Vehicle Review Mashup (Summer 2020)

Scott Brady

Scott is the executive publisher and co-founder of Expedition Portal and Overland Journal and is often credited with popularizing overlanding in North America. His travels by 4WD and adventure motorcycle span all seven continents and include three circumnavigations of the globe. His polar expeditions include two vehicle crossings of Antarctica and the first long-axis crossing of Greenland. @scott.a.brady

Matt Scott

Matt is a leading expert in automotive adventure. He has extensively explored the world’s most remote places by 4WD and is considered an industry authority on overland travel. He is the only American to ever become an editor of a major Australian 4WD publication and has over 15 years of competitive auto racing experience. @mattexplore

Tune in Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

Vehicle Review Mashup (Summer 2020)

Scott Brady: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to the Overland Journal Podcast. I am your host, Scott Brady, and I am here with my cohost, Matt Scott. And what are we gonna talk about today, Matt?

Matt Scott: Talk about what we’ve been driving, I guess. We’ve, we’ve, I don’t know, we’ve been driving- New ve- … a bunch of different stuff, new vehicles.

Scott Brady: Um- Yeah, new vehicles on the market.

Matt Scott: Yeah. We, we, I guess we’re lucky enough to have early access to the Gladiator Mojave, which is pretty cool. Um, I have been driving a Ram 1500 Limited Eco Diesel, and, uh, you’ve been driving some new stuff too.

Scott Brady: Yeah, the, the new AT4 Yukon, we drove the new Nissan Titan. Of course, you and I both drove the Defender.

I’ve had some ti- Which is

Matt Scott: definitely worth chatting about now that you can actually get one.

Scott Brady: That’s right. And I’ve been spending a lot of time with the Ford Ranger that was completely modified by ARB. So what we wanna do is start, maybe once a quarter or so we’re gonna do these little mashups where we talk about the new vehicles that we’ve [00:01:00] evaluated for editorial and what are our pros and cons for each one, and these will be pretty short, little digestible podcasts on the new trucks on the market.

So what did you think of the Mojave?

Matt Scott: You know, I, I, I liked it. Um, you know, for those who haven’t listened to previous podcasts, I was a really early adopter of the Gladiator platform. I was at the press launch for it. I wanna say that was, like, February and March of 2019. Um, and, you know, we went and did a little off-road demonstration, did a road demonstration prior to that, and on the way back to the hotel that everything was based off of, I was on the phone with my local Jeep dealer, “Do you have one?

I want one.” I got it. I had one of the first ones. I just hit 20,000 miles on that, um, yesterday.

Scott Brady: It looks so good too.

Matt Scott: Yeah,

Scott Brady: and- You, you pulled in on it today, and it was like, “That thing looks so good.”

Matt Scott: Yeah. It’s, uh, you know, we have a dedicated podcast to that truck, but, you know, that’s our adventure vehicle.

It’s not something that I use- As a daily driver, I’m not commuting on it. Um, [00:02:00] you know, it’s for Baja, it’s for Moab, it’s for, it’s for remote places, and not even a check engine light in 20,000 miles. So I, I’m a huge fan of the platform, and I think what the, what the Mojave does is it really aligns the vehicle more, um, with people who are less interested in technical, um, terrain and more interested in, you know, desert terrain, wide open terrain.

I mean, for somebody that’s driving the vehicle daily, the suspension on the Mojave is definitely a lot better. It’s really

Scott Brady: nice.

Matt Scott: Um, you know, uh, it has a more substantial hood. The thing that I really liked about it, um, I loved the interior. They put a little bit more sporty steering wheel on it, um, kinda some more perforated leather.

Um, it, it, it’s just nice orange accents. The one we had, I, I wanna say they call it pumpkin orange.

Scott Brady: It’s de- it’s definitely pumpkin, yeah.

Matt Scott: It’s, it’s, it’s really orange, and I’m a, I’m, I’m a fan of orange. Um, but it was a little bit maybe too orange, but-

Scott Brady: Yeah, it seemed like Jeep was sending us, like, the entire [00:03:00] Skittles color p-

Matt Scott: Yeah

Scott Brady: color way over a series of a couple weeks.

