In keeping with the theme of little things making big differences, we feel that our long-term Nissan Titan deserves praise for its steering wheel. Why does a truck need a cool steering wheel, you ask? Well, grip the Titan’s wheel and find out for yourself. It’s thick all-around, and has those nifty bumps at ten’o’clock and two’o’clock, usually a hallmark of serious sports cars. Apparently the folks at Mazda aren’t the only ones capable of injecting sporting DNA into every vehicle they build.
The sportiness of the wheel is in keeping with the character of the Titan, with the floor-mounted shifter contrasting with the schoolbus-style steering-column mounts of some trucks and SUVs. Even for some of our more diminutive writers, getting comfortable in the Titan is a snap. The armrest is perfectly positioned to allow you to rest your elbow on it while holding the shift knob. Although holding the shifter is mostly a formality with an automatic transmission, it is a familiar ergonomic touch for those of us who are more inclined towards sports cars with manual gearboxes. Nissan surely realizes that a good number of the Titan’s buyers will be speed demons looking for a tow vehicle for one of their money pits. So, hats off to Nissan for making us – er, those crazy guys comfortable behind the wheel of their truck.
The cantilevers or “bumps” as you call them, are not meant to improve the grip of the palms at 10 and 2. They are intended to form a socket between themselves, the rim and the crossbrace of the wheel, where the thumbs can be safely rested when gripping the wheel at quarter to three.