http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../70312009/1528

this part of the article is also interesting
The new Tundra is basically what a 2500 was 10 years ago anyways so its not that big of a deal.

 

I never thought that was the best of ideas. Guys who NEED a truck bigger than the current Tundra are not the kind of guys who would be likely to buy a Japanese truck anyway.

I supposed eventually Toyota could shoot for that target, but they need to make more headway in the 1/2-ton market first.

 

Agreed The article is about Nissan's big truck, but your same logic applies.

 

Meh, no big loss.
"Japan Inc" isn't capable of building anything heavy duty anyway IMO.

 

Yeah and computers will never 640K of RAM.

 

Not heavy duty enough for you?

 

http://www.ultimatestupidity.com/pics/1/diesel/

 

So basically they are pulling out of the program because they are afraid of the financial risk? Do they just feel they can't compete with the American offerings, or are there other intentions?

 

I believe they fear they wont break into the market of HD trucks. Ford Superduty trucks (250-550) and Chevy HD (2500-3500HD) pretty much have the market covered.

I drive a Ford F-450 (with a Curry 13 foot body) for my service truck for work. I am a field service mechanic for Caterpillar engine division... They would never buy me a Toyota... even if it had the same capabilaties. Sorry, it just wont happen. Even if it was 1/2 the price.

I am sure they have done studies and I bet every construction company out there says the same thing...

 

Agreed. I know one select company that I work with (construction) that would probably buy Toyota HDs but the others....absolutely zero chance.
Sounds like a good idea for all Japanese brands to stay out of this market (at least until they confidently break through in the 1/2 ton market, as stated before). They would just be throwing money away it seems in R&D, etc.

 

I work at a Nissan dealer and I am GLAD! The Titan is a giant of a truck as is. And the fact that you will soon be able to get the 4 door with the longer bed is quite enough anyway. All it really need are bigger brakes because most people treat it as a HD anyway.

 

Even though the HD pickup market is worth about 1 million units per year, it appears that Nissan realizes it's not their time yet. I'm actually surprised Toyota is backing off, but I'd venture that it's more of a wait-and-see thing to see how the new Tundra is accepted by "real" pickup users before they commit.

Looking back, it took the Japanese about 30 years after they first started making compact pickups before the market was ready for a full-size Japanese truck. And given the disappointments of the Titan and Tundra thus far, one could argue that the market is still unsure (although the new Tundra is finally looking to change that). So they need to tread slowly.

But just remember that almost every time the domestics declared that they 'owned' a market and the Japanese could never break into it, they were eventually proved wrong.

 

well put. Nothing against Japanese made. My wife has a 2001 Corola... all we do it put gas in it and drive. But the HD truck market for the time being is just locked up by the american companies. Those 1 million units are not being sold to the general public. The majority of them are sold for commercial use. My company owns over 350 service trucks. Small ones being E350 vans and the larger vehicles being F650's, 750's and Topkick's. No way in heck you are going to sell a Toyota 3500 truck to a company like this. Maybe someday but right now it just wont happen.

The Titan and Tundra dont do so well because the market is not on the street with the general public...

 

wohoo! music to my ears.

 

Maybe it has more to do with the same reasons the recent scare seen in the Asian market caused by foreclosures, and rising fuel prices.
Their thinking is that if people are having trouble paying mortgages, they might have trouble buying vehicles and the market might soften. It caused the Asian market to open in the Red this week.