Used Titan vs Tundra

[Anthony]

How many miles on the 2011
Titan? A 2011 Titan should be a solid bet if cared for. A Titan with 3.36 gears will tow as well as a tundra with 4.30 gears. Titan makes peak torque at 3400 rpm and 90% at 2500 rpm.

Some Titans have 2.94 gears. Still strong trucks. Exhaust manifolds will likely crack on the Titan at some point. Titans are EASY to perform preventative maintenance on. Drain plugs on diffs and transmission. Radiator has a drain plug. Spark plugs are easy.

I have a 13 with 98,000 miles. Tires, brakes, fluids. That’s it. It tows the boat most wknds. Has towed several cars in its life. Recently towed my mustang from Ga to Florida and back. 6000+lb load. Cruise control set at 70 mph. Still got 13 hand calculated MPG. I think that’s very good. Tells me the truck was not working hard.

I get 18.5 - 19 MPG on rd trips unloaded.

Tundra is a great choice too. I would buy the one that drives the best to you. Please drive both and report what you think.

 

[avacado11]

Titans…there’s a reason their cheaper. And there’s a reason they didn’t sell too many of them. I’m sure it’ll get the job done though.

 

[Anthony]

Titans…there’s a reason their cheaper. And there’s a reason they didn’t sell too many of them. I’m sure it’ll get the job done though.

They all have their problems. The Titan is not a lesser truck than any other 1/2 ton.
The 5.6 is outstanding and definitely a better long term engine than a Ram Hemi or GM 5.3. Both of those engines have Active Fuel Management with quite a few failures.

 

[skrypj]

How many miles on the 2011
Titan? A 2011 Titan should be a solid bet if cared for. A Titan with 3.36 gears will tow as well as a tundra with 4.30 gears. Titan makes peak torque at 3400 rpm and 90% at 2500 rpm.

Some Titans have 2.94 gears. Still strong trucks. Exhaust manifolds will likely crack on the Titan at some point. Titans are EASY to perform preventative maintenance on. Drain plugs on diffs and transmission. Radiator has a drain plug. Spark plugs are easy.

I have a 13 with 98,000 miles. Tires, brakes, fluids. That’s it. It tows the boat most wknds. Has towed several cars in its life. Recently towed my mustang from Ga to Florida and back. 6000+lb load. Cruise control set at 70 mph. Still got 13 hand calculated MPG. I think that’s very good. Tells me the truck was not working hard.

I get 18.5 - 19 MPG on rd trips unloaded.

Tundra is a great choice too. I would buy the one that drives the best to you. Please drive both and report what you think.

The 5.6L makes peak torque at 3600 rpm, which is exactly the same as the 5.7L, but makes slightly less. Its really the HP where the Tundra is substantially better though. 317 vs 381. I would rather have the extra HP because that tells me the torque curve on the Titan tanks compared to the Tundra. Titan is making 340 torque at 4900 rpm HP peak while the Tundra is making almost 360 at 5600 rpm. So the tundra is making a considerable amount more torque through the curve. Probably 30 ft-lbs more at 4900 rpm.

I tow a travel trailer with my Lexus GX which makes 301 hp, not much less than the Titan. I can tell you right now, it has to give me almost everything it has on the freeways here in Utah to keep that trailer rolling up the hills faster than 50mph. In the middle of the summer when its 90+ degrees it really struggles.

 

[Anthony]

The 5.6L makes peak torque at 3600 rpm, which is exactly the same as the 5.7L, but makes slightly less. Its really the HP where the Tundra is substantially better though. 317 vs 381. I would rather have the extra HP because that tells me the torque curve on the Titan tanks compared to the Tundra. Titan is making 340 torque at 4900 rpm HP peak while the Tundra is making almost 360 at 5600 rpm. So the tundra is making a considerable amount more torque through the curve. Probably 30 ft-lbs more at 4900 rpm.

I tow a travel trailer with my Lexus GX which makes 301 hp, not much less than the Titan. I can tell you right now, it has to give me almost everything it has on the freeways here in Utah to keep that trailer rolling up the hills faster than 50mph. In the middle of the summer when its 90+ degrees it really struggles.

04-07 Titans make peak torque at 3600rpm.

The OP is looking at a 11. 08-15 make peak torque at 3400 rpm.

 

[Anthony]

The 5.6L makes peak torque at 3600 rpm, which is exactly the same as the 5.7L, but makes slightly less. Its really the HP where the Tundra is substantially better though. 317 vs 381. I would rather have the extra HP because that tells me the torque curve on the Titan tanks compared to the Tundra. Titan is making 340 torque at 4900 rpm HP peak while the Tundra is making almost 360 at 5600 rpm. So the tundra is making a considerable amount more torque through the curve. Probably 30 ft-lbs more at 4900 rpm.

I tow a travel trailer with my Lexus GX which makes 301 hp, not much less than the Titan. I can tell you right now, it has to give me almost everything it has on the freeways here in Utah to keep that trailer rolling up the hills faster than 50mph. In the middle of the summer when its 90+ degrees it really struggles.

