2009 Nissan Titan Base model review from North America

Nothing so far.

Wanted to share information on my 2009 Nissan Titan base model pick up truck.

Since my faithful 1996 Ford F150 was starting to fall apart (ashtray/compressor/front end noises/front gas tank going south.. and other little things).. I started looking for a new or good used truck...

I went to Ford first, and their trucks are very nice, but they wanted $28,000 and I didn't have that...

I went to Chevy, and their trucks also drive very nice, but they wanted 24,000 for a base 1500 model.. I didn't have that...

I later saw an ad in the local paper for 10,000 off MSRP on a Nissan Titan truck... they had 5 trucks available with that discount... but three of the models were 4 door and had sticker prices of 33,000 with the discount; they would have cost about 23,000... I didn't have that.. so I looked at the other two, which were extra cabs... one was a base model that had one option group on it for 1500.00 extra on it.. you get a bed liner on it/alum wheels/tinted windows/sliding glass/and chrome pieces... sticker was 28,450.... after rebate and discounts it would have been 18,450 (this is the one I should have got, but didn't).. the other one was a base model with a sticker of 27,075.. which with the 10,000 off was 17,075... this is the one I bought.

The truck was white and simple with steel wheels/no tint/no chrome pieces)... I thought I would be able to get the alum wheels and tint for cheap later... boy was I wrong... tinting was expensive (180.00).. and I haven t been able to find any used Titan wheels on the craigslist.. so I should have paid the extra 1500.00 for that option group...

Both these king cabs also have only the basics... no keyless/power door locks, and crank up windows and manual mirrors, which means you have to get out of the truck and play with the outside mirrors... you have to move up the the move expensive models or option group to get those items...

Also the state taxes and fees section plays games with your 10,000 off (at least in California)... they base the taxes and DMV fees on the discounted price only... So my taxes and fees were based on the 5000.00 off from the dealership, which was 22075.00.. Which made the taxes and fees higher than it would have been if the taxes and fees were based on the net (after discount and rebate).. of 17075.00... after they figure and taxes and fees then they take the 5000.00 rebate off... which here in California... you end up paying 600.00 plus extra for taxes and fees...

Here are the pros and cons of the truck so far on my base model:

Pros:

Strong and powerful engine.

Good smooth and quick shifting transmission.

Nice clean design on the truck body.

Good feature of rear doors opening almost 180 degrees out.

No rattles.

Heavy duty bed and frame.

Bumper has a rating of 5000 lbs of towing power (which saves me from having to get a towing kit installed... also use caution in drilling the hole for the hitching ball, because it's very hard to cut the plastic out of the way from the top... better to come up through the bottom of the bumper with a 1 inch drill.. also the bumper takes a 1 inch ball and shank).

Very good front seats.

Good commanding view of the road.

Very nimble for a big truck.

Rear seats move up and out of the way

Cons:

Low gas mileage.

Very firm suspension (coming from my 96 F150, which drove like a car compared to this).

Crank windows (base model).

Manual outside mirrors (base model).

No powerlocks or keyless entry (base model).

Very dark gloomy interior... all black (base model/not sure about the more expensive models).

Large turning ratio.

Large dash and slanted front window take up too much room that could be devoted to the interior... If you are over 5'10", you need to push the front seat back further, which leaves very little room for the rear occupants.

In conclusion it's a good basic truck (in base model form) with a lot of power and a quick/smooth transmission... it has a very firm suspension... it is very well built with no rattles and only noises from around the windows and the exhaust system (if you get on the gas)...

Also from a distance it looks smaller and more compact than it is... but it's not, it's big and

heavy duty.. so if you are coming from a older Ford or Chevy (1/2 ton model).. be prepared for a change in power and suspension, and the height of the truck....

Also I feel bad for Nissan corp having invested over 1 billion dollars in the plant that builds these trucks... and they hope to sell 100,000 a year of these trucks... and I know they are not because you need to give the public a few more bells and whistles on the lower end model... and if my truck was selling for over 27,000 (before rebates and discounts), they could not be selling many of them... Hopefully the new model will come with a upgraded base model... but hopefully they won't change the powerful engine and smooth transmission.. and the solid feel of the truck....