Domestic pickups dominate the heavy-duty segment of the market, but Japanese rivals would understandably love to take a bigger slice if they could. Let's see how one of them is doing by comparing the Nissan Titan XD with the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, which is a popular model at the Chevrolet dealer serving Sandpoint.

Japanese manufacturers have a fantastic track record of global success in designing desirable pickup trucks, but those are almost exclusively midsize models. Most buyers here in America expect a heavy-duty pickup to look the way we imagine a heavy-duty pickup should look, and according to the Sandpoint Chevrolet dealer, the 2019 Silverado 2500HD delivers on that in a big way. It's big and brash, with just enough chrome bling to make it glint in the sun without going overboard. There may be some buyers who prefer the slightly awkward look of the Nissan Titan XD, but we can’t imagine are very many.

As we've come to expect, both the Chevy Silverado 2500HD and the Nissan Titan HD are available with the choice of a standard gasoline engine and an optional diesel powerplant. For those who are really serious about towing and hauling, we think diesel is the best choice. The Titan XD offers a 5.0-liter V8 that develops 310 horsepower and 555 lb-ft of torque, but that doesn’t compare with the Silverado 2500 HD. The Silverado boasts a 6.6-liter V8 Duramax turbodiesel that makes an impressive 445 hp and a massive 910 lb-ft of torque.

For many buyers, a heavy-duty pickup stands or falls on its towing and hauling capabilities, and this is another vital area where the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD takes the lead over the Nissan Titan XD. When properly outfitted, the Titan XD has a maximum towing capacity of 12,640 and can haul up to 2,910 pounds. The Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD can tow nearly 20,000 pounds and can haul a payload of just over 3,500 pounds.

Both models are offered in three cab variations. The Silverado has Regular, Double and Crew Cabs, and the Titan XD refers to essentially the same three cabs in its lineup as the Single, King and Crew Cab. As with most full-size trucks, the Crew Cabs are the most popular, and both the Nissan and the Chevy can accommodate up to six people in this format. By almost every measure, the Silverado 2500HD offers more interior space than the Titan XD. For example, the Chevy boasts legroom of 45.27 inches in the front and 40.93 inches in the back. The Titan XD only provides 41.8 inches in the front and 38.5 inches in the back.

The 2019 Nissan Titan XD costs a little less than the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD, however, the Chevy is clearly the better and more desirable pickup in just about every important category. The Silverado 2500 HD is bigger, better looking, and it can tow and haul a lot more than the Nissan Titan XD. That’s the reason we declare the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado the winner of this competition.