. The Titan also earned “Superior” ratings for front crash prevention tech, both vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian.

However, the standard halogen reflector headlights installed on the S and SV trims received a “Poor” rating. Pro 4X and Platinum Reserve models get full LED headlights, but these were not rated.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not published crash-test ratings for the 2022 Nissan Titan. The 2020 model year is the most recent with published ratings; the Titan received four out of five stars for overall safety.

Pricing for the 2022 Nissan Titan starts at $38,810 for the base Titan S model with the King Cab and RWD. The King Cab is also available on the SV trim ($44,140) and 4WD is $3,260 extra on both trims. The Titan S Crew Cab starts at $40,080 with RWD and $43,240 with 4WD, while the SV Crew Cab starts at $43,560 with RWD and $46,720 with 4WD. Available only with the Crew Cab and 4WD, the Pro-4X starts at $51,200. The top Platinum Reserve is also Crew Cab-only, and starts at $57,000 with RWD and $60,280 with 4WD.

Prices for new trucks are volatile in the current marketplace, so don’t be surprised if the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) rises between this writing and when you get to the dealership.

The competition in the full-size pickup truck arena is well-defined. The Ford F-150 starts at $30,870; the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 starts at $34,600; the Ram 1500 starts at $36,500; the GMC Sierra 1500 starts at $35,400; and the Toyota Tundra starts $35,950. Beware of starting prices, folks. Those base trucks are often regular cab models with V6 engines and few advanced features, or may be stripped-down work truck models. Match the Titan’s base level of equipment, powertrain, and passenger capacity, and the playing field levels substantially.

The Titan’s strengths are many. It is very pleasant to drive and could easily stand in as a family’s everyday vehicle, especially in Crew Cab form. The standard safety features alone make it worth consideration. It is a little thirsty with its V8 engine but delivers satisfying thrust in compensation. It may suffer in competition with current pickups and upcoming electric trucks, but lack of popularity won’t make it any less of a truck. Our test vehicle was a loaded 2022 Nissan Titan Pro-4X crew-cab model with an as-tested price of $62,115, and it was a fun ride every day of the week we drove it. The Nissan Titan may not be an industry leader, but it is an excellent take for anyone looking for a truck unlike all the others on the block.