View Poll Results: Wiil US concede TRUCK MARKET ???
Ford & GM will Lose To the Imports Truck Market
4
12.50%
FORD /GM Retain Truck Market
10
31.25%
Imoprts Trucks Built Here Will Impact Market
9
28.13%
Little Impact Will Be Felt by FORD /GM
9
28.13%
Voters: 32. You may not vote on this poll
Ford's Last Frontier
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
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Ford's Last Frontier
This year the F150 was voted Motor Trend Truck of the year. AND deserved it I might add. But with the introduction of the Nissan Titan and the two years down the road introduction of the new Toyota full size truck Ford and GM are facing the first battle ever for the TRUCK MARKET.
I am concerned given the results of sales the past few years of the import labels nad the facts that the imports are building plants here while FORD and GM go to Mexico for cheap labor.
How can import auto makers like Honda have a thriving business here and pay good wages when our Domestic labels keep going out of the country to build cars and trucks ???
I am concerned given the results of sales the past few years of the import labels nad the facts that the imports are building plants here while FORD and GM go to Mexico for cheap labor.
How can import auto makers like Honda have a thriving business here and pay good wages when our Domestic labels keep going out of the country to build cars and trucks ???
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 773
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From: torrington,ct
As long as ford continues to offer six speed standards as the base trasmission for every superduty motor, manual hubs and t-case, and a full leaf spring set up with a solid front axle I dont see ford giving up the leading heavyduty market anytime soon. ford seems to have a knack for building cheap, down and dirty, unsivilized, rugged, heavyduty trucks and somehow I dont see toyota or nissian doing that. Can they build work trucks, sure I wont say they cant but, can build a full size truck to carry extremly heavy loads day in and day out and not have to many issues. Well we shall see.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,854
Likes: 1
From: Des Moines, Iowa
i think they are built with better quality overall and that the market for people driving trucks everyday and not using them to work with will be affected. they may not be able to do thedown and dirty work as well but i think ford need to watch out. i think they are getting the idea though. the new f150 came out just in time to battle the new nissan and others. if you had put the old truck up against those ford would have lost.
and i another mag, the nissan won. and i think that for a light duty truck, the nissan is better. more power more torque, and better offroad ablitys. only thing i didn't like was the looks of the truck. but it doesn't matter, because i can't afford and new truck anyways so i think my 77 will work just fine for me!
and i another mag, the nissan won. and i think that for a light duty truck, the nissan is better. more power more torque, and better offroad ablitys. only thing i didn't like was the looks of the truck. but it doesn't matter, because i can't afford and new truck anyways so i think my 77 will work just fine for me!
Trending Topics
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
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UPDATE: car and Driver just rated the Nissan 4 Door above the F150 by 7 points. I think pretty much all AMERICANS should stop subscribing to Car and Driver and Motor Trend and let's see if that has an effect.
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Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 63
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From: JAX-Area, FL
Originally posted by true4.2
I would answer but your poll options are in the form of questions...
I would answer but your poll options are in the form of questions...
But back to the topic: you'll never see anything other than a Ford or a Volkswagen in my driveway.
I can't really see imports taking the truck market. Unless people are more pathetic than I thought. Buy Ford! And although I'm not too big on Chevy or Dodge, even one of their offerings would do, as long it's made in the US.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,309
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From: northern ca
the japanese competition will just raise the bar, and help the consumer in the long run.you may not think they can build a full size truck to compete with American ones, but we used to think that about cars...
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
Look at it this way, eventually South Koreans learned how to build supertankers and super cargo ships. Wait until they want a piece of the full sized truck market, then Ford really has to worry!
Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 273
Likes: 0
From: San Angelo, TX
There are a lot of kids growing wanting hondas instead of Camaros and Mustangs. They think import first. As the foreign makers get more and more into trucks there will definitely be an impact. At least for now they are building them in the U.S. San Antonio has always been a big Ford truck town. No accident that Toyota is building their new full size truck there.
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 3,496
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From: Calgary Canada
Originally posted by mistercmk
I just don't think that the imports can build a truck as strong as the domestics, and one that will take the beating domestics can.
I just don't think that the imports can build a truck as strong as the domestics, and one that will take the beating domestics can.
They build better cars, like it or not, initial quality and long range reliability are just better.
I think they can, and they WILL, and I hope they do. If they raise the bar as was stated, we all win in the end. Ford needs to be pushed SuperDuty market a little harder IMHO.
As for buying American, at least in the automotive world, it's a red herring. You can't. Especially now that the Japanese and even the Europeans have begun assembling vehicles in North America.
Waxy
FTE Remembers
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 14,988
Likes: 1,151
From: Savannah, GA
The other thing to look at is experience. The Big Three have been building trucks for a long time. I'm not sure I want the same guys that hung their hat on being inexpensive to build my truck. I'd rather go with a company that has been building big trucks and big engines ever since they were invented.
People think that because it is jap that it is quality. Fortunately for us, most of those people are not truck people. They are car people. I honestly can't see a guy pulling up to a construction site in a jap truck. I can't see someone that pulls a lot of weight with their trucks looking at a jap truck. Maybe I'm biased.
I don't think the American manufacturers need to worry. Well.. except for Dodge. <grin>
People think that because it is jap that it is quality. Fortunately for us, most of those people are not truck people. They are car people. I honestly can't see a guy pulling up to a construction site in a jap truck. I can't see someone that pulls a lot of weight with their trucks looking at a jap truck. Maybe I'm biased.
I don't think the American manufacturers need to worry. Well.. except for Dodge. <grin>
Last edited by SDElwood; Jan 7, 2004 at 11:32 AM.