[IMPALAon20s]

Originally posted by Ming@Apr 19 2004, 01:46 PM
Trucks, Texas, and Toyota
Motley Fool
Monday April 19, 1:30 pm ET
By Rich Smith

According to yesterday's Washington Post, the domestic/import truck battle, which is already fast being lost to Japan by GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler's Dodge on the East Coast, is now heating up down in the heart of American truck country. In Texas, where barely 3.5% of registered trucks are foreign brands, that percentage is predicted to rise by half in 2004. Toyota's market share is only going to increase when it completes construction of its new San Antonio factory in 2006, where it plans to produce 150,000 Tundra pickups annually.

Texans already buy about 15% of all full-size pickups in the U.S. Given a choice between buying a Chevy truck from Detroit and a Toyota truck from San Antonio, Texan buyers are going to be hard-pressed to decide where their loyalties lie.

mr smith who wrote the article drives an s-10 and is not a "car guy" as would be required of automotive journalists. he has no idea what the FULLSIZE market is about in texas. i do, i've lived it and breathed it since i was 5 years old when i first got to steer a ford f series in the driveway. the texas fullsize truck owner is unlike that of the east coast that he mentions. they could give a fk about DOHC in fact thats probably a negative thing being that its probably more expensive to fix. they want their trucks ruggid, american and able to roll over civics. in texas the fullsize truck had mutiple uses, work, family, play.. and ford/dodge/chevy/gmc trucks hold a place of honor here in texas that cant be taken away easily with pretty chrome and and carlike interior that sissy boys use for antiquing and to get attention at starbucks.

 

[IMPALAon20s]

btw- should have seen the backlash that happen when the houston rockets brand new stadium was named the "toyota center", houstonians were pissed. all the things i heard were basicly the same "why toyota?".. "chevy center would have been better". wonder if yao ming being asian had something to do with toyotas discission to buy the naming rights?

also, in regional advertising here in texas chevys slogan is "chevy, god and texas!"

 

[IMPALAon20s]

Originally posted by RCtennis3811+Apr 19 2004, 06:11 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (RCtennis3811 @ Apr 19 2004, 06:11 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-IMPALAon20s@Apr 19 2004, 02:13 PM
also, in regional advertising here in texas chevys slogan is "chevy, god and texas!"

In Dallas, it's "Chevy: Driving Texas". [/b][/quote]
well yeah, thats the slogan, but "chevy ,god and texas" are the lyrics in the theme music. my mistake. or am i hearing it wrong?

 

[IMPALAon20s]

Originally posted by boblutzfan@Apr 20 2004, 02:50 PM
Toyota will never be The Truck of Texas, or San Antonio...

or houston either!! ::shoots gun in air::

 

[IMPALAon20s]

Originally posted by SUPERBADD75@Apr 20 2004, 04:22 PM
let me just say this to you, sir. you are the type of person that makes all Texans look like ridiculous hicks! people from across the country already think that Texans are all a bunch of freaking goat ranchers or something, and that we all wear 10 gallon hats and stupid cowboy boots....

1st, about your stereotypical comments, I MYSELF am far from a hick.. if the rest of the country wants to believe the media/hollywood perception of what a texan is like, i'll leave that to their simple minded concepts. and if it makes you feel good to think that you belittled me, you need to try a little harder partner and really put some effort into it...

now back to the trucks..

... some people need something to tow that weekend toy, or haul mulch and plants around with, and these trucks will do very well for that. however, they will also do somewhat heavy duty work as well. the Nissan, more than the Tundra, but they are both well designed, well built trucks, and they deserve respect. they will certaily get consideration by some of the not-so-country people who need pickups. they're good vehicles. don't be so closed minded and realize that the foreign companies who brought us better cars are also very capable of bringing us better trucks, too. they've done their homework...

i never said, they were poorly built, or low quality, so dont imply things i didnt say. my points were..

1. ford/dodge/chevy/gmc have a long history and a faithfull following that will be difficult to steal market from.

2. lack of engine choices, mutiple wheel bases/cab configerations, and fleet vehicles leaves the foreign competitors with a major disadvantage.

3.styling of the foreign competitors isn't to the tastes of MOST texans, as can be proven with what most think of as a dull styled f150 that still is leading sales with its rugged personality. and as you said about the competition,"they will certainly get consideration by SOME", but that small market share isn't going to put the big 3 againts the ropes by any means. maybe someday, but that is in the distant future and i think the big 3 have learned their lesson with cars about not keeping up with market demands.

 

[IMPALAon20s]

Originally posted by SUPERBADD75@Apr 21 2004, 07:47 AM
well, in that statement, you kind of made a point, and then countered it. it seems like you said that the styling is bad and will keep sales down, but the F-150's bad styling doesn't hold its sales back. huh? correct me if i'm wrong, but that's how it reads... i will, however, give my 2 cents on that, too. the Tundra, to me looks a lot like the last gen F-150, which was the best selling truck in the world. hmm... not to the tastes of most Texans? most Texans, including myself, liked the last F-150.

the Titan, although somewhat controversial, is a nice looking truck, and the interior is nicely styled as well, and somewhat carlike. people today buying trucks aren't like the farmers and laborers of the old days, they want something they can use for working, and something they can be comfortable driving everyday, all in the same single vehicle. look at the new F-150, and then look at the competition. it's moving toward a more carlike interior, and the Titan has a few similarities to the new F-150 inside. styling is, of course, a subjective thing, and everyone's taste is different. i don't think that any one person can say that styling is going to turn people away if they like the rest of the truck. people hated the current 7 Series Bimmer when it first hit, but it's selling pretty well.

im going to let you jabber on with your insults, it just shows how petty you are.


as for styling, i said the titan styling is bad IMO, but didnt say ugly. whats bad about it is, its overly refined and to many thats a negative thing, along with its nice carlike interior. whats so desired about the f150, is its SIMPLE styling with some excursion styling ques (the shape of door window opening), and that quiet steel feature seems to be a hit. and all that without pointless chrome and dramatic lines.

as for engines and cab configurations. lots of people still buy single cabs, people on a budget, as well as fleets/commercial vehicles... for example: tow trucks, delivery trucks, are almost always in single cabs, they are hauling things, not people.

back to engines, i said it before, titan needs a v6 (in single cab) to be able to offer something around 18k-20k. they also need diesel for industrial use.

 

[IMPALAon20s]

Originally posted by SUPERBADD75@Apr 21 2004, 11:25 AM
as far as a diesel goes, what full size, half ton pickup has a diesel? i know not DCX or Ford.... does GM? honestly,i don't know, and i'm not trying to offend you, but i don't think they do either. the Titan and Tundra are both half ton trucks, and they don't need a diesel to compete in that marketplace.

ford/dodge/gmc all have heady duty or super duty versions of their trucks with 4x4 and diesel engines. maybe its a different segment of the market, but its still means they offer something nissan/toyota dont.