So yeah, I bought a Titan instead of another F150. Here's what I posted on another message board, I'm too lazy to retype:

well as some of you might know I was shopping around for a new truck. with all the rebates, I was absolutely convinced that I would get another F150, but this time a 4 door Supercrew so that I would have a usable back seat. I drove quite a few of them. They're a nice ride, probably the smoothest riding pickup I have ever been in. They also handle well for a full size pickup, as they have changed to a new rack & pinion steering setup. However, even the bigger of the two V8's offered seemed to be wanting a bit for power, despite it's rated 300 hp and 365 lb/ft of torque. I thought maybe that they would be better after they were broken in. Not lost on me was the fact that the new for '04 Fords were 400-800 lbs heavier than the earlier F150's that they replaced.

So I was just about to go buy one, got a great deal of 500 under invoice, a 1021 tow package discount, plus 4000 in rebates, when I decided that I would go test drive the other truck that interested me, the Nissan Titan. Like the Ford, it has a cavernous back seat which was my #1 prerequsite in shopping for a new pick-up. Unlike Ford, you can get a 4 door Titan in the base trim model. Nissans come in the base XE, midrange SE and top of the line LE, at least in pickups and SUV's. The only downside to the XE is that it has ugly painted steel wheels, but I figured that once I wore out the stock tires I could get a tire and wheel package that was a bit more flashy.

I fould 2 base model XE 4 door models at the lot, a silver one and a white one. We took out the white one for a test drive. As soon as I drove off the lot, I knew this truck would be a contender in my mind. When I nailed the throttle, my mind was made up. The 5.6 liter, 305 horsepower 32 valve V8 snarled like a NHRA Pro Stock car as we hurtled onto the freeway. This is what 300+ HP is supposed to feel like, I mused to myself. Throttle response was instantaneous as I weaved in and out through traffic. The truck's 5 speed automatic (big plus here) was quick to downsift gears at the command of my right foot. The Nissan also had better lines of sight, ie, less blind spots. The view over the hood was also superior, as was the instrumentation package. The handling was just as good as the Ford's, and the ride down the road was smoother with less vibration, although the Ford seemed to handle large bumps a bit better. Nevertheless, I was hooked!

However, I had some deals outstanding with some Ford dealers. The Nissan stickered about 5,000 less than the F150, although I knew that the Nissan folks would not discount it nearly as aggressively as Ford. The afforementioned Ford dealer was offering 9,000 off with discounts and rebates. The others were similar, but slightly less. I wasn't sure if Nissan was going to be in the game. However, after much haggling and wringing, and almost walking out after I thought we had a deal done, I walked out with the truck right at invoice, minus the 2000 rebate. I won out on most items. I refused to pay for their garbage addendums as it pertained to window treatments, glass etching and paint sealant.

As I unloaded my belongings from my old 2000 F150 XL Supercab (Extended cab), I looked at her with a touch of sadness. Sure she was getting up there at almost 85,000 miles, and had outlived her usefulness in some ways. I was getting weary of not having a usable back seat, a tilt wheel, cruise control, bucket seats and some other creature comforts, as well as a V6 engine that wasn't fast or economical. Yet, she had taken me though some hard times in my life when all I could afford was the most basic of transportation. I needed a big vehicle to accomodate my tall frame and the F150 was my reliable sidekick. It never left me stranded, and only needed non-routine manintenance once; even that was more of an annoyance than a serious problem. I always kept her in good condition mechanically and I hope her new owner does the same.

Anyways, enough with that nostalgia crap. I am thrilled with my new Titan. I keep peeking out through the window so I can see it sitting there in the driveway! I'm just looking for an excuse to go for a ride now!