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The Nissan Titan XD is a bigger, roomier and stronger version of the standard Titan full-size pickup truck — except you’d never know it by looking at it, from stepping inside or even by peeking under the hood. That’s because the Titan XD has the same exterior design, cabin layout and 400-horsepower V-8 engine found in the regular Titan. So, what’s the point?
Related: 2020 Nissan Titan XD Review: More Power, More Payload, More Sense
You’ll have to get a little dirty and crawl under this Nissan truck to see its hidden talents — or you can simply keep reading and take our word for it. The secret is that the Titan XD rides on a reinforced chassis that’s 15 inches longer and tuned for improved hauling and towing capacity. It’s also the only Titan available with a crew cab and full-size cargo bed. Full-size trucks from Chevrolet, Ford and Ram still hold a big edge over this Nissan when it comes to heavy-duty tasks, but do you really need a truck that can haul a tank? More to the point, do you need to spend a cargo bed full of cash for a truck that’s complete overkill for your driving demands?
Be sure to read our Aaron Bragman’s complete review of the 2020 Nissan Titan XD by following the related link above. For a quicker take on what makes it stand out, plus a couple of things that hold it back, keep scrolling for six things we like and two we don’t about the 2020 Titan XD:
Sometimes it’s nice to keep things simple. With most other full-size pickups, you have a buffet of engine options; when it comes to the Nissan Titan XD, there’s exactly one. The good news is that the 5.6-liter V-8 engine is a peach. It delivers 400 hp and 413 pounds-feet of torque, which was more than enough to give this truck plenty of forward surge when driving empty or loaded with a hefty trailer out back.
Sometimes a full-size truck feels one size too big, especially when maneuvering in a city or parking in a crowded lot. The Titan XD, however, has steering that’s direct and inspires confidence; we never had trouble maneuvering through traffic or finding a place to put it. There’s nothing more embarrassing than trying to fit a large truck into a parking spot and needing to go forward and back and forward … and back … and forward again to accomplish the task.
During our time behind the wheel, we acknowledged the Titan XD has a firmer ride than the standard Titan pickup, but we complimented this truck for never feeling “choppy” or like an HD bounce castle when encountering bumps in the road.
Nissan recently updated the cabin of the Titan, and the results speak for themselves. Granted, this isn’t the poshest or most cutting-edge truck interior — Ram still gets credit for raising the bar when it comes to luxurious truck cabins. Yet the optional 9-inch touchscreen is easy to use, there’s room for full-size adults in the front or second row, and the layout of major controls is nicely done. Is it class-leading in terms of design or tech? No. But it’s a big step forward from the previous Titan.
When talking trucks, the main subject lines are always about power and towing. But safety matters even in the full-size truck market, and the Titan XD comes with a long list of features fitted as standard. These include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high beams, lane departure warning, pedestrian detection and rear automatic emergency braking.
If you want to spend lots of time piecing together your ideal full-size pickup, jump to another make and model. The Titan XD comes in one size: crew cab with full-length cargo bed. There’s one choice of engine. And no matter what you add onto it, the Titan XD’s maximum towing capacity is 11,000 pounds. This no-nonsense approach to getting a highly capable truck is refreshingly simple.
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There’s no getting around the fact the Titan XD comes nowhere near the maximum towing and payload capacity offered by HD trucks from Chevrolet, Ford, GMC or Ram. In fact, the Titan XD gets out-muscled by many half-ton trucks, too. Still, for many people, 11,000 pounds of towing capacity is more than enough. If you really need a workhorse truck — or simply want the bragging rights afforded by one — the Titan XD isn’t for you.
While we said the simplicity of the Titan XD is appealing, the other side of that is how it might also turn away truck shoppers accustomed to having a litany of choices. The one size and single-engine approach of the Titan XD will minimize time spent ticking options boxes at a Nissan dealership — but it might also maximize time spent cross-shopping this Nissan with rival trucks that are far more customizable.
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