2005 Titan Option Packages Messed Up

richardminco · 09-14-2004, 07:05 PM

I've been really excited to order an 05 Titan. Yesterday I got the call.

My family truck desires seemed set. Front leather bucket for seating 6. VDC plus air bags all around for family safety (collision avoidance plus great protection should an accident occur). All was great until....

Nissan decided that you could not get the air bag option with VDC on the LE model. In fact, no 4WD models can get VDC this year. Nissan apparently thinks that a locking differential is the same as traction control and/or VDC or both. They are wrong. All a locking diff will do is get you out of a ditch or give you traction at low speeds (4 wheel low essentially). VDC will work when you are under heavy loads and towing, turning corners etc. Traction control will work at slow or moderate speeds and when you do not know you are going to lose traction. I can't believe they downgraded the 04 packaging by doing this.

In 05 you also cannot get the air bag package without the off road package in 4WD models. How stupid is that? The off road package is inherently worse in bad weather/traction conditions as the wider tires have less grip. So the logic is you must need the air bags since we made it much more likely for you to lose control? Oh, and you don't need that traction control either since it's not available. Should be fun to go off road though when your intention is to stay on the road :-(

The fact that you must order nav plus sunroof plus airbags plus off road JUST to get airbags is annoying enough, but I can live with package gouging. What I can't live with is the inability to order a fully loaded Titan which is as safe as the POTENTIAL option packages could make it if Nissan were only smart enough to recognize the situation.

I'm told by my dealer that the initial configuration options could change as the data is preliminary. A change would occur if enough feedback is received by Nissan. While I doubt that will happen, I'm going to call Nissan and get in touch with Consumer Affairs to see if the voice of reason can overcome this situation.

If Nissan does not understand that one of their main differentiators in this big truck market is safety (family appeal in the crew cab category) and that air bags plus traction control etc. are the key to safety... well I guess they are just oblivious...

Potroast · 09-14-2004, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardminco

Nissan decided that you could not get the air bag option with VDC on the LE model. In fact, no 4WD models can get VDC this year. Nissan apparently thinks that a locking differential is the same as traction control and/or VDC or both. They are wrong. All a locking diff will do is get you out of a ditch or give you traction at low speeds (4 wheel low essentially). VDC will work when you are under heavy loads and towing, turning corners etc. Traction control will work at slow or moderate speeds and when you do not know you are going to lose traction. I can't believe they downgraded the 04 packaging by doing this.

I like that change. VDC sucks, imho, and I will get the offroad package just so I do not have to worry about VDC. Instead of relying on a computer to back off the gas for you, why not just learn to control the vehicle?

Quote:

The off road package is inherently worse in bad weather/traction conditions as the wider tires have less grip.

Where do you figure that? I mean, I may be wrong, but my impression is that a wider footprint will IMPROVE traction.

*Titan Critter* · 09-14-2004, 07:38 PM

hey richard...sorry to hear you're struggling to find what you want. or get what you want i should say. the vdc/elocker switch has already been made to some degree. i have the elocker and not the vdc. my truck was built in may 04. you cannot get both from what i've read on here. i guess taking it out of 4X4 completely was the next logical step for the 05. critter

*Titan Critter* · 09-14-2004, 07:43 PM

potroast, i think that the wider the tire, the less traction, because the surface area of the tire is bigger and flatter and tends to sit on top. a more narrow tire will cut into the snow better. (i'm just talking tire size, not tread types) it's like taking rollar skates (the old fashioned kind) with wide wheels against ice skates (with a narrow blade). or something along those lines anyway.

critter

Hardcore · 09-14-2004, 07:54 PM

I'm waited to buy a 05 and now found out that to get a air bag package for my children I have to get a navigation system that I have no interest in. I'm basically forced to pay $2000 more for the truck. I'm going back to dodge again to take another look at the 04 hemi truck. I hope Nissan comes changes there policy with these packages' before I buy my truck.

richardminco · 09-14-2004, 07:58 PM

Potroast - your dont even understand basic physics so you think that "just learn to control the vehicle" is an answer? Get a clue dude.

Let's get rid of ABS too!!!