Matt Scott: But I have to say that, you know, uh, the Gladiator is great. This has a, a, a more substantial frame. I wanna say they added some high-strength steel in some critical areas. Um, it has… I guess what’s cool is that it has a, a cast iron front axle, so it, it eschews the, the aluminum knuckles that are, I guess, an issue if you’re really, really moving in these things.

Um, it’s, it’s cool. I, I guess for the money-

Scott Brady: But you delete, you delete the front locker, right?

Matt Scott: You do not get a front locker. You get a rear locker. You do not get the electronic sway bar disconnect, and you get the, I wanna say it’s 2.7 to 2 low range, rather than the Rubicon’s stunningly low 4 to 1, um, which I think we could both argue is almost too low.

Scott Brady: Well, if you have a manual transmission, the 4 to 1 is a great thing. Yeah. If you’re doing a lot of very technical driving, obviously the 4 to 1 is a great thing. What I find [00:04:00] the biggest problem with the 4 to 1 is if you’re in mixed terrain, sand and mud in particular, also snow, if you need to reverse with any kinda speed, you’re stuck with this very low wheel spin.

So- Yeah, that’s a good point … if you need to reverse out of a mud hole and you’ve got a 4 to 1, you just can’t get the tires spun up enough to clear out the mud. So I actually like, I prefer a 2.7 to 1 low range in the Wrangler for almost everything but extreme rock crawling.

Matt Scott: Yeah. You know, I have to say, what I, what I…

If this was a vehicle that was available when I was buying it, I bought the Gladiator Rubicon, um, I, I, I probably wouldn’t buy the Mojave. Um, the- it’s about the same price as the Gladiator Rubicon. Um, I’ll be honest, I don’t use the front locker that often, but it’s nice to have. Um, the thing that I do use a lot is the electronic sway bar disconnect.

You can use that any time you’re in four-wheel drive high. It just drastically improves the ride [00:05:00] quality of the, of the vehicle off-road. That, that’s something that I wish that it had. Um-

Scott Brady: Yeah, a lot less head toss. Yeah. It allows the suspension to move more freely. I think it also im- greatly improves stability of the vehicle, because you’re keeping tires in contact- Yeah

with the ground.

Matt Scott: But for somebody, um, that may not be doing more technical stuff, that is going to put 35-inch tires on it, let’s say, um, I think, I think the, the Mojave’s great. Um, you know, the, the remote reservoir shocks they used are fine. I mean, it’s limited only by the architecture of the vehicle. A solid axle can only do so much.

Um, you know, I thought that the off-road performance was probably still worse than, in, in high speed, than mine, but I’m on 37s and I have, you know, some fancy Kings, which are probably a better shock. It- but it doesn’t have to meet the OE standards that, that obviously FCA or… What is FCA called now?

Scott Brady: Fiat Chrysler, yeah.

No, no, no, they have a [00:06:00] new name. Oh. Oh, I don’t know.

Matt Scott: I- look it up. It’s interesting. Um, but yeah, I, I, I’d give it a 7 out of 10. Um, great option. It’s, it’s, it’s cool to see Jeep dialing into little areas, um, you know, with that V8 concept that they showed with the, the 6.4. Um- I have to think that that engine in a Mojave would be a lot of fun.

Um-

Scott Brady: And I think that’s what’s coming. I think that Jeep is now getting some pressure, some competitive pressure, but they’ve already got such a foundation to work from that they can salt in these things that they never really … We’ve always wanted V8s, we’ve always wanted diesels. Yeah. And before they d- they didn’t have a reason to because this was the only option.

Now they’ve got some competition and they’re just now take- opening up the catalog and saying, “All right, we’re gonna throw in a V8,” and a bunch of people get excited and they buy a Wrangler instead of something else.

Matt Scott: Yeah. I mean, I, I love the three … I don’t know. Wait, let, let me start over here. The 3.6 that is in the Gladiator [00:07:00] is fine.

