As you can tell, I own a Dodge Ram Hemi, and I love it. But with all the posts and trash talking Titan owners do, I felt the need to see one of these trucks in person. I went in with an open mind and tried to be as objective as possible.

I looked at a 2006 Titan 4wd SE Extended Cab. My overall impression of the exterior appearance: decent, but cheap materials. One example is the rear bumper. It is flimsy compared to a Dodge, Ford, or Chevy. If you noticed the lights on the bumper - that illuminate your license plate - the Titan has cheap chrome colored plastic with Christmas light sized bulbs. This is not a big deal, but it indicates a theme throughout the truck. I will give them this, they did a great job with the tailgate assist. It is extremely easy to open - unlike my Dodge - and the cargo track and spray in liner were nice. Again, this wouldn't make me buy the truck, but were nice additions. This leads to my second impression. If I was to buy a Titan (this one priced at $31,000), I'd want to make sure my door handles did not wobble around when I opened the door. This particular Titan had 200 miles on it, so I was surprised the door handles were this weakend after only 200 miles. Again, not a big deal, but a new truck shouldn't do this (My 2004 Ram feels just as sturdy as the day I bought it). Enough about the exterior, you guys get the point.

As for the interior, not bad for an import but still far below the domestics. The plastics are cheap and flimsy on the doors, dash, center console and overhead bins. What stuck out were the handles on the front pillars. I tugged on the driver side to feel its sturdiness and it started to pull off (good thing the Nissan sales rep didn't see it!). The seats felt cheap as well, the arm support bars wobbled back and forth on passenger and driver side. Plus, I'm not a big fan of the neoprene style seats. In my opinion, the new F150 has the best seats, but the Titan is near the bottom. The overhead digital readout screen lacked standard information I have on my Dodge. For example, it tells you the outside temperature and direction, but nothing more . . . no mpg estimate (like my Dodge), no timer (like my Dodge), no dimming feature (like my Dodge), etc. The instrument cluster wasn't laid out properly. The traction control and differential locker were located at the base of the center console - hard to reach. The chrome "Nissan" logo on the steering wheel had lost it's "chrome painted" surface (another surprise after only 200 miles). Don't get me started on the center console. The plastics were cheap, the grip on the cup holders rubbed off with little effort, and everytime I pulled a latch, I felt like I was going to break something. What did I like about the Titan interior? The rear seats fold in a way to allow maximum loading (they fold like a Ram so you can load the bottom) and the rear doors opened all the way.

Now for the fun part . . . the test drive. With all the trash talking I hear from Titan owners, I was prepared for a Formula 1 car engine under the hood. Not quite. I would rate the engine and transmission better than a Ford, Chevy, or Toyota, but slightly below a Dodge. One noticable differece, there is a lag in the Titan between mashing on the gas pedal and the power kicking in. It felt like the truck was driving me, not me driving the truck. I would compare it to driving a Nissan Maxima or Honda Accord, instead of a truck. Don't get me wrong, it is quick, but it does not feel as powerful as a Hemi. You fellow Hemi owners know what I'm talking about - that feeling when you stomp on the gas pedal and hold on for dear life. Plus, I don't care what "automotive expert" says about acceleration, a Quad Cab Hemi will keep up with this Titan anyday of the week. I knew this from experience (racing stoplight to stoplight or on the freeway), but this test drive confirmed it. Compared to my Hemi Ram, the Titan is quicker 0-30, but 30-60+ the Hemi has it beat.

My overall impression is this - a Titan is NOT the worst truck out there, but it is not the "challenge to the Big 3" that some people say. See, if we are comparing powertrains, then yes it is a challenge - it blows away a Ford or Chevy, but I'll put it up against a Dodge anytime. IF we are comparing overall driving impression and quality, then it fails miserably against the domestics. The Titans materials are cheap, flimsy in some spots, embarassing in others. I don't mean to sound biased, but I expected more from this truck. To me, it seemed Nissan put the emphasis on the engine and transmission, threw a few gadgets at it (box behind rear fender, cargo rack, and bed liner) and put it on the market. I did not feel refinement, attention to detail, and durability truck owners demand. Maybe this is confirmed by the fact Nissan still hasn't reached its original goal of selling 100,000 a year.

Well, sorry to ramble, but thought you guys might like an honest impression from a Ram owner. Overall, it confirmed what I thought . . . the Dodge Ram Hemi is the right truck, in size, in power, in quality, in ruggedness, and in proven track record. I would encourage you guys to go to a Nissan dealer and do the same thing. You'll be happy you own a Dodge.

That's a very informative opinion. I think the Titan has the potential to give the Ram its best competition in a couple years. You had to understand that this really is Nissan's first attempt and first model in the Full size realm. Considering the company isnt used to building full size trucks, I found the Titan to actually be quite an impressive truck.

I'd buy it over anything Ford, Chevy, and anything less then a Hemi powered Dodge. However, give them another 2 yrs or so, and I think they will be giving Dodge a great challenge AND great competition. Both Chevy and Ford have been owned by the Ram for the last 10 yrs in my personal opinion, so its nice to see a truck that could potentially push the Ram into even better places.

The Titan is overhyped, but its still the 2nd best truck you can buy in a gas powered motor.

Nice assessment!! Good to see somebody besides a magazine give an impression once in a while.

The Titan is a very nice truck. I think the rear seat room is the biggest thing that is better about them than our quadcabs. Their crew cabs have alot more space. If you get the LE package, you get leather and all the works. I think this is a very good attempt from nissan. They have a very hightech engine, and in crewcab form, it takes on the hemis. What is it, like a 5.6 DOHC v-8? They underate their horsepower too. I am very impressed with the Titan and it would be my second shoice for a truck.

Good review. I'm not a fan of Nissans interior either. I have a aunt that has an Altima that is a year old, and the leather looks like it is five years old. It is not aging well. It look great new, but not anymore.

HemiMann4451, the Mega Cab makes up for the difference.

I stopped in at a Nissan dealer the other day, and looked at it like you said (eventhough I've always thought it was Butt-Ugly in the first place; though I didnt test drive it). I opened the door to look at the interior and the leather and plastic reminded me of the interior in my wifes Chevy Tracker....Cheap, and flimsy! I dont care what anyone says especially DevilsReject; For a truck that is rated so high; I'd expect less flaws, and better interior material no matter if it is Nissan's first truck! I'd definetly take a FORD or a Chevy over this piece of crapola anyday!

Very nice to see an honest opinion on it and not some magazine hype about it. I do have to agree with revils reject in saying give it time and nissan may well give um a run for thier money.

do their dashboard crack easily?

And you guys call this an "honest opnion"? There was nothing objective about it. If the Dodge is such a great truck, why does CHevy and Ford outsell it. Why does Nissan out perform it. C'mon guys, write an honest review. I have yet to hear of wobbly door handles, or the Nissan emplbem metal coming off-that's pure BS!!

There's a reason why the Titan keeps winning awards, and the Dodge doesn't. You don't have to agree with the "experts", but there's a reason why they're experts and you're not. There's a reason why they pick the Titan over the Dodge and you don't-it's called BEING SMART!!

Competition is good.

Let's hope that Dodge responds to the Titan (and the Ridgeline) and meets some of their better features.

The Titan needs a better differential than the 'Super44' and the Ridgeline needs a longer bed.

Both the Titan and Ridgeline are more aerodynamic than the Ram so let's hope the engineers at DC are turned loose in the wind tunnel to match or better them.

The Titan's 5 speed automatic is impressive, and Dodge should re-double their efforts to offer reliable and high performance transmissions in the Ram...including a computer shifted manual like the DSG or SMT. DC should even consider swallowing its pride and buying a trans for the Ram from Jatco like they have for the new Dodge Nitro. (Jatco is a Nissan subsidary) Consider that BMW swallowed their pride and bought an engine for the Mini from a Dodge factory in Brazil.

All the pickups need to be made stronger, stiffer and lighter at the same time.

Ghosn recently said Nissan
"is an American company because that is where the majority of our profits are made"
and is moving Nissan headquarters to Nashville TN. (note this is a statement by a Brazilian born French citizen about a company founded in Japan whose stock is half owned by Renault and where Renault's stock is half owned by Nissan after Nissan bought it from the French government...go figure that spiderweb out)

Dieter Zetsche is a german born, german educated engineer & US Citizen who recently gave a farewell speech in Detroit where he said 'I will always be a Chrysler man' as he left to take over Mercedes. Zetsche had previously been president of Freightliner Trucks. His job is now to 'Americanize' the factories in Germany that can no longer compete on the global market.

