I agree with you and if Toyota is to meet it sales goals the truck will have to prove itself as a work truck. Toyota is focusing very hard on this and is offering a very large number of configurations with the new Tundra that they did not offer in the past.

From what I was just reading, the percentage of repeat buyers for Ford, GM and Dodge trucks in is the 45-55% range, thus Toyota has more to work with than you might think. Interestingly, Toyota repeat buyers made up over 40% of 2005 Tundra sales, of course this is a much smaller number. However, if they can increase their market share and maintain this percentage then they have a very good chance at becoming competetive with the big 3. The question is how are they going to increase their market share?

If Toyota can lure buyers with pricing, options/configurations, or performance then they have as good a chance as any at keeping those customers. Of course this is a big if because as you said, "the Domestics have not given their buyers a reason to try something else." Lets hope they keep it that way. While I think Toyota trucks are great, I am a very patriotic person and believe in buyinf domestic, hence I ditched the Toyota for a Chevy and I owned a Chevy and Pontiac before the Toyota. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens.

 

I have NEVER seen a Toyota/Nissan/Enter Import here Truck on a Farm here in Central Indiana. All you see are Chevy's/Ford's/Dodge's. You will occasionally see an Import truck, but they are usually "City Boys"...

 

All new Silverado for 2007
Updated F-150 in 2008
More bad *** 6.7L Diesel for 2007 Dodge

Toyota has come in at a very competative time in the Truck world and from what I've see and read the new Tundra just isn't that impressive compared to whats already out or coming out very soon. Oh... and it doesn't have a Hemi

 

Toyota sure likes to try the spin don't they!

When they have a 15yr old Truck (4.3v6 at that), working all of it's life towing, pulling wagons, hauling loads, etc... With approximately 350k on it now (and still making a 100mi trip back and forth to Indianapolis a day) and never had the heads pulled. In fact it's my Dad's truck and he's an engineer for GM and has contacts with them and they actually rebuilt his Tranny at 300k to see what a 5-Speed with that many miles and abuse looked like. Funny thing is they said short of a few seals they replaced, everything was still in good condition!

When you see more and more Toyota's that can live up to something like that, I will start saying they can make that statement, now... NO.

 

True, they built their car market/share off a weak slumping domestic car line. However, the domestic truck line is very solid and a completely different story, and Toyota will have a harder time cracking it. If there is one thing the domestics have done consistantly over the years, it's build solid full sized trucks. Hence the strong loyalty/following.

So i don't see the Tundra as a threat. I think it'll steal more sales from the Titan than it would GM/Chevy/Dodge/Ford.

 

With Toyotas superior quality, reliability, and longevity it's amazing Toyota sells the amount of new vehicles it does. With the monstrosity of media and individual reports we hear about the great Toyotas products we should see the Toyota contingent driving 10 to 15 + year old vehicles? Though this doesn't seem to be the case, what gives?

 

I HEAR YA!!!

This is a "typical Saturday" for my big boy...
160 bales at @ 60lbs each, plus a 2200lb tandem axle trailer, plus a tare of 6990 for the truck = a modest 18,800lbs rolling mass. AND IT LOVES IT.


Try pulling a 15,000lb tractor with a Toyota XXXXX...
Gooseneck a race car and living quarters behind it...
1260 miles in 24 hours, pulling a King Cobra, 2 engines, trannys, and extra parts while averaging 20mpg...

I have absolutely NO FEAR whatsoever about Toyota encroaching on this type of work truck. Of course, that is comparing a Superduty to a half-ton which is unfair to the Toy...ota. Simply put, Toyota doesn't offer anything to me whatsoever, but I am one of those "loyal" ones we have been talking about so even if they did, I would not be interested. (Hey, at least I'm honest about it, eh?)

Having said that... I do think it would be foolish for Ford and GM to ignore Toyota in this market. I practice the philosophy of "If you get them down, keep them down." Don't let up, don't ignore any openings, or they WILL take your candy. They proved it in the economy car market, then again in the luxury car market, and they are 100% capable of doing it in the truck market too if given a chance.

In dealing specifically with half-ton models, Toyota may find some inroads over the next few years... but HONESTLY, I see the truck market staying fixed if not actually shrinking by some margin due to fuel costs, higher costs to operate, and higher maintenance costs (as compared to passenger cars). I am not too sure Toyota isn't going for a lost cause by trying to invade a market that is basically done expanding, and may even be starting to shrink.

I would personally like to see Ford and GM offer the Ranger and Colorado with 3 and 4 cyl turbo diesels, 5 and 6 speed autos, 6 speed manuals, and bio-fuel friendly. Both need a radical skin change, and it's time for some revolutionary "new" ideas to come out too, but if anything in the truck area is going to grow in sales/market share, I think it is going to be compacts and economical variants. I can't even bring myself to type the words hybrid and truck in the same sentence, but it's gotta be next...

