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Old 12-30-2004, 09:29 AM   #1
Cateye
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
Posts: 128
Default Toyota Tundra vs. Nissan Titan

I am considering purchasing a new tow vehicle and am looking at either a Tundra or Titan. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has towing experience with these vehicles. I am especially interested in service problems and towing ability....Thanks...Cateye
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The Kramers,
Grand Junction
Colorado
2003 2720SL
1999 Grand Cherokee, 4.7L V8
Quadradrive
Factory Towing Pkg.
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Old 12-30-2004, 01:24 PM   #2
fcatwo
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Location: Anacortes. Wa
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We haven't towed yet but did go through the process of checking out both the Tundra and Titan. There are owner web sites for both and you'll find many hours of reading on each. Tundrasolutions.com works for the Tundra but I no longer have the Titan site handy. I'm sure you'll find it with a Google. RV.net also has a lot of TV discussion but covers all brands.

The Titan is bigger, heavier and more powerful so you are not comparing equal trucks. We don't intend to move to a substantially larger trailer so chose the Tundra for it's better maneuverability and the fact it's been around longer. Neither is completely trouble-free but the Tundra "MAY?" have a few more of the bugs worked out. Toyota is coming out with a new and larger truck in 06 or 07.
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Former 2002 TM2619 Owner
2005 Toyota Tundra AC 4X2
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Old 12-31-2004, 09:27 AM   #3
RockyMtnRay
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Default Both will work

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cateye
I am considering purchasing a new tow vehicle and am looking at either a Tundra or Titan. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has towing experience with these vehicles. I am especially interested in service problems and towing ability....Thanks...Cateye
Adding to what Frank (fcatwo) said...

I have an '03 Tundra and towed my 2720SL all over Colorado's central/northern mountains with it this past summer. My towing situation is probably about as similar to yours as anyone here.

Stock, I would rate the Tundra's towing ability at our high altitudes as very good and certainly better than what you would get from a Ford/Dodge/Chevy with a similarly sized engine. Even on the tougher climbs (west side of Vail Pass, western side of the Eisenhower Tunnels), I was able to just about achieve the speed limit with trailer in tow and would regularly pass domestic trucks pulling much lighter trailers. However, when towing I did find that the truck needed to downshift from 3rd (direct drive on the '04 and earler models) to 2nd gear on just about any grade when the elevation was over 5000 feet. And a merge from an Interstate on ramp when towing at elevations over 6000 feet was sometimes interesting because I would often run out of on-ramp before achieving traffic speed.

The performance, while good enough for an occasional high altitude trip, did IMHO need some improvement to provide a "happy" high altitude towing experience when done on a regular basis. Since I got an incredibly good end of year deal on my truck ($4000 below Invoice, nearly $9000 below sticker), I was able to afford to do three carefully chosen performance modifications...namely exhaust headers, a tuned-for-towing muffler, and regearing of the differentials. Collectively these have produced about a 25% increase in usable torque (about like having a 400 ft-lb engine which almost puts it into diesel or 8 liter gas V8 territory). Downshifts on grades under 7% have been nearly eliminated, on ramp merges are a breeze and mountain towing is now downright enjoyable.

Reliability is truly outstanding...Toyotas are renowned for their reliability and by the '03 model, Toyota had worked out all the new model kinks with the Tundra. In 11000+ miles I have not had one single thing go wrong...the truck truly had zero defects. None. Nada. Haven't needed to take it to the dealer to get anything fixed. The only service I've needed so far is routine oil and lubrication. Quality of the interior appointments is exceptionally high...as is the ride quality...it's smooth and silent and there are no squeaks and rattles. Again None. Nada. The truck is basically at the ride and construction quality level of a Toyota Avalon or even mid range Lexus.

When towing...even in 90 degree temps...I've never had any overheating issues. The engine temp never budges above normal even on sustained climbs. I did install a transmission temp gauge but it has never gone above 195 degrees (a safe temperature) even on sustained climbs at high ambient temperatures.

