Nissan and Toyota drop out...

[ronniejoe]

I guess it is a little tougher than they thought.

http://www.sema.org/main/semaorghome.aspx?ID=56986

[Craig M]

Wimps, they just go for the grocery getter types and skip the heavy duty market. Unfortunately for the big 3 they are taking a lot from that market.

[trbankii]

Sort of sorry to see that as I was hoping that the diesel stuff would filter down... The other month I talked to a local Toyota salesman and he pretty much said that after the introduction of the heavy duty Toyota diesel you'd be seeing diesels in their current line of trucks and SUVs as well.

[Prestonia24]

I like competition (as it keeps companies honest, and forces them to improve their products) But I hate when the bottom line goes to Japan and doesn't stay here.

But Honestly, who here would actually purchase a Japanese HD truck given similar specifics.

I laugh at the Honda Ridgeline commercials where they show the trucks used at a construction site. I'm sure that you 'could' use one there, but how many red-blooded americans are going to opt for a japanese truck given the alternative.

In my personal experience, most of the people who are driving Ridgelines are Women who appreciate the Car-like drive and better economy, people who are single branded Honda loyalists, pansies, and people who plan to never ever tax their truck (which is 'ok' i guess.) But my point is this, why buy a truck if you're never going to put it to the test?

I'll drive a F**D before i drive a Honda

[robertb6963]

In my personal experience, most of the people who are driving Ridgelines are Women who appreciate the Car-like drive and better economy, people who are single branded Honda loyalists, pansies, and people who plan to never ever tax their truck (which is 'ok' i guess.) But my point is this, why buy a truck if you're never going to put it to the test?

LOL!
What can you haul with that?
A twig?
A leaf?

Really I have never seen a backhoe behind a Toyota, much less a Honda. But things have really gone downhill, Most new trucks are made out of plastic and come in auto only. I wonder just how long these cars are going to last, and when people are going to stop paying $35,000 for a plastic piece of junk.

[trbankii]

The thing to remember is that Toyota and Nissan are the trucks in most of the rest of the world - Australia, Africa, South America... Only problem is that the stuff they sell here is geared to our soccermom/grocery getter market...

I'd seriously love to have one of the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series that they sell in pretty much every other market on the planet. Granted, not on the level of a crewcab dually but a great, tough, diesel-powered little truck.

And what I saw with Toyota and Nissan bringing "heavy duty" diesels to the market was that as that filtered down more and more people would accept diesels and it would be good for all of us.

[wrenchtech]

Toyota Australia introduces 4.5L V8 turbo diesel Land Cruiser 70 (http://blogs.edmunds.com/Straightline/2259)

A 4.5L V8 turbo diesel wouldn't be competitive with the Duramax or Cummins offerings for towing, but it would make a mighty attractive package in a double cab Tundra. I know I'd want one. My budget and use requirements however constrains me to a 10 year old Chevy ;) -- Matt

[6.5 Detroit Diesel]

I don't think that any import trucks right now can qualify for HD. Look when the Tacoma came out a few years ago. It was still pathetically small and underpowered. I had to laugh when I seen an ad for the Toyota Tacoma starting up a hill with a 4 ton Bobcat plus tandem trailer and the truck just pulls it like nothing, even thought the advertised payload wasn't anywhere near what the GVW would be. Now Toyota is advertising that their new Tundra comes with 381HP and UP TO 1,900 lb payload. Isn't any of the Big Three hauling more in their trucks with smaller less powerfull engines? The Honda Ridgeline brags about it's 5K towing capacity. But some tests show that your average older truck with a 350ci hauling 5K got way better milage than Honda get's from it's mighty 3 liter. My point is, the import guys don't have the experience they need to haul HD. My old truck is past 200,000 miles and I was running 4,000 lbs in the box and it was taking it fine. What are the dually pushing now? Isn't like around 3 tons?

Sorry, I started to rant, but I am sick of hearing about the so called Heavy Duty Trucks Honda, Toyota, and Nissan are trying to market. Maybe if they were to spend some more time researching their truck and offer a real HD truck with a diesel, I might think a bit more of them. Until then, I would sooner be behind the wheel of a Dodge or Ford than own any import work truck.