Small Truck Segment (Colorado/Tacoma etc)

[lubricatosaurus]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
I've had two great small trucks (compact trucks?). A 1988 Toyota 4x4 w/manual 4 cylinder, 22RE EFI engine and a 1992 Nissan base model manual 4 cylinder. Both were bare bones. Both were also great little pickups. Not expensive...nothing fancy....but they did the job very well. Today, the entry level truck consumer seems to want something different. Everybody wants big, max horsepower, and all the electronic gizmos.


Dealers love higher profits, and its what sells, for sure. Still a market for people like us though who want the basics as cheaply as possible.
Like spasm said, Frontier might be the cheapest work-truck out there now. Certainly is small, at only 73" wide it'll fit. Best we can do these days. Used pu trucks are beat up, want new!

 

[Jetronic]

The new mitsuishi L200 will also be sold as a Fiat pick-up. It could become the next dodge ram 50 aswell...

 

[saberz]

Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: daves87rs



Agreed...a full size truck will not fit in my garage....


The small trucks have gotten bigger and bigger. I wish there were small trucks. The Frontier may be the smallest. I liked the s-10 but the colorado looks much bigger.


I've had two great small trucks (compact trucks?). A 1988 Toyota 4x4 w/manual 4 cylinder, 22RE EFI engine and a 1992 Nissan base model manual 4 cylinder. Both were bare bones. Both were also great little pickups. Not expensive...nothing fancy....but they did the job very well. Today, the entry level truck consumer seems to want something different. Everybody wants big, max horsepower, and all the electronic gizmos.


I don't even care about the electronics, just want leather and 4x4. Sadly these are packages that require a huge cost investment and technology. I wish I could forgo the rest to bring the cost down. Cloth doesn't hold up as well against my 4yo as leather would (spills and the like). Really sad how outrageous pricing has gotten.

My father remembers when trucks were used for work but now he sees them as glorified trophies. I want to use it and make it work for me not baby it (aside from maintenance)

 

[whip]

I like the Colarado, but the value isn't there. With rebates and discounts, a Silverado can be bought for a few hundred bucks more. There isn't as much of a fuel savings with smaller trucks anymore, and the operating cost aren't much different. I'd seriously consider the full size truck.
Please stop with the Ridgeline isn't a truck nonsense. The Ridgeline will do everything that most truck owners will ask a truck to do. It will easily move appliances, people, mulch, and tow a medium sized truck. How many truck owners really tow 7,500 pounds with their Silverado?

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: whip

How many truck owners really tow 7,500 pounds with their Silverado?


Let's see....

I do. I build houses with it, I tow a 27' camper with it, I pull two jet skis with it... and it is just a measly 2004 1/2 ton extended cab with a 5.3 liter engine.

Most of the local home builders in this area think that you have to soak at least $60,000 into a one-ton dually 4x4 pickup with a diesel and leather, just to build houses. Ummmmm.... no.

 

[KD0AXS]

If you really want leather, it can easily be added to most any vehicle after you purchase it. Then you don't have to pay extra for the 800 other options the factory wants to throw in along with it. Plus, you can customize it the way you want it instead of just how it comes from the factory. The previous owner of my truck did just that. My F-350 is just plain XLT trim, nothing special. Leather was added to the front seats, but the back seat is still the standard cloth.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: whip
I like the Colarado, but the value isn't there. With rebates and discounts, a Silverado can be bought for a few hundred bucks more. There isn't as much of a fuel savings with smaller trucks anymore, and the operating cost aren't much different. I'd seriously consider the full size truck.
Please stop with the Ridgeline isn't a truck nonsense. The Ridgeline will do everything that most truck owners will ask a truck to do. It will easily move appliances, people, mulch, and tow a medium sized truck. How many truck owners really tow 7,500 pounds with their Silverado?


You are exactly right. While some folks actually require a heavy duty, full size, V-8 or more truck to perform work duties or operate on a ranch/construction site etc. the VAST majority of big truck owners rarely tow anything heavier than a ski boat or carry more than an occasional load of dirt. The people at Honda know that and decided to take the gamble when they designed the Ridgeline. It sold ok...but due to the American mindset of "bigger is better" and what I think was poor advertising, it never sold as well as it could have. As I've often mentioned on this board....I absolutely cherish my Ridgeline. I've owned full size trucks....but the Ridge has been the best truck to suit my lifestyle. If I was a rancher or worked in construction....I'd not have considered it. I have towed two jet ski's with ease....and loaded up the bed with pretty much anything I've wanted with no issues. It handles snow extremely well and slippery boat ramps with ease. I can also put visiting family in the spacious back seat and comfortably drive them around town...in class.

Anyway....you'll always encounter the Ridgeline wet blanket crowd. In every thread where the Ridgeline comes up, a full size truck person or two will disparage it. No big deal. I like big trucks...but I don't need one.

 

[WiskyBadger]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: whip

How many truck owners really tow 7,500 pounds with their Silverado?


Let's see....

I do. I build houses with it, I tow a 27' camper with it, I pull two jet skis with it... and it is just a measly 2004 1/2 ton extended cab with a 5.3 liter engine.

Most of the local home builders in this area think that you have to soak at least $60,000 into a one-ton dually 4x4 pickup with a diesel and leather, just to build houses. Ummmmm.... no.
I do as well, 4 place snowmobile trailer, vehicles, and all with a bed full of stuff as well.

 

[whip]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: whip

How many truck owners really tow 7,500 pounds with their Silverado?


Let's see....

I do. I build houses with it, I tow a 27' camper with it, I pull two jet skis with it... and it is just a measly 2004 1/2 ton extended cab with a 5.3 liter engine.

