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**DONOTDELETE**

06-03-2003, 07:39 PM

I read this report earlier today. First I've heard of any negative regarding the Titan and it's lack of steering refinement. Never mind from Truck Trend...

Some initial reviews...
Borrowed from Ford:

Flash Report: Initial media feedback on the 2004 F-150 Long Lead-Drive Program

Initial media reaction to the 2004 Ford F-150 is extremely positive, following our two day media long lead ride and drive at Ford&#8217;s Arizona Proving Ground (APG) and roads leading from the proving grounds to Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

On Monday, the first of 10 journalists participated in the program. On Tuesday, a second wave of nine journalists took part in the same drive program (an all-media drive short lead program for some 300 journalists begins June 16 in San Antonio, Texas).

On both days, journalists drove the new F-150 against Dodge, Chevy and Toyota pickups in a variety of different tests. These head-to-head comparisons showcased the strengths of our new F-150 and helped clear up many of the misconceptions media had concerning the strength of our competitors. The consensus ranking of vehicles looked like this at the end of the program:

1) Ford, 2) Dodge, 3) Chevy, 4) Toyota.

The opportunity to drive the F-150 against the competition bolstered our leadership claims even more, said freelance writer Sue Mead. &#8220;It gives credibility to your claims,&#8221; she said.

Nissan&#8217;s new Titan full-size pickup, which goes on sale later this year, was not available for testing. Media will drive the new Nissan in the coming months. However, Mark Williams of Truck Trend magazine drove an early version of the pickup and said the new F-150 has &#8220;nothing to worry about.&#8221; He said the current F-150 already outperformed the Titan in steering. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

&#8220;The Nissan didn&#8217;t stand out in any one area. It is the old league. The strongest thing they have is their powertrain, but the overall package doesn&#8217;t compare.&#8221;

Our message that the new F-150 again set the standard for capability and refinement appears to be resonating with journalists judging from some of the early feedback we are receiving.

After driving the new F-150 against the competition, Bob Gritzinger from AutoWeek magazine summed up the day best: &#8220;The new F-150 against these others is like bringing a .357 Magnum to a BB gun contest.&#8221;

Added freelance writer Sue Mead: &#8220;This (F-150) is a homerun. It outperforms all of the others.&#8221;

THE PROGRAM

The program each day began with journalists driving current model F-150s (PN96) from Lake Havasu City Airport to APG. Once at APG, media were given an overview of the new F-150 and a look at some of the actual hardware that help make our new pickup stand above the competition. Journalists then put the new F-150 through a variety of track drives and exercises, including ride and handling, towing and an aggressive off-road course. Media departed APG in the new F-150s for a 100 mile drive to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, through a variety of roads and surfaces, including many aggressive mountain switchbacks.

Some common likes of the new F-150:

- Excellent brakes and steering

- Beautiful interior/strong exterior

- A new standard for quietness

Some common dislikes about F-150

- Floor mounted shifter feels cheap

- Wood grain on Lariat model looks cheap

Driving impressions of the F-150 will begin appearing July 1, the date the drive impression embargo is lifted. Some verbatim comments from the media include:

&#8220;Going into this drive I thought Ford was going to be at the mercy of Toyota and Nissan with their new trucks -- that you guys were going to lose share. No way after driving this new truck. This is more than just a new interior. This is a serious redesign on the chassis, powertrain ... everything.&#8221; -- Jack Keebler, Motor Trend magazine.

&#8220;I&#8217;m stunned at the steering. It is pretty amazing. This is a vehicle that even non-truck buyers might suddenly put on their consideration list. You guys have broken out of the pack with this new truck.&#8221; - Mark Williams, Truck Trend magazine.

&#8220;It has a good interior and exterior looks. As you know, you have to have a strong exterior look to try and lure buyers. This is a good truck.&#8221; - Mark Truby, The Detroit News.

&#8220;Lots of little nitpicks on the interior, but if we're having to concentrate on these type of things you've probably done something right. The graphics on the interior (climate control, radio, etc.) are poor -- hard to contrast and read while you're driving.&#8221; - Jack Keebler, Motor Trend

&#8220;The wood trim used in the Lariat looks cheap and takes away from what is a very nicely done interior.&#8221; Paul Eisenstein, Detroit Bureau.

