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Toyota Tundra vs. Nissan Titan - READ ONLY

354 messages,  Last post on Sep 23, 2004 at 8:24 PM

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What is this discussion about? Nissan Titan, Toyota Tundra, Exterior, Engine, Interior, Truck

Messages Page 34 of 36

#325 of 354 I switched by mikeo

Aug 07, 2004 (1:23 pm)

I was quite happy with my '02 LE 4x4 Tundi until 15k miles, when the rebound went out of those vaunted TRD shocks and it began wallowing around turns and pogoing off bumps. That enchantment further faded at 40k when the transmission stopped working altogether. The final bit was when the CD locked up at 52k and I found there was no replacement done at the dealer, but that I'd have to live with a hole in the dash until returned by the source. Since the replacement shocks were starting to go again, I wanted to trade for a Titan now and not wait so adios toyota.
 
So far so good with Titan LE 4x4 - much nicer and more usable power for towing and not towing, better interior storage, and 4x4 much better at rock crawling due to better clearance and approach/departure angles. Am sure there'll be glitches down the road, but will buy whatever's hot in a couple of years anyway. Quite a first effort at a full-size.

#326 of 354 Hehe by saddaddy

Aug 09, 2004 (11:03 am)

mikeo said in another discussion -- "my LE 4x4 with big tow and ranchos rides just as comfy and tight as the 02 Tundra I traded for it ..."
 
The TRD shocks must not have been that bad. Nice try.
 
How much rock crawling do you do with a full size truck anyway? This I gotta see.

#327 of 354 heh by mikeo

Aug 13, 2004 (7:59 am)

my comparison was to the TRD shocks before the rebound went south on all four at only 15k (vs the usual 30+) - as I'm only at 8k, jury's still out on ranchos, but the slightly greater stiffness gives me hope they'll fare better.
 
lol! well, if you mean the extreme stuff we see on TV or magz you'll never see that - I meant up and down rock-filled washes in the santa barbara mountains that you use to keep from eroding pasture or crunching through chapparal (and finding hidden bluffs) .. clearance and steering precision are also noticeably better. (but gas mileage is noticeably worse)
 It's JMO, but from my experience, think the Tundra is the better choice for the urban/suburban trucker who wants better mileage, and doesn't need to tow more than about 3000lbs gross. Once they get the bigger engine in it, I'll be very interested to see if they get a beefier tranny in it, as it was the weakest link in my use.

#328 of 354 titan talk by mcscjt

Aug 13, 2004 (8:20 pm)

I just wanted to chime in and tell you that so far my new Titan KC LE 4x4 has none of the problems discussed on edmunds or on titantalk forums.
 
I have no squeaks or rattles anywhere. The RF radio is great. I have no problems with reception or sound quality. I travel back and forth on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (all 17 miles of it) each week and have never lost reception. It doesn't even get fuzzy at the deepest part of the tunnel.
 
The bedliner is nice and does not chip off as some claim. The paint job is top notch and Nissan even gave me the protection package at no extra charge.
 
So far I am getting 13.9 miles/gallon with mixed driving. Not bad for the first 1000 miles.
 
I love the exhaust...I especially crank it when I pass a Tundra or F150

#329 of 354 Re: titan talk [mcscjt] by kg11

Aug 14, 2004 (10:01 am)

Replying to: mcscjt (Aug 13, 2004 8:20 pm)
"I love the exhaust...I especially crank it when I pass a Tundra or F150 "
 
Wow...You must really be proud. I'll bet all those Tundra and F150 owners are kicking themselves for not being as smart as YOU !

#330 of 354 I test drove the Titan by quadrunner501

Aug 14, 2004 (6:26 pm)

...actually made an offer, before the wife knocked some sense into me. Here are my impressions (again).
 
I drove the King Cab LE with big tow and offroad. First the bad:
 
There were about 4-5 half-dollar-size air bubbles under the spray-on bedliner.
 
A few rattles from the passenger seat area, and somewhere around the rear glass. Nothing big, but only 52 miles on the odometer.
 
That's about all the bad I can remember.
 
Now the good:
 
The Titan LE is such a luxury express I was never aware I was driving a truck. It is so car-like it's beyond belief. It was shoe-horned into a parking space at the dealer lot so tightly, I had to be extra careful getting it out. The navigation screen was beeping, and I think this was the parking collision avoidance sensors. The dual mirrors were outstanding for seeing I was mere inches from scraping.
 
