2016 Nissan Titan XD SL

We spent a week in the newest diesel pickup!

- Chris Tobin

Nissan calls its new full-size Cummins-powered Titan XD an Every Duty truck, which is appropriate since it fits well between most 1/2 and 3/4-ton truck offerings on the market. We’ve wanted to slide behind the wheel and get some quality time driving one of these trucks since we first heard about them and we finally got a chance to do it in mid-October 2016. During the week we had the truck we subjected it to regular driving chores like running to the grocery store and running errands, as well as some basic off-roading and trail riding, and a lot of miles on highways and surface streets throughout Southeastern Tennessee.

The truck we had for our review was painted a beautiful color Nissan calls Deep Blue Pearl paired with a black leather interior with accent stitching on the seats, making it a very appealing combination that we received compliments on from just about everyone we talked to about the truck. Of course, it featured the 310-horsepower 5.0L V8 Cummins compound-turbo diesel engine with 555 lb-ft of torque under the hood, and the engine was backed by the Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission. Those power levels are on par with larger 3/4- and one-ton diesel trucks from just a few years ago before the horsepower and torque wars were renewed, so the Cummins V8 should easily provide enough oomph to handle more than just about any 1/2-ton truck and many older 3/4- and 1-ton models.

Our tester was also configured with the SL trim and 4WD along with a few options including floor mats, splash guards, electronic tailgate lock, and the Titan Box bed storage boxes. The total price as tested for our well-equipped review truck was $57,490. For someone looking for less frills, a 2WD S-trim Nissan Titan XD starts around $41,000. At the other end of the spectrum, a fully loaded 4WD Platinum Reserve will carry a price tag of about $65,000.