&#8220;You guys put together a strong program. There was nothing wimpy about your program and nothing wimpy about your truck. This truck sets a new standard. It really does raise the chinning bar.&#8221; Eric Mayne, Ward&#8217;s Auto World magazine.

&#8220;Outstanding vehicle . . . The ignition key is located in a lousy location. You can&#8217;t see it. Why can&#8217;t you place it in the same location as you do with the (Lincoln) LS?&#8221; - Jim Dunne, Popular Mechanics.

&#8220;There are dramatic differences between the F-150&#8217;s interior quietness and the others. It&#8217;s amazing. The braking and the handling really separate the F-150 from the crowd. This new truck proves you don&#8217;t have to be noisy and rough.&#8221; Sue Mead, freelance writer.

&#8220;Unlike the Hummer H2, the interior is friendly to women. It&#8217;s good to see efforts were made to accommodate smaller people.&#8221; - Amy Wilson, Automotive News.

&#8220;I&#8217;m really surprised at the lack of power the (Dodge) Hemi put out during towing. The 45 horsepower advantage it has over the F-150 on paper doesn&#8217;t show up here on the track. Hemi&#8217;s lack of finesse really comes out while towing.&#8221; -- Richard Truett, Automotive News.

&#8220;The truck sets a new standard for solidity and quietness -- it is truly a polished piece of work. Ford has created a higher quality truck without losing any of its work capability.&#8221; - Jack Keebler, Motor Trend.

FanaticZ

06-03-2003, 07:51 PM

thats interesting, at least nissan has some time for fine tuning.

frontierq

06-04-2003, 09:22 AM

That's funny, because the latest edition of Motor Trend I have says the Titan is more refined and will give Ford a serious run. Remember folks, Titans will only sell around 100,000 a year, compared to near a million for Ford with all it's variations.......

06-04-2003, 06:30 PM

**DONOTDELETE**

06-04-2003, 07:44 PM

haha screw that , edmunds and autoweek said the titan was impressive and beat many things in many categories, thats just some lamo guys who hates [censored] trucks and the thought of them being good, how can the f-150 be so much better anyway, especially the not so special current model

right now im dodge ram all the way, i can't stand fords, but the new f-150 looks cool inside and out

remember this:
-titan has more power
-initially was supposed to tow 100 pounds more than f-150, until ford found out
-"The Nissan felt as if it had the strongest powertrain, perhaps because its engine and transmission seemed to mate together so well; the Hemi has 345 horsepower, but too often its gearbox seemed to lag behind the engine&#8217;s power curve. " autoweek

-"Titan&#8217;s tail was much calmer than anything offered by the domestic models. "

"But what we appreciated most about the mule was that it wasn&#8217;t mule-headed. The Titan&#8217;s steering was quick and precise, providing nicely weighted feedback that instills confidence that this mule has been well trained. "

"this is all derived form a mule truck not near final measures... the last review is opinion, this is observation
We also noticed that, unlike most of its competition, the Titan's steering has some heft to it for better road feel. Orth Hedrick, one of the lead product planners on the Titan project, said that at various times during development they had to choose whether to go for slightly better handling or a softer ride &#8212; they went for the handling. "We wanted this truck to drive smaller than it really is." (edmunds)

"Interior room is generous, and it's obvious that plenty of research went into assuring that its design emphasizes functionality above all else"

"It's obvious that Nissan has done its homework and built a legitimate competitor right out of the chute. It has the size, power and features to match up well against anything in its class. As Larry Dominique said at the end of our day with the Titan, "We built a truck that buyers in this segment simply can't ignore." We couldn't agree more."

HEY THEY CAN"T IGNORE IT ha

- The quote was from a editor at Truck Trend, a sister mag of Motor Trend and certainly not a "truck hating guy".
- The current F-150 max towing is 8300. Nissan leapfrogged them to 9400, then Ford leapfrogged them to 9400. Ultimatly, the can change that number to whatever they want, within reason...
- The Ford tested in the Nissan roadtest was a '03 FX4 which is quite stiff in the back end. Just because the Titan kicked it's azz does not mean the Nissan will be on the same level of the new Ford. Obviously from reading that article, the New Ford is quite a step up on it's rivals... The Ford as tested in that article has 260Hp vs the Titan 300+...

