The Nissan Titan Pro-4X usually does not exceed the most popular half-ton pickups such as RAM 1500, Ford F-150 or other pickups that provide stronger towing capacity and better fuel efficiency. In other words, Toyota Tundra has a towing capacity of 8,800 to 10,200 pounds, while the Titan Pro-4X model has a towing capacity of 9,260 to 11,040 pounds-enough to meet the needs of a large number of drivers. Therefore, if you are looking for a spacious rig with a quiet, comfortable, practical cabin and smooth handling, the 2021 Nissan Titan Pro-4X may be on your shortlist.

The biggest highlight of Titan Pro-4X is that the interior has been overhauled in 2020, with traditional and thoughtful functions, supporting daily drivers and all-round work trucks. The space is fully functional, bringing a touch of luxury to the light pickup. Otherwise, the design remains largely unchanged.

In the entire Titan series-its models range from US$36,950 to US$62,710-we will use the 2021 Nissan Titan Pro-4X Crew Cab 4X4 for a two-week test ride. This is our impression of the way trucks are handled on and off the sidewalk.

I drove the 2021 Nissan Titan Pro-4X for a 3,400-mile road trip westward. My partner and I started from our home in Crested Butte, Colorado, ventured to the Pacific Northwest for ski mountaineering, and then surfed the sea in Washington. Then we connected the river surf spots in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

On this trip, we towed away Taxa Outdoors TigerMoth Overland-a durable, flexible off-road travel trailer with a basic weight of 1,458 pounds-as well as a ton of outdoor equipment and food for picnics in the wild. We completely covered the 5.5-foot truck bed with our ski mountaineering and river surfing equipment. The equipment is concealed in a large duffel bag drying bag, waterproof plastic box, Sportube and cooler.

During this high-mileage trip, most of our driving time was on fast highways or winding roads with paved or gravel mountain passes. We also ventured on rugged, bumpy washboard dirt roads and steep, uneven sections to reach campsites in scattered, remote areas. In general, the conditions range from completely dry and muddy to completely saturated with standing water, especially after a particularly downpour on the Washington coast.

The 2021 Nissan Titan Pro-4X is equipped with a full-size 5.6-liter V8 engine with 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet. Torque and 9-speed automatic transmission. In short, Pro-4X does a good job of modifying the basic S and SV decorations. Starting from the basic S decoration, Titan has excellent safety features, such as lane departure warning. The SV trim adds attractive upgrades, such as NissanConnect Wi-Fi hotspots and electric heated exterior mirrors, which were obvious to the seven months of winter when I lived in Elk Mountain, Colorado.

Pro-4X includes S and SV functions and upgrades. As a person who lives in mountainous areas and often works remotely on the road, I personally would not be without these upgrades. For example, I admire the 110-volt socket at the back, sensor wipers, special mobile phone holders and LED headlights: fog lights, low beams and high beams.

The rear seat conversion is the best folding seat, a foldable panel for flat cargo, and an organizer under the seat. My 2017 Toyota Tacoma also has a similar design. When I don’t use the back seat for my backcountry ski partner, I almost always slide into the gearbox.

Pro-4X also comes with a receiver hook and built-in 4-pin and 7-pin connectors, which we need to tow trailers equipped with snowmobiles or off-road vehicles. I also admire the air conditioning in the back, which is used for long-distance driving of groceries—as many rural drivers need—or carpooling with friends and dogs. Leather seats are a must-have for easy maintenance in outdoor or ranch life, which essentially makes the truck dirty and smelly. If I buy Titan in the market, I will choose this decorative bag.

Critics of this truck pointed out that its ride quality was not in line with other light trucks, but we were impressed. For a full-size truck larger than my Tacoma and equivalent to my partner's F-150, it feels smooth when driving at a highway speed of 80-85 mph.

Titan Pro-4X accelerates and climbs easily. When elk and deer appear at the mountain pass at night, the truck is easy to manage and stabilize when changing lanes at high speed and stopping quickly. I never need to turn the steering wheel hard, nor does it overreact.