It’s reliable. It’s a proven motor. It’s cheap to service. I think for international travel, um, that’s probably the one to go with. Um, the diesel, which we’re gonna be driving, we get it what, in two weeks? In two weeks we get the diesel Gladiator. Um, I’m sure it’s gonna drive great. You know, I do still have questions on it in terms of long-term reliability.

Um, the, um, engine just prior to that, which is the same basic structure, I had friends that had that in the 1500 with, um- limited success. But yeah, I, I, I’m just excited to see the Gladiator platform grow. It’s, it’s so good for overlanding and, um-

Scott Brady: It’s a perfect hit. They just, they literally nailed a perfect hit, so.

Matt Scott: But again, just hit 20,000 miles on my personal one. I paid full price for it. I didn’t get any discounts or anything. I was that enthusiastic about it. And I have vehicle ADD, as some of our readers will know. Still have it, not planning on [00:08:00] selling it.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: I don’t know.

Scott Brady: That says something when you hold onto a vehicle for more than a year.

Matt Scott: I, I just renewed the registration.

Scott Brady: Wow. Commitment. You, you gonna be okay?

Matt Scott: Yeah. Might, might put a ring on it. But I don’t know, it’s good. Defender-

Scott Brady: Yeah, the I, I like, I did like the Mojave. I think for me, I think it’s trying to be something that it’s not. And for people who want a Mojave that is a little bit more go fast, it works, but you’re always gonna be dealing with the weight of a solid front axle.

Yes. It will never respond as effectively as independent at high speed. There’s a reason why race trucks have independent suspension, and it’s just, you have to know that. You have to understand that and, and say, “Okay, I really want solid axle. I really want a Gladiator.” But to think that it’s gonna perform like a Raptor, it’s just not…

Physics don’t allow it. I, I, I

Matt Scott: think, I think that there are advantages to a solid axle, um, for aggressive desert driving. [00:09:00] Um, I never have to worry about my ground clearance changing, right? Um, I, I don’t have a differential that is rapidly, uh-

Scott Brady: Yeah, with every impact.

Matt Scott: Yeah … you know, coming up and down and, and, and getting closer to the, to the dirt.

That’s nice. Um, they’re way easier to lift. Again, I have a factory two-inch lift on mine with 37-inch tires. So like, let’s say a Ranger or a Tacoma, there is virtually no way to fit 37s on that vehicle without substantially- Major, yeah … modifying it. Um, and then you’re talking heim joints, and you’re talking all this kind of stuff, and they’re not gonna drive good.

They’re not gonna have the reliability and durability that you need, um, you know?

Scott Brady: Yeah, if you want 37s on a pickup, buy a Gladiator.

Matt Scott: Buy a Gladiator. So, so yeah, I mean, like- I don’t know. I, I would put money that even with a camper, my Gladiator is way more proficient in high-speed stuff than let’s say a ZR1, ’cause they have to deal with those little…[00:10:00]

Or not ZR1, that’s the Corvette, the ZR2. You know, they have to deal with 31-inch tires.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: And maybe if you’re lucky you can fit 33s.

Scott Brady: Yeah, 37s do- So- … forgive a lot of sins, that’s

Matt Scott: for sure.

Scott Brady: Exactly. So I also had the diesel Wrangler for a little bit, so this is the first time for us to really talk about the diesel drivetrain in a Wrangler.

I liked it a lot.

Matt Scott: Yeah.

Scott Brady: The, the consideration obviously is international travel, where you don’t have access to ultra-low sulfur diesel. But for driving around in Prescott, we’re at 5,200 feet. I’m, I’m… I have a turbocharged motor- Yes … with really good torque. I towed a Bruder trailer with it, and this, that little Jeep, I was getting 25, 26 miles a gallon, legitimate.

And I don’t drive-

Matt Scott: Yeah,

Scott Brady: you’re just driving it … gently. Yeah. I’m just driving and getting that kind of gas mileage. It’s, I mean, this is the thing I love about the diesel Wrangler. It’s the vehicle we always wanted. We always wanted solid axle [00:11:00] Wrangler with lockers, and sway bar disconnects, and can fit a 33-inch tire from the factory- Yes

and has a diesel motor. We’ve always asked for this vehicle. We now can buy it. And to me, even if I don’t buy one personally, I think it is so cool that it’s finally available.