Most of the local home builders in this area think that you have to soak at least $60,000 into a one-ton dually 4x4 pickup with a diesel and leather, just to build houses. Ummmmm.... no.

You're the exception. Most home owners aren't doing that type of work every day. As you pointed out, most people buy more truck than they need. That's OK, it's their money. There's a reason why trucks like the Ridgeline and small trucks exist. A lot of people don't the capability.

 

[saberz]

All valid points by everyone. Definitely a case of to much truck for most people but without a price difference many or ole like myself would be ushered into a larger truck than necessary due to cost.

 

[hattaresguy]

You are seeing why compact trucks don't sell well in the US.


We have cheap gas and lots of space so it negates two of the benefits of compact pickups. They are no cheaper than full size trucks to make so the pricing is about the same as well.

Buy what you want, I think the new Colorado looks nice.

As for price all new trucks are overpriced, I cannot wait for them to fall out of fashion with the general public.

 

[KD0AXS]

My dad is actually in the same boat. He's owned his 2001 Ranger since brand new, so he's considering replacing it in the next couple years. He doesn't want a full size pickup because he simply doesn't have the garage space for it, and doesn't need a full size truck anyway.

Only thing of any size that he tows is his pontoon boat. It's two miles by road from the cabin to the boat landing. One trip to put the boat in the lake in the spring, and another in the fall to take tje boat out of the lake. That makes for a whopping 8 miles a year, and the Ranger does it easily.

At this point, it looks like his options will be Colorado, Tacoma, or Frontier. I've seen rumors of Ford possibly bringing back the Ranger, but nothing confirmed that I've seen.

 

[sciphi]

I priced a Canyon and Sierra 1500 with similar capabilities on the web configurator. The Canyon came in at $6000 cheaper based on MSRP. I'm not sure how that translates into what folks are seeing in the real world. If it's close to reality or market conditions in accessible markets, then the folks who don't want a large truck just might not be swayed into getting one based on price.

 

[hattaresguy]

When I was looking I found the online prices to be more or less worthless, especially autotrader prices.

You need to shop and make the rounds to the dealers. I called 5 dealers, two out of state and they all came in around the same price so I figured that's what the trucks sold for.

But incentives and deals change all the time.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
My dad is actually in the same boat. He's owned his 2001 Ranger since brand new, so he's considering replacing it in the next couple years. He doesn't want a full size pickup because he simply doesn't have the garage space for it, and doesn't need a full size truck anyway.

Only thing of any size that he tows is his pontoon boat. It's two miles by road from the cabin to the boat landing. One trip to put the boat in the lake in the spring, and another in the fall to take tje boat out of the lake. That makes for a whopping 8 miles a year, and the Ranger does it easily.

At this point, it looks like his options will be Colorado, Tacoma, or Frontier. I've seen rumors of Ford possibly bringing back the Ranger, but nothing confirmed that I've seen.



Why doesn't your dad just pay a local truck owner (or maybe a friend) to haul his boat back and forth twice a year? Buying a specific purpose vehicle for that planned usage just seems silly and unnecessary.

As far as the small truck segment, I've always been fond of them. The towing that I do is almost always under 5000 lbs and I prefer MT trucks so in the current environment I don't really have much of a choice and I really am happy with the Tacoma.

The new Colorado compares favorably to the Tacoma but which one would you rather be driving after a dozen years and 200 thousand miles?

 

[KD0AXS]

Originally Posted By: bigdreama


Why doesn't your dad just pay a local truck owner (or maybe a friend) to haul his boat back and forth twice a year? Buying a specific purpose vehicle for that planned usage just seems silly and unnecessary.


It's not just specifically for moving the boat. He hauls stuff in the bed all the time, so he definitely needs a pickup. He just doesn't tow a trailer much.

If he didn't have the means to do it, I'd gladly move the boat for him with my truck. We also have a whole family of farmers with trucks that would gladly do the same as well.

 

[dareo]

I looked into 2016 Tacoma lease residuals today. It blew me away, 81% residual out to 36 months. The Colorado was 64%. A VW GTI was only 51% residual in the same term.

Tacoma will be an absolute resale champion once again.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: whip
How many truck owners really tow 7,500 pounds with their Silverado?

Whip I like you I like your post but...that is bad juju. People drive what they want. Just because you don't see them towing does not mean they don't
But just in case you were wondering.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: dareo
I looked into 2016 Tacoma lease residuals today. It blew me away, 81% residual out to 36 months. The Colorado was 64%. A VW GTI was only 51% residual in the same term.

Tacoma will be an absolute resale champion once again.


It may not be easy to figure out but the used market never lies. At least the Tacoma will lease cheaply.

I can't stand the new Colorado. First of all it's way too big IMO, might as well get a Silverado...

 

[RoadRaceJosh]

One thing jumps out at me here which no one else has addressed. You say you want to buy a house in a year. Is this the best time to buy a new vehicle? Would new vehicle payments be better applied to a down payment or moving expenses?

Is a truck really necessary or would another vehicle do the job for less money?

I tried eliminating my truck and getting by with a Subaru Outback, but ended up buying my Frontier for hauling and towing. If a better trailer hitch were available for my BMW I might have bought a utility trailer instead.

Leather is a ripoff. If you really want to protect the seats from the kiddo get waterproof seat covers for the back.

And... I got 5% under invoice on my Frontier by going through the dealership's internet sales channel. And, yes, it's a basic model, but has AC, cruise, etc. $19,200 plus licence. I drive it easy and 24 MPG is easy to attain so long as I can minimize time spent in stop-and-go traffic.