- Good thing Nissan has a little time for fine tuning...

-Sounds to me as though the Titan will compete very well against most of the new trucks, but I'll be curious to see where it fits in that rating of 1. Ford, 2 Dodge, 3. Chevy and 4. Toyota... I think maybe 2. probably 3. and no worse than 4. (Toyota will be 5th...)

06-04-2003, 09:13 PM

ight i agree with some of your points, i was just tryin to show that those viewpoints are a lil biased by backing them up with two other reliable sources... as for where it fits, it gonna be interesting

if it can meet all capabilities of other competitors then its off to a good start, from their it will bee little things, like interior, quality, steering, ride, performance, comfort

i figure the new f-150 in first then betweeen the titan and ram for second

fatddyslam69

06-05-2003, 12:32 AM

there is only one person, from truck trend, nonetheless, whom this whole article depends upon to make a claim that "Ford has nothing to worry about." None of the hundreds upond hundreds of journalists were able to even see the Nissan, let along drive it, so what is this deal with "Ford has nothing to worry about, and the journalists agree"? What is that crap, they cannot agree without even driving the car. That article is a load of crap, of course Ford needs to watch out, there is absolutely no doubt about it. As for the "old league" comment. Which Old Leaguers have a 5 speed Automatic transmission with a standard 5.6 V8 which beats all in specs other than the optional hemi, has second in class best towing capacity (which ford changed last minute, for a numbers change just to be first in class) with an amazing interior, tire pressure monitoring systems, and an amazing array of standard ammentities, all for a great price? Wait, which old leaguer did you say? Omg, are you serious, even the 04 Ford F-150 doesnt have a 5 speed automatic, or a spray-in bedliner? Wait! No 180 degree (almost) swinging doors, utili-track, or cargo area in the bottom rear of the truck.....wait, can the 04 F150 really be considered a "New Leaguer" with all that it lacks.

THAT REVIEW IS A BUNCH OF CRAP IF YOU ASK ME. THUMBS DOWN TO CYNCIAL, JUDGEMENTAL, NOT TO MENTION, OUT-OF-LINE JOURNALISTS AND ALL OF THEIR FOLLOWERS! http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/mad.gif

FanaticZ

06-05-2003, 01:19 AM

**DONOTDELETE**

06-05-2003, 06:08 AM

heh, tis ok, the truck will sell regardless of the negative reviews, just like the tundra has even with negative reviews daily about it. the titan is a badass looking truck and its going to catch on whether diehard ford fans want or not, so i take it with a grain of salt. hopefully nissan has been working on glitches though to make for a smooth start.

Let me just say...

Ur a moron!

This is not even close to a credible(?) source and it has been stated several times, yet u still say stupid sh*t like... "nissan has time to work out the glitches...nissan will still sell even with glitches...blah blah...."

Shut it already...plz

http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/mad.gif

FanaticZ

06-05-2003, 12:36 PM

you ok there slick, you just have a nervous breakdown or something?

yes news from ford's comparo between the titan and new f-150 is credible, even if its not the best of news, it shows that they have taken into consideration what nissan has put into the titan and are confident what they have built is better. if you think a brand new truck isn't going to have glitches when its released, you better wake up. ford has had years to refine their formula, nissan hasn't, so its going to take time for them to get a feel of the market. and yes it will sell, even with intial glitches - whether it be not being able to tow as well, or highway comfort, etc, because it does have some nice features and frontier owners need a truck to step up to. of course if nissan is fine tuning the truck none of these things could even show up in production, so we'll see when the truck is released.

Not_Vin_Diesel

06-05-2003, 01:46 PM

Am I correct in noting that everyone is reacting to one partial paragraph by one reviewer? Is this really enough to go on when we're talking about a preproduction model? Duh, it's a machine, all machine have "glitches," even the ones that have been out forever. If you don't think a F(ound) O(n) R(oad) D(ead) is going to have glitches regardless of how long it's model has been out, then you don't know Ford.

