when people say that their domestic vehicle will be a broken down money pit in 5 years they are also living in the past.

 

Good point.

Consider that Toyota and Nissan:
- build their trucks here in the US
- using US labor
- using parts made by the same US suppliers that the domestics use
- design and engineer their trucks at US design & engineering centers

The main things that come from Japan are: DRIVETRAINS

The same drivetrains that people in this thread rave about while dismissing the rest of the truck!

Look, I drive a Ford because I think they make great trucks. And I think the domestics have a longer track record of towing heavy loads through 120-degree heat in the middle of summer. And I think I'll be able to find a Ford part in the middle of nowhere before I'll find a Toyota/Nissan part. And I like the look of domestic trucks. And I generally try to buy American if a product is equivalent to the imported version.

But I can't sit here and say that Ford is the best, and everything else sux.

 

Boy, it seems like I really stirred the pot on this topic with my original post. I've had dilleyoshemp tell me to pull my head out of my ***, and Jordan not Mike quote the first line of my first post.

OK, how can anybody call what the imports provide as competition? Yes it's true that Detroit used to look at the imports and laugh, until they started losing a huge chunk of the CAR based market to Nissan, Toyota, Honda, and a whole host of others. This forced the big three to improve their product to stay ahead. They also have to make improvements more often to stay competitive.

When it comes to trucks however, I stand by my original statement, they can't compete. How can it be called competition when the F150 outsells the Tundra by 6 or 7 to one? Or when the Dodge Ram outsells the Nissan Titan 8 or 9 to one? Sorry guys that's not competition. I never said that the imports don't offer an exellent product, the days of a Toyota's fenders and quarter panels turning to lattice work after one winter are long gone. Also gone are the days of expensive repairs and long waits for parts. All due to the fact that all these "imports" are mostly assembled in North America.

What I also said was the imports will not be taken seriously until the buyers perception of what makes a truck changes. The Titan is a tough powerful truck, but those of you that drove one and then drove the F150, bought the F150. Why? I'll tell you, because when you thought TRUCK, the image of the F150 is what fit the bill. Deep down for most of you, the thought of saying when asked, what truck did you buy, Nissan Titan didn't conjure up that truck image. But saying '04 Ford F150, now that says TRUCK.

Like it or not, It's that kind of thinking that prevents the imports for truly being competitive.

 

Keep in mind the medium-duty truck market. Domestics used to have a monopoly there also.

But now, you've got all sorts of imports, from Isuzu to Volvo...

All I'm saying is, it's no longer business as usual. The domestics know this, they've been burned in every other segment, and it can happen again.

Also, consider how long the domestics have been selling trucks, yet were only on the first generation of Japanese full-size trucks.

At least competition has made better products for all of us to buy.

While I agree that the current crop of imports doesn't compete very well for many uses, that's a far cry from saying "They can't compete."

Because, as history shows us, they very likely will be competitive in time...

 

I will not **** on the Titan but I would buy a Ford first. The price is what gets me plus my 86 is still ticking. Rusty but still running. I would hope Ford still has the same standards.

One thing for the Toyota at least. My buddy has a midsized Toyota pick up and it is a well build vehicle. Period. The toyota camry is turning into the new Kcar. and I am sure with a little more time they will have a leg up on the full size trucks as well.

 

while my dad was looking to buy a new small car back in '00, we drove the Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, and the Ford Focus. Hands down, Honda and Toyota make a better car, and for a less price. He ended up buying the top of the line Corolla with a 5-speed. Its now got 135,xxx on it, and hasn't missed a lick, still just a slight humm from the engine compartment when at idle. The Focus was not the calibur car that Honda or Toyota make, but he chose the Corolla based on the timing chain, not timing belt Honda had.

On the other hand, my buddy drove a 86 Nissan Hardbody 4x4 4cyl/5 speed to high school, 30 mile round trip every day, and it had over 300,000 miles on it. His dad bought it new in '86, and it had nothing ever but plugs/ belts/ hoses. No plug wires, no gaskets, or even a clutch, and they all beat the hell out of this truck, running it thru creeks, revving up between 4-5k rpm's, and even had it turned over on its side 3 times while mudding. They sold it for 800 bucks 2 years ago. I still see that truck around town about once a week.
I love domestic trucks as far as being heavy duty, but it would be hard to pass up a truck in decent shape like a mid-80's Toyota/Nissan...

 

Toyota Camry cars are the most common car out here in LA, SoCal, common as dirt, proberbly more common.

Asian people only buy japanese cars, thats a huge part of the population here. I hate it when they tell my American cars are junk, and that I shouldn't buy them. I tell people who tell me that to grow a brain.

 

Well...They must be the ones driving Titans, because Titans are about as common as Edsels in this part of the country.

MR

 

I do agree that the domestics have the market on HD towing. If I had a job that required that, I would get a HD Ford or Chevy but I'm just a suburban Home Depot weekend hauler so I don't need that. What I want is somehing that can tow and haul on occasion and will last forever, so that's why Toyota fits my needs.