Matt Scott: You know, I think what, I think what Jeep does really, really well is, um, you know, aside from the V8s and the diesels, which we’re now getting, they listen to their customers- They really do

and I’ve always appreciated that. Um, but yeah, what, what better… That’s, it’s the dream team.

Scott Brady: It really is. I mean, the fact that in 2020 we can get a diesel solid axle Wrangler with lockers, sway bar disconnects, and 33s-

Matt Scott: And you can take the roof off, and the doors off- It’s

Scott Brady: so- …

Matt Scott: and pull the windshield

Scott Brady: down in like two minutes

I th- I think we’re, we’re kind of in the golden age of overland trucks. I mean, certainly in the early ’90s that also existed with 80 series and, and diesel G Wagons and, and all of that. Yeah. But right now it’s, it’s, uh, the golden age again, just a little different.

Matt Scott: I, I, I don’t even think that there’s a comparison.

I mean, I [00:12:00] know most Americans still look at, you know, diesel Land Cruisers, and Hiluxes, and this as- Mm … you know, they, they’ve kinda, there’s, there’s a folklore to them and a bit of a myth going on. They’re not that great. I mean, I, I have a… I went out and I, as soon as I could, I got the turbo diesel 80 when you could import it and- probably gonna be for sale soon because it, the Gladiator’s just so much better.

The Gladiator gets better gas mileage than the diesel Technology has, yeah, the,

Scott Brady: yeah, the technology has improved. At the time, those vehicles were the hallmark of reliability, but manufacturers have figured a lot of this reli- reliability stuff out now

Matt Scott: Electronics have improved.

Scott Brady: Yeah. Not just Toyota is reliable anymore.

Most manufacturers are very reliable now. Exactly. And that’s, that’s pretty exciting to see. All right, and then you had a diesel RAM 1500.

Matt Scott: Yeah, the diesel RAM 1500 Limited, um, which I loved it, to be honest. Um, I’ve always loved that, that new [00:13:00] 1500 platform. It rides spectacularly. Um,

Scott Brady: the- Did it have the airbag suspension?

That

Matt Scott: one had air suspension, so you could raise it or lower it. Um- Comfy … the interior is like

I’m gonna say this, like it is on par with a lot of the Land Rover, Range Rover products. Um, where they’re a little bit more minimalist, the, the Limited package is, um, more embellished. You know, they have some weird, like, Western-themed stitching going on. Sure. And I’m kinda like, “

Scott Brady: Eh,” like

Matt Scott: that’s a little bit tacky.

Um, but the, the materials on the inside, the leather is just … I mean, it’s a really, really, really nice place to be. Um, it handles pretty good. You know, the, the diesel in that vehicle wasn’t, um … The, the focal point would be the economy, the fuel economy that I could return.

Scott Brady: Sure.

Matt Scott: Um, it wasn’t a [00:14:00] powerful engine.

Um, yeah.

Scott Brady: So you missed the Hemi in that particular application?

Matt Scott: You know, Laura’s dad has a, uh, basically identical truck. He has the Limited, but he has the, the 5.7, and I think the 5.7’s more interesting to drive. Um, I think the diesel obviously gets, gets phenomenal gas mileage. Um, but I, I think what I walked away from is that as a technology demonstrator to see the diesel, to see the air suspension, to see the quality that that company is able to achieve, um, it, it leaves me really, really excited for this Grand Wagoneer that they’ve been teasing.

Um-

Scott Brady: Soon. It’s coming

Matt Scott: soon. Soon. And boy, I, I have to say that-

Yeah. Eight, eight out of 10 for, for me for that limited, um … You know, it’s not … Listen, guys, we’re not talking here about, uh, about the … I know overlanders kind of like the more basic things, um, cloth interior, [00:15:00] whatever, ’cause the, it, it more of a purposeful vehicle. But I, I’m just talking about what that company can do, and it’s

It was, it was great.

Scott Brady: A nice daily driver.

Matt Scott: I mean, it was, you know, it was a black truck in the summer in Arizona, so the AC wasn’t super great, but you press a button and the seats start blowing cool air at your derriere. Yeah. I, I really liked it.

