Edmunds.com Rates Nissan Titan as Top Truck of 2004 in Full-Size Truck Comparison Test; Consumer Interest Steady Despite Rising Gas Prices

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 4 -- Edmunds.com, the Internet's premiere resource for consumer automotive information, today announced that the Nissan Titan claimed a resounding victory in the 2004 Full-Size Truck Comparison Test. The full test can be found HERE

"Consumer interest in full-size trucks has remained steady, despite much speculation that consumers would turn away from larger vehicles as gas prices rise," said Ed Hellwig, Senior Road Test Editor for Edmunds.com. In part, steady sales may be due to generous incentives on the vehicles: incentives for full-size trucks averaged $2,744 per vehicle in April, up $385 from March, according to Edmunds.com's True Cost of Incentives report.

Adds Hellwig, "Full-size truck drivers choose their vehicles for a variety of reasons, but all-around utility is always at the top of the list; full size trucks offer specific functionality that most other vehicles simply can't provide."

And, while these vehicles average just 14 miles per gallon in city driving and 18 on highways, compared with the industry average of 19 in cities and 26 on highways, the increased cost of fuel is nominal for many household budgets. The full-size trucks have an average annual fuel cost of $1,874 while the industry average is $1,310.

The Nissan Titan was the runaway winner largely because of its unmatched performance, reasonable price and unique features. The Titan also scored points for its spacious interior, comprehensive array of optional safety equipment and practical cabin design.

The Dodge Ram 1500 and Ford F-150 finished well behind the Titan but within three percentage points of each other for second and third place, respectively. The performance of the Dodge Ram 1500 impressed Edmunds.com editors, as it delivered exceptional power, precise road feel and tight handling. Testers also noted the Ram's modern interior design, available side airbags and comprehensive features list. The Ford F-150, winner of Edmund's last full-size truck competition, won praise for its refined ride quality, usable interior space and quiet cabin.

The fourth place Toyota Tundra offered car-like handling and a level of refinement that most editors were surprised to find in a truck. The Chevrolet Silverado, a six-year old design, was judged a solid performer, despite its fifth place finish. Its front seats were judged the best of the five trucks, and testers appreciated the user-friendly interior layout.

For this comparison test Edmunds.com's editorial staff rigorously tested and compared all five trucks in a variety of driving conditions that included instrumented track testing, off-road trails, pulling a loaded trailer and typical everyday commuting. All vehicles were then ranked based on a number of factors including drive, ride, design, cargo/passenger space, features, price, each editor's personal choice, and each editor's recommended pick for full-size truck buyers.

"Despite the strong competition, the Nissan Titan scored a decisive victory that left little doubt which truck was tops in this test," said Hellwig.

About Edmunds.com, Inc.

Edmunds.com is the premier online resource for automotive information. Its comprehensive set of data, tools and services, including Edmunds.com True Market Value(R) pricing, is generated by Edmunds Data Services and is licensed to third parties. For example, the company supplies over 800,000 pages of content for the auto sections of AOL and NYTimes.com, provides weekly data to Automotive News and delivers monthly data reports to Wall Street analysts. Edmunds.com was named "best car research" site by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "most useful Web site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM) and was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif. and maintains a satellite office outside Detroit.