21st Apr 2015, 20:48
I have owned a few Toyotas over the years; Camrys, Corollas, great small cars and SUVs like the Rav4. I've also owned a lot of GM trucks, excellent trucks, very well made, just as durable and reliable as the Toyota cars.
I keep buying Toyota and GM because I've never had any issue and they are great value. However would still not buy a Tundra as their track record is unproven, and I've heard from many people their trucks are not as good as their cars. I think Toyota still has a long way to go in the full size truck sector.
I have a lot of friends that are die hard Honda or Toyota fans, but parked next to their Honda there is an F-150 or Silverado. Even they admit North American trucks are better quality/value.
22nd Apr 2015, 09:11
With a dated 10 year design, why switch? Adding some options and a different engine isn't enough. It needs a major face lift. Look how sharp the new Silverado and Ford F Series are.
Not everyone wants a half ton pickup. I live in the Northeast. We have had very severe winters and many drive larger trucks. Especially for business. If this is a homeowner or light contractor applications, maybe you will be content.
I have read articles lately indicating that it is very easy to achieve over 200k on our trucks. We have fleet logs on ours proving it first hand. Company vehicles are subjected to heavy loading and towing. However the vehicles are on stringent maintenance schedules. Better maintained than most individual's vehicles. So they last with minimal issues.
It would be interesting to see why a full size truck owner would pick a Tundra. Taking a guess I suspect it's a small import car owner entering into the truck segment. With all the features and benefits with the domestic full sizes today, why buy a Tundra? If there is an issue on the road far away, there are more dealerships to support service as well.
Lastly, with the debate on parts content and shipping vehicles worldwide etc., why is it that a Toyota owner still won't buy a domestic truck? They bring up that topic constantly about a worldwide economy. So how many new domestic trucks have you bought? I wonder how much the CEOs and owners of a huge corporation would enrich the economy if they actually lived here. Versus just some auto workers salaries in some isolated states. The rest of the country unaffected.
23rd Apr 2015, 09:11
This may sound like a Toyota comment, but it's the opposite. The 2015 Ford F-150 has better fuel economy and a bigger tank than the Tundra. If you are a tall driver, you also have more head and foot room. The Ford F-150 has more HP. It is also better looking than the Tundra in my opinion.
I don't care if there's an import plant in your town. I buy more on features and benefits, and am actually spending a large sum of money. And reviewing a vehicle that I actually own, not just an opinion.
21st Apr 2015, 18:49
Not everyone lives or has the car plants you have in California.
Also for over 3 decades and counting, the number one vehicle in America has been a Ford F Series truck. The next 2 spots are dominated by domestic full size trucks as well. If you like your Mercury, why not buy a brand new Ford? You indicate it doesn't matter. Looking at Tundras annual sales, it's hardly a debate. I doubt many will switch to one when the commenter owns a small model. I think people will make their own educated decision irregardless. My crystal ball says that Toyota has spread themselves out too thin with models trying to compete with big 3. Underpowered and the old trans design.
I don't blame them for getting into the biggest vehicle market segment in America. We actually saw the value of owning new full sizes since the 80s. If a really remarkable import full size pick up enters the market and exceeds the functionality, we will consider one. It's just too expensive of a vehicle to randomly switch.
Good luck.