2018 Nissan Titan Expert Review
Reviewed by Stefan Ogbac
The 2018 Nissan Titan gets a new Midnight Edition model that comes with dark inserts on the grille, dark headlights, black fog light surrounds, black exterior badges, black side mirror covers, 20-inch black-finished alloy wheels, and black Midnight Edition badges. Only the SV and SL crew cab models can be had as a Midnight Edition variant.
Trim Levels (Interior and Exterior Options)
The 2018 Nissan Titan is a full-size truck that slots above the midsize Frontier and is available in three cab styles and in rear- or four-wheel drive. Five trims are available including a luxury-oriented Platinum Reserve and off-road-oriented Pro-4X. Above the Titan is the Titan XD, which offers an eight-cylinder diesel engine.
Titan S: The base S trim comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, cloth upholstery, a 5.0-inch screen, a USB port, keyless entry and start, Bluetooth, and a rearview camera.
Titan SV: Moving up to the SV trim adds chrome door handles, satellite radio, and a front overhead console.
Titan Pro-4X: Off-road-minded Titan Pro-4X models come with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, all-terrain tires, LED low-beam headlights, fog lights, a spray-on bedliner, Bilstein shocks, additional skid plates, leather upholstery, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, an eight-way adjustable power driver's seat, and navigation.
Titan SL: Stepping up to the SL trim gets you 20-inch alloy wheels, a 12-speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system, heated front seats, a power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, a power adjustable front passenger seat, chrome side mirror covers, and fixed aluminum running boards.
Titan Platinum Reserve: As the luxury-oriented trim, the Titan Platinum Reserve gets features like ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, Nissan's Around View Monitor surround-view camera system, and open-pore wood interior trim.
Features such as navigation, the 7.0-inch touchscreen, the Rockford Fosgate audio system, and heated and ventilated front seats are available on lower trims as part of packages. However, only the Platinum Reserve can be had with the rear-seat entertainment system.
All Titans come with a five-year/100,000-mile basic warranty.
Performance and Fuel Economy
The 2018 Nissan Titan is powered by a 5.6-liter V-8 with 390 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque that's paired to a seven-speed automatic transmission. EPA fuel economy ratings are 15/21 mpg city/highway for rear- and four-wheel drive models. Pro-4X models are less efficient at 15/20 mpg.
Safety
The 2018 Titan crew cab received a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA (out of a possible five stars). King Cab and Single Cab models were only tested in the rollover test by the NHTSA, where they received four stars.
In IIHS testing, the 2018 Titan received a Good score on all crashworthiness tests except the passenger side front small overlap test where it hasn't been tested and the headlights test where it got a Marginal rating (Good is the highest possible score). The IIHS hasn't given the 2018 Titan a rating on the front crash prevention test. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are available on the Titan SV and higher trims.
Utility
The 2018 Titan can haul a maximum payload of 1,950 pounds. When properly equipped, it can tow up to 9,740 pounds. As with all full-size trucks, the towing and payload capacities depend on the cab style and drivetrain configuration.
What We Think
During our 2017 Truck of the Year evaluations, we liked the Titan's ride quality and accurate steering. However, the more you loaded the truck up and the higher up in altitude you went, the more it suffered, which meant it struggled up the Davis Dam tow climb. Interior comfort also lags behind its rivals and the multimedia could be improved.
Cool Fact
The 5.6-liter V-8 in the 2018 Titan is also used on the Armada full-size SUV and the Titan XD.
