Competition increases in the full size market
Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
From: atlanta
I saw the Titan at the show and although it looks better in person, it still does not do it for me. Like someone else mentioned, all three of Nissan's new product introduced at the show look similar, especially in front. I don't like the front lights.
The product specialists were comparing the vehicle with the big 3 and though they made some interesting points (frame construction, 4wheel abs, engine hp, rear ugly storage) the bottom line for me was I am more impressed with the 150. What are you going to do with a little storage in the back-put a 6 pack inside? The other problem I have with it is if you go to Nissan's website and look into the wide opening rear doors-they demonstrate it with a grocery cart. That tells me a lot right there. If I was wanting a vehicle for grocery shopping I would buy a mini van.
Besides, I am not buying a Jap truck. I can't do it. And trust me, I can drive plenty of Japanese cars and not feel guilty at all. But American trucks are as good as anything in the market. I will give Nissan credit though-they have some great products and their truck is not cheap imitation. They will grab market share, probably from Toyota and their own Frontier (cannibilization).
The good thing about increased competition is it makes everyone's product better and keeps the acquisition cost down.
The product specialists were comparing the vehicle with the big 3 and though they made some interesting points (frame construction, 4wheel abs, engine hp, rear ugly storage) the bottom line for me was I am more impressed with the 150. What are you going to do with a little storage in the back-put a 6 pack inside? The other problem I have with it is if you go to Nissan's website and look into the wide opening rear doors-they demonstrate it with a grocery cart. That tells me a lot right there. If I was wanting a vehicle for grocery shopping I would buy a mini van.
Besides, I am not buying a Jap truck. I can't do it. And trust me, I can drive plenty of Japanese cars and not feel guilty at all. But American trucks are as good as anything in the market. I will give Nissan credit though-they have some great products and their truck is not cheap imitation. They will grab market share, probably from Toyota and their own Frontier (cannibilization).
The good thing about increased competition is it makes everyone's product better and keeps the acquisition cost down.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Colorado
Nissan Titan- probably will be my next truck
Yeah, I would agree that the new Ford F150 is the better looking truck. And I'm still a big fan of the current F150's styling.
However, having been raised in a family of Nissan owners, I can't help but respect the absolute indestructibility of Nissan's products. Here's a pretty funny example:
My dad had an 83 Nissan 4X4 King Cab which he put 200,000 hard and cruel miles on. My dad doesn't really care much about vehicle maintenance, so it wasn't uncommon for that truck to go 10,000+ miles between oil changes. So, any oil changes it did get were done by myself on Father's day, birthday's, etc. I would leave the used, changed out oil outside in a plastic storage container. Furthermore, when the truck started burning a bit of oil (at about the 175,000 mile mark), I found out that my dad would just add oil from the used container! "Why add new oil? It's just gonna burn it up anyway?!" was my dad's explanation!
Also, I once flushed the radiator on this poor abused truck. The stuff that came out literally looked like mud puddle muck. Unbeleivable that the cooling system still worked!
Despite this lack of maintenance, the truck still ran when he sold it at 200,000 miles. All it ever needed was the usual stuff- tires, brakes, air cleaners, oil changes, etc. The thing just never broke. My wife put 180,000 miles on a 300ZX we once had and my mom's current Nissan Maxima is pretty much the same way.
Because of these kind of experiences with Nissan products, I'm already impressed with the Titan. Let alone the fact that it's really putting up some impressive numbers. 300+ HP and 375+ ft-lbs of torque. Very nice.
However, I currently own a '97 F-150 4X4 Supercab Lariat with the 5.4. I really like the truck a lot and it's been pretty darn reliable so far. It's only got 56,000 miles on it, and since I only put on about 6,000 miles a year, it's gonna take me a LOOOONG time to wear it out! (hopefully)
However, having been raised in a family of Nissan owners, I can't help but respect the absolute indestructibility of Nissan's products. Here's a pretty funny example:
My dad had an 83 Nissan 4X4 King Cab which he put 200,000 hard and cruel miles on. My dad doesn't really care much about vehicle maintenance, so it wasn't uncommon for that truck to go 10,000+ miles between oil changes. So, any oil changes it did get were done by myself on Father's day, birthday's, etc. I would leave the used, changed out oil outside in a plastic storage container. Furthermore, when the truck started burning a bit of oil (at about the 175,000 mile mark), I found out that my dad would just add oil from the used container! "Why add new oil? It's just gonna burn it up anyway?!" was my dad's explanation!
Also, I once flushed the radiator on this poor abused truck. The stuff that came out literally looked like mud puddle muck. Unbeleivable that the cooling system still worked!
Despite this lack of maintenance, the truck still ran when he sold it at 200,000 miles. All it ever needed was the usual stuff- tires, brakes, air cleaners, oil changes, etc. The thing just never broke. My wife put 180,000 miles on a 300ZX we once had and my mom's current Nissan Maxima is pretty much the same way.
Because of these kind of experiences with Nissan products, I'm already impressed with the Titan. Let alone the fact that it's really putting up some impressive numbers. 300+ HP and 375+ ft-lbs of torque. Very nice.
However, I currently own a '97 F-150 4X4 Supercab Lariat with the 5.4. I really like the truck a lot and it's been pretty darn reliable so far. It's only got 56,000 miles on it, and since I only put on about 6,000 miles a year, it's gonna take me a LOOOONG time to wear it out! (hopefully)
Senior Member
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 3,188
Likes: 3
From: Kansas side of the greater KC area
It was bad enough that the jap crap cars had to take a big chunk of the American market and then the small truck market now they are doing the same in the big truck market it just plian sucks they need to take there jap crap to japan where it belongs and let Americans drive something from the Big 3
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Midwest
No Jap sh$t . Keep your money in America. They put huge tariffs on U.S. goods and don't allow equal marketing opportunities over there so why should we let them have access to our markets.
Remember the Bataan Death March? Pearl Harbor? Concentration camps that rivaled Germanys? Poison Gas experiments on U.S. soldiers held as prisoners? They teach in their schools that we started WW2.
We enrich Asia at our own peril, but hey so you save a buck or two. Count your savings while you learn to like raw fish in a few decades.
Remember the Bataan Death March? Pearl Harbor? Concentration camps that rivaled Germanys? Poison Gas experiments on U.S. soldiers held as prisoners? They teach in their schools that we started WW2.
We enrich Asia at our own peril, but hey so you save a buck or two. Count your savings while you learn to like raw fish in a few decades.