Obviously what will happen is that the Titan will come out and not sell as many units as the F-150 and everyone will go nuts. "See, I told you it wasn't as good!" When Nissan's goal is to only sell 100,000 a year vs. Ford 1 mil anyway. Nissan isn't even prepared to try and outsell Dodge right now. It's called getting your foot in the door in a segment you've never been in. It'll get knocked for something or another, still sell every model available and push up expectations for year 2. It's a profitable, well thought out plan and it will work.

**DONOTDELETE**

06-05-2003, 01:54 PM

Titan's are currently undergoing fine tuning to this day. For an editor to comments on a early production Titan's steering is WAAAY premature. Even the trucks own engineers don't know what the final vehicle's steering will be like.

BTW - these are not "glitches" at all. It's called engineering an all-new vehicle. You start with a rough prototype and you methodically refine it until you end up with the final vehicle.

FanaticZ

06-05-2003, 03:08 PM

well i've seen reviews complain on the preproduction 350z using a maxima engine, i've seem reviews complaining about the preproduction maxima, prealtima, prespecV with ~5-engines all of different hp levels/burning oil, don't see why a preproduction titan would be left out. i'm sure nissan benefits greatly by having the truck put through the ringer with other brands so they find out what needs work and what doesn't. dude they're glitches, ideal way to engineer a vehicle is to have it right the first time, after that its costing extra money to fix, but i bet thats the way it goes for most vehicles. like the 5-series needing updates on its active steering after the first preproduction review.

TwinTurboZX

06-05-2003, 03:19 PM

Please don't freak out, this article is just a form of propaganda probably bought and paid for by Ford. Saying that Ford or anyone else is not worried about the Titan is completely false since the Titan will definitely take a bite out of Ford's market share. Other than the redneck hillbilies who don't drive anything other than domestics, the smart consumer is gonna give the Titan a serious look when in the market for a full-size truck.

**DONOTDELETE**

06-05-2003, 03:37 PM

06-05-2003, 03:50 PM

damn i wish i could fin it, there is an article out there with a quote froma ford guy directly saying that the Titan is a credible truck that will challenge their product...cant remeber where i read it...

yeh whatever its on line from one ford-lover, we prob are overeacting

FanaticZ

06-05-2003, 04:02 PM

that was really annoying when ford changed the tow rating on the 04f-150 after nissan released their specs, that truck would slide all over the highway with 9500lbs hooked up.

Japan's number three targets the only remaining segment dominated by the Big Three.
by Paul A. Eisenstein 1/10/2003

It’s the clash of the Titans. And the F-150s, GMT-800s and Rams. With the launch of its new Titan full-size pickup truck, Nissan is taking aim at the only remaining segment of the U.S. motor vehicle market still overwhelmingly dominated by the Big Three.

The stakes are enormous. Variable profits on a Ford F-150 can top $10,000 for a loaded King Ranch model, analysts say. And that adds up fast when you consider Ford sold 820,000 F-Series pickups last year. In better days, those trucks accounted for as much as half of the troubled automaker’s overall profits. And Ford isn’t unique among the Big Three.

So, considering that American motorists bought 2.3 million full-size pickups last year, you can expect to see a battle royale as the domestic makers defend their turf and Nissan moves to put its proverbial stake in the ground.

Now Nissan

Nissan actually isn’t the first Japanese automaker to enter the large truck market. The pioneer was Toyota . But its original T-100 was an anemic, undersized also-ran. Its second-generation pickup, the Tundra, isn’t much more compelling, according to critics, and apparently consumers as well. It rolled up sales of only 99,333 trucks in the U.S. last year.

Nissan isn’t intending to make the same mistakes, company officials stress. “We intend to bring a truck that can go head-to-head with the segment leaders,” declared Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn during the preview of the Titan at the North American International Auto Show

The truck the automaker unveiled is big and powerful, with plenty of pulling power. It’s got a 300-horsepower, 5.6- liter V-8 capable of towing 9,400 pounds. That’s only 100 pounds behind the top-line Ford F-Series – and perhaps not so coincidentally, Ford just increased its towing capacity from 9,300 pounds, just in time for the Titan launch.

The Titan also features a variety of innovative features, including a two-step, fold-down tailgate, a durable spray-in bed liner, a storage box built into the side of the rear fenders, and the two rear doors that swing open nearly 180 degrees for easy access to the truck’s back seats.