Both GM and Ford are making slight profits overseas and losing money on sales inside the USA.

You can truthfully say that US citizens are propping up Mercedes and Nissan by buying their products - and that foreigners are propping up GM and Ford.

I won't say the world is changing for the better,
but the world is changing.

Very good post Hank. I don't think Nissan needs a new rear end, but there's defintely an issue. I'm hoping it was a bad batch of gears that got put in.

I'm glad that someone understands that just because there's an American name on the car, doesn't necessarily make it American. Just as foreign doesn't necessarily mean it's foriegn made.

As for the Ridgeline, that thing is hideous, and I know people here don't like the Titan, but please NEVER put the Ridgeline in the same class as the Titan!

BTW-Ridgeline is having a few isses, but none bigger than this one...

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3580&page=11

I hope it's okay to post a link.

ORIGINAL: homerun



"I'm glad that someone understands that just because there's an American name on the car, doesn't necessarily make it American. Just as foreign doesn't necessarily mean it's foriegn made.

As for the Ridgeline, that thing is hideous, and I know people here don't like the Titan, but please NEVER put the Ridgeline in the same class as the Titan!"



Ok, the Dodge will always be American in my book, and just because a Jap car is assembled here; doesnt make it American...the company is still headquartered in Japan; and a good percentage of the $$$$$$$ goes over to Japan.

I will categorize the fugly Ridgeline with the fugly Titan anytime I want; because I believe in equality, and these two so called "Trucks" are EQUALLY FUGLY!

Okay, if you don't think what I posted was "honest" it is only because you disagree with it. I gave Nissan credit for the things it did well - engine, transmission (even though it is borrowed from the 350Z, just beefed up), and innovations. And, I called out their blatant weakness - quality and refinement.

Secondly, to say my truck "sucks" because it is outsold by Ford and Chevy is kinda funny. Because what does it say that YOUR truck is outsold by the F150, Silverado, Ram, Sierra, Tundra, Tacoma, Colorado, and Dakota??? See this link http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/otf0999.html Note the sales for September 2004 and 2005 for the Titan, they have actually sold 900 LESS than the first year it came out. You'd think if the Titan was the greatest thing since sliced bread, they'd sell more than the first year. So, when Nissan can sell more trucks a year than a DAKOTA, then come back with the sales argument. In which case, I'll tell you to come back when it sells more trucks than a Ranger . . . or Colorado . . . or Tacoma . . . you get the point.

Next, I wouldn't define being "smart" as buying a truck with known brake and rear end problems. I would encourage you to look at these two websites -

1) www.nissantitanbrakeproblems.com
2) www.lemonlawcenter.com/brake-problems.htm

I thought it was funny someone created a website called "NissanTitanBrakeProblems.com" Nothing quite says epidemic like a website name dedicated to it! Plus, I came across this ABSOLUTELY GOLDEN POST on Titantalk.com - www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-problems-dealer-service/28595-titan-frame-problem.html I couldn't have made this up if I tried. But it looks like Titan owners have a problem with their trucks being crooked . . . too funny.

As for performance, check out this 2006 half ton truck review from TruckTrend, specifically pages 9 and 10 which list 0-60 and 1/4 mile times for the Hemi Ram and Titan -

http://trucktrend.com/roadtests/pickup/163_0512_4doorfaceoff/index8.html

0-60 time Titan 7.6 seconds, Ram 7.7 seconds
1/4 mile Ram 15.6 seconds, Titan 15.6 seconds

Looks pretty even to me, so I'd say your performance "advantage" is zero to none. Now, I know you Titan guys are going to talk crap about that tenth of a second, so I would say check out what the tested Ram has on it - 20" rims compared to the 18" for the Titan. Put 18" rims on the Ram, and we are even in acceleration.

Lastly, you can dismiss the fact I noticed quality failures as "BS" but I see it as a real problem. If the things I see first in a truck - handles, interior, and trim - are this cheap, what else did they go cheap on? Plus, the Titan may be able to tow 9,500 lbs but I'd love to see them tow it 40-50 miles. Because, if their trim and seats break after 200 miles, what is the transmission, axle, brakes, etc going to do when put to the test? That is something I'd pay money to see - so if any of you Titan owners plan on towing something over 8,000 lbs, let me know and I'll pay my own way to see you do it.

Well, I know there have been some who have towed OVER 8,000lbs, but I wouldn't do that. If someone needs to tow that much, I'd get a 3/4 ton.

As for the Titan outselling any American truck-that'll never happen, and that's okay. It doesn't have to sell the most, to be the best. Look at the article you got your info from-the Truck Trend shootout. You forgot to mention that the Titan won that once again! Two years in it, two years winning it!! I'd say that's a pretty good track record.

As for reliability issues. The Titan is not bad as the internet would have you to believe. To date, there's only been two recalls. It's still a new truck and bugs have to be worked out. The brake issue has been resolved. The rear end issue will be resolved too. How long did it take Dodge to work out the bugs in the Ram? I think they're still trying. Just read the board here-cracked dashes, tranny problems...the list goes on and on. No truck is without problems, NO TRUCK-Fords, caught fire, Toyota, front brake problems (same as Titan), plus they just had the largest safety recall, Checvy, well, theyr'e Chevy-thigns always break, and Dodge-tranny problems for years. But the Titan is taking more verbal abuse than any other, but I'm nto sure why?

And let's talk about performance-THe Hemi motor has lots of HP. As a matter of fact, it has 40 more than the Titan. But why is it that the same conifgured truck, QC vs. CC, the Hemi is slower? Why is it that Hemi is rated at only 7,600lbs. and the Titan is at 9,400? THe Hemi has helped Dodge tremendously, but let's face it, it's a HUGE marketing scheme. One that's worked, but in the end, the drivetrain is not that impressive. Why is it that a stock Hemi with 345hp is dyno's around 250? Why is it stock Titans dyno around 265-275?

By the way...Happy Holidays!!!

I am not sure where you got the dyno numbers from. Take a look at these dyno runs - I am just comparing the STOCK HP numbers, not what the muffler companies are saying their systems produce -

Aeroturbine Exhaust - http://www.aero-turbine.com/seehear/seehear.cgi?search=y
You have to search "Dodge" and "truck" but it shows STOCK HP @ 275 HP.

Magnaflow - http://www.magnaflow.com/newdyno.asp
This shows a Hemi around 268 STOCK HP, and the Titan around 252 STOCK HP. So again, I'm not sure where you get this "Titan 275 hp and Hemi 250."

Secondly, the reason a Titan is quick is because of its gearing. It has shorter gears than a Dodge, which is why you see the 0-60 and 1/4 mile times so close. Thirdly, the reason a Titan is rated at 9400 and a Ram at 8500 (for a QC Hemi, not sure where you got the 7600 from), is because of a lot of factors (gearing, torque curve, and mostly marketing). But like you said, if you are going to tow anything over 8,000 lbs, you should use a 3/4 ton. I agree, so whether a truck tows 8500 or 9400 or 9900, it doesn't really matter. However, if a Titan owner is going to tell me their truck is better because it "supposedly" tows 9400 lbs, I wanna see it : )

As for the article, you said the Titan won again - it didn't win an award, merely the opinion of the editors. But you also have to realize TruckTrend rated the Tundra #2 (a complete joke), and by the way, gave the Honda Ridgeline the 2006 Truck of Year award (another joke). The Nissan Titan NEVER WON the Truck of the Year award - in 2004 it was beaten by the F150, 2005 by the Toyota Tacoma, and 2006 by the Honda Ridgeline. That is 0-3 to me. I was merely quoting them to show the performance numbers, which are even between a Titan and Ram.

You are right, every vehicle has problems. I let the Titan and F150 slide in their first year of vehicles. But once you are into production year 2 or 3, and people are having the same problems, then it throws up a red flag. Plus, what did you think about the link I posted for Titantalk.com - about the crooked Titan frames? : )

Homerun:

Some truck owners buy their vehicle for looks, some for straight line performance, some for work. To sit here and debate which is the better truck is not too dissimilar from choosing your favorite type of beer; "less filling", "tastes great". Remember those days?

