The Top 10 Significant Trucks of the Decade

Posted by Mike Levine | December 28, 2009

Despite the economic challenges of the past two years, it’s hard not to look back at the past 10 years without calling it the Decade of the Pickup Truck. Sales of full-size pickups hit 2.56 million units in 2004, and Ford’s F-Series trucks remain the nation’s best-selling vehicles, 33 years in a row.

PickupTrucks.com and AutoPacific have compiled a list of the Top 10 Significant Pickup Trucks of the Decade from all of the new trucks sold between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2009. These trucks introduced new innovations, pushed the segment into new territory and made the competition sweat while helping their driver’s sweat less. There’s no rank order, but we’ve identified the pickup that was Most Significant.

2000 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab

2000-frontier

Why it’s significant:
First compact pickup truck to offer four full-size doors and a configuration that prioritized passenger space over cargo capacity.

Crew cab pickups were popular in overseas markets long before they arrived in the U.S. Nissan was the first to offer buyers another choice beyond a regular or extended cab. Buyers loved the idea because entire families could now travel comfortably in pickup trucks on long trips or around town jaunts. The idea quickly gained traction with every manufacturer, and soon the crew cab made up almost half of the mix of all trucks sold.

Divider

2001 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra Heavy Duty with 6.6-Liter Duramax Diesel

2001-silverado-3500

Why it’s significant:
Made GM a serious player in heavy-duty pickups and raised the bar for diesel engines.

In 2000, GM held less than 10 percent market share in the three-quarter-ton and one-ton truck segments. Its 6.2-liter and 6.5-liter diesel engines weren’t competitive with the mills in Ford’s and Dodge’s trucks. But GM’s joint venture engineering and manufacturing agreement with Isuzu Motors of Japan changed all of that. With Isuzu’s help, the 2001 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks debuted with the all-new 6.6-liter V-8 turbo-diesel. It broke new ground in horsepower, torque and fuel economy and helped GM jump to more than 30 percent market share by 2002.

Divider

2002 Chevrolet Avalanche

2002-avalanche

Why it’s significant:
Combined the best attributes of a full-size SUV and pickup truck in a single vehicle.

The wild-looking Chevrolet Avalanche debuted as a lightly disguised concept at the 2000 North American International Auto Show, though GM intended to build it to fill the gap between the Suburban and Silverado full-size trucks. Its patented convert-a-cab system made it versatile for carrying passengers or cargo, by offering pass-through access between the cabin and bed and a removable rear window. Unibody exterior styling was unique, as well as the use of a multilink rear suspension and composite bed — traits that would be reused later in the decade by the Honda Ridgeline.

Divider

2004 Nissan Titan

2004-titan

Why it’s significant:
The first true full-size half-ton pickup truck from a Japanese automaker.

Japanese car companies had successfully entered almost every segment of the U.S. car and truck markets except the unique domain of the North American full-size pickup truck when Nissan unveiled the 2004 Titan. Sure, Toyota marginally stuck its toes in the segment with its T100 pickup in 1993, but the T100 was too small and underpowered to be a serious contender.

The Titan met about 80 percent of half-ton buyers’ needs with its 300-hp, 5.6-liter V-8, an advanced five-speed automatic transmission and a choice of extended cab or crew-cab configurations. It quickly gained a loyal following, but later years' sales were hampered by reliability issues with early trucks.

Divider

2005 Toyota Tacoma

2005-tacoma

Why it’s significant:
The best-selling small truck in the U.S.

Small truck sales have dwindled throughout the decade, but Toyota has managed to keep sales of the Tacoma relatively strong and take market share in this neglected segment. Just before the turn of the century, the Ford Ranger outsold Tacoma by more than 2-to-1. Today, it’s the exact opposite. The Tacoma offers a broad lineup of cab, body, wheelbase and engine choices with strong capabilities and excellent performance and refinement. What more could small-truck buyers want if they’re not going to buy a full-size pickup?

Divider

2006 Honda Ridgeline

2006-ridgeline

Why it’s significant:
Created a class of one with its unique unibody construction and a trunk in the bed.

Love it or hate it (there’s no in-between), the Honda Ridgeline did what Japanese pickups have consistently done over the years: break new ground in terms of form and functionality. The Ridgeline came to market in 2005 with controversial slab-sided lunar-lander looks and all-wheel drive. It did away with conventional leaf springs in favor of an independent rear suspension that gave it great ride comfort and enough room for an in-bed lockable trunk, the first in a pickup. The Ridgeline also featured a dual-action tailgate that folded down or off to the side, like a door, to allow unimpeded access to the cargo box.

