I've been a car guy for as long as I remember, dating back to my early teens when I got my first 1984 Toyota Corolla (back in 93'). Since then, I've owned maybe 20-30 cars from 2 Supra TTs, S2000s, Evos, LS430s, RAV4s, RX350s, crotch rockets, etc. But until now, I have never owned a truck. Trucks have always rented the back country, hillbilly, broski scene to me, especially for a self professed rice rocket lover. But recently I've wanted something big, and be able to haul around a lot of stuff, and to be able to eventually tow a trailer readily. That is when I went through a whole process looking at Tacomas (underpowered), Tundras (not big enough), Armadas (cheap interior), to QX80s (way overpriced), and finally settled on:

2018 Nissan Titan XD S Crew Cab 4x4 gasoline 5.6L V8

- The Good : Priced ridiculously low ($30k) for new heavy duty 3/4ish ton truck, with all you could want : 4x4, Crew Cab, and high tow capacity (~12k), lots of aftermarket support, slightly lifted stock
- The Bad : cheap strippo interior (base model of course), resale value is low compared to Toycos, feels a bit sluggish for a 5.6L V8
- The Ugly : Gas mileage is so bad (11mpg city, 16mpg hwy), Nissan doesn't publicize it (jk - they dont have too since it is considered a light truck).

- The Summary : If you are looking for a pure value heavier duty truck, the Nissan Titan XD is an excellent value. It is not nice as the Ford F150/F250s, and doesnt have on road manners of a say a Ridgeline or the resale of Toycos, but it has a very commanding presence on the road, works great to haul and tow stuff, and can be had with with $10k+ off MSRP.






Other Trucks I looked at:
- Taco 4x4 SR5 Crew Cab 6' bed : Pricey for what you get (only can tow 6500lbs), but man that resale value is ridiculous
- Tundra 4x4 Crew Max 5' bed : I liked this package even if it is a bit outdated, but wanted a bigger bed
- Ford 3.5 Ecoboost Super Crew Lariat : Love this package (spacious and powerful), but dang that price is very high $45k discounted. You get what you pay for though
- Honda Ridgeline RTL 4x4 : I thought interior would be bigger, but rides great, however towing capacity is low and not enough "truck"

Overall, I like my truck....cheap, can haul a lot of stuff, and can be fast or slow as I like, since Im usually the biggest vehicle on the street!

 

Congrats on your choice. I will be interested to know what your thoughts are in a year or so as you say you are a car guy. Wow that MPG is bad, I will be interested to also know how you feel about the MPG in a year or so. Nice to see you got 4WD.

 

Congratulations on the new Titan. I agree that's a super price for the amount of truck you got....shows how difficult it is for Nissan to sell them when they are competing against Toyota and the big domestics.

I have one question, though...did you sample a Ram 1500 or 2500 before going with the Titan? You mentioned road manners......by truck standards, it's hard to beat the comfort and road manners of a Ram, particularly the 1500, though reliability is often a problem with them. To be honest, though, I don't think you could have gotten a comparable Ram at that price.

Forget about econocar mileage in any traditional full-size AWD/4WD truck, Jill......it simply is not going to happen. But mileage is not why one buys a vehicle like this.

 

these things took a beating on the used market price wise, they arent great sellers, but if you just need a truck they can be "picked up" at a good price

Im considering my first truck maybe this year 2019/2020 Ram Limited

 

Why you looking for a truck?

 

sportscars, sedans are no longer interesting anymore. Truck pretty much has everything someone could want for a household

 

Speak for yourself. Some of us still like traditional sedans.

 

Congrats on the new truck!

 

Congrats!

LOL I like the idea of a truck for knowing you could get stuff like a sofa, bed, snowblower, etc. And then there's towing of course. No question very useful, much more so than a SUV or minivan for some tasks.

My bro as mentioned got a new Raptor and knows nothing about it, so there is certainly some sort of truck popularity exploding. He gets a sense of satisfaction when he goes into Cabella's and there are people all standing around his truck gawking. But I like sedans too, a nice S560 sport would do the trick, or a E 63S AMG wagon.

 

Yes....agreed. Definitely a truck or SUV for versatility. But, with the exception of the Honda Ridgeline and newer Dodge Rams, ride-comfort can be a significant issue with trucks. True, newer designs like Ford's alumunim F-150 have offered some improvements (I noticed a slightly smoother ride on the last aluminum F-150 I sampled, compared to its predecessors)....but the leaf springs used on many pickups just aren't comfort-oriented to start with, and transfer a lot of road shock through to the cabin, especially when lightly-loaded. The new Ram, in contrast, uses coil springs in back, and the difference shows. Some trucks offer an air-suspension, but they tend to be unreliable.

 

Im still getting used to the truck, especially getting in and out of it (very high reach). And the MPG for cars is bad, but for a gasoline trucks, it's not too shabby considering it weighs around 6.5k lbs! lol Yes, 4WD was a must, as I wanted to go off road one day for some trucking fun!

I had read about the good reviews on the RAM particularly the cabin as well, but I'm not a big fan of FCA in general, so dismissed it. Same with Chevy, which from all I've read is going to be close in ride/interior/power to the Nissan. In the end, the price sold me on the Nissan, even if i preferred the Toycos.

Wish I could get the raptor, but those trucks are $$$$, even used. Sport wagons are kool, but I already have an RX350 in the stable, so needed much more utility.

Driving a truck is a whole different experience! Whereas I used to drive with much more haste in my Q60, always nearly breaking the speed limit where I go, I'm usually at or below it now, just moseying around and enjoying things. The RAM is a great truck by all accounts. Check out the F150 if you get a chance too, especially with the 3.5 Ecoboost. That truck is soo good power and space wise, that it is no wonder a perennial top seller.

PS - here's my truck (premodded) with my Q60 (which it will eventually tow to the track with! lol), with my wife's RX350 in the background.....

 

Congrats! Enjoy! Once you've had a truck it's hard imagine not having one.

 

I have a '19. In either the '19 or 20 MY, if I were you, I would step down to a Laramie from a Limited, and outfit it with the Level 2 package, power side steps and air ride if you want it. This will get you nearly all the features of the limited, except for self-park (takes many minutes to actually park the truck so its simply a parlor trick IMO) and standard air-ride. I went this route with my 2019 Laramie Sport and saved over $10k vs. a limited, and the air ride and advanced safety group (self-park, radar cruise, surround view camera) are the only options I don't have. MSRP was $61,040 and I was out the door for $46k+TTL

 

very nice, I just saw one in person other day and they are big! I had no idea you can pick these up for that much.

 

It's hard to imagine Nissan could offer any truck of that size, with such tiny stock wheels. (Tacoma has the same issue) Absolutely Disneyland material! Good choice on the upgrades.
Now the question is, where you comfortable with getting a new truck that looks to have sat on the lot for a long period of time? (A new 2018 in April 2019). I'd also get rid of that front tint. You are already going to stand out to the police/CHP with the big, raised, black truck look.
Overall, great choice and enjoy!!!