Gas Mileage is pretty good too...with the trailer, I get around 12 to almost 15 mpg (12 something going up into the mountains, 14 something coming down and on level roads). Without the trailer, I get between 19 and 20 on the highway driving with a light foot at the speed limit.

The truck replaced a regular (not Grand) 1996 Cherokee. With a 128 inch wheelbase, control of the trailer is much, much better than with the 103 inch wheelbase on the Cherokee. I wouldn't go so far as to say I don't know the trailer is back there...at least in the mountains...but it's scarcely noticeable out here on the plains.

I bought my Tundra in October '03 just as Nissan was introducing the Titan. There were 3 reasons why I picked the Tundra over the Titan:
  • Proven Model. I am a firm believer that you have to be a serious gambler to buy any vehicle in its first 2 to 3 years of production
  • Smaller. I have a smallish garage (only 19.5 feet long, about 16 feet wide) in which I store both the truck and my TM. The Tundra is small enough that I have a foot or so fore/aft and enough lateral room to be able to open the door almost fully for ease of getting in/out. The Titan would have been a very tight fit.
  • Better deal. As mentioned above I got an exception deal on a "last year's model" which I couldn't have done at the time on a Titan.

If you compare the discussions at TundraSolutions and TitanTalk regarding current models, it's clear that the Tundra is a debugged model whereas the Titan is still somewhat of a work in progress. There's no doubt the Titan has an excellent powertrain (and far more powerful one than the Tundra, especially for towing) but the overall build quality and quality of interior appointments is lower. One of my friends described it as a rattlecan on top of a great engine.

The Titan is a true full sized truck...but still somewhat buggy with some rough edges; the Tundra (even in the Double Cab version) is really still a 7/8ths sized truck...but highly refined and troublefree. From a pure towing capability point of view, the Titan wins...but the decision isn't so clear cut when you factor in all the other considerations.

HTH
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Ray

I use my TM as a base camp for hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, and climbing Colorado's 14ers


The Trailer: 2002 TM Model 2720SL ( Mods: Solar Panels (170 Watts), Dual T-105 Batteries, Electric Tongue Jack, Side AC, Programmable Thermostat, Doran TP Monitor System)

The Tow Vehicle: 2003 Toyota Tundra V8 SR5 4X4 w/Tow Package (Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Prodigy Brake Controller, Transmission Temperature Gauge)


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Old 01-03-2005, 10:05 AM   #4
Cateye
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Thanks for the detailed reply...This pretty much confirms what I have been able to find on the internet. I also think that the interior of the Nissan looks "plastic/Toyish". I believe the Tundra 2005 models have more horsepower at 285 which is not that far from the Nissan...looks like we will go for the tundra 4 door...Cateye
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The Kramers,
Grand Junction
Colorado
2003 2720SL
1999 Grand Cherokee, 4.7L V8
Quadradrive
Factory Towing Pkg.
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Old 02-02-2005, 06:13 PM   #5
ccc6588
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cateye
Thanks for the detailed reply...This pretty much confirms what I have been able to find on the internet. I also think that the interior of the Nissan looks "plastic/Toyish". I believe the Tundra 2005 models have more horsepower at 285 which is not that far from the Nissan...looks like we will go for the tundra 4 door...Cateye
The best way to decide is to take a test drive. Nissan Titan was voted the Truck of the Year in 2004 by Edmunds and most of the other Truck Publications. It did not win the Motor Trend Truck of the Year which in 2005 incidentally was won by the Toyota Tacoma. The Tundra although very refined is not in the same class as the Titan and the offerings from the big 3 as far as power and towing capacity. It is for this reason that Toyota is coming out with a new Truck which I am sure will become the new standard.

Nissan Titan is a very impressive truck at a very reasonable price. It has a lot of innovations and raw power. I do not believe you will find it plastic/Toyish if you test drove one.
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