Divider

2007 Toyota Tundra

2007-tundra

Why it’s significant:
Toyota’s no-holds-barred attempt to gain ground in full-size trucks.

When the 2007 Toyota Tundra debuted, it was notable for being two things: big and powerful. The Tundra was also the first truck in the half-ton segment with a six-speed automatic transmission. But just being big and powerful doesn’t automatically sell trucks. Several mechanical issues that garnered high visibility online with truck buyers and a lack of a large loyal buyer base contributed to a huge falloff in Tundra sales after it almost met its first-year sales goal of 200,000 units. Today, the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Ram 1500 all offer more powerful V-8 engines than the Tundra, and Ford is about to join that group, pushing the Tundra to fourth place for bragging rights. Tundra sales have shrunk to well below 100,000 units per year. It’s proof that the domestics still know how to build a superior vehicle.

Divider

2009 Dodge Ram 1500

2009-ram-1500

Why it’s significant:
Ditched conventional leaf springs for a coil spring rear axle and added side saddle storage to the cargo box.

The 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 could have impressed many simply for its more powerful Hemi V-8, handsome exterior and totally revised interior. But Chrysler carried its half-ton pickup much further by featuring a coil spring rear axle — resurrecting an idea that GM tried between 1967 and 1972 in its C10 and C20 pickups — that gave the Ram 1500 unparalleled ride comfort and quality for a half-ton pickup. Towing was limited to only 9,100 pounds, but after a year of additional testing and real world results, Dodge re-rated the Ram 1500 to tow up to 10,450 pound - with no mechanical adjustments.

Divider

2009 Ford F-150

2009-f150

Why it’s significant:
Remains the gold standard against which other half-ton pickup trucks are compared.

Ford gave its F-150 half-ton pickup a major revision for 2009 and gave buyers an astonishing seven different models to choose from before they even considered engine choice or cab type. Two more models have been added for 2010! It’s not the most powerful truck, but the F-150 features an excellent six-speed transmission and innovative features like Ford Work Solutions that make doing jobs with a truck easier. From contractor to urban cowboy, Ford has an F-150 to meet almost anyone’s needs.

Divider

2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor:

2010-raptor

Why it’s significant:
Ford had the guts to build a go-fast pre-runner-style factory pickup for less than $40,000

There’s nothing else like the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, and there likely may never be. It features a unique Fox Racing long-travel suspension that has a full 11inches of travel in the front dampers to absorb the impact from jumps – jumps! – made in the desert at speeds up to 100 mph. Its six-speed transmission is specially tuned with an off-road mode, and there’s a rear locking differential that works in two-wheel or four-wheel drive at speeds up to 66 mph. When other truck manufacturers mumble to themselves about the truck they wish they had in their lineup, Raptor is usually the first word that comes from their lips.

Divider

Honorable Mention: 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac

2001-sport-trac

Several trucks in the list can be classified as sport utility trucks or SUTs. The Ford Explorer Sport Trac was one of the first SUTs and it continuously satisfied buyers in surveys. Based on the very successful Explorer SUV, the Sport Trac combined crew cab capability with SUV comfort and amenities but Ford never truly took advantage of the vehicle. The next generation Explorer, coming in 2010, will not have a Sport Trac derivative.

Divider

Honorable Mention: 2009 Chevrolet Silverado / GMC Sierra Two Mode Hybrids

2009-sierra-hybrid

Today, the price of oil is well below $100 a barrel and calls for fuel efficient big trucks aren't quite as urgent as they were when GM first showed off its segment-exclusive full-size Two-Mode Hybrid pickups. The 2009 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Hybrids featured a 332 horsepower 6.0-liter V-8 paired with a technically advanced automatic transmission that included two 80 horsepower electric motors, three planetary gear sets, four sets of clutches and two hydraulic oil pumps. A 300 volt battery pack under the rear seat was powerful enough to accelerate the truck up to 20 mph on electricity alone -- while pulling a 5,000 pound trailer! Fuel economy was rated at a remarkable 21/22 mpg city/highway. If GM can lower the cost of its next-generation hybrid pickups, perhaps we'll see this technology gain popularity.

Update #1 Dec-31-2009 08:25 PDT:
Added line to 2007 Toyota Tundra that it was first half-ton to debut with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Browse News By:

Comments

I like the list. Looks fair with one exception. I do think that 2005, the Power Wagon was MUCH more significant to the truck world (well most of the guys that I've known on this site would think so) that year than the Tacoma.