“They will be a credible entry, no question about it,” conceded Jim Padilla, president of Ford’s North American automotive operations.

Ford Fights Back

But Ford isn’t ready to give up any ground, much less concede defeat. The U.S. automaker had its own new offering at the Detroit show, a ground-up redesign of the F-Series. The 2004 model will be bigger and more powerful. Its frame is nine times stiffer than the model it’s replacing.

And in a bold, if risky move, Ford has crafted five different versions of the new F- 150, with distinctly different interiors and exteriors designed to appeal to unique buyer groups. There’s a stripped-down entry-level model, another for hip young outdoor enthusiasts, a high-line version for the “ Texas limousine” crowd, and two others.

But perhaps the most important weapon in the American arsenal is the rock-steady loyalty of the pickup buyer. “We’ve got 26 million loyal owners out there,” noted Padilla, and studies show pickup owners are about the least likely of all to switch allegiance.

Nissan officials agree that will work against them. Simply getting a Ford buyer to consider a Chevrolet is a challenge, never mind selling them a foreign brand. At most, there may be 700,000 full-size pickup owners who’d even consider the Titan, said Larry Dominique, Chief Product Specialist for Titan.

Earning credibility

“We don’t have any credibility in this segment,” Dominique acknowledged. “We have to earn it, and to do that, we have to over-deliver in a lot of areas.”

That’s not only in terms of the product itself. To soften the concerns of those who might prefer to buy American, Nissan has set up an assembly plant in Canton, MS . And the progress of that operation suggests just how cautiously bullish the Japanese maker is about the Titan. The Canton plant underwent two major expansions before it even built its first vehicle.

With Titan still some months away from commercial roll-out, Nissan officials are being vague about hard details – such as how many of the big trucks they believe they can sell. The Canton operation has a capacity of 400,000 vehicles annually, but along with Titan, it will also produce the replacement Quest minivan and two as-yet-unnamed full-size sport-utility vehicles.

Start small, aim high

Most observers expect Nissan to start small, with perhaps 100,000 units a year as its initial target for Titan, “But they could do 250,000 off this platform, and that would make a very healthy profit,” estimated Joe Phillippi, an independent automotive analyst.

Phillippi believes that Nissan’s entry is more than credible, unlike the Toyota Tundra, and “it’s going to set the industry on its ear.”

A critical question is where Nissan’s volume will come from. Ford’s Padilla believes there’s still room to grow the full-size pickup segment, and that’s supported for sales trends. But few believe Nissan will simply tap incremental sales – buyers new to the segment. More likely, it will attract a few new entrants and a lot of conquest sales. And Phillippi echoes common sentiment that it’s not the Big Three, but rather “ Toyota (that) is at the most risk.”

At least for the moment, anyway. But Toyota ’s owner base is small, so if Nissan really does score a hit with the Titan, it could begin to chip away at Big Three dominance in the next few years. It won’t be easy, but history suggests that even with the most credible products, it is impossible to completely lock out the imports.

Will history repeat itself?

Even giving up a relatively small share of the full-size truck market could have serious consequences for Detroit . And the situation is only certain to become more challenging going forward. If history repeats itself, Toyota will be back with a more serious contender in the future. And even Honda has said it may need to reconsider its decision not to enter the big truck market.

The increase in competition and production capacity could lead to more aggressive pricing – and the sort of incentives devastating profitability in other segments of the U.S. motor vehicle market.

Nissan has a long way to go before it can count itself a success. But there’s no question it has set in motion a war for the heart, mind and wallet of the full-size pickup buyer.

**DONOTDELETE**

06-05-2003, 05:05 PM

dude they're glitches, ideal way to engineer a vehicle is to have it right the first time, after that its costing extra money to fix,

That's a good one! You need to realize that the vehicle isn't even on sale yet.

If it was already on sale, and then had to be re-engineered, then you would be correct.

As it is not on sale, and all prototype vehicles go to journalists with notes all over the car stating that is is a prototype vehicle that has yet to be fine-tuned to production spec (because they are currently determining WHAT productio-spec is).

By finessing the engineering prototypes, Nissan is helping to ensure that it IS done right the first time - prior to it going on sale and into hands of consumers.