Scott Brady: It was

Matt Scott: a lot- Yeah,

it

Scott Brady: was a nice, nice looking truck too …

Matt Scott: it was a lot better than the Nissan Titan that I drove immediately- Yeah

after. It was like, it was going from something very significant to,

Scott Brady: huh. Something with some challenges.

Matt Scott: People pay for this. Yeah. And they weren’t that different in price point, which was the, the interesting thing for me.

Scott Brady: Yeah.

Matt Scott: So, um-

Scott Brady: Very valid. And then another long-termer that we’ve had, we got the ARB outfitted Ford Ranger- Yeah

and-

Matt Scott: Which looks great …

Scott Brady: it does. It looks great, and they’ve addressed essentially all the things that I didn’t like about the stock Ranger, [00:16:00] principally the rear suspension and rear shock tuning. Um, with the new Old Man Emu on there, the multi-leaf pack, it’s a nice little truck. I drive it almost every day, and I have, I’ve kind of fallen for it.

I mean, I’m, I’m impressed that it’s got a Ford Motorsports tuner on it.

Matt Scott: Oh,

Scott Brady: yeah. And it starts pushing three- I think it’s 317 horsepower now. And out of a Ford s- I would have never thought to buy a four cylinder-

Matt Scott: And that 10-speed transmission … it’s

Scott Brady: so good.

Matt Scott: Pe- people seem to fail to realize that, yes, cars have become more powerful, but it’s really the gearbox technology that is making these things so drivable.

I had that gearbox in my Raptor, and people, “

Scott Brady: Oh, well, that’s gonna break.” I’m

Matt Scott: like, “No, it’s not.” Yeah. It didn’t break. It’s been great. And having 10 different ratios to choose from makes that 317 horsepower. I mean, that thing’s, that thing’s pretty quick.

Scott Brady: It i- it’s really quick. It’s noticeable, and again, we’re at 5,200 feet, and I’m getting great performance out of the [00:17:00] truck.

So I, there’s a lot of things that I like about the vehicle, principally the suspension. Um, ARB has done a nice job of, ’cause they’re starting to partner with Ford more. They did a nice job with the front bumper. It’s really gonna be fun to see what that ARB partnership results in, particularly around the new Bronco.

So the fact that ARB is working that closely with Ford, I think we’re gonna see a lot more Ford factory solutions that feature ARB products.

Matt Scott: Yeah. I mean, I guess that’s a good thing. Yeah. Good for the end

Scott Brady: consumer. I, I think so. All right, let’s do a little update on Defender.

Matt Scott: Yeah, so Defender is now available.

I actually saw one at the dealer. I wanna say the initial, the initial run of them has sold out, um, and obviously the world, um, when we drove the Defender in Namibia in February or March- February. February.

Scott Brady: Yeah,

Matt Scott: world’s gonna change. The world has drastically changed. So, um, it’s, it’s fascinating just, just to see them out there.

Um, when we were up in Colorado last month, there was three or four of them running around in Telluride. And, um- [00:18:00] I’m, I’m pretty excited. I keep going online and I keep doing the, you know, the vehicle configurator, and I love the fact that they actually went to production with the built-in air compressor.

They went to production with the, the shower system. Um, there’s a lot of really cool things about that car.

Scott Brady: And we’ve got a couple of them that are gonna be showing up here in the next few weeks. It’ll, we’ll- this podcast will come out after we’re talking about this, but we’re doing a, a f- television show with- Yeah

with the Defender. So I’m pretty excited to see how it is to use that vehicle for a week in the field, uh, when I’ve got it, the keys all to my- all to myself, so

Matt Scott: M- my favorite thing on the Defender, I, yeah, I, I’ll, I’ll be honest, I don’t… I, I think the styling of it on the exterior is very forgettable. Like, they use a lot of just these kind of gentle curves, and there’s nothing

I, I guess I still look at an off-road vehicle, and I want, I want a little bit of aggression, but I love the interior. Really good. Um, it’s so [00:19:00] practical. Like, I, I find when I get into a car these days, you know, I have this big cellphone, ’cause phones are not getting smaller. I have this wallet that has all this junk in it.

