New Toyota large truck
- Thread starter Schmoe
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Nice looking truck! Ford, Chevy and Dodge were the only things keeping from a full size truck. I may finally be able to buy one. Nah, don't need it especially with fuel costs. I like my 23 MPG with the Tacoma.
Toyota will be following up with a diesel truck too.
Daily Drives:
-2003 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner,2.7 liter, 4 cylinder, Mobil1 5w30 ODO 24600
-1995 Toyota 4-Runner,3.0 liter,6 cylinder, Mobil1 5w40 tsuv ODO 103100
http://community.webshots.com/user/amkeer
Toyota will be following up with a diesel truck too.
Daily Drives:
-2003 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner,2.7 liter, 4 cylinder, Mobil1 5w30 ODO 24600
-1995 Toyota 4-Runner,3.0 liter,6 cylinder, Mobil1 5w40 tsuv ODO 103100
http://community.webshots.com/user/amkeer
Schmoe, back in early '96 when I saw the 97 F150 for the first time, I was driving by a Ford dealership at night. I had to turn around, thinking that this dealership must now be selling Toyotas and there is a new Toyota truck on the market. Much to my surprise, the truck was a Ford F150. Now, the toyota has some looks that are similar to this truck that I thought was a Toyota - Hmmmm.
As far as somebody saying that toyota is copying other automotive manufacturers designs, the Japanese have done this for years and they are doing a great job of it. They take a good idea that has a decent following and they refine it, making it better. This truck may be designed in the US, but it was designed using a Japanese tried and true concept. While the US auto makers use the concept of "build it and they will buy it", the Japanese are sitting back watching and evaluating and then making it better once it takes off. So, in a way, the US automakers are test marketers for the Japanese
As far as somebody saying that toyota is copying other automotive manufacturers designs, the Japanese have done this for years and they are doing a great job of it. They take a good idea that has a decent following and they refine it, making it better. This truck may be designed in the US, but it was designed using a Japanese tried and true concept. While the US auto makers use the concept of "build it and they will buy it", the Japanese are sitting back watching and evaluating and then making it better once it takes off. So, in a way, the US automakers are test marketers for the Japanese
"Having lived through the 70s and well into the 80s with the total garbage cars the big three were selling at the time. I could not imagine how bad of vehicles the big three would be selling us today. If it was not for Toyota and Honda."
I don't know if I buy into this conventional wisdom. Certainly the domestics were slow to react to changes in the market during the gas crunch. As for being garbage; I see mid seventies and up big three cars on the road every day. Even the crummy vega/monza/pinto breeds are around the neighborhood.
I can't recall the last eighties model import on the road around here. Not even sought after models such as Datsun Z cars are around. They probably all rusted out, does that make them "garbage?"
I don't know if I buy into this conventional wisdom. Certainly the domestics were slow to react to changes in the market during the gas crunch. As for being garbage; I see mid seventies and up big three cars on the road every day. Even the crummy vega/monza/pinto breeds are around the neighborhood.
I can't recall the last eighties model import on the road around here. Not even sought after models such as Datsun Z cars are around. They probably all rusted out, does that make them "garbage?"
In general, it's cheaper to deal with mechanical problems than to deal with body problems. So a car with body problems IS more of a piece of garbage than a car with mechanical problems.
If you're going to use a full-size pickup for what used to be, and still should be, its primary purpose, that is, use as a WORK truck, you might as well discount by about 90% the vast majority of reviews and test drives of full-size pickups. Most of these reviews have gotten to the point where they look only or mainly at such things as how car-like the truck is in terms of style, comfort, amenities, and all the latest gimmicks and toys that aren't needed in a work truck. The reviews are interested in the truck's appeal to city people who have no intention of using the truck as a work truck and buy the truck for other purposes, such as macho appeal, occasionally driving the truck off-road (defined by city dwellers as driving on gravel roads), and hauling gardening supplies to their city lot or large country lot. A perfect example is how the reviewers have fallen all over themselves praising the Honda Ridgeline, which in the opinion of real truck guys is not even a pickup. Where I live in Montana, nobody is buying the large Toyotas and Nissans, because they use their pickups as work trucks and also beat the **** out of them in REAL off roading for various recreational purposes, mainly hunting, fishing, and camping. For these uses the only choices are still Ford, Chevy, and Dodge.
JHZR2
Staff member
well said...
There are other parts of the world where Toyota trucks are used for severe loading and off roading and they cut a very good figure so the assumption that they can't cope with real life truck situation is truly preposterous.I have no idea about Honda as Honda has not introduced their trucks to the other side of the world but I am sure they will do well too.I would fully trust a Toyota truck on or off road.
