I took my Lincoln to the dealer for brakes and trans service. The provided me a rental from Enterprise. They were low on cars and gave me a Titan Crew Cab V8 thing. It was big and loud and cheap. I know rental cars are aren't the best example but this one has 2600 miles on it and it was very cheap feeling. Everthing felt like it was going to come apart. My truck is a 77 f100 so it was built with nothing but steal and I am used to a truck doing strange things (28 years old) but this thing just wasn't a quality vehicle. The doors felt thin and the interior was not finished attractively. Maybe that is why I don't buy Japanise.

At 85 on the expressway the truck surged to the point I thought it was running out of gas. The wiper control was in the way of the trans lever and I never did figure out how to turn on the lights. It steer better than my 77 but how will it steer in 2043? I was glad to get back to my Lincoln LS.

 

It might not be the best but it does give you a good feel for the vehicle.

 

Now as alot of you may know im a big fan of Jap trucks(so this may be scewed a bit). From my experience whith my Isuzu and a few Chevs they last longer work harder and are more dependable in extreme conditions than alot of American trucks. That said i have test driven numerouse Titans as i was thinking of picking one up. I share your opinion on the tranny shift lever and the whiper controll interfiering whith eachother. But other than that they are a solidly built truck and rated higher in reports than the F-150. The only flaw i see in the Titan is the Dana 44 rear diff. That is the only reason i havent picked one up yet, i realy whant to see Nissan fix that. Yes the Titans are vary plain trucks, i think all trucks should be plain. Honestly i wont buy a Ford truck becouse they are too nice. I would be afraid of getting in one whith muddy boots.

 

Honestly i wont buy a Ford truck becouse they are too nice. I would be afraid of getting in one whith muddy boots.

I can tell you what - you didn't need to worry about that with any of my Fords...

 

But after discounts and rebates, the Titan was much more expensive than my F150. Tundra was the same way. Plain Janes for more money is like taking Phyllis Diller to a $100 dinner when you could take Julia Roberts for $75.

 

bwhahahahahahahahah!!!!! wow...the end.

 

"From my experience whith my Isuzu and a few Chevs they last longer work harder and are more dependable in extreme conditions than alot of American trucks."

As you are driving down the interstate or your local highway, count the number of Jap pickups that are actually doing work (pulling, hauling, etc) and compare that to the number of Fords, Chevys and Dodges that are working. There is no comparison. The Jap trucks are RARELY used for work-they are a low grade SUV with a pickup bed.

 

That isn't fair. Go to anywhere in asia and see how many american trucks you see doing actual work, compared to the local product. Toyota, Mitsubishi and Isuzu all make very capable vehicle in thier home markets. The fact is that is' very expensive to export large vehicles, which is why you don't see many working here.
I think the larger factor is that North American trucks are cheaper to purchase, and that's why commercial buyers prefer them, not because of their supposed higher quality.

I'm a big ford guy, so don't misunderstand me, but it's important to remeber that "more" isn't the same as "better."

 

Seventy seven. Take a look at a ten year old Toyota or Nissan next time you are tooling down the Deerfoot. See those big, rusty holes showing daylight thru them? See the salt truck in front of them laying down some Calcium Chloride?

That's why people here buy Fords. Some aluminum 4 banger that lasts 300,000 klicks aint worth a pinch of coon poop if it's body fell off 200,000 klicks ago.

 

"That isn't fair."

Why isn't it fair? As I drive down the interstates in Texas, I see a very large number of Japanese pickup trucks. My guess is that they make up at least 20 percent of the pickups on the road. The Toyota and Nissan are supposedly fullsize pickups that can do whatever a Ford, Dodge, or Chevy can do, however, I don't remember them doing ANY work. They are used as people haulers with an occasional small load in the pickup bed. Also, I don't see where the cost issue is valid. A Toyota and Nissan pickup are basically the same cost as a comparable Ford, Chevy or Dodge in the United States.

 

You actually pay a premium for a japanese pickup in Canada.

What it is , I have no idea, I've never priced one out, personally.

Can't see paying extra for a faster rusting out vehicle... be like paying twice as much for paper plates than bone china in my eyes

 

Get real. Toyota and Nissan fixed their body rust problems years ago.

 

Well said. In any country outside of North America, Japanese trucks outnumber American trucks 10 to 1.

 

Yes, I would agree they have. Thier grades of steel that they use are approaching Fords (in terms of corrosion resistance).
Likewise, Ford has seriously improved thier quality in recent years, and I would see no reason why you couldn't get the 200,000 miles out of a new Ford - which you state you have got out of older Toyotas.
Do you have a link to this????
I live in a country outside the US, in fact its the closest "western" nation to Japan (not only in terms of distance, but economic relationship too) - therefore should not our garages be filled with Japanese trucks?

My garage has held "captive" 1 Toyota truck (when there was not a suitable offering from Ford in this market) and more recently 3 Fords...

 

Guess that would explain the 3 year old Nissan Frontier I just saw in the parking lot, doing its best to return to the Earth. Maybe this guy's too
http://www.nissanoffroad.net/message...TOPIC_ID=12658

They fixed their problems years ago? What, two years ago?

The engine durability statement was based on an old Toyota ad. I don't know anyone who EVER owned a japanese truck that EVER bought another one.
so no one I know owns one, currently.