Posted on 05/20/2024 10:08:02 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The American pickup truck market is dominated by domestic brands, primarily Ford , Chevrolet , GMC and Ram . U.S. brands benefit from a loyal buyer base, and a 25% tax on imported trucks.
But the Toyota Tacoma shows how a foreign automaker can find and control a niche within that market.
The top-selling full-size pickup line is Ford’s F-Series, especially the F-150, which is also the bestselling vehicle in America, according to Edmunds. GM and Ram pickups trail Ford, which also has the top-selling compact pickup truck — the Maverick.
But U.S. automakers have wavered in their commitment to smaller pickups, while the Japanese automaker Toyota has had a presence in the segment as far back as the 1970s. Toyota introduced the Tacoma in 1995 as a successor to the Toyota Pickup, famously known as the Hilux elsewhere in the world. Meanwhile, Ford Motor discontinued the Ranger after the 2011 model year, and then revived it in 2019. GM pulled the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon off the market in 2012, before reviving both in 2014.
In 2023, Toyota sold over 237,000 Tacomas in the U.S., far outpacing all of its midsize competitors by a wide margin. The next best seller was the Chevrolet Colorado, which sold just shy of 72,000 units. The GMC Canyon, a slightly higher-end version of the same truck, adds roughly another 22,600 in sales for the U.S. automaker.
Toyota’s careful attention to the needs of Tacoma owners is seen as part of the reason for that loyal market base and the model’s consistent sales. For example, about 40% of Tacoma owners take their trucks off-road at least once a month, so Toyota offers several off-road packages for the truck.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
Only people who play off of the lady’s tees buy those.
Long before they took over the US market they took over the market in Africa for those reasons. When you are out in the middle of nowhere it just has to work. You can't just say, oh, ok, I'll take the metro.
Tacoman...........................
“Except for the engine failures that started in 2022.
They changed how the bearings were supported and now they are blowing up engines w 30k miles.”
Do you have a source? Google searches don’t show.
The resale on Tacos is just amazing. My brother bought a Taco and sold it about ten years later (to the dealer!) and probably lost $3000 on the trade-in.
We also go visit & work on his wine property near Eureka, CA from time to time. One would think that since most vineyard workers are from Mexico, there would be a clear majority of Fords and Chevy/GMC trucks parked in all the parking lots. Nope. Toyotas, by far.
Agree.
‘04 Tundra 4WD w/160k on the odo. Well used, but not abused.
I was considering a new Tundra until the EPA mandates kicked in, and the 5.7L was replaced by the turbo V-6.
I will consider a Ford when I NEED a new truck, but will wait until current truck dies. If Toyota reintroduces the 5.7L or comparable, all bets are off.
Midsize? Never thought of a Tacoma as being midsized. Even the “big” ones.
I have owned a 1988 Toyota 4WD single cab truck.
In 1999 I bought a 4WD Tacoma extended cab. I sold the 1988 for $2995.
In 2012 I bought a Tacoma V6 4WD Double cab long bed. I sold my 1999 back to Toyota of North America for Kelly Blue Book Full Retail x 1.5.(about $14.5K)
The 2012 just turned 110K. Best vehicle I have ever owned. I may never sell it.
“Long before they took over the US market they took over the market in Africa for those reasons. When you are out in the middle of nowhere it just has to work.”
We have a Lexus GX-460. The similar Landcruiser Prado is sold in other parts of the world.
The bigger size is mostly just air...its styling.
Ford has huge problems now. Beware, get the V8.
There is are several episodes on the British show TOP GEAR about how they TRY to kill a Toyota Hilux. Including parking it on a ramp on the ocean and letting the tide swamp it and take it away.
I am sure many have seen it. Its on YouTube.
One thing I never understood is why quarter ton trucks have less headroom than a half ton. People who want a smaller truck are not necessarily shorter.
I would like a smaller truck because it will fit in the barn easier but I cannot fit in the dang thing.
Rock solid but 16 mpg no matter how I drove.
I get a solid 22 mpg with the 2024, prolly 60% highway speeds.
The 2022 was about 19-20 mpg, but more around town at the time.
It's more than that. The new Taco is basically a shrunken Tundra. All the underpinnings and frame are different.
I’m on my second Nissan Frontier. I bought one in 2006. Another in 2020. Why did I buy Nissan instead of Toyota?
All things are equal except for one thing. Tacomas are more expensive.
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