At first glance, it might appear as though the 2018 Chevy Silverado vs. 2018 Nissan Titan have much in common. Unfortunately, critics and testers of these newer vehicles found out otherwise. The Titan attempts to strike a balance between luxury and heavy-duty, however, it misses the mark. Critics gave the Titan an overall rating of 2.5 stars which falls way below the 4.5 Silverado rating.
Critics consider the body of the Titan to be too bulky. It seems Nissan engineers were trying too hard to make it look “beefy.” So, even though it might appear powerful, performance levels are lacking and inferior, which might leave the customer feeling as though they were duped by a bait and switch.
Compared to the Silverado’s engines, the Titan’s Cummins V-8 diesel operates crudely. Certainly, the 2018 Nissan Titan has a few selling points with the cargo bed options and comfortable seating. But while still lacking in powertrain, towing capability and infotainment, a comfortable cabin barely makes up for it.
That’s what makes the 2018 Chevy Silverado a better choice for a pickup truck. The towing capacity is still unmatched by its competitors, and critics prefer the Duramax diesel engine combined with its Allison transmission to the Cummins V-8.
Put to the test, the 2018 Silverado seems to win out over the Nissan Titan on every count. Some ratings for the Nissan Titan are 2-3 stars less, and the safety and crash test ratings do not even exist. Between the two, the 2018 Silverado is by far the better choice to make, but you be the judge!
Interiors
2018 Nissan Titan
With an overall interior rating of 3 stars, it’s already not looking good for the Titan, even though the interior and cargo room are supposed to be its selling points. The most exciting things Nissan has to offer are its standard Zero Gravity seats, which look unique and stand out amongst a boring plastic interior. Critics do like the appearance of the new Midnight Edition package, saying it looks nice paired with the black and charcoal color scheme.
There is cargo room, but critics say the back seating is still lacking in space. Cargo space gets an overall rating of 4 stars from critics, which is the highest rating the Titan will see. This is due to its low lift-over height, and interior storage space which is useful but still identical to the Silverado when it comes to available cubby space.
2018 Chevy Silverado
The Silverado saw a 4-star rating, so it’s already ahead of the game. The interior is both spacious and functional, and space around the seats both in front and in back is substantial. It also has two bed lengths: the 6.6-foot and 8.0-foot which is great for extra cargo room beyond what the interior has to offer. The interior has more than enough space, both under and behind seats as well as a huge console, and gigantic door pockets.
Infotainment
2018 Nissan Titan
Titan also only racks up 3 stars in infotainment. That’s not great. Silverado scored a 5-star rating among critics, by comparison. Though responsive, NissanConnect is not everyone’s favorite display. It’s also incompatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The NissanConnect touchscreen display is 7.0-inches, same as Silverado. And though easy to navigate, the menus are not as comprehensive as the Silverado. The screen also washes out when hit with direct sunlight.
2018 Chevy Silverado
It might even seem silly to compare the two since Silverado received a 5-star infotainment rating. That rating is mostly due to 3 things: response times, compatibility, and connectivity. It should go without saying that the Silverado is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and has all the volts, and USB ports car buyers are looking for. Critics by far prefer Silverado’s 7.0-inch MyLink touchscreen due to its visibility and interactivity, that and its intuitive menu.
Engines
2018 Nissan Titan
The 2018 Nissan Titan scored one of the lowest ratings in its class, 2.5 stars, for its engine and transmission rating. Critics prefer the Titan’s V-8 gas engine paired with the 7-speed automatic transmission to the Cummins diesel, which they consider unrefined. Though they prefer the V-8, it only gets up to 390 hp. Still, the Cummins diesel gets only 310 hp, which is more than 100 hp less than what the Silverado diesel gets, and it’s noisy too!
2018 Chevy Silverado
Getting up to 445 horsepower with 910 lb-ft of torque, with its diesel engine, it’s no surprise that the 2018 Silverado gets a 4.5-star rating from critics. Critics are pleased with all of the revisions that Silverado made to its engines, making the components more refined, more capable, and even less noisy. Once again, Silverado engineers achieve the necessary enhancements that truck enthusiasts want in a top-of-the-class work vehicle. It also manages to beat out the Nissan Titan in fuel economy.
Fuel Economy
2018 Nissan Titan
One of the reasons that Silverado was able to beat out the Titan in fuel economy is because the Titan hasn’t even been tested. Since the Titan qualifies as a heavy-duty vehicle, the EPA is not required to test its fuel economy. In fact, the EPA made an exception and tested the Silverado based on the fact that its diesel engine was more refined than the competition. Suffice it to say, even the Titan’s optional diesel engine wasn’t compelling enough to warrant exception, and critics don’t have much hope for it scoring high with real-world economy numbers.
2018 Chevy Silverado
So once again the Silverado beats the competition with another 4.5-star rating. To be fair, most other vehicles in its class have not been tested, and so, of course, it would have the highest rating. However, against prospective fuel economy numbers of other models, the Silverado still scored surprisingly high with a 19 mpg highway rating that is at least 2 points higher than what was expected. It’s clear that Silverado has bested the competition and has blown the Nissan Titan completely out of the water.
So, You Decide!
Although the 2018 Chevy Silverado seems to outshine the 2018 Nissan Titan in several categories, ultimately it is up to you to decide which vehicle works best for you. To make your final decision, visit your local dealerships and see these pickup trucks in person.