 

Anyone who believes that Nissan, Toyota or any other “import” manufacturer “can’t “ make a huge dent into GM’s/Ford’s truck sales are as short-sighted as domestic auto industry executives were in the ‘70s - 80s when the “imports” were not even seen as a blip on their respective radar screens.

The entire truck/large SUV market is likely going to be “down” for some time to come (we’ll see another round of slow sales this summer/fall when gas prices climb back to a peek again) which means any new entries into the market automatically have a taller hill to climb. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that GM/Ford isn’t vulnerable in this area.

To any brand, there are loyalists who will buy that brand’s products no matter what – even when there are other, even “better” choices; but such loyalty will never account for enough sales to protect a brand’s market penetration.

I’m sure that GM, Ford and Dodge are taking the import competitors seriously. If they aren’t they won’t just loose some market share - they’ll completely loose their market dominance.

 

CURRENT truck owners will stick to their makes, for the most part. Truck owners indeed are more loyal than car owners, and also tend to value owning a domestic product a little more. Flame me if you want, but its my observation after selling cars for the last 6 years...

HOWEVER...new truck buyers? Like people my age? Entering the truck market for the first time, they have no loyalty. THAT is where Toyota has a real shot at making an inroad...

I hope they don't, but think they will to a certain extent. Will they ever come anywhere near Ford or Chevy in sales? I doubt it...but Dodge? I wouldn't rule it out...

 

What is Nissan not doing right? Versus the implied foresight that Toyota will fair different with a legitimate truck contender?

 

My friend's dad has an old Ford truck (not sure what year or model) with a higher displacement v6 (again, not sure, maybe 4.7) and he just got rid of it with just shy of 200,000 miles on it. It was still running, had towed around a trailer almost all its life, and my friend's dad isn't going to win any awards for his outstanding vehicular maintenance. The truck recieved very little oil changes through its life. I have known countless trucks with similar stories to this, so I don't think reliability is much of an issue with them.

This is very true. Brand loyalty only goes so far. I do think the Nissan Titan is a nice truck, and the Tundra isn't bad either, except for its underpowered v8, which is likely to be alleviated with the new model. I think Detroit has learned its lesson over and over again though about not underestimating the imports, so I doubt they will rest on the laurels of brand loyalty.

 

Another good point. Neither Ford or GM is standing still right now - "resting on their laurels" so to speak. They are both still innovating, creating new features and putting technology (and even luxury and refinement) into their big trucks. Take ride quality for example... Mine rides like a buckboard when it's empty, but I don't expect it to ride like a town car so I am not disappointed... BUT, the newer Fords and GMs both ride FAR better than mine while maintaining their capacity to tow and haul loads. Mine has front leaf springs, new stuff has gone to multi-rate springs and control arms... it's simply better and technology has advanced so that these more complicated parts can be made more cost effectively.

As long as they don't stand still, I think they'll be fine. And if anything else, Ford and GM's own rivalry will keep them moving forward even if there was nobody else on the playing field!

 

It appears ProudPony is still having a difficult time understanding that comparing a 3/4 or full ton truck to a 1/2 ton truck makes no sense. If you need more than a half ton then a half ton Silverado is going to be just as poorly suited for the job as a half ton Tundra for that matter.

If I need a 4-door sedan and thus I start knocking the C6 Z06 because it only has 2 doors and 2 seats... how much sense does that make? Knocking something for something it was never supposed to be is prettty ridiculous.

Toyota doesn't currently offer a 3/4 ton, though you may get your wish soon enough. If you need one, then you are in the minority of truck buyers; and that minority is left with strictly domestic options at the moment.

 

While I agree Threxx, Alot of us use 1/2 Ton Trucks to do work 3/4 or 1 Tons should be doing. That's where the domestics have done excellent jobs making their 1/2 Ton trucks handle MORE then they really should.

The true test will be can Toyota do the same? We'll see...

I also agree with Jason about NEW Truck buyers. But if you exclude "Farm Boys" and people that NEED them (which most of these groups will buy domestic), the majority of people now are going to look at CARS now NOT Trucks due to high gas prices (or perceptions of low gas mileage from Trucks...).

So while the new group might be interested in a Toyota Truck, short of the two groups mentioned above I doubt they would consider a TRUCK PERIOD. Foreign or Domestic...

 

Well the 2007 Tundra has a higher towing capacity than the current offerings from Dodge, Ford and GM so atleast in the towing department the Tundra can do anything they can do. As for the offroad capabilities of Toyota trucks, they have been proven time and time again. This truck should be no different with more horsepower than ever before.

I believe this truck will be fully capable and competetive with the domestic trucks in every measure, but that may not equal significantly greater sales for the reasons already mentioned. We will just have to wait and see. Perhaps the best thing from the whole deal is that the Tundra should force the domestic companies to keep their trucks top notch!