There is no way you will ever develop a vehicle, put the first few together, and have them all be 100% correct. That's why they make prototypes.

FanaticZ

06-05-2003, 05:18 PM

i already read the process on chevy's new truck, this is pointless.

The first set of iterative test vehicles, usually just one or two, is known as the alpha build. Many times these alpha ‘mules’ find their way to a scrap heap rather than production because they never receive the greenlight from management or the concept doesn’t prove out with the public. Next come the hand-built beta builds. Betas begin to fully realize technical concepts, new technologies and can provide critical insight into manufacturing techniques that will be needed for assembly. Gamma builds are run down the production line at a manufacturing plant and are slow built to test technical specifications, fit and finish and ride and handling. After gammas, non-saleable units are next incorporating lessons previously learned and to lock-in finely tuned settings, such as the suspension, in something very close to a production truck. Finally full-scale production can begin after the engineers are confident all of the risks have been eliminated from their manufacturing and design process.

When we joined the GMT 355 engineers for their most recent development drive there was a set of six gamma-build trucks ready for testing, each representing a major cab configuration or driveline type. They were described as 85% production representative and included: an I5 Colorado crew cab 4x2 with the ZQ8 sport suspension; an I5 Colorado regular cab 4x2; an I5 Colorado extended cab 4x4 with the Z71 off-road package; an I4 Canyon regular cab 4x2 with a manual transmission; an I4 Colorado extended cab 4x4; and an I5 Canyon crew cab 4x4 with the Z71 off-road package. Also along for comparison on the ride was a Chevrolet S-10, GMC Sonoma and Toyota Tacoma double cab 4x4.

Reading about the improvements and design changes made to the Colorado and Canyon over their predecessors it’s pretty easy to believe that all of the advanced planning and engineering might be able to catch every single bug in the vehicles prior to production but you still need that human interaction with the vehicle to truly make it come together. It was up to us and several other journalists to help spot those bugs.

The bugs we found on the Colorado and Canyon gamma drive were nothing extraordinary but they were fascinating nonetheless and taken extremely seriously by the engineers for resolution. For example, the digital display for the odometer tended to wash out in direct sunlight and looked dim at other times. On several vehicles at highway speeds a faint whistle could be heard that was traced back to the HVAC system. Two vehicles each experienced a slight hood vibration on the freeway by the driver-side headlights. The stitching on some of the headrests was uneven. But each of these issues is sure to be fixed long before production begins if they haven’t been eliminated already.

We’ll drive the production Colorado and Canyon later this year and report back as to how well GM and the Shreveport team have executed on the final product. If the preparation for the launch of these trucks is any indication we expect to see this plant in business making pickups for at least another 20 years.

TwinTurboZX

06-05-2003, 05:19 PM

Haha, if Ford changed their tow rating just to look good on paper specs then they got something else coming. I wanna see someone tow a 9400lb. boat or whatever and the f-150 just FartZ on the road. http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/grin.gif This will further weaken Ford's less than shiny credibility.

**DONOTDELETE**

06-05-2003, 07:00 PM

i already read the process on chevy's new truck, this is pointless.

Then I'm glad we, er agree. I think. Not sure what that post is about, other than to state that engineering prototypes are used to develop final chassis/vehicle tuning.

Of course, GM is notorious for making first-year owners part of their testing fleet!

Umi_R98

06-07-2003, 02:29 AM

all this concern will NOT stop people from looking at the Titan. If you look at the the new Maxima, it doesn't look exactly like the best car out there but people are buying it cause its different, tasteful, and a car that will give the competition white streaks.

Titan will no doubt sell 100k units. The question now, whose loyalty pool will be most affected by Titan. Ford having to change specs is a sign of weakness and worry. (After all they're so desprate they're buying CVT trannys from Nissan!) Most truck buyers dunt give a rats azz about where the truck comes from, as long as it fits their needs, simplistic and purposeful.

Ford, GM, Dodge will recieve substantial competition from Nissan and Toyota, if may not show now. Nissan will be the one under scrutiny from the domestic rivals, no doubt. Fall then get back up, try something new, stumble, get back up. Toyota right now is in pole position in America, so they can jus watch Nissan pave the way until the time is right for them to step up.

