2020 Nissan Titan Trip: Can the New 9-Speed Transmission Transform the Truck? Real-World MPG

EPA ratings are not in yet, but here is the real-world MPG!

2020 nissan titan colorado trip mpg stats specs
2020 Nissan Titan SL

What can the new 9-speed automatic transmission do for the 2020 Nissan Titan in the real world? What better way to learn a truck than taking it on a 300+ mile road trip? Let’s find out!

2020 Nissan Titan

The thoroughly updated 2020 Titan is based on the same chassis as before, and it has the same 5.6-liter gas V8 engine with one exception. The updated V8 has different ratings when running on premium unleaded or regular fuel. The premium gasoline provides a higher power rating of 400 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque.

The other significant change is the new 9-speed automatic transmission that replaces the outgoing 7-speed.

After taking this truck on an extended road trip, I can report that the transmission is indeed smooth shifting. It pairs well to the V8 engine. It can kick down two or three gears when climbing a hill, and then again settle into 9th without any drama. I did not get to tow a trailer on this trip, but the truck was loaded with my family and our ski gear for a weekend in the mountains.

The trip meter result you see here was after a two-hour mountain highway drive that was followed by some commuting to and from a ski area. The average speed was 45 MPH, and the average reported fuel economy – 20.2 MPG.

We put this exact truck on our standard highway mpg loop, and this result will be published very soon.

For now, this is a real-world result after some mixed driving. The outgoing 2019 Titan with a 7-speed automatic is EPA rated at 18 MPG combined and 21 MPG on the highway. If this 2020 model trip meter is accurate, then the 2020 Titan may be getting a slightly better efficiency.

Please come back soon for much more information about the new 2020 Nissan Titan.

Here is Nathan a very close and personal “This Just In!” look at this new 2020 Titan.