That 4.6 doesn’t have near the low end grunt of the Titan 5.6. That is why you have to give it everything it has. The Titan is also underrated. They usually dyno around 280HP - 290HP to the wheels.

 

[Anthony]

The 5.6L makes peak torque at 3600 rpm, which is exactly the same as the 5.7L, but makes slightly less. Its really the HP where the Tundra is substantially better though. 317 vs 381. I would rather have the extra HP because that tells me the torque curve on the Titan tanks compared to the Tundra. Titan is making 340 torque at 4900 rpm HP peak while the Tundra is making almost 360 at 5600 rpm. So the tundra is making a considerable amount more torque through the curve. Probably 30 ft-lbs more at 4900 rpm.

I tow a travel trailer with my Lexus GX which makes 301 hp, not much less than the Titan. I can tell you right now, it has to give me almost everything it has on the freeways here in Utah to keep that trailer rolling up the hills faster than 50mph. In the middle of the summer when its 90+ degrees it really struggles.

I’m not saying the Titan will out tow the Tundra. I’m saying it will tow as well. Those are the results from tfl truck for a 0 to 60 test with a 5740lb boat. As you can see the Titan did it faster but in the Tundras Defense it was slightly heavier being a king vs crew cab.

 

[UncleDave]

Titans…there’s a reason their cheaper. And there’s a reason they didn’t sell too many of them. I’m sure it’ll get the job done though.

Its not always true the titans are cheaper.

The 4x4 big tow LE/ pro 4x is still nice truck loaded and nicer inside than the yota in its higher trims, and still worth a bunch of money.

Im tremendously pleased with the Rig and after 18 years of owning it have really used it to its capacity for a large % of that life.

If you use a 1/2 ton truck to 50%-90 of its capacity regularly you'll wear out some parts, but the mill, trans and drivetrain as well as the general quality of everything but the manifolds and original rancho shocks has been really good.

I maintained it well, and the engine and drivetrain have been incredibly solid,
I have an old school physical logbook to pass on of everything thats been done should I ever bother to actually get rid of it.

Friends that borrow it are duly impressed every time, my good buddy remarked the newer stuff outside of the big ecobost isn't enough better to bother upgrading to. With the bilsteins and better brakes, modest upgrades its a nice rig.

I dont see any reason at all to bother getting off it. I cant imagine loading a bed of animal crap in a new 70K truck.

Its every bit a substantive rig as any ford or chevy I've ever owned.

 

[14Accent]

Ah, the Titan vs. Tundra debate. Lots of good points made so far, and I admit I don't have much to add other than the Tundra is slightly easier to work on. Both the 5.6 and 5.7 are excellent engines, however (as has been pointed out) the Toyota does seem to pack more punch at lower RPM. That could be entirely due to gearing, and I will say that I'm a big fan of the rev-happy nature of the Nissan 5.6 however it doesn't lend itself to truck duty under all circumstances.

The only other data point I can think of is more of a general observation: Toyota's seem to have more reliable cooling systems and AC components. Nissan has long been plagued with radiator issues, AC compressor problems, and general cheapness of certain plastic parts of hoses and connections. Toyota has mostly avoided those issues, for whatever reason. Again, that's just a general observation from the field.

 

[Anthony]

Ah, the Titan vs. Tundra debate. Lots of good points made so far, and I admit I don't have much to add other than the Tundra is slightly easier to work on. Both the 5.6 and 5.7 are excellent engines, however (as has been pointed out) the Toyota does seem to pack more punch at lower RPM. That could be entirely due to gearing, and I will say that I'm a big fan of the rev-happy nature of the Nissan 5.6 however it doesn't lend itself to truck duty under all circumstances.

The only other data point I can think of is more of a general observation: Toyota's seem to have more reliable cooling systems and AC components. Nissan has long been plagued with radiator issues, AC compressor problems, and general cheapness of certain plastic parts of hoses and connections. Toyota has mostly avoided those issues, for whatever reason. Again, that's just a general observation from the field.

What is it about the 5.6 that doesn’t lend itself to truck duty??

 

[14Accent]

What is it about the 5.6 that doesn’t lend itself to truck duty??

Just the fact that it's more of a "peaky" engine, from my observation. I didn't mean it wasn't perfectly capable of doing its job, only that the 5.7 Toyota feels a little more truck-esque.

 

[Anthony]

Just the fact that it's more of a "peaky" engine, from my observation. I didn't mean it wasn't perfectly capable of doing its job, only that the 5.7 Toyota feels a little more truck-esque.

It’s not a peaky engine.
80% of its torque comes at 1,000 rpm.
90% @ 2500 rpm
Peak torque comes at 3400 rpm.
200 rpm sooner than the tundra 5.7 but the tundra does make 16 more lb ft.

I tow heavy often with my 13 Titan. It does not need a lot of revs.