I have my keys, I have this, I have that. There’s places to just, like, download all your crap into in the Defender. Like, there’s a really nice pocket next to the, uh, for left-hand drive vehicles, or, I know we’ll talk about left-hand drive vehicles. On the left-hand side, there’s a little pocket you can put your stuff.

There’s, you know, the, the dash is essentially hollow on it.

Scott Brady: Mm-hmm.

Matt Scott: Um, it’s, it’s a really practical vehicle.

Scott Brady: I think it’s one of the best interiors currently available for- Hands down … vehicle-based travel, no question. And it’s also class-leading ride quality. We did do a full podcast on the Defender. Uh, Matt and I certainly have our reservations around the front end styling, but I think all of that’s gonna be addressed with the aftermarket.

Bumpers are gonna come out. Things-

Matt Scott: It’s already starting to …

Scott Brady: things are gonna make that front end not forgettable. It’s gonna make it memorable, and it’s gonna make the vehicle m- even more suitable for [00:20:00] backcountry travel. What we really need to see with Defender is these things out in the field proving to be reliable over a period of time, and then I think you’re gonna start to see sales increase within- Yeah

the overland crowd.

Matt Scott: And we didn’t really have any major issues, um, with the places we took them. No. Um, and we were in pre-production vehicles. We were. Obviously, Land River’s watching those things like a hawk. But, um, yeah, it’ll, it’ll be interesting. I, I, I believe I said in my editorial, like, if it’s reliable, it will be one of the greats.

Um, and they’ve done everything that they can-

Scott Brady: I think they have … to ensure- They really, they really put a lot of thought and passion into that vehicle. You can see it All right, well then, now that the- AT4, I guess is- Yeah, so, so this podcast will come out after the embargo, which is good. So I’ve had access to the AT4 Yukon.

GMC has decided to permeate the AT4 option model across all of their four-wheel drive vehicles. So anything with an [00:21:00] AT4 badge is kind of like a trail-rated Jeep. So it gets larger diameter tires, it gets a more aggressive tread pattern, it gets some underbody skid plating. It- they do some work to improve the approach and sometimes the departure angle.

It gets, uh, some unique styling as well, and then they also usually include some kind of a driver selectable off-road mode- Cool … as well. This, this Yukon had four-stage airbag suspension. It had excellent ride quality. I think that that’s one of the huge benefits of the airbag systems. And then we also get a much bigger payload.

This is a seven or eight-passenger vehicle, so because it can haul so many people, it has to have a really high- And replace

Matt Scott: that with gear.

Scott Brady: Yeah, it has to have a really high payload. It drove nicely and the, and the 5.3 was a little underwhelming on the power. The AT4 is only available with a 5.3.

Unfortunately, because of the front-end bumper architecture, you’re not gonna see the diesel in the AT4. But the 5.3 is totally adequate. It’s kinda like the 3.6. It works. It works. [00:22:00] And um, really nice comfortable vehicle. I did the whole, uh, Mogollon Rim Road with it. We did some trails in Sedona with it. A very comfortable vehicle.

Really liked the suspension. This was a pre-production unit. I did not see the effectiveness out of the traction control that I would have expected, so maybe that will be resolved for production. I think we need to get a hold of a production unit before we have final say on that, but I was a little disappointed in the traction control performance-

Matt Scott: Yeah

Scott Brady: out of

Matt Scott: it. And I, and I guess this is kinda… You know, I know GM has had the, um,

Scott Brady: ZR2. Yep.

Matt Scott: Um, but this is really their first kinda more general foray into actually offering products maybe more targeted towards an adventure or off-road enthusiast, ’cause they really haven’t.

Scott Brady: They’ve not had it.

Matt Scott: Yeah, I mean, I, I don’t know.

I guess I’ve always kinda thought, uh, they have the Corvette and they have the Camaro, but, um, that was where most of their excitement went. Um- [00:23:00] It’s just, it’s cool to see more options for people. Like you said, we’re pretty much in the golden age of, of overlanding.