JMA,
I don't agree with your point of view at all! First off the Toyota 4x4 has been known as the offroader of choice along with the jeep cj. Around here the majority of offroad recreational vehicals is Toyota 4x4. Most trails are narrow and are not passible with a full size PU. This is worldwide not just here in the USA. You don't have to look far. The mountains of Afghanistan the Special Forces uses the Toyota Tacoma. If you look at the middle east, Australia and other areas were durability is necessary all you see are Toyota Hilux and other Toyota vehicles. These areas almost never see Dodge, Chevy or Ford.
I don't agree with your point of view at all! First off the Toyota 4x4 has been known as the offroader of choice along with the jeep cj. Around here the majority of offroad recreational vehicals is Toyota 4x4. Most trails are narrow and are not passible with a full size PU. This is worldwide not just here in the USA. You don't have to look far. The mountains of Afghanistan the Special Forces uses the Toyota Tacoma. If you look at the middle east, Australia and other areas were durability is necessary all you see are Toyota Hilux and other Toyota vehicles. These areas almost never see Dodge, Chevy or Ford.
Anyone who has seen the BBC Top Gear torture test on a 13 year old Toyota Hi Lux Truck with 190,000 miles on clock surviving overnight salt water immersion among other cruel and unusual punishment should at least have respect for Toyota trucks even though one may not like them. Tell me any other truck that can survive that test.
"They arent manual trans or diesel... enough said.
If you buy a full size truck without a diesel engine... well, I just don't know what to think."
JMH
I have not seen an F-150 with a diesel or (in the current version) manual transmission.
If you buy a full size truck without a diesel engine... well, I just don't know what to think."
JMH
I have not seen an F-150 with a diesel or (in the current version) manual transmission.
JHZR2
Staff member
When I buy a fullsize (within the next few years as the fiancee's horse riding and hypotherapy practice get going), the f150 wont even be on my radar screen... nor the chevy or dodge versionsof the 1/2 ton.
as 1sttruck's results seem to indicate, a diesel 250/2500 version truck will beat the pants off of the lighter duty versions, likely even the v6 150/1500s... and likely, given longevity vs. added cost, its a wash, so all is well.
Lets see a LD diesel f150... that would be a sight!
JMH
as 1sttruck's results seem to indicate, a diesel 250/2500 version truck will beat the pants off of the lighter duty versions, likely even the v6 150/1500s... and likely, given longevity vs. added cost, its a wash, so all is well.
Lets see a LD diesel f150... that would be a sight!
JMH
I remember reading the Ridgeline does not even have a frame as it's a unibody construction. I wonder how long it would hold up at my job site? I would love to test a Tundra or Titan for a few years on our worksites and see how they compare to our F150's. The F150 is hands down the best work truck and I am bowtie man thru and thru.
So true...
The Ridgeline is just about on it's bump stops at full rated payload. You really don't find this happening with domestic trucks.
it takes about 5,000lbs to put my 88 Chevy K2500 on it's bumpstops.. more than twice it's load rating.
Nice call on that top gear episode, I may try to dig that up.
Simply amazing what they put that truck through...they sat it on a roof of an old apartment building with a helicopter.....then DEMOLISHED the building.
This was after the salt water soak, running the truck into buildings and a tree, etc.
I think anyone watching that show would pretty much come down in complete opposition to jmacmaster's post.
Anyone who thinks that US trucks are the only "tough" trucks...please go ahead. It's freedom of choice that makes America great....and keeps the prices of the clearly superior products down!
Simply amazing what they put that truck through...they sat it on a roof of an old apartment building with a helicopter.....then DEMOLISHED the building.
This was after the salt water soak, running the truck into buildings and a tree, etc.
I think anyone watching that show would pretty much come down in complete opposition to jmacmaster's post.
Anyone who thinks that US trucks are the only "tough" trucks...please go ahead. It's freedom of choice that makes America great....and keeps the prices of the clearly superior products down!
Unless there are a lot of suckers buying into the "import is better" garbage, I don't think Toyota will take too much away from the big 3. I had a 1996 S-10 that got over 30 mpg on the highway, never less than 26 around town and my FULLSIZE Dodge gets 21 on the highway, 19 just running around. No problems either. Most truck buyers already know that Ford, GM and Chrysler make good trucks because they've owned them before.
The Ridgeline is not a truck. It's a unibody based off the Pilot. I've always been a domestic guy at heart (never owned foreign). For a full-size truck, I agree that you can't beat the "Big 3". However, the drivetrain in the Titan is pretty impressive. I can't speak to it's longitivity, or "toughness".
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