The Truck Trends shootout that you mentioned rates a number of different trucks in different classes. I found it interesting that they picked the Dodge RAM over Ford and Chevy in the 3/4-Ton 4WD Regular Cab Longbed class. The review states "With the work-truck class, our editors tend to examine vehicles based on how they perform when under heavy load." We all know Ford makes a great truck in this category and you see tons of them on the job site; they do take a beating. But for Dodge to take this category should say something about the RAM's capability when you are doing far more than red light racing, picking up the kids from school and getting the groceries.

Now, any truck subjected to that type of daily use has to have some degree of reliability and is built for that use. Since owning a Dodge for 2 years now, I always get friends teasing me about it, looking under it for oil leaks and the like. But even before I bought my truck, I researched and found out what Dodge had been doing over the past 5 years to improve upon these design flaws. The transmissions coming from DC these days are solid with only a few exceptions mostly due to misuse or simple lack of maintenance.

Likewise, looking into the cracked dash problem a bit, I found several posts about that topic mostly from RAM owners with 00 and 01 year RAMs. When the Titan has been around for 5 years and subjected to southern heat and direct UV sunlight, we'll see how it fairs. Hopefully better for the sake of their owners; I wish noone ill will.

Also, just a correction, you stated that the towing capacity for the RAM Hemi was 7400# when in fact the Truck Trends side by side comparison shows the RAM at 8600#. I'm not sure where you found this number but it is inaccurate.

Furthermore, I doubt the average consumer buying a 4door pickup could tell you that engine HP is measured from the crank rather than the rear wheels. I personally don't know any truck owner who has taken their ride to a dyno to see what the RWHP is and why would they want to? I tow a 6000# boat to the lake every weekend in the summers here in Atlanta and the RAM handles it very nicely. What is a few HP on a dyno going to do for me?

With all due respect, Homerun, to each his own. Debating a tenth of a second, a few RWHP, a few hundred # in towing capacity is pointless. Car and truck buffs will always look for what sets their ride above the rest, that thing that they can brag about and all be proud of. I, like so many on this forum, bought a RAM for looks, power and reliability. And it doesn't disappoint *me* in any category.

Happy holidays to you and yours.

Mike

As you can tell I am a Titan Owner. 1st off if the titan took the 3.5 v6 from the 350Z and beefed it up well... you see where i am getting the titan has a 5.6 V8 forged crank & pistons and yes is underated for HP. As for the brakes. I think Dodge used to have things with there trannys for the longest time up untill 01 I think. Nissan will fix the problems actually i think they have on all later 05's and u. below is an attached test of all the half ton pick ups and there out comes. When i bought my Titan i considerd all options and dodge is to expensive and also had the highest insurance rate of them.

http://truckworld.com/Truck-Tests/04-4way/04-4way-num.html

I also wanted to let you know that I am not here to bost about the titan I like all new trucks minus the Chevy. Dodge being my #2 pick to the Titan. I was just surfing and wanted to straighten up some facts.

Let me be objective here.
I currently own an Armada. I also own a Vette, Jetta, Infiniti and have owned a Jeep GC, etc. I like Dodge.

Not sure about the Titan you looked at, but I do have extensive exp with these vehicles.

Door handles weak and wobbly. Not sure of this one. They have the tightest closing doors I know of, similar to MB in quality.
Personally, I like the choice of interior materials. I have an '05, and they changed the interior materials between '04 and '05+.
I can hang on the A pillar handle and I weigh 230. No give. Very sturdy.
F150 does have the best seats and the best overall interior. I prefer the Titan/Armada to GM, Dodge, and Toyota however.
The titan is quicker and has more power. On Dyno tests, the Titan puts out equal HP but 20 more TQ at the rear wheels. The reason that you may have had a "slow" titan is two fold. One, they come with different rears. If you didn't have the Big tow gears, it has taller gears, and is slower. Two, the Nissan is unique in that the computer learns your driving habits. If a vehicle is being broken in, you baby it when you drive. The computer learns you drive it like a granny and adjusts the ECU and trans shifting to match granny driving and shift points to max fuel economy. The computer is easily reset with some synconized pedal pushes, and it unlocks the power. After doing mine, I went from chirping the rear tire to 10 foot burnouts.
As for handling, the largest factor is the junky stock tires. Replace these with good tires, same size, and you gain substantial handling, road feel, tracking, grip, quietness, etc. The stock tires are the only real weak link. It is probably the best handling of the class, except for maybe the Tundra, which like the ridgeline is a 3/4s truck and I don't consider full size.

Bottomline, the '04 is very different from later models. Truck Trend rated it first, followed by the F150, Dodge, Tundra, and then GM. I think they got it right.

I can respect your opinion, but the Titan I looked at was a 2006 extended cab 4wd. Had 110 miles on it. The door handles didn't fall off, but they did wobble. I've surfed some Titan websites, and I have heard problems with the handles. More so, they are talking about them freezing shut in Northern climates. Now, I HIGHLY doubt the pillar handles are that weak on most Titans, but its the FIRST time I ever witnessed something like that on a new truck on a dealers lot.

Secondly, I've never seen one reputable source that shows a Titan dyno 20 hp more than a Hemi. Not one. I've seen consistent numbers showing Hemi's in the 265-275 rwhp range, and Titans in the 240-250 range. Which can only mean one of two things . . . the Endurance V8 has more than 305 hp, or the Titan loses less through the drivetrain. I'd put my money they underrate the hp.

Now, I never claimed the Titan was slow, but it felt more "car like" in acceleration. Its fast, but its not a "lets stop building trucks and go buy a Titan fast." I've just read about too many problems with the Titans - the rotors warping, getting new brakes every 3,000 miles, rear end failures, bottoming out going over speed bumps, rattles in the dash, the spray in bed liner peeling off, etc. I heard all this, not from Dodge owners, but on Titantalk.com - from Titan owners themselves. Is it a fast truck? Yes. Would I have confidence it could consistently tow for 60,000 or 70,000 miles? No. Did I think the interior belonged in a $30,000-$35,000 truck? No - too cheap, belonged more in a Frontier. Would I rate it the worst truck on the market? No, it definitely has performance, but in year 3 of production, I'm still waiting for it do something besides have catchy commercials.

You read my post wrong. I didn't say they took the 3.5 V6 from the Z and put it in the Titan. I said they used the Z's transmission as a platform for the Titan's transmission.

The current GM 6.0 makes 202 HP and 240 TQ at the rear wheels.
The Hemi's in the 1500 are running about 260 HP, 280TQ, less in other platforms like the Jeep GC, Durango, etc. Titans/Armadas have about 256 HP, 301 TQ at the rear wheels. Remember, this is RWHP so it is what you are actually using. The makers rate flywheel HP, which doesn't take the losses in the transmission and drivetrain into account. Similar HP but more torque, and torque wins on race day.

This site has dynos for the Dodge and GM.
http://www.ststurbo.com/
This site has the stock and supercharged Titan side by side. They would want stock to be as low as possible to show the largest gains. They have the RWHP at 280 and RWTQ at 330. There are similar numbers found on most sites.
http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-performance-modifications/30305-stillen-supercharger-dyno-graphs.html

As to the trans, its the best of class like the motor. Smooth as silk and able to take huge increases.

Just the facts. Don't kill the messenger. ;)

Where do I start in replying to this post? hahaha.

#1, I would never quote any torque listings on an enthusiast website, the way you quoted Titantalk dyno results. If you are going to quote them, be prepared for wearing boots because you'll be stepping deep in the BS.

#2, read farther up the thread, I have links to several sites with other dyno tests showing different results that what you quoted. If you think, for one second, the Dodge is losing 100 lbs of torque through the drivetrain, you are dreaming. As you said, torque wins on race day, so your "supposedly" 21 lbs torque advantage should SMOKE a Hemi. But it doesnt. Again, look farther up the thread and you'll see 0-60 times within .1 seconds of each other, and 1/4 mile times even. So, please, tell me, how you could have a 21 lb torque advantage and shorter gears and be even with a Ram in 1/4 mile times??? Or I can answer it for you . . . there isn't a 21 lb advantage :)

#3, it is too early to tell if the Titan engine and transmission are the best . . . the truck has only been out for 3 years. Let's see some Titan's on a jobsite for 5 years, towing, hauling, starting in cold weather, with over 100,000 miles, and then get back to me on world class drivetrains.