The 2009 is a great pick. The leap of cost, R&D, and response that Ford made for their customers is astounding.

I love the Raptor haters here, proves a lot about what they don't know.

Posted by: Huck BB62 | Dec 28, 2009 9:02:45 PM

Yes, VERY sure the Titan shared no components whatsoever with the Ram, thats not to put the Ram down. Nissan had not partnered with any company when they designed and released the Titan, I even attended a Ford F-150 ride and drive with a friend from the neighboring Ford dealer back then under a Ford salespersons name and the rep from Ford gave the Titan high marks for a Japanese companies first foray into the pick up market.

Posted by: the Nissan Guy | Dec 28, 2009 9:25:05 PM

What about the Dodge Ram SRT-10, the fastest production pickup ever?

Posted by: men_z | Dec 28, 2009 9:50:40 PM

@snowman

thanks for the help and yeah what you said makes perfect sense I will keep that in mind. :)

@Mike Levine
I know I said this before but keep up the good work.

Posted by: Truckman | Dec 28, 2009 10:12:49 PM

@Truckman: Thanks!

Posted by: Mike Levine | Dec 28, 2009 11:16:52 PM

I don't know how the F-150 is the most significant truck when its not even the best half ton on the road. Even this very web site said the Silverado was a better half ton truck. It doesn't make much sense to me. Also the F-150 doesn't sell more half tons than GM. So for them to claim the best selling half ton truck is not true considering they include ALL F series trucks.

Posted by: John | Dec 28, 2009 11:25:39 PM

@ Mike,

I thought that the 99 Super Duty was pretty important since it really raised the bar on HD trucks and in my opinion helped jump start the HD truck buying explosion. Before that truck the 4 door trucks were rare and mostly work trucks, but when that truck came out I remember how many people bought one and that forced everyone else to up thier game such as GM did with the Duramax. But you did a get job as always on the list just a thought.

Posted by: Evan | Dec 28, 2009 11:39:06 PM

Three points:

- 2001 Ford Supercrew is big miss here. Look at all the Crew half tons on the road. This started it. Huge buzz when it debuted!

- 2004 clearly should be in over 2009 as per prev comments. No excuses. If 09 must be in then both, but you can't pick 09 over 04.

- 2003 Ram HEMI much bigger news than 09 Ram. I know many guys who bought their first (and only) Dodge when that hit the dealers. No one I know even talks about the new one? You mention the coils and they say thier 72 Gm had em'. No reaction.

Posted by: Power Kid | Dec 28, 2009 11:43:14 PM

I own a 2007 Tundra Crewmax 4x4. There isn't a 1/2 ton domestic truck that has the interior room and towing capabilities that the Tundra does. The 5.7 Tundra engine consistantly gets equal fuel economy as the domestic small V8's do. Forget what this sticker says and look at real world economy. I cosistantly get 18 to 20 mpg on the highway with my 4x4, not a 2 wheel drive. I towed my 27 ft. enclosed snowmobile trailer 500 miles through Wisconsin during a snowstorm last winter in 4 wheel drive and loaded with 5 sleds, 5 adults, and everybody's gear. The trailer weighed about 7500 pounds and I averaged over 12 mpg. Try to pull that kind of load with a domestic and you will not get over 10 mpg. I also towed our toyhauler that weighs just over 9000 pounds across South Dakota and averaged 12.5 mpg driving about 70 miles per hour. Put that size trailer behind an F150 and 70 might be your top speed if your lucky and you will get about 8 mpg. I know this for a fact because my brother in law has a 2006 F150 and it has all it can do to pull his smaller 5500 pound trailer in a strong wind and he has to fill up with gas every 2 hours. If you want a truck to get groceries, get a domestic. If you want a truck that can really work, get a Tundra. I have yet to find a truck that can match the performace and economy of my Tundra in a 4x4.

Posted by: BDR | Dec 29, 2009 12:04:30 AM

One vehicle I'm shocked to NOT see is the GMC Sierra/Chevy Silverado Quadrasteer as being an "also ran" for significance.

Why?

Because it's a good demonstration as to the things that the pickup manufacturers need to be focussing on. Ford has gotten it right (for the most part) with the new F150... but there's still no sight of a light-duty diesel in the half tons, though there's still those persistent rumors of the ecoBoost finding its way under the hood of a 'F100' ranger replacement.