The adaptive cruise control system is seamless, it will automatically slow down the truck behind the slower vehicle and then restore the speed after we pass. Taxis are also quiet, which is a popular feature of long-distance travel. And, to say it was futile, the mudguards did an excellent job of preventing mud from flying at the end.

One shortcoming we have noticed is that the automatic 9-speed transmission also has a manual shift mode, which is controlled by a button through the right joystick on the steering column. The control gear is good, especially when climbing hills and maintaining low speeds. However, despite manual gear shifts, the transmission still automatically downshifts during rapid acceleration.

The off-road capability of the Nissan Titan Pro-4X in 2021 is underestimated. The inventory shock of this lineup was replaced in the Pro-4X with the Bilstein single-tube coil, which can well eliminate the bumpy route. For steep and rugged remote areas, we push the truck into 4WD and put it in crawler-style first gear, allowing us to drive slowly and accurately on rough terrain.

The truck has a clearance of 9.8 inches. In the rocky area, the front skid plate gives us more peace of mind. 18-inch wheels and all-terrain General 275/70R18 tires provide a pleasant grip on dry washboards, sharp turns of mountain passes, muddy roads and wet roads.

I would love to test the tires on the snow. We never need to lock the rear differential, but I want to see how the additions can solve the old mining roads around Colorado and winter conditions. Two front tow hooks are standard-luckily, we don't need them either-and are the key to off-road or winter emergency situations. Although the truck is large, it has good handling and all the safety technologies included help us to drive in tight off-road spaces.

It is worth mentioning that the Nissan Titan Pro-4X in 2021 is full of security and technology. There is a clear and sharp 9-inch high-resolution touch screen display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, and an application suite that provides real-time information such as weather. Despite online POI searches, we found that many locations (such as trail starting points and campsites) were not listed. We usually upload the destination to our mobile app and connect via Bluetooth.

We like the lane departure warning, if you cross any line, it will vibrate the steering wheel and flash a flash on the display. Rain-sensing wipers help us relax when driving through intermittent showers. Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection works well. If there is traffic or people ahead, an audible alarm will be issued, and if you get too close, the brake will be activated gradually.

Smart surround-view monitors made it possible to park this full-size puppy, especially in places like downtown Missoula. It includes four cameras for a 360-degree bird's-eye view of the truck and alerts when any moving objects are detected nearby. When you drive for a period of time, the smart driver alert will pop up on the display, asking you if you need to rest.

Audible alarms will also be given for obstacles in front of the truck when driving and obstacles in front or behind when reversing. In addition, there are blind spot warnings and automatic rear braking. One of my criticisms is that when we back up with the trailer, the alarm will go crazy. It's nice to see this feature advance to recognize that the attached trailer is not an object that will be hit. In addition, if you are off-roading in dense forest corridors or piles of big rocks, the buzzing sound will become a bit strong. But functionally, the system is effective.

Several times, the high beam assist (which can be manually deactivated) successfully turned off the lights in the mountains and grasslands with the approaching driver. But in many cases, the lights are turned off prematurely, the headlights in the distance are detected, and the rural building lights are even mistaken for the headlights.

Besides, I can't expect them to reopen fast enough. When you are driving at night in the mountains, there must be bright lights to prevent hitting any wild animals. Even the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rated the 2020 Nissan Titan headlights as poor. I hope to improve the headlight and high beam assist system in the future.

The cab is one of the primary features of a truck. It is comfortable, spacious and has plenty of storage space. The front leg extension is approximately 42 inches, and the rear leg extension is approximately 39 inches. We stack up rows of plastic trash cans, with bedding and equipment on the back seats.

This truck has 12 cup holders in the front and rear seats, so we dragged tons of water bottles, coffee cups and kombucha during the long drive. The dedicated mobile phone holder is wide enough to place our two mobile phones side by side. The center console is sponge-like, there is a stable shelf that can slide into two laptops, and the storage space is not too hot. The heated and air-conditioned front seats make driving a breeze, especially if my laptop is plugged in and placed on my lap.