#4, I'm not killing the messenger, just the product. I'm just curious why you, a proud Titan owner, is trolling a Dodge site? I do not think you are a bad person or consumer, I just think you jumped the bandwagon a little too early. Nissan read the American consumer well. They know people want bragging rights, they want the best. So, they geared their truck towards a specific segment. However, when Nissan still cannot meet its ORIGINAL sales goal for year 1, that tells me something. When it cannot outsell a Chevy Colorado or Dakota, that tells me something. Nissan did a good job with a first time full size truck. But they need to do a LOT more to gain any market share in the truck segment. #1, they need to take out Toyota, because even though a Tundra has less performance, it mops the floor with the Titan sales wise. #2, they need to give more options - regular cab, different engines, etc. #3, they need to improve quality. Most people, well, all Titan owners, have only had the vehicle AT MOST 3 years. Your interior, panels, trim, etc, shouldn't fall off in 3 years. But I cannot wait to see a 2004 Titan in 2009. That'll be a sight.

ORIGINAL: sandiegohemi

Where do I start in replying to this post? hahaha.

#1, I would never quote any torque listings on an enthusiast website, the way you quoted Titantalk dyno results. If you are going to quote them, be prepared for wearing boots because you'll be stepping deep in the BS.

#2, read farther up the thread, I have links to several sites with other dyno tests showing different results that what you quoted. If you think, for one second, the Dodge is losing 100 lbs of torque through the drivetrain, you are dreaming. As you said, torque wins on race day, so your "supposedly" 21 lbs torque advantage should SMOKE a Hemi. But it doesnt. Again, look farther up the thread and you'll see 0-60 times within .1 seconds of each other, and 1/4 mile times even. So, please, tell me, how you could have a 21 lb torque advantage and be even with a Ram in 1/4 mile times??? Or I can answer it for you . . . there isn't a 21 lb advantage :)

#3, it is too early to tell if the Titan engine and transmission are the best . . . the truck has only been out for 3 years. Let's see some Titan's on the jobsite for 5 years, towing, hauling, starting in cold weather, with over 100,000 miles, and then get back to me on world class drivetrains.

#4, I'm not killing the messenger, just the product. I'm just curious why you, a proud Titan owner, is trolling a Dodge site? I do not think you are a bad person or consumer, I just think you jumped the bandwagon a little too early.

I posted torque numbers from a manufacturer, not an enthusiast site. Those are the Stillen Dyno charts you can find on Stillen.com

I don't think Dodge is loosing 100tq, I think they are overstating dramatically what they make. Ex: I owned a Grand Cherokee. When the Hemi came out in the WK, they said it had 325 hp. When it was tested, I came up short, and slower than the WJ 4.7 HO and 5.9 ZJ that it replaced. If it had 325, it would have destroyed both. 21lbs is not a smoke amount of power. It would equate to a couple of tenths. If you were a racer, you'd know this.

You can't downgrade a motor or tranny with zero problems since introduction because its only 3 years old. The Hemis have had tranny problems and their internals grenade themselves if you break 400hp at the rear wheels. The Titan motors have made over 700hp with stock crank, etc.

I own an Armada. I'm "trolling" the dodge site because on the Nissan sites, we do an objective comparison. As I said, I own cars of all brands. I have no loyalty in either direction. There are legitimate gripes about any vehicle. But its pretty petty to try to pat yourself on the back by unjustly slamming another vehicle. If you want to be objective, then do it. I don't observe Titan guys slamming Hemis on the Titan site, and if they did, I'd expect one of you to defend them. I can see by your 30 posts you're a big deal over here. Mostly, I would think that most Dodge guys have the class to be objective and not unfairly and inaccurately report on other trucks.

Bottomline, I think the Titan has the best powerplant, the Ford the best interior. The Dodge has a good blend of both, but the reliability, the experiences with the hemi in the durango and Grand Cherokee, and slight edge in performance tipped the scales for me. I may have to reassess if Dodge ever decides to build a real SUV instead of a midsize like the Durango. I do have to give major kudos to the SRT-10 though. And don't forget, Titan will have the V8 Cummins Diesel by '08, possibly '07.;)

V8 Cummins diesel in 07 0r 08???? Read the statement by Nissan's product manager about seeing how the Titan sells before they introduce a diesel version. If they haven't met their sales goal yet, I wouldn't hold my breath for that. Plus, Cummins isn't going to offer their engines to two competitors in the same truck segment. Thats like saying Pepsi and Coke are going to team up for a cooperative drink.

Where is the WK? Did you mean UK? I'm just curious where you are from.

There is nothing wrong with "thinking" the Titan/Armada have the best drivetrain. You can "think" anything you want. But proving it is impossible. But besides that, you are missing my whole point. The problem with Nissan isn't the drivetrain, its everything else. Interior materials, build quality, reliability issues, etc. :D Those are verifiable parts of a truck, they are not subject to interpretation. You either have brake failures or you don't. You either have a vehicle with cheap plastic or you don't. You either have a solid rear end, or one that has metal shavings in it during routine service.

You may be thinking, "Prove our beloved Titans have inferior materials, build quality or reliability issues." Here you go - straight from Titan owners themselves:

Rear end squeek, cannot be fixed by dealer -
http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-general-discussion/33806-rear-end-squeek.html

Chirping sound when going over 60 mph -
http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-general-discussion/19901-chirping-sound-interstate.html

More brake problems -
http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-general-discussion/33835-new-brakes-squeeking.html

Window not closing all the way, annoying sound on highway -
http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-general-discussion/22410-windy-days-air-gets-though-driver-side-window.html

Doors sucking out at highway speed, I couldn't make this up -
http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-general-discussion/33348-doors-sucking-out-high-speed-70mph-cross-winds.html

Place for titan owners to report rear end failures, hmmmm, you think more than two of them have this problem?
http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-general-discussion/33060-everyone-please-report-rear-end-failures.html

Are all these problems worth a .1 second advantage 0-60? Ummm, no. You said something about a Titan being able to handle 700 rwhp. Hell, the rear end cannot handle 305, how is it going to handle 700?????????????

You made some smart comment that 21 lbs of torque equate to a couple tenths of a second, and because I'm not a racer, I wouldn't know. Sorry Ricky Racer. But, my truck only has 10 lb/torque more than a 5.4 Ford F150, yet its quicker by almost a second. So, tell me again why 21 lbs would only equate to a couple tenths? Because in your words, "torque wins on race day." Personally, I think your comments about a Cummins Titan, a Titan handling 700 rwhp, and the fact you own a Jetta, completely hurt your credibility :)

A WK is the 3rd generation Grand Cherokee. The ZJ was 93-98, the WJ was 99-04 and the WK is 05+. Guess you aren't a Jeep fan.
The Titan drivetrain is the most powerful and has the least problems. It is also extremely smooth, can handle a huge amount of power increases, and is extremely reliable. Should outlast anything on the market that isn't diesel. Not sure what else you are looking for.
Not one brake failure ever reportied I can find. The '04 rotors were warping, but they were replaced in '05. The braking distance 60-0 is best of class and better than the Honda Accord.
As for build quality and interior materials criticisms, that's the kettle calling the pot black. The build problems were in '04 models only, and were corrected as the '04 year went on.
Cheap Plastic? Changed plastic in '05.
Solid rear end? Yes it does. The rear diff had problems, but that was fixed in '06. The armada has the same rear interenals and zero failures, so it has something to do with the old housing, which they changed. Both have a 9000+tow rating.
Don't make me post all the Dodge nightmares for reliabilty or problems. They are 3rd among the Big 3 in those regards. Here's 2700+ complaints/problems people have posted on the '05 1500 on just one web site. http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef06f11
The Ford is heavier and has a 4 speed. Please stop embarrassing yourself. By your calculations, a vette would be a 6 second car.
Sorry if the 700hp titan ruined my credibility. I was mistaken. It was 715hp. SWEEET!;)
Here's the link. The Titan CORR Pro-2 entry features a 715-horsepower, 5.6-liter V8 stock block engine with 510 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm, redlining at 8,200 rpm. Unlike many race engines, the block, cylinder heads, cam covers, water pump, main bearings, rod bearings, and ignition coils are all stock Titan components.
http://www.highbeam.com/library/docfree.asp?DOCID=1G1:135768174&ctrlInfo=Round18%3AMode18c%3ADocG%3AResult&ao=
Diesel is a done deal. My buddies on the development team in Germany working on one of the systems.
As for the Jetta, that's the Fiance's. She thinks its "cute".