Scott Brady: Now they have the Bison, which is one of the best mid, mid-sized trucks- Yeah, yeah

that you can buy today. Diesel, front and rear lockers, great suspension. It’s certainly one of the high marks, uh, within the GM lineup. But I, what I’m excited to see is this attention from the manufacturers towards off-road performance. It’s one of the fastest-growing and, and most lucrative segments- Yes … of automotive today, because they see so much pressure from EVs.

So they’re gonna make lifestyle vehicles that still have pistons in them. Yeah. And that’s gonna be off-road for a while, and I think that that’s where we’re gonna see a lot of the off-road innovation.

Matt Scott: Yeah, yeah. And, and they’re fun to tinker with. They’re, they’re just fascinating vehicles, so.

Scott Brady: So do we wanna talk a little bit about the Nissan?

Matt Scott: Yeah, I guess we

Scott Brady: can. Maybe just, maybe just a little bit.

Matt Scott: Yeah. Uh, listen, there’s nothing wrong with the vehicle. Um-

Scott Brady: Nissan Titan is what

Matt Scott: we saw. Nissan Titan SL. It, it’s like the Costco of luxury pickup [00:24:00] trucks is, is how I’m politely trying to say it. Um, you know, looking at what they were actually selling for, um, because pickup trucks are confusing in that regard.

You can have pickup trucks that have a $70,000 sticker, but they’re actually selling for mid-50s. So you know, y- the, the problem is that what they’re actually selling for is you’re comparing it to F-150 King Ranches. You’re comparing it to F-250 Lariats. Um, you’re comparing it to 2500s. You’re comparing it to very well-equipped, um, Ram 1500s, and it just doesn’t play ball with them unfortunately.

They have that new, I wanna call it, they say they call it the Endurance V8. The motor was fine. The transmission, um, uh, just didn’t seem to be very refined. Um, but it, it actually, like, handled pretty well, I think.

Scott Brady: Yeah, my experience was if you drove that vehicle conservatively, it felt, it did not [00:25:00] feel like it performed well.

If you started to really push it- Yeah … I started to… Like, the motor needs to rev. The transmission needs to know that you’re alive and you’re getting after it. Off-road, the vehicle just struggled. It’s really not an off-road vehicle. They don’t really have a package that’s suitable- Yeah … for that. There are other options.

Well, they

Matt Scott: do have the Pro-4X- They

Scott Brady: do …

Matt Scott: model, but I, I, I, I guess there’s so many good American pickup trucks, and then there’s the Tundra, which is as equally outdated I, I don’t know. I-

Scott Brady: Yeah, you can- Nissan, they try so hard and the, and the people at Nissan are such good people. Yeah. But they, they need s- they need to interject some performance into these lineups- Yes

in order to remain relevant as EVs start to take control. So if you don’t play ball with demonstrable performance, real functional components of these [00:26:00] vehicles that make them exciting or make them play ball with the, the others in the space, I think that Nissan will contri- continue to struggle.

Matt Scott: Yeah. You know, I guess I’ve always seen Nissan as kind of, I don’t wanna call it a budget brand, but I

Scott Brady: mean- Good quality vehicles- Good quality vehicles

Matt Scott: lots of reli- reliability, but- But they’re just not competitive on price is- Yeah … is why I would have a hard time recommending that vehicle. I’m sure it’s reliable. Um, the build quality was just fine. It just-

Scott Brady: They just need to interject some excitement into it, or they need to adjust the pricing that you see on MSRP, and that will bring the model into the interest of the consumer buyer, so.

Yeah.

Matt Scott: Like the Frontier is a great option because- Totally … they’re, they’re affordable. You can get into ’em-

Scott Brady: Totally legit truck … affordably.

Matt Scott: So-

Scott Brady: My favorite Nissan for sure is the Frontier. Yeah.

Matt Scott: Take a look at the Frontier. But-

Scott Brady: So these are some of the new vehicles. We have a Power Wagon coming. We’ve got a diesel Gladiator coming.

I’m testing even an all-wheel drive Ford Transit right now. So there’s gonna be a lot more to talk about in the next episode, and we thank you all for [00:27:00] listening, and we will talk to you next time