2008 Nissan Titan Review

For Nissan, 2008 sees a minor freshening of the Titan full-size pickup, and it's a good choice if you think the Ford and Chevy are too conservatively styled. Cars.com says, “The Titan's massive grille is getting familiar these days; in Nissan's lineup, it adorns one other truck and three SUVs.” Even so, the Titan “looks just as commanding as a Silverado or Tundra.” Car and Driver thinks it bears a resemblance to “a little Frontier,” Nissan’s smaller truck, and divulges “the Titan's got enough fake chrome on its nose to outfit a Roppongi sushi bar.” Kelley Blue Book describes its style as "out of the mainstream" and warns, "if you like the more conservatively-styled trucks from Chevrolet and Ford, the Titan may be too flashy for your taste."

The addition of a long-wheelbase option this year is welcome. According to Edmunds, "The 20-inch longer wheelbase is available on both extended-cab and crew-cab trucks...and come with 7-foot and 8-foot beds, respectively."

Other changes for the new Nissan Titan include "some changes in the Titan's headlights and grille framework, but the differences are slight," says Cars.com. Titans with the off-road package (now called PRO-4X) receive a "PRO-4X decal over the rear fender and a body-colored grille and bumper," notes Car and Driver. All new wheels are another change, and Edmunds states, "Base XE models come with 18-inch steel wheels...Titan SE [has] 18-inch alloys...Titan LE [has] 20-inch wheels."

Inside, Edmunds likes the Nissan Titan's "spacious and functional interior design," and Kelley Blue Book calls it "bold and forward-thinking in its design." Cars.com notes the Nissan Titan has "a lot typical big-pickup fixtures [such as] hefty door handles [and] a big armrest." Nissan 2008 Titans receive new metering for the instrument cluster and center stack that "improves visual appeal," according to Kelley Blue Book.

Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com take issue with the placement of some switches, however. ConsumerGuide feels "some switches are mounted too low for quick access while driving," and Kelley Blue Book thinks "the placement of the power window buttons atop the door's edge makes them vulnerable to outside elements when the windows are down." Some usability of previous years' Nissan Titan is missing in the 2008 model. Cars.com explains, "Nissan redesigned the center controls this year. The chrome-ringed dials...might prove difficult to use if you're wearing gloves -- especially since the fan settings are now arranged in seven or eight separate buttons instead of a single knob, as they used to be."