Sorry, but I'm backing things up with facts, dynos, articles, etc. and you just keep pontificating without any substance so why are you questioning my credibility. Maybe I should have you speak to some of the dozens of Titan guys who are on that board who switched and aren't looking back. Next year will be the real challenge. The new Tundra. But for now, until Ford gets a 5 speed, GM a full makeover, or Dodge some updating and forged internals, its titan time.

Okay first of all, you failed to answer any of the questions I brought up.

#1, You can stuff as much power as you want into anything (i.e. 1000 hp in a Supra or WRX). As you know Ricky Racer, you will not be running a stock transmission, rear end, etc on a 715 hp vehicle. For example, if you put a Banks Six Gun tuner on a ANY diesel truck, you are changing the torque converter - otherwise you'd burn up the transmission. They'd do the same thing on a high hp Titan - replace the driveline with aftermarket, beefier parts. Plus, I'd like to see a 715 hp Titan run stock equipment for 10 miles. Care to see how long before the internals grenade?

#2, READ the links I posted from Titantalk.com. At the bottom of their posts, they say what year trucks they have. You will find 2004, 2005, and 2006 Titans with the quality issues NOT JUST 2004's. So, please, get off the argument that ONLY 2004's have problems - because Titantalk.com proves you wrong.

#3, Care to place a bet that Nissan will NEVER have a Cummins in it?

#4, You cannot prove the 06's don't have differential problems, they've only been out a few months. Get back to me on that one slick.

#5, You haven't backed up all your claims with facts. You claimed one source dynoed a Hemi @ 280lbs torque at the rear wheels - I've supplied 2 links showing it is at 300 and 301. The Titan torque is around 302 and 303. You never supplied ANY proof the Cummins is going in the Titan (in fact, your claim goes against all indications from Nissan execs, who are waiting to see demand and how the Titan sells before going into the heavy duty market). You never supplied ANY proof a stock Titan can handle 700 rwhp (just some hokey link that could have been written by ANYBODY. Show me a technical article written by a reputable magazine and a road test). You never explained why Titantalk.com subscribers are suffering build issues with 2004, 2005, and 2006 Titans - you merely blamed the 04's for problems.

#6, And I think this is the greatest problem you have - you don't own a Titan. You have an Armada. Same drivetrain, different weights, aerodynamics, etc. You really should be arguing with a Cherokee owner, not a Ram owner. However, I think you are not arguing with a Cherokee owner, because it's drivetrain is TRULY WORLD CLASS. The SRT-8 Cherokee is quicker than a Porshe Cayenne turbo, yet costs 2/3 the price. From what I have read on MotorTrend, the Armada fairs worse than the Titan in class comparisons. Specifically, they say it is too loud, handles too poorly, and does not have the interior refinement of an Expedition, Tahoe, Durango, or Sequoia.

#7, Try searching this site for 2004-2006 Ram owners complaining of their doors "sucking in" at highway speeds, or having 5 sets of new brakes, or having the rear end replaced several times. Bottom line is, you won't find it here, but you'll find it on Titantalk.com. The threads that get the biggest hits on Titantalk.com are not the ones about performance, they are about recalls. They have a link called "brake recall info" with 40,000 hits!

#8, Don't even start with the sales argument about the Titan. It's still at the bottom of the list as far as number of sales. Right now, it's still trying to beat the Dakota and Colorado - not even in the same league as the Ram, Silverado, Tundra, or F150.

#9, In regards to the plastics, you need to read the beginning of my thread. I test drove a 2006, REPEAT, 2006 Titan. If the materials are this cheap on a 2006, I'd hate to see the 2004.

Please answer these questions in order. I'll be eagerly awaiting your dancing act around my questions :D

ORIGINAL: sandiegohemi

Okay first of all, you failed to answer any of the questions I brought up.

#1, You can stuff as much power as you want into anything (i.e. 1000 hp in a Supra or WRX). As you know Ricky Racer, you will not be running a stock transmission, rear end, etc on a 715 hp vehicle. For example, if you put a Banks Six Gun tuner on a ANY diesel truck, you are changing the torque converter and flywheel - otherwise you'd burn up the transmission. They'd do the same thing on a high hp Titan - replace the driveline with aftermarket, beefier parts. Plus, I'd like to see a 715 hp Titan run stock equipment for 10 miles. Care to see how long before the internals grenade?

#2, READ the links I posted from Titantalk.com. At the bottom of their posts, they say what year trucks they have. You will find 2004, 2005, and 2006 Titans with the quality issues NOT JUST 2004's. So, please, get off the argument that ONLY 2004's have problems - because Titantalk.com proves you wrong.

#3, Care to place a bet that Nissan will NEVER have a Cummins in it?

#4, You cannot prove the 06's don't have differential problems, they've only been out a few months. Get back to me on that one slick.

#5, You haven't backed up all your claims with facts. You claimed one source dynoed a Hemi @ 280lbs torque at the rear wheels - I've supplied 2 links showing it is at 300 and 301. The Titan torque is around 302 and 303. You never supplied ANY proof the Cummins is going in the Titan. You never supplied ANY proof a stock Titan can handle 700 rwhp. You never explained why Titantalk.com subscribers are suffering build issues with 2004, 2005, and 2006 Titans - you merely blamed the 04's for problems.

#6, And I think this is the greatest problem you have - you don't own a Titan. You have an Armada. Same drivetrain, different weights, aerodynamics, etc. You reallyl should be arguing with a Durango or Cherokee owner, not a Ram owner.

#7, Try searching this site for 2004-2006 Ram owners complaining of their doors "sucking in" at highway speeds, or having 5 sets of new brakes, or having the rear end replaced several times. Bottom line is, you won't find it here, but you'll find it on Titantalk.com.

#8, Don't even start with the sales argument about the Titan. It's still at the bottom of the list as far as number of sales. Right now, it's still trying to beat the Dakota and Colorado - not even in the same league as the Ram, Silverado, Tundra, or F150.

Please answer these questions in order. I'll be eagerly awaiting your dancing act around my questions :D

If you'd read the article, you'd have seen the 715hp Titan is a race vehicle used in CORR racing, which is long distance off road racing. Very brutal and long drives. It uses the stock internals which the article states specifically. I'm a member of Titan talk. I have over 2000 posts there. I know what's there and I've read the problems. There are few if any '05 and '06 problems.
Remember, there are 8500 members, and less than 1% complaining about problems. As to the cummins diesel bet, whatever. My buddy developed a system for it. Guess he's just a figment of my imagination. The diffs for '04 had a different oil and oil cover spec. than the '05 and '06. They also use a different vendor. Again, less than 1% of titantalk members have been complaining. In contrast, the ford guys, which have the best rear, have far more complaints about their rears than the titan guys.
I gave you the link for the 715hp titan, the link for the dyno of the hemi, etc. You can pull anything out if you want. I went for stock dynos. I would think like any vehicle there would be a range of numbers that you'll find. +/-5% hp tq is common. Problem is, Dodge and most domestics print and promote the top end of the variance, Nissan the bottom. There aren't any build issues on the '05s and '06s, and certainly not as many as dodge owners experience. Probably less than 1/3 of the number of problems. As to argueing for Titan, I'm not as an Armada owner, I'm correcting incorrect info. The Armada is faster than the Titan by .3 typically, and generally does a 7.0 0-60 and high 14s quarter. Dodge doesn't make any vehicles that compete with the Armada. It only competes with the Expedition, Navigator, Suburban, Yukon, Tahoe, and Escalade. The Sequoia, Durango, Commander, etc. are not full size any more than a Tundra or Ridgeline are full size trucks.

Doors sucking=loose weatherstrip, found only on '04. 5 brake repairs reflects an '04 owner who had his rotors rewarping until the new parts came in in '05. Now, no brake problems. Rear end replaced several times='04 with old diff oil spec and cover. New ones aren't doing this.
I seem to find 300 threads with the word problem in the ram forum within the past year. AC leak, rear, transmission, EGR, axel seals, ECM failures, brake problem, squeeks, burning oil, etc. On and on. Don't go there.

