CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?
Nissan Titan vs Toyota Tacoma

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck described it as a tragic misinterpretation by police officers working under incredible tension. Earlier that day, the police were informed that the suspect had gunned down two officers in Riverside County. This followed the killing of the daughter and her fiancé of another former officer by a suspect they believed was hell bent on a campaign of revenge. The call came in that a truck matching the description of the suspect’s grey Nissan Titan was approaching. When the truck slowly drove into the residential street with its light off, the officers opened fire. But then they discovered that the vehicle they shot wasn’t a Nissan Titan, but a Toyota Tacoma. And it wasn’t gray, but blue. And inside was not the male suspect, but a 71 year old female, accompanied by her daughter, delivering the morning newspaper. The $64,000 question (the combined approximate cost of the Titan and Tacoma): Would you have been able to tell the difference? This happened in the twilight hours before the sun rises, right about the time the morning paper is delivered. The mistaken victims, we learn, were delivering the morning newspaper. At this time of the day, one can argue that it’s difficult to see well. Colors are not as easily distinguishable as they are when the sun is out. And, according to an LA Times interview with Chief Beck, a radio call was dispatched to the officers indicating that a vehicle matching the suspect’s pickup truck was approaching.

The suspect’s Nissan Titan is classified as a full-size pickup, whereas the Tacoma driven by the victims is Toyota’s compact pickup. But the distinction between full-size and compact pickups has been getting blurred lately. The suspect’s Titan crew cab measures approximately 225 inches in length, whereas the victims’ “compact” Tacoma measures 221 inches long. Do they look a-like? Perhaps they do at 5:00 in the morning. But the architecture of the two vehicles differ. The Nissan Titan design is chiseled and sharp-edged, whereas the Toyota Tacoma goes for a more rounded and curvy look. Whether the officers were justified in mistaking a Toyota Tacoma for a Nissan Titan at 5 a.m. will be debated for months and maybe years to come. Glen T. Jonas, the attorney now representing the two female victims, told the Times that the officers gave "no commands, no instructions and no opportunity to surrender" before opening fire. But Chief Beck informed the paper that it’s not difficult to imagine how officers who were already on edge could make the mistake these officers did. "As an officer, you look for cues. You know how someone drives normally and then you see someone coming at you slowly, driving in the middle of the street, stopping and starting. That can be misinterpreted," - BT Justice Review of the current generation Nissan Titan: Remember the Titan Review of the current generation Toyota Tacoma: Immortal Beloved For more information about Nissan products, go to nissanusa.com For more information about Toyota products, go to toyota.com

SPECIFICATIONS Nissan Titan Crew Cab SV (base 4X4) Price: $36,750 (base) Engine type: 5.6L V8 DOHC, 32-valve CVTCS Horsepower: 317@5200 rpm Torque: 385 lb-ft @ 3400 rpm Drive configuration: Front engine/four-wheel drive Dimensions Length: 224.6 in. Width: 79.5 in. Height: 76.3 in.

Toyota Tacoma Double Cab (base 4X4) Price: $26,805 (base) Engine type: 4.0L V6, DOHC, 24V VVT-i Horsepower: 236 @ 5200 rpm Torque: 266 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm Drive configuration: Front engine/four-wheel drive Dimensions Length/wheelbase: 221 inches/140.6 inches Width: 74.6 inches Height: 70.1 inches Curb Weight: 4190 pounds