2012 Nissan Titan Review

There are no significant changes for the 2012 Nissan Titan.

The 2012 Nissan Titan lineup possesses some rugged qualities and value opportunities, but overall it's outclassed by other, newer pickups.

Nissan was the first import automaker to truly challenge the American full-size pickup market with the introduction of its Titan in 2004. At that time, Toyota was building a 7/8-scale Tundra, and its truck wouldn't mature into an adult-sized pickup until 2007.

The Titan immediately drew praise for its big engine, big cab and big towing capacity. We even ranked it first in a comparison test, and the truck continued to garner positive sales and more acclaim in those formative years. But Nissan hasn't given the Titan a significant makeover since its debut, and the competition has moved far ahead in providing more power, better fuel economy, additional utility features and more upscale options.

The 2012 Nissan Titan remains a good truck that can fit the needs of many personal-use and workhorse owners. It'll do just about anything you ask of it, as witnessed by its respectable 9,500-pound maximum towing capacity, spacious cabin and versatile cargo options. But considering that other competing trucks are superior in terms of configuration availability, power, towing capacity, fuel economy and feature content, we'd recommend going with the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra.

Nissan offers only one engine for the 2012 Titan, a 5.6-liter V8 rated at 317 horsepower with 385 pound-feet of peak torque. It's connected to a standard five-speed automatic transmission that offers a tow/haul mode. Properly equipped, the Titan extended cab is rated to tow up to 9,500 pounds. EPA-estimated fuel economy for the 4WD Titan is 12 mpg city/17 mpg highway and 14 mpg combined. The 2WD Titan rates 1 mpg better across the board.

Standard on all 2012 Nissan Titans are antilock disc brakes, stability control, traction control, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.

The Titan earned a "Good" rating (the highest possible) in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety frontal-offset crash testing; however, it scored only a Marginal rating (second worst of four) in that agency's side-impact test.

After the first few moments behind the wheel of the 2012 Nissan Titan, you notice first that the effort level of the rack-and-pinion steering is nicely weighted and second that the engine is spirited. This truck is relatively nimble and easy to drive on pavement, hence the generally favorable reception by owners who utilize the Titan mostly for personal use and not grunt work on the job site. The Titan's V8 is strong, but it no longer stands out in a very competitive full-size truck segment.

Both King Cab and Crew Cab examples of the Titan feature a spacious and efficient interior design, with controls that are easy to reach and operate, large dials on the instrument panel, numerous storage bins and a rather manly steering wheel. Materials quality is only average, however, with hard plastics covering most surfaces.

Seating is pleasantly comfortable but also utilitarian. The rear seats fold up to access a large, flat load floor for hauling items inside the cab, and the front passenger seatback folds forward to provide a work table. The rear doors on King Cab models open nearly 180 degrees for easier loading of gear or passengers. With standard and optional features like a durable spray-on bedliner, sliding tie-down cleats, handy tailgate illumination and a driver-side lockbox, the Titan is well-suited to work truck duties.