As for sales, they hit 92% of target without playing the give it away incentive game. How did dodge do?

See, a race Titan is different than a stock one. That makes a big difference than one sitting on a dealer lot. The racing Titan is not going to be ANYTHING close to stock.

I'm not sure if you have trouble clicking the links, or if you have never visited Titantalk.com, but there are definitely more than 1% of owners complaining about problems. There is not much to argue on this point, you either know how to click a link and read, or you don't. Can't help ya there.

Hitting 92% percent of your sales goal is good - until you consider the goal in a larger context. Nissan wants to sell 100,000 a year, OR 8,333 a month. It is now year 3, and they are still trying to reach Year 1's goal. Enough said.

Remember the Ram was redesigned in 2002 (body style) and 2003 with the Hemi. Relatively speaking, it is a new truck - engine, transmission, suspension, etc. You do not hear HALF the problems with a Ram as you do a Titan. To deny that is to be blind to the facts. To somehow quote Ford owners problems and say the Nissan has a smaller number of complaints is just plain funny. Of course you will hear more Ford owners with problems, they SELL 10 times the amount of F150's than the Titan. Larger numbers equals larger problems - the law of probability. With that being said, Chevy started the incentives game. Toyota didn't play the incentive game, and they still mopped the floor with the Titan.

Again, you can have your opinion, but I'm still waiting for a convincing counter argument to my 9 questions. You can try and switch the argument to Armada vs Durango, race Titans vs stock Rams, etc. But the bottom line is, stock Titan vs stock Ram is a dead heat. If you want to start a thread about the qualifications of the Armada, feel free to. But so far, the only incorrect info I've heard is about your "mysterious" diesel guru friend who developed a V8 Cummins for the Titan, a 715 rwhp stock drivetrain Titan (which again is funny considering it cannot handle its current stock power), a Titan having a 21 ft/lb torque advantage, etc.

If you think the Titan/Armada are the greatest mechanical inventions of all time, that is your right. And I commend you for carrying the flag of "all proud Nissan owners across the world" and defending them on a Dodge site. However, I would suggest picking on someone else - Toyota. Nissan has to outsell and class their fellow Japanese automaker before they can lay claim to having the best machines on earth.

ORIGINAL: sandiegohemi

See, a race Titan is different than a stock one. That makes a big difference than one sitting on a dealer lot. The racing Titan is not going to be ANYTHING close to stock.

I'm not sure if you have trouble clicking the links, or if you have never visited Titantalk.com, but there are definitely more than 1% of owners complaining about problems. There is not much to argue on this point, you either know how to click a link and read, or you don't. Can't help ya there.

Hitting 92% percent of your sales goal is good - until you consider the goal in a larger context. Nissan wants to sell 100,000 a year, OR 8,333 a month. It is now year 3, and they are still trying to reach Year 1's goal. Enough said.

Remember the Ram was redesigned in 2002 (body style) and 2003 with the Hemi. Relatively speaking, it is a new truck - engine, transmission, suspension, etc. You do not hear HALF the problems with a Ram as you do a Titan. To deny that is to be blind to the facts. To somehow quote Ford owners problems and say the Nissan has a smaller number of complaints is just plain funny. Of course you will hear more Ford owners with problems, they SELL 10 times the amount of F150's than the Titan. Larger numbers equals larger problems - the law of probability. With that being said, Chevy started the incentives game. Toyota didn't play the incentive game, and they still mopped the floor with the Titan.

Again, you can have your opinion, but I'm still waiting for a convincing counter argument to my 9 questions. You can try and switch the argument to Armada vs Durango, race Titans vs stock Rams, etc. But the bottom line is, stock Titan vs stock Ram is a dead heat. If you want to start a thread about the qualifications of the Armada, feel free to. But so far, the only incorrect info I've heard is about your "mysterious" diesel guru friend who developed a V8 Cummins for the Titan, a 715 rwhp stock drivetrain Titan (which again is funny considering it cannot handle its current stock power), a Titan having a 21 ft/lb torque advantage, etc.

If you think the Titan/Armada are the greatest mechanical inventions of all time, that is your right. And I commend you for carrying the flag of "all proud Nissan owners across the world" and defending them on a Dodge site. However, I would suggest picking on someone else - Toyota. Nissan has to outsell and class their fellow Japanese automaker before they can lay claim to having the best machines on earth.

From reading your points, I for some reason keep thinking even a broken clock is right twice a day. Not sure why as you haven't been right yet. Obviously you won't give on your position, nor will I. I haven't asked for verification, but I've given you what you ask for. I showed you a Titan with stock internals making 715hp. Did you show me a Hemi doing anything over 400Hp with a stock crank? I told you about my buddy, who also worked on the Viper. He told me about the Cummins last Feb. I showed you how many problems you have. You denied it. I quoted your thread pointed out about the rears. Less than 1% have had problems. I showed you how the other problems and reports are indiciative of only '04, pre changes that have fixed the problems. You ignored this. Its like Kennedy and Bush arguing the same point. It doesn't matter what it is, they will always disagree. I didn't think I'd convince you, just that I'd clear up some errors, misconceptions, and etc. I feel I've done that. Enjoy your forum and your truck. Good luck with it. Back to trying to wipe my Nissan loving smile off my face. Sweeeeet. :D

ORIGINAL: 92TripleBlack


ORIGINAL: sandiegohemi

See, a race Titan is different than a stock one. That makes a big difference than one sitting on a dealer lot. The racing Titan is not going to be ANYTHING close to stock.

I'm not sure if you have trouble clicking the links, or if you have never visited Titantalk.com, but there are definitely more than 1% of owners complaining about problems. There is not much to argue on this point, you either know how to click a link and read, or you don't. Can't help ya there.

Hitting 92% percent of your sales goal is good - until you consider the goal in a larger context. Nissan wants to sell 100,000 a year, OR 8,333 a month. It is now year 3, and they are still trying to reach Year 1's goal. Enough said.

Remember the Ram was redesigned in 2002 (body style) and 2003 with the Hemi. Relatively speaking, it is a new truck - engine, transmission, suspension, etc. You do not hear HALF the problems with a Ram as you do a Titan. To deny that is to be blind to the facts. To somehow quote Ford owners problems and say the Nissan has a smaller number of complaints is just plain funny. Of course you will hear more Ford owners with problems, they SELL 10 times the amount of F150's than the Titan. Larger numbers equals larger problems - the law of probability. With that being said, Chevy started the incentives game. Toyota didn't play the incentive game, and they still mopped the floor with the Titan.

Again, you can have your opinion, but I'm still waiting for a convincing counter argument to my 9 questions. You can try and switch the argument to Armada vs Durango, race Titans vs stock Rams, etc. But the bottom line is, stock Titan vs stock Ram is a dead heat. If you want to start a thread about the qualifications of the Armada, feel free to. But so far, the only incorrect info I've heard is about your "mysterious" diesel guru friend who developed a V8 Cummins for the Titan, a 715 rwhp stock drivetrain Titan (which again is funny considering it cannot handle its current stock power), a Titan having a 21 ft/lb torque advantage, etc.

If you think the Titan/Armada are the greatest mechanical inventions of all time, that is your right. And I commend you for carrying the flag of "all proud Nissan owners across the world" and defending them on a Dodge site. However, I would suggest picking on someone else - Toyota. Nissan has to outsell and class their fellow Japanese automaker before they can lay claim to having the best machines on earth.