Once out on the road, there was pep, seamless imperceptible shifting of the 5 speed tranny, exhaust character was just right. Air conditioner makes hissing sounds, but seemed normal and non-obtrusive. The navigation screen works just about like the one on the LS400 Lexus but without the whirring sound from a cooling fan, and also without the touch screen feature. As daylight turned to dusk, I was hoping for a way to dim the brightness of the navigation screen, or switch it to a night-time mode. I assume it has one, but I had no time to look for it. Radio system seemed okay. I don't know if it was the greatest I've heard, but I didn't notice it switching to mono, or any difficulty tuning in hard to get AM stations. I don't know where the sub woofer is located, but it sends a tingle up my spine like it's located underneath the driver seat. I didn't blast it, it was plenty strong, and more felt than heard, not boomy. The seat moved back when I opened the door, and up when I closed it. I don't know if that feature is part of the memory feature, seemed like it might be. I had to move it toward the back. There is lots of leg room when moved all the way back, long reach to the wheel, just like I like.
 
The steering is perfectly weighted, not particularly fast, but great feel, and actually my favorite feature.
 
The acceleration is seamless and peppy around town. Trouncing on it at 80 mph left me incredulous. Where is the acceleration? Seemed totally lacking steam compared to my turbo-charged Duramax diesel, which pins you to the seat at that speed.
 
The Titan brakes have super-perfect feel. I have a sense though, that due to the ultra-precise nature of the rack and pinion steering, it may develop some shakes during hard braking from highway speeds. But the truck I drove sure didn't.
 
I just couldn't get over how car like it was. I just couldn't fathom there was a pickup bed behind me, or that you could carry much in it. I'm sure it's happier if you don't.
 
The rear windows are almost tinted too darkly for me. At night, looking over my shoulder made spotting a car in the blind spot difficult, although perhaps with the great mirrors, you could adjust them to make this unnecssary. Old habits are hard to break.
 
I've driven the Tundra too. I just can't remotely fathom the appeal, it is so dated and bland. I HATE the interior of the Tundra, from the dashboard to the seats. The Titan interior in the LE is beautiful, although the plastic is overdone and cheap.
 
The 2005 Tundra is out though, sporting 282hp and 5spd automatic tranny, and new best in class fuel economy of 16 city 23 hwy for the 4x4 models. The economy blows Titan away, but I'd rather pay for the gas. Tundra is STILL plagued by the same shaky front end shimmys, brake problems and out of date drums in rear.
 
Neither is very truck like. A Silverado HD seems car like only when you compare it to Ford Super Duty or Dodge Ram. 3/4 tons are the real deal for hauling the freight. The Titan worries me that it might be a Ford Sport track, i.e. a sport utility with a full size bed. I could adjust, but the wife said no...

#331 of 354 by bowke28

Aug 16, 2004 (7:34 am)

why did the wife say no?

#332 of 354 by quadrunner501

Aug 16, 2004 (8:39 am)

She took an attitude when I entered the deal making mode and started sending faxes and taking phone calls two at once. "It's all about YOU!"...and "You're gonna do what you're gonna do!"...yada yada.
 
She didn't say no about Titan specifically, but she'd make me miserable about anything to get her point. In another sense, she already has...
 
I like to trade every 3 years because I don't have to come up with so much money. She sees it that I'm just always buying new cars.
 
The dealers are amazing how they come up with ever more innovative ways to re-package the same offer differently...

#333 of 354 Re: [quadrunner501] by bowke28

Aug 16, 2004 (8:47 am)

Replying to: quadrunner501 (Aug 16, 2004 8:39 am)
if you want the titan, have her do the negotiating. try the:
 
"honey, i just want a titan. you pick the equipment and color, and do the deal..."
 
it worked for my last titan buyer.

#334 of 354 I thought I had a decent offer going by quadrunner501

Aug 16, 2004 (9:05 am)

Titan LE King Cab Galaxy Black
Big Tow
Offroad package
Navigation
Side Air Bags
Floor Mats
Bed Extender
MSRP: $37,240
 
Trade:
2001 Silverado 2500HD LS 4x4 Reg Cab Duramax Diesel ZF-6spd
LS Trim
alloy wheels
air/pw/door locks/keyless entry/cruise/ etc.
NADA Trade-In $20,300
 
My truck + $12,788

Messages Page 34 of 36

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