Will I have to look towards Mahindra for my light-duty diesel desires?

Posted by: scooter | Dec 29, 2009 12:15:17 AM

2005 to the Tacoma? Well, I'd say the Power Wagon took that year for truck relevance power.

Ford's really stepped it up. The Raptor haters crack me up. Name what other manufacturer this year who has gone out on the limb with so much R&D, tech, and refinement?

Thanks for the good article Mike. Sorry it turned into an anti-Tundra thread, even if that gold Tundra up there is uglier'n our trade deficit!

Posted by: Huck BB62 | Dec 29, 2009 12:40:58 AM

@ Shawn - "I said great American Companies what I didn't say was American trucks and not the Tundra cause its made by Toyota... Tundra is made in America. But thanks for the support"
The Detroit 3 are becoming less American every year. The Detroit auto makers have a "great American history", for many people this is all that matters. GMC and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy and went to the Canadian and US governments for help. This doesn't sound great to me. One could argue that Ford is the only "great American" company left. GMC will "rise again" but I doubt will ever be as big as they once were. I have my doubts about Chrysler/Dodge. Fiat may be good for them, but then they will no longer be American. They will be just as foreign as Toyota as Fiat will eventually be given controlling interest of Dodge/Chrysler.
Many people attack Toyota for no reason other than being a foreign company. @ Ruger is a prime example of that illogical thinking. I've posted this definition before but it looks like I have to post it again: (Gross Domestic Product)GDP measures output generated through production by labour and property that is physically located within the confines of a country in a given time period (usually a year).
The whole "profits leaving a country hurts the country" argument doesn't make sense. Here is a very simple explanation (I know the numbers are not close to being accurate) -
You have 2 vehicles (vehicle A and vehicle B) with a 40,000 MSRP.
They both cost 30,000 dollars to manufacture.
$4,000 goes to the selling dealer,
1,000 goes to taxes and miscellaneous fees,
and the remaining 5,000 dollars go to the corporate head office in profit.
Vehicle A is made in Canada by an American based company. That means 30,000 dollars leaves the US economy and goes to Canada to pay for the assembly plant, the running of the plant, the parts, and the wages of the workers. That means only 10,000 dollars stays in the US.
Vehicle B is made in the US by a Japanese company. 30,000 dollars stays in the US to pay for the assembly plant, the costs of running the plant, parts, and wages of US workers. The local dealer has 4,000 dollars to spend in his home town; 1,000 dollars go out to government agencies. That means only 5,000 dollars leaves the US to the head office in Japan as profits.
Which company contributes the most to the US economy? The foreign one making products on US soil or the Domestic company making products in another country?
Ford, GM, Dodge, Toyota, Nissan etc. all import vehicles into the US and they all make vehicles in the US. If you are going to wave the flag you had better be sure you are buying the right vehicle.
Please note: this only applies to pickups.
If benefiting the US economy is your priority for purchasing your brand, than this is how it breaks down:
1. American made/American owned: Ford light and HD(diesel engine made in Mexico), GM light and HD, Ram light duty (until Fiat gets controlling interest)
2. Foreign owned/US made: Toyota, Nissan, and Hummer H2 & H3. Ram light duty will eventually fall into this spot.
3. US owned/foreign made: Ford Transit van, Ram HD
4. Foreign owned/foreign made - eventually Ram HD, Mahindra until they open a plant in the US.
It's complex to figure out. If you want an American made vehicle to support the US economy you are going to have to omit many Ford,GMC, or Chrysler/Dodge/Ram products.
Cars.com has an American Made index. It's a must read!
http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0709
I've read many great posts. Thanks guys for the stimulating conversation.

Posted by: Lou N | Dec 29, 2009 12:45:04 AM

@ Truckman

The Hemi recomended octane is 89. But it meets all emissions and advertised HP and Torque numbers on 87. When running 89 look for a small HP and Torque boost:D

Posted by: Stamp | Dec 29, 2009 12:47:28 AM

@ Lou

Remember the Cummins. (American Owned, American Designed, American Made.) Could have been added in your post. Not all of the Ram HD will eventually be Foreign owned/made.

Posted by: Stamp | Dec 29, 2009 12:52:06 AM

hey Toyota headquarters your truck is INFERIOR to all the other pick-ups including Nissons. I checked out your truck and it did not come close to my 99 GMC that is 10 years old! Very poor headroom and the front end design makes it hard to see. Let alone the engine troubles, vibration, bed flex, poor mpg, wheel slippedge..and the rusty frame problems, will this truck last 10 years???? The T100 wouldn't!

