Nissan Titan XE
Extended Cab and V-8 Come standard
Since its introduction in 2003 as a 2004 model, Nissan has expanded a bit on the Titan's single engine, transmission, and wheelbase. The company offers King Cab and Crew Cab body styles, both of which are available with short or long wheelbases, 2WD or 4WD, and two bed lengths (6.5- or eight-foot for King Cab, 5.5- or seven-foot for Crew). The King Cab boasts rear doors that open 168 degrees, creating easy access to equipment stored there or plenty of room for passengers to get in and out of the cabin. Yes, those shopping for a Titan still only have the choice of the 317-horsepower, 5.6-liter V-8 and five-speed automatic transmission, and that powertrain in a 2WD short-wheelbase XE costs $26,930. That's the most expensive base-model half-ton on the market, but it offers the most power and interior volume for the money--and it's the only half-ton base model that isn't a regular cab.
Styling cues on the XE include a matte-black grille and body-color front bumper (new for 2009), rear-bumper step, 18-inch steel wheels, and manually operated black-side mirrors. Choosing the Popular Equipment Package ($950) for the base King Cab adds a sliding tinted rear window, tinted rear-side windows, front overhead console, chrome grille, cruise control, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The Max Utility Package ($1000 for 2WD, $750 for 4WD) includes a spray-in bedliner; tow package with receiver hitch, a shorter-axle ratio, seven-pin harness, trailer brake prewiring, heavy-duty battery, and front tow hooks; and traction package (2WD only). The long-wheelbase King Cab XE costs a mere $600 more than the short wheelbase, and with that comes the 18-inch-longer bed and 37-gallon fuel tank. Dual front airbags are standard on XEs and side airbags are optional; neither Vehicle Dynamic Control nor Brake Assist are available on the XE. Other optional equipment includes a bedliner, splash guards, underseat storage, bed extender, and floormats. However, the Utili-track bed channel system is not available on XEs, which might be reason enough to move up to the SE ($28,930).
A six-passenger cabin is standard, with two cloth-covered benches, 40/20/40 in front and 60/40 in the second row. Doors are trimmed in urethane, as is the steering wheel. King Cab XEs get air-conditioning, six-speaker AM/FM/MP3-compatible CD stereo, four cupholders, three 12-volt power points, crank-up windows, and a single sunvisor; moving to Crew ($2550) adds a rear center armrest, eight-speaker stereo, power windows with auto up/down, fourth power point, and power windows and doors. The highest base price for a Titan XE, the Crew Cab long-wheelbase 4WD, is $32,930.
Fleet Options
At this time, Nissan has no specific centralized fleet program for the Titan. That all may change, if the Chrysler/Nissan partnership creates the next-generation Titan on the Ram platform. With a quick search online, we found some individual dealerships who do sell fleet Nissans. We contacted Trophy Nissan in Mesquite, Texas, which confirmed that Nissan doesn't offer a companywide fleet program, but individual dealers do. Some dealerships will lease or sell fleet trucks with no minimum number required, and often work with a local upfitter for any tool box, rack, or other custom storage needs.