Our truck has been upgraded with a 12-speaker Fender sound system. I like it on road trips because of its clear and crisp sound. Another upgraded double-panel panoramic sunroof made the traffic and bison jams during our full-day tour of Yellowstone National Park more enjoyable.

Although I prefer a longer truck bed — my Toyota is 6.5 feet — Titan’s design has several attributes that I really like. Our Titan Pro-4X has a bed assist handle and a round handle that will pop out for you to grab when you climb onto the truck bed. At first, I thought it was stupid, but unexpectedly, in order to keep my clothes free of dirt, I liked it.

The same is true for the rear bumper pedal assist, which pops out and retracts when not in use. It helps me maintain a greater distance from the outside of the truck and keep my clothes clean when picking up things from the truck bed. Both pedals and handles are separate accessories that can be added to Titan Pro-4X.

First of all, the system for securing cargo in the truck compartment is great. The device consists of four aluminum alloy splints, which slide along the channel of the bed and then tighten. We use fixing points to fix the plastic Sportube-it must be reclining on the bed to be installed-and camping chairs, as well as various other equipment.

In general, we put two large duffel-type drying bags, two waterproof boxes, a huge waterproof box with camera equipment and Sportube on the bed. Thanks to the sturdy sprayed sheets, I don’t have to worry about breaking the bed. I like the two external LED cab lights and the four LED bed lights. When we arrived at the camp, it was pitch black, which often illuminates the truck bed. In addition, although the tailgate is dense, it feels light when it opens and closes-it never bangs.

The 2021 Nissan Titan Pro-4X Crew Cab 4X4 I tested starts at $51,885, including destination fees. Titan Pro-4X King Cab 4X4 has a longer bed and a more compact cab, and the price is close to $49,665. The Titan Pro-4X XD Crew Cab 4X4 provides the maximum towing capacity-11,040 pounds with gooseneck bolts-priced at $56,115. In comparison, the Titan Pro-4X 4X4 has a maximum towing force of 9,210 pounds.

Although they have the same cab, Titan and Titan XD have different chassis and suspensions. Every truck comes standard with the same engine and gearbox combination: 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet. Torque is produced by a 5.6L V8 engine, paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. One step above the competition, Nissan offers a five-year or 100,000-mile warranty, which is one of the best in the industry.

For truck owners who want to commute and work comfortably, the 2021 Nissan Titan Pro-4X is a good daily driving tool with many features. As a full-size 4X4 truck, the cab is spacious and the bed is on the smaller end. This light truck can meet low-end transportation needs.

If we don’t have a trailer, roof rack or shell, we cannot use this equipment for multisport adventures. The 5,798-pound truck has a maximum payload of 1,650 pounds, a GVWR of 7,300, and a maximum towing capacity of 9,210 pounds. These ranges are sufficient for many entertainers or laborers.

My biggest complaint is that the 26-gallon fuel tank is not as long as I hoped. The EPA fuel economy of this truck is estimated to be 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway, which is quite standard for a pickup truck. Despite towing a light trailer, our average fuel consumption is 12-13 mpg. I don't mind paying for the premium gasoline recommended by Nissan, but I expect trucks to have better fuel economy in 2021.

Ultimately, if you don't have huge towing needs and need a modern everyday driver, consider checking out the 2021 Nissan Titan Pro-4X.

Adventure reporter Morgan Tilton specializes in travel and outdoor industry news. She has won multiple North American Travel Journalists Association awards, including "Wild and Broken: The First SUP Descent in the Escalante River, Utah". This is an article about her and four friends along the way An article about a 100-mile SUP tour along the most remote rapids in the country. When not typing, she would skate, run, paddle, or throttle in the mountains of southwestern Colorado, where she grew up and lived.