2020 Nissan Titan SL: Pros And Cons

Not even a facelift makes the Titan much better for 2020.

Jeff Perez

By: Jeff Perez

Aug 31, 2020 at 12:00pm ET

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The 2020 Nissan Titan is definitely a full-size truck you can buy, but it’s probably not one we’d recommend. The pickup gets slightly better styling and some additional tech for 2020, but it's hard to justify in a class with newer, better options from companies like Ford, Ram, and even Chevrolet.

That said, the Titan does have a few things we like. The V8 is big and powerful – good for up to 400 horsepower – the ride is cushy, and there's a ton of space inside. The Titan's cabin is bigger than even some of its better competitors. But there are still too many outdated features and flaws that make this truck tough to consider.

Pros

Great V8 And Gearbox

The 2020 Nissan Titan gets an updated V8 that boosts the output from 390 horsepower and 394 pound-feet in the previous model to a more robust 400 horses and 413 pound-feet here. And this truck has a ton of punch; low-end torque is plentiful and the 5.6-liter “Endurance” engine lives up to its name by never losing stamina at the top of the rev range. Managing all that power is a nine-speed automatic that shifts with a crisp decisiveness, sending power to all four wheels. That V8 and gearbox also gives the Nissan Titan a solid maximum towing capacity of 11,000 pounds and a maximum payload capacity of 2,240 pounds.

Comfortable Ride

No, the Nissan Titan doesn’t have a fancy air suspension like the Ram 1500, but it still feels very comfortable on the road. The big pickup soaks up imperfections and rides incredibly smoothly on most pieces of pavement. The cabin is relatively quiet, too, thanks to impressive sound deadening. The only noise that noticeably penetrates the cabin is the sound of the V8 (which is a good thing, for the record).

Tons Of Interior Space

A lot of modern full-size trucks are spacious, but the Nissan Titan feels especially roomy inside. Our SL Crew Cab tester has a hearty 119.7 cubic feet of interior space, with 41.0 inches of headroom and 41.8 inches of legroom up front. A comparable Ram 1500 has less headroom and legroom in the front compartment. The backseat of the Titan is nearly as roomy, offering 40.4 inches of headroom and 38.5 inches of legroom.

Cons

Less-Than-Stellar Infotainment

Like the Kicks, Versa, Sentra, and a few of Nissan's other newer vehicles, the 2020 Titan gets an updated infotainment system. But it’s just fine comparatively. The 9.0-inch touchscreen doesn't respond well to inputs – and it’s smaller than what’s offered on the Ram and Ford – the graphics look a bit outdated, and the home screen is relatively cluttered. At least the truck gains Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity for 2020, as well as a Wi-Fi hotspot, which alleviates some of our infotainment woes.

Outdated Interior

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Comments

Outdated Interior

Similar to the infotainment system, the Nissan Titan's interior feels outdated and cheap. The mix of subpar leather, hard plastic, and cheap-feeling real wood and aluminum trim pieces make the inside of the Titan feel like a carryover from the mid-2000s. Where trucks like the Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 have gotten nicer, the Titan still is clearly still a step behind. Though, it’s still a touch nicer inside than the Silverado...

Too Much Chrome

This is a pretty minor gripe comparatively, but the Nissan Titan has too much chrome in this particular spec. The 20-inch wheels are chrome, the front grille is chrome, the running board is chrome – even the door handles and mirror caps are chrome. To be fair, you can lessen the amount of shiny stuff depending on the trim you choose; the Pro-4X model, for example, uses a lot of gloss black instead, which looks much better.

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