But yes a tundra with a 4.30 rear axle will feel more lively than the Titan with a 2.94 ratio. The Titans with the 3.36 ratio have more of the tundra feel. The trans ratios are lower so the higher axle ratios work in the Titan.

 

[UncleDave]

It’s not a peaky engine.
80% of its torque comes at 1,000 rpm.
90% @ 2500 rpm
Peak torque comes at 3400 rpm.
200 rpm sooner than the tundra 5.7 but the tundra does make 16 more lb ft.

I tow heavy often with my 13 Titan. It does not need a lot of revs.

But yes a tundra with a 4.30 rear axle will feel more lively than the Titan with a 2.94 ratio. The Titans with the 3.36 ratio have more of the tundra feel. The trans ratios are lower so the higher axle ratios work in the Titan.

Its not peaky at all.

Because of the trans gearing there is "more axle" left in the titan -as you said the "big tow" axle ratio is 3:36
Put a 3:73/ 411 in one and it will amaze you and stomp anything else NA with a few caveats.

4x4 Lo can become an issue with so much leverage and the dana 44 rear end.

The cruise doenst work reliably above a 3:73

 

[jeepman3071]

Titans…there’s a reason their cheaper. And there’s a reason they didn’t sell too many of them. I’m sure it’ll get the job done though.

There is a reason they are cheaper.... they don't carry the Toyota tax haha. Any Toyota in the NorthEast is a terrible deal. I see people selling Tundras that have high mileage for ridiculous prices and it makes no sense. Sure, it's reliable, but it doesn't matter if the engine still runs when the frame folds in half from all the rust. I wouldn't buy ANY used truck here in the salt belt, you just won't get your moneys worth. At least the other brands will be cheaper to buy initially, and last just about the same amount of time before they rot in half.

 

[nomas]

2018 Titan here . 32k miles no issues . Plenty of power . Rides good .

 

[Anthony]

Starting to look at trucks this week. Looking at a 2011 Titan tomorrow, possibly a 07 Tundra (5.7 TRD) as well. Miles are within 10k of each other. Titan is about 1600.00 less. Money is NOT the issue. The more I read about the Titan, the more it grows on me..... MPG is not an issue, you don't buy a truck and worry about that.

How bad does the TRD suspension beat you up in daily driving?

Would like to hear from ACTUAL owners, regarding their experiences.


TY

Did you ever make a decision or still looking?

 

[stanlee]

What is it about the 5.6 that doesn’t lend itself to truck duty??

Guy has clearly not driven a first gen Titan if he thinks it's peaky. The top end is where the Toyota outperforms the 5.6.
My advice concerning the Titan would be try to find one in the 08-15' model years and avoid 04-05' models (mainly due to expensive rear diff issues and small brakes even though 06-07 still have the small brakes I believe). In general there is only one thing that kills Titans (and frontiers and Xterras) and that's the trans cooler (actually a heater for cold weather) on the bottom of the radiator failing and allowing coolant into the transmission destroying the transmission. That is easily remedied with a $50 trans cooler, about one hour of work and bypassing it completely. Keeps the transmission temps way lower to boot. Do that and change the fluids like you should they'll pretty much run forever.

 

[UncleDave]

Guy has clearly not driven a first gen Titan if he thinks it's peaky. The top end is where the Toyota outperforms the 5.6.
My advice concerning the Titan would be try to findlem one in the 08-15' model years and avoid 04-05' models (mainly due to expensive rear diff issues and small brakes even though 06-07 still have the small brakes I believe). In general there is only one thing that kills Titans (and frontiers and Xterras) and that's the trans cooler (actually a heater for cold weather) on the bottom of the radiator failing and allowing coolant into the transmission destroying the transmission. That is easily remedied with a $50 trans cooler, about one hour of work and bypassing it completely. Keeps the transmission temps way lower to boot. Do that and change the fluids like you should they'll pretty much run forever.

Titan uses a dana 44 rear end and axle - a well known part that any rear end shop can get.
I expected to have a rear end problems, but haven't that said I put a diff cooler from Stillen on which holds a bit more juice.
Where I hear poeple have rear end issues is in 4x4 low with really big tires and I dont do that.

I took a rock to a radiator and replaced it with a CFS unit at 10 years of age, I should have remoted the trans cooler at that time but didnt bother as Ive never lost control of trans temp. Every now and then Ill get a bit of climb at the top of a hill on a blistering day which is easily fixed with a downshift trans has never overheated.

The console shifter works absolutely perfectly when towing with a gate between 3rd and 4th which is a forward backward " row" that you cant screw up and hit second and the truck can sit at high RPM for days unlike its 2 valve counterparts.

The early brakes weren't so much "small" but a mismatch on pads rotors caused imprinting (oft described as a warped rotor) at first sign of that I upgraded to Stillen rotors and pads, then to Hawk LTS pads. while I was in there I threw in a set of stainless lines as well which firmed up the feel.

Big buck "big brake" kits are always cool, but I never needed to go there.
Everyones stock trucks with rubber lines feel like stepping on a chunk of tofu comparatively.