From reading your points, I for some reason keep thinking even a broken clock is right twice a day. Not sure why as you haven't been right yet. Obviously you won't give on your position, nor will I. I haven't asked for verification, but I've given you what you ask for. I showed you a Titan with stock internals making 715hp. Did you show me a Hemi doing anything over 400Hp with a stock crank? I told you about my buddy, who also worked on the Viper. He told me about the Cummins last Feb. I showed you how many problems you have. You denied it. I quoted your thread pointed out about the rears. Less than 1% have had problems. I showed you how the other problems and reports are indiciative of only '04, pre changes that have fixed the problems. You ignored this. Its like Kennedy and Bush arguing the same point. It doesn't matter what it is, they will always disagree. I didn't think I'd convince you, just that I'd clear up some errors, misconceptions, and etc. I feel I've done that. I'm bordering on being a troll, which I'm not. I was simply correctly refuting your inaccurate bash. Enjoy your forum and your truck. Good luck with it. Back to trying to wipe my Nissan loving smile off my face. Sweeeeet. :D
http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-general-discussion/34193-other-than-brakes-no-problems-my-05-anyone-else.html
http://www.titantalk.com/forums/titan-talk-site-polls/31173-final-titan-brake-fix-results.html?highlight=brakes

This is probably one of the most exciting threads I've participated in. Although it is frustrating when you don't answer my questions. It is STATISTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE for only 1% of Titans to have problems. That would fall within the margin of error for ANY sample. Which, according to your stats, could technically mean NO Titans had problems - which we all know isn't the case. Again, your "stats" are rebuked by cold hard facts. Or, maybe you missed that class in grade school . . . remember statistics? Or did you know go that far?

By stock internals on a 715 rwhp Titan, are you referring to the 10W Soy Sauce oil it uses or the fortune cookie transfer case? Because that engine, in STOCK FORM, cannot handle that much power. Thats like saying a stock Ford Taurus engine is used in Nascar . . . just that it puts out 850 hp. Ain't happening.

So, your buddy, worked on the Viper, developed a V8 Cummins diesel EXCLUSIVELY for the Titan, and what, does he flutter around on wings and sprinkle pixy dust? GIVE ME A BREAK. There are not any misconceptions about the Titan, people know it has a good powerplant. I know that. Most people on here know it. But unlike you, we can see it is a CHEAP vehicle. Do me a favor, go to a Nissan dealer, touch and feel the plastics, close the doors - and note how the body panel shakes, be careful not to rub the "Nissan" logo on the steering wheel too hard because the cheap plastic film will rub off, then go look at a Dodge. You may not buy a Ram, but you'll see the build quality difference.

And since you are an "esteemed" poser, I mean poster, on Titantalk.com, I'd expect you'd see all the people posting, "Why does my rear end shake?" "3rd set of new brakes" "My doors locked shut during a snow storm" "I hear a rattling underneath the hood" etc. The Titan forum is the ONLY one I know of that has more people requesting help with problems than bragging. The ONLY one. Why Titan owners put up with their truck in the shop for 60 days, or multiple breaks replacements (YES EVEN ON THE SUPPOSED FIX NISSAN GAVE THE DEALERS), I will never know. Maybe Nissan owners just expect less from their vehicles. ;)

Come on 92TripleBlack, come back and play :D You were a Titan Troll for 2 days, then you just up and leave when the argument gets good?

Well, after reading your posts again, I came to one realization (well more than one, but only one I can write in here): while your intentions seemed good, your arguing techniques came up short. Let me summarize:

Dodge owner (me): The Titan has a good powerplant, but lacks refinement and quality.
Nissan boy (you): Well stillen.com shows the Titan sending 21 ft/lbs torque more to wheels than a Hemi.

Dodge owner: Well I show several other stock dyno runs showing the opposite.
Nissan boy: Well a race Titan can handle 715 hp.

Dodge owner: The Titan has issues with its breaks, rear end, and overall quality.
Nissan boy: Only 1% of Titan owners report problems.

Dodge owner: Then why do so many Titantalk.com subscribers complain of problems?
Nissan boy: Only 1%. Oh yeah, my buddy invented the Cummins V8 going in the Titan.

Dodge owner: Why do I see Titan owners with 2004, 2005, and 2006's reporting problems?
Nissan boy: 715 rwhp.

Dodge owner: Why hasn't the Titan sold more?
Nissan boy: We sold 92% of our initial goal. Oh yeah, did I mention the Titan race truck with 715 hp? My buddy worked on the Viper.

Dodge owner: Please answer my questions.
Nissan boy: World class, um yeah, only 2004's, Ford owners report more problems, I'm not a troll - I just look that way. Yeah, um, 715 hp, yeah its stock. Hmm, I forgot to mention I don't own a Titan. Yeah, I gotta wipe the Nissan loving grin off my face - oh wait - that just my constipated look. Sorry.

The final word - http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000039&sid=aJS5x6JbKs_o&refer=columnist_levin

The author wrote "Mess from Mississippi

Jim Hall of AutoPacific Inc., an automotive consulting firm, called Titan a ``mess.' Nissan made the mistake of starting production of the new model at a new plant in Canton, Mississippi, with a relatively unskilled workforce. The result was production delays and quality problems, he said.

Titans are sitting an average of 102 days on dealer lots prior to sale, according to J.D. Power. Sales in November fell 27 percent from a year earlier."


Gotta love Titan trolls. I think I got rid of this one for good though.

http://wardsauto.com/ar/auto_nissan_titan_diesel/index.htm

I've read this before. I think they will get a diesel eventually, but it won't be a Cummins (as some Titan troll mentioned earlier). But putting a diesel in a Titan brings up a lot of issues. The greatest thing is the potential sales. The half ton, with a good powerplant, isn't turning the market upside with sales. So, how would a heavy duty Titan fair with a new diesel, in a platform with a sketchy - albiet new - history? I don't know.

I can definitely see a day coming when diesels (maybe with lower output than their 3/4 ton counterparts), are offered in half-ton trim. It makes sense. If I had a choice of getting a lower output Cummins, say with 500 lbs/torque, I'd have definitely chosen it over the Hemi.

bla bla bla... thats what I read when I see the Titan trolls lurking here and spitting BS... truth be told... go look at http://www.nhtsa.gov and start searching around in there for the complaints versus recalls on the titans and the 1500 rams. For 2005 there are 42 complaints for the 1500 4-dr ram, but yet there are 58 for the titan, but yet as he was saying this was the year that they fixed everything and that now its a perfect truck... right. Amazing, none of those owners must be a member at his little geek-talk titanic pile of BS forum.

I have test driven Titans on several occasions and the one thing that sticks out in my mind is the amount that the bed jiggles when hitting bumps. What good is it to be able to carry a heavy load in the bed of your truck if it jiggles so bad it could practically throw your stuff right out. Next time your on a bumpy road following a titan, check out how much the bed moves around and then come back and talk about what a great truck it is titan-boys. At least the bed on my ram is as solid as the cab is.

And also... in order for Nissan to put a diesel of any sort into a titan they will have to completely redesign the frame and suspension so it doesnt twist it like a pretzel. Remember back in 1994-5 when the Dodge Ram got the Cummins in it and they were tweaking frames right and left because people were using them at their rated towing capacity and the motors were stronger than the frames(gotta luv that cummins!)

But as for Nissan getting the Cummins, wont matter anyway... the BlueTec diesel thats replacing it in the Rams is more powerful, has more torque and will be one of if not the most efficient and cleanest running in the world. Now its about being the biggest and the baddest all while saving the world at the same time.

The Titan is flimsy. Ford has a site called "truthabouttrucks.com." It is funny when they tear apart a Titan and you can see how flimsy it is. They use an adhesive path on the fenders as added support!

If you really want a good laugh, go to titantalk.com and see what they are saying about the new Tundra. Can you say no backbone? The Tundra isn't even out yet, and a lot of them are considering trading in their Titans. But then again, if I was them, I'd trade it in too lol.

My problem isn't so much with the truck, its with the people that drive it. :D

The Titan troll - 92TripleBlack - we had on here is also a troll on the Ford site!

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=431142&page=2&pp=12

What a loser.

man and look what he says there in that link

As an Armada owner, I agree. Nissan put its money in the drivetrain. Ford in the interior. Both have merrits, can tow the same, will be just as durable, etc. Just depends of you want speed or luxury.



WHAT? Did he say that that the Titan and the Ford are "just as durable"... Alrighty then and I thought he had a higher regard for his Nissan product than that! Somehow I cant imagine a Ford truck as luxurious either.
;)

Yeah I wish he could have seen me when Ford purchased back my 04 F150 because it was a lemon :D

>>"honest impression from a Ram owner...

Is that really possible? Another Dodge owner saying the Nissan is/looks/feels cheap is like the pot calling the kettle black. Let me see here.... Dodge has been selling pickup trucks, like forever, and Nissan has been selling full size pickups for, hmmm going on it's 3rd year now. I'd say Nissan did a pretty good job if they have the "competition" comparing their truck to it, especially so soon.
Bottom line is, whatever a person drives, they will be biased towards that vehicle, so even though you say you approached the comparison with an open mind, you and I both know that's just not true. In my opinion (in other words, I'm not stating this as fact), I think both the Dodge AND the Nissan have cheap looking interiors, especially compared with a Ford and a Chevy.