Technology is wonderful in situations where a human cannot react fast enough to a given situation. VDC is a great innovation that can save your bacon in emergency situations. I drive in the mountains in winter when you can easily not see black ice etc. etc. Don't lecture others on how to drive or how to master the art of driving. You are clearly unqualified.

rickp · 09-14-2004, 07:58 PM

you guys sure the dealer is not verbally saying this stuff so you'll buy more? Is it in writing? Just my $.02

scubakleev · 09-14-2004, 08:11 PM

rickp has a good point, I went to my dealer the other day to talk to him about different thing. one was the rockford foster sound... he fed me some B.S. like it's the head unit that's just rockford fosgate and that all the other speakers were put in there because it's better quality then fosgate. Then I asked him about the 4 cat's in the 4x4 and 2cat's and 2 resonators he said "no they all have 4 cat's" so I had to show him. He had no clue at all what was coming in the 05 model, i mentioned the rear sliding window. He had no clue on that either.
I think the best thing for you to do is wait till the actual models are out on the floor because that's when the saleman get's properly trained

richardminco · 09-14-2004, 08:41 PM

I have a copy of the dealer option list with dependencies for the 05. This is not BS.

IMADOGMAN · 09-14-2004, 08:49 PM

All of the 2004 4x4 Models have ABLS, does the 2005?

IMADOGMAN · 09-14-2004, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scubakleev

rickp has a good point, I went to my dealer the other day to talk to him about different thing. one was the rockford foster sound... he fed me some B.S. like it's the head unit that's just rockford fosgate and that all the other speakers were put in there because it's better quality then fosgate. Then I asked him about the 4 cat's in the 4x4 and 2cat's and 2 resonators he said "no they all have 4 cat's" so I had to show him. He had no clue at all what was coming in the 05 model, i mentioned the rear sliding window. He had no clue on that either.
I think the best thing for you to do is wait till the actual models are out on the floor because that's when the saleman get's properly trained

Scuba, I have not met a salesman who knew much about the vehicle that I was interested in...and NEVER have I met one who knew as much about it as I did.
They don't want to know all of the details, they just want to get to the "Volume Sales Level" so that they can make more commission on each sale. Maybe it is difficult to learn all about every vehicle that they sell, but it would be nice if they knew the basics...

lizardking · 09-14-2004, 09:17 PM

Nissan if you listening this is one of the reason you won't beat the BIG 3 ever! American we love options every which way!

Mike H. · 09-14-2004, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardminco

.....In 05 you also cannot get the air bag package without the off road package in 4WD models. How stupid is that? The off road package is inherently worse in bad weather/traction conditions as the wider tires have less grip. So the logic is you must need the air bags since we made it much more likely for you to lose control? Oh, and you don't need that traction control either since it's not available. Should be fun to go off road though when your intention is to stay on the road :-(......

I'm in the unfortunate situation of having put thousands of miles on both the original off-road BFG 285's (first) and then the non-offroad Goodyear 265's (now). Without a doubt, the Goodyear 265's SUCK in heavy rain (actually any rain). They hydroplane badly. The 285 BFG's are far superior in the rain. I was very surprised. They are stickier on dry pavement too.

smoketitan · 09-14-2004, 10:36 PM

weird I have two children in a very rainy area, and I hate the VDC as it seems to me Id rather control the car in a potential spin, than the computer shutting down the engine. but hey maybe I am a little old school as I learned how to drive cars/trucks no matter the size in manual tranny, all human correction---I guess I prefer that. the first time you drive the truck and the wheels slip a little on takeoff a a stop light and the engienesputters you understand VDC is not all its cracked up to be---ID rather have the elocker

caltitan · 09-14-2004, 10:52 PM

It's all about personal preference geared to the vehicle you're driving. On the Titan I don't bother with the VDC much and haven't noticed it interfering with my everyday driving style. My wife had a BMW where she loved the traction control, but I hated how sensitive it was and shut it off whenever I drove it. Our Mazda MPV has traction control but I am not so confident with how it works and I can actually fishtail it easily on dry pavement for a good deal before it takes over. It'd be nice to read some posts from owners who think the Titan's VDC helped them avoid an accident. It could be that the existing VDC system is not able to function properly with the 4WD E-locker so it isn't offered with it.