Simply put, when people findout there's a Truck thats jus as good and maybe in some ways better than the leader in the market isn't it worth looking in to?

Irie_eyes

06-07-2003, 03:39 AM

You know what would be funny?
Nissan decides to goes head-to-head against Toyota and the rest in NASCAR Truck.
That would make it interesting, instead of Toyota vs. domestics.

montyz81

06-11-2003, 01:23 PM

Remember this my friends. This guy from Truck trend tested a preproduction model. The guys from car and Driver said the steering in the Titan was the best of the bunch. Also, remember the people who buy pickups are the most picky when it comes to what they want their truck to be. There is no way this is going to please the loyalists from Ford,GM and Dodge. Since I am a Nissan enthusiast, it will please me. (I know I have a toyota, thats only cuase nissan didn't have a fullsize at the time)

Umi_R98

06-11-2003, 05:52 PM

you know those NASCAR Truckers want some new faces in there. someone is bound to use the Titan to race for fun, or jump it into the Dakar race.

magnifico

07-12-2003, 05:20 AM

''BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME'' http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/smirk.gif <font color="red[/img] </font>

Redd_Tigger

08-29-2003, 08:33 PM

-Sounds to me as though the Titan will compete very well against most of the new trucks, but I'll be curious to see where it fits in that rating of 1. Ford, 2 Dodge, 3. Chevy and 4. Toyota... I think maybe 2. probably 3. and no worse than 4. (Toyota will be 5th...)

Actually General Motors has the largest share of the pie, 42%, Ford follow's suit with 32%, Dodge w/18% and Toyota w/ 7%.. Nissan is looking for only 4%.. which I think it will hit with ease.

- Good thing Nissan has a little time for fine tuning...

Nissan learned, when they released prelimary figures for towing, the NEW F-150 was rated at 9,100 lbs. Then all of a sudden, Ford changed it to 9,500. So, Nissan upped their numbers to match. And at 305HP and 379ft-lbs Nissan has little to worry about in the powerplant dept..

Here's a little excerpt from Wards auto World.
Titan Gives Competition Run for Their Money (http://wardsauto.com/ar/auto_titan_gives_competition/index.htm)

But all-American slogan or not, Titan is just as tough as its rock-solid competition. One gets the feeling that Nissan built the Titan around its engine. Nissan might be a truck neophyte, but it’s got street credibility in engines – in spades.

Interior volume is an excellent 127 cu.-ft. (3.6 cu.-m), and Nissan lays claim to the segment’s best headroom and legroom as well.

In the handling department, Titan not only matches the competition, it shines. It rides on a Tower Automotive-built frame with double-wishbone front suspension and rigid leaf rear suspension. The configuration works well for offroading in the 4-wheel-drive high or low modes.

Simply stated, Nissan did a great job.. The biggest problem is going to be getting people to actually test drive one. I think once they do, Nissan will be a clear winner..

Scottx

08-30-2003, 02:37 PM

Does Ford make any vehicle with average or better reliability? They certainly make plenty that are at the bottom of the reliability heap.

I drove the Expedition and Explorer recently. The steering was awful, typical of Ford. Floats over bumps with hard leans in corners. Not to mention Ford's history of selling vehicles they knew were killing people like the Pinto and Explorer.

I "looked again" at Ford and decided to wait for the new Armada. Even with first year glitches it has to be more reliable then anything from Ford.

As far as the reviewer goes, who cares what the guy says. He's obviously biased if he is making a final determination on a car that's three months from production and still in the proto-type stage.

The countdown begins to the first F150 recall as soon as they hit the lot.

Umi_R98

08-31-2003, 03:00 PM

wonder what 9500 lbs of stuff looks like, big boat hehe. Towing 2 Armadas? Dodge RAM, Chevy Silverado, F-150 all at once? Z,Maxima,Murano,Cube vs the Titan in a tug o war?

magnifico

09-06-2003, 09:38 AM

lets not get too excited ,this truck hasnt even come out yet and everyone is predicting its shortcomings and greatness .lets wait after the first model year and see what it is all about

dfw_alan

09-25-2003, 05:37 PM

If its Detriot media and press, no suprises there http://forums.freshalloy.com/images/graemlins/smirk.gif