My opinion was honest, I am a first time Dodge owner. I've driven Fords and Chevys, but this was my first Dodge. I think that is important because I'm not 50 years old, and haven't driven them my whole life. I've been around trucks since I was young, but again, nobody in my family drives Dodge, so I went out on a limb.

It doesn't matter how long a company has been building a truck. Nissan has been making truck (albiet in smaller forms) for 50 years. Yes, this was their 1st full-size, but they have 70 years of stats to look at. They were able to see what the Big 3 did well, and what they need to improve on. So, it wasn't like Nissan threw darts at a board and happened to come up with the Titan. They did plenty of research, some of it very well, some it still needing. That is my only point - the Titan is overhyped. The same with the F150. But the main difference is, Titan owners like to scream it at the top of their lungs, and it gets annoying, which was why I test drove a Titan.

My opinion is not fact in itself- but parts of it are factual. Just as parts of your opinion, and everyone else's contains a bit of truth. What matters is if we are men enough to take it :D

Oh, I almost forgot, you said Nissan must've done a good job because we are comparing to it already. Well, every truck owner (including those on Titan forums) are already comparing their trucks to the 07 Tundra- AND ITS NOT EVEN ON SALE YET. So, I don't think that point flies well here.

It never ceases to amaze me how the "trolls" must read this forum alot and then when they get an itch they cant scratch they join, usually with some type of anti-dodge name, leave a couple of "I hate Dodge" or "Dodges are junk" type posts and then we never hear from them again.

I dont have a lot of stats/specs like some of yall, but just from riding in an 04 hemi and a 05 Titan, the hemi feels quicker. if theres so many arguements about which one makes more power (apparently inconsistent HP/torque numbers??), then two people get together (stock Hemi, stock Titan) and have a tow off. in the end its about which truck gets the power to the ground better anyways, and nothing proves that better than a tow off.

by the way this is a very interesting thread.

Very good point. You have to ride in both vehicles to feel the difference. It's not that a Titan is a POS (well, maybe a lil ;)) it's just that a Dodge feels more sturdy and powerful. The Titan/Nissan guy on here kept talking about dyno numbers, and what race inspired trucks could do, but that means little to 98% of truck buyers/owners.

I came up on a lifted Titan today, and it was the first time I really noticed the rear end. I'm not sure if any of you guys have seen it up close, but it looks weak. In all honesty, it looks more like a Tundra rear end than a Ford, Chevy, or Dodge. I am not sure what size it is - but it made it clear why they have failures with their rear ends. I know some Titan troll will jump on here and say it was only on 04's, and only because they put the wrong fluid in at the factory, etc. Bottom line is, their supposed "fix" only included fins to dissipate the heat. It did nothing to beef up the rear end on a truck that makes 379 ft lbs of torque.

i still say the only way to decide is a tow off/pull off (whatever yall prefer to call it)

but just as a reminder that both trucks are still cool, i just happened to find this video of the two trucks. enjoy

titan and ram burnouts (http://videos.streetfire.net/category/Trucks%5e%5eOffroad/27/23C6EAC5-583D-46BE-A176-0737551B5DFC.htm)

A pull off isn't going to prove much. The Titan has more low end torque. The Hemi is a mid-range/top end a$$ kicker. But, if there was to be pull off, I wouldn't put my money on the Titan's fortune cookie rear end. The thing looks like it belongs on a Tacoma, not a 1/2 ton.

ORIGINAL: vipersforsale
WHAT? Did he say that that the Titan and the Ford are "just as durable"... Alrighty then and I thought he had a higher regard for his Nissan product than that! Somehow I cant imagine a Ford truck as luxurious either.
;)


He owns a Nissan and says something good about Ford, but bad about Dodge and that makes him a troll?

And have you rode in, or even sat in, or even seen a damn picture of the inside of the new F-150's... most noteably a Lariat? They are by far the most luxurious trucks ever built. Don't be jealous.

I had an 04 F150, and they are luxurious inside. But, they lack in the power department in a serious way. The Ram and Titan are MUCH MUCH more responsive loaded or unloaded. Plus, my F150 was returned under the Lemon Law . . . only lasted 7,000 miles. If that is "built Ford tough" then they gotta do better.

I don't know if you have an F150, but when I had one, I noticed when on the freeway the top of the hood would shake. The dealer said this was normal. Well, I noticed the side panels would do it as well. Again, dealer said this was normal due to the new metals on the F150. Can you say cheap????

ORIGINAL: sandiegohemi

I had an 04 F150, and they are luxurious inside. But, they lack in the power department in a serious way. The Ram and Titan are MUCH MUCH more responsive loaded or unloaded. Plus, my F150 was returned under the Lemon Law . . . only lasted 7,000 miles. If that is "built Ford tough" then they gotta do better.

I don't know if you have an F150, but when I had one, I noticed when on the freeway the top of the hood would shake. The dealer said this was normal. Well, I noticed the side panels would do it as well. Again, dealer said this was normal due to the new metals on the F150. Can you say cheap????



Well I'm sorry about your lemon, but with as many F-150's as Ford is selling they must be doing something right.

Yes I do own a 2004 F-150, but I aslo own a 2005 Ram (It came with a comstruction company I purchased). I do agree with you about the power of the stock F-150. The electronic throttle body of the F-150 is definately not for the performance minded. However, my electrician has a 2005 4X4 5.4L F-150 with a superchips tuner and has upgraded to 4.10 gears and at the track (Milan Dragway) he consistently outruns my Hemi 4X4 w/ 4.10's in the 1/4 by just under 3/4 of a second. Although Milan Dragway has no time/speed for the 1 mile mark... he's also ahead of my by nearly 3 truck lengths by the 1 mile mark.

Also, my truck tops out at 112 and his will do about 135 (estimated because speedo stops at 120).

Less claimed HP, less claimed torque, smaller engine, but still faster in every category.

As we speek my Ram is sitting at McInerny Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep having the transmission repaired for the 3rd time and replacing my headlight because it thinks it's a fish tank.

Well, sometimes its the luck of the draw when it comes to trucks. I'll never drive a Ford again, and you have had some bad luck with your Dodge.

As for the modded F150 beating the Hemi, that can happens with the proper mods. But, if you put a Superchips on your Hemi, you'll blow away that F150. Even with Superchips, the F150 is a dog over 3000 RPM's (all of it's torque is down low). So, mod for mod, the Hemi will beat it. That is like me saying my truck, with the CAI, exhaust, and Superchips is faster than a stock Hemi . . . duh. But if you take a Ford, Chevy, and Dodge, add equal modifications, you'll still see the Dodge on top. But, if you are right, and your buddy beats you by 3 lengths - I have a hard time believing that.

Visit this link - http://trucktrend.com/roadtests/pickup/163_0512_2006_4_door_truck_comparison/specs_overview.html .
You will see a 5.4 2WD F150 does 0-60 in 9.1 seconds. A Hemi Ram does it in 7.7. So, you are saying 4.10 gears and Superchips made your buddies F150 almost 2 seconds quicker 0-60? I call bull****.

I have friends with F150's and even though mine is a 4x4, I've never been beaten by them - even if their trucks are 2WD. Now, a 2WD Titan is another story. But trying to say an F150 is even close to a Hemi in power is hard believe. Especially considering I have had both, and have actually raced other F150's. If your friend does have the programmer, I do believe he will take you off the line, but he won't beat you in a 1/4 mile (again, see the Truck Trend link, the F150 is 1 second slower in the 1/4 mile).

As for the comment about Ford doing something right because they sell so many - that is a whole other argument. I know you haven't been on Dodge Forum long, but we've discussed this at length. Ford is great at fleet sales - you know, the regular cab, long bed with vinyl floors? You can buy those for a business cheaper than a Dodge. That accounts for a lot of the sales of the F150. I am not saying anything is wrong for you by liking the Ford, its just that Ford does nothing for me. I'm not impressed with their styling, their power, their reliability, and the image. When I think of Ford, I think of plain, squared off bodies (i.e. the F250, F350, F150, etc). I think of underpowered motors. That's just me.