Posted by: tj | Dec 29, 2009 12:55:42 AM

@Stamp - thanks for the note on the Cummins.
Like I said in the post "it's complex to figure out".
It's actually a downright pain in the ass to figure out.
I wish it was as simple as "head office in Detroit".
For some it is. But that is not reality :)

Posted by: Lou N | Dec 29, 2009 1:02:30 AM

Why does every single comment on here have to turn into a Tundra vs everyone else argument? I almost hate to come here because of it.

It's getting old people. If you like the Tundra, fine. If you don't, whatever. Who really cares? Can we stop rehashing the same useless debate over and over again.

Posted by: Ric17 | Dec 29, 2009 6:00:16 AM

The investigation in to Toyota marketing and safety coverups is enough to make me hesitant to purchase a Toyota of any kind. They do build a quality vehicle based on sales figures. I don't support any one brand over another but to say supporting buy american is misguided makes me question the toyota headquarters sales rep. My thoughts are that all products sold in the United States should be manufactored in the United States. I also know thats not going to happen. Have a great week.

Posted by: Californiakid | Dec 29, 2009 7:52:44 AM

@tundra headquarters

Sorry man, you are not reading the info correctly. The plant produced all those vehicles at some point in time, but they haven´t produced F150´s for the US market in decades and the only pickups they have produced for the US market in the last couple decades were Super Duty chassis cabs. Perhaps Mike Levine can confirm for you. Clearly the plant has produced numerous vehicles since it has been open but clearly that single plant isn´t producing all those vehicles now or in the recent past. Please show me where the Mexico plant produced F150s for the US in the last 2 decades. Ýou are simply wrong.

Also, I´d be open to thinking the tundra could be comparable to the domestics if I heard ANY compelling arguments. All I read from this string of notes is why the domestic sales leadership doesn´t mean they´re better.

When you look at selection, quality, gas mileage, capability (towing and hauling) safety, design (especially interior), resale, engine power, quiteness, ride, durability, technology and innovation I just don´t see anything that stands out for tundra. What makes the tundra better. All the 3rd party comparisons have the domestics coming out on top. What is everyone missing

Posted by: Joe 6 pack | Dec 29, 2009 8:05:00 AM

"I say if you want to drive a Tundra then fine by me. Me and the many more people who choose to buy REAL AMERICAN Trucks and support great American companies in the process is our prerogative and our patriotic duty!"

Patriotic duty is to safeguard the Bill of Rights from the federal government! Without the Bill of Rights, the federal government could do as they please against us!

Patriotic duty by buying a domestic labeled truck has NOTHING to do with the U.S. government, the U.S. flag nor the Constitution. GM, Ford, Chrysler are publically traded companies, they have NOTHING to do with our government and those mentioned companies WILL PUT PROFITS AHEAD OF COUNTRY any day!

That is why they ship jobs overseas!

Stop comparing U.S. badged pickups to the U.S. as a nation, they are businesses that place profits and shareholder value ahead of country!

Posted by: oxi | Dec 29, 2009 8:40:32 AM

Nice to see the 2005+ Tacoma get on this list!

I had a 97 Tacoma and it was small like the current Ranger or Colorado with little room in the cab. I basically rubbed elbows with my wife.

After buying my 2005 Tacoma after visiting the 2004 Chicago Auto Show when the new Tacoma debuted, it is an awesome pickup.

The new 4.0L V6 is a well designed and powerful engine, the wife loves her own bucket seat that can fold back and she can stretch out and take a nap or read her book. Ample room behind the seats for important cargo. The composite bed is durable and has not cracked or had any problems loading and unloading racing gear and tires the last 5 years!

The only cons have been the tiny brakes on the 2wd X-Runner model, I have since upgraded them to 14 inch rotors up front with 6-piston calipers up front and converted the drums to a 4-piston caliper disc setup in the rear.

The other cons is the 6-speed manual tranny, the synchroes cracked into 3rd and 5th gear, though I race my pickup on road courses. Replaced that under warranty and upgraded my clutch to a stage II system to handle the 330 hp, 380 ft/lbs. of torque the engine is producing N/A may I add!

Aside from the tranny and small brakes it has been a reliable pickup in town, on the highway and traveling over 130 mph on Road America!

Toyota has a winner here and I may buy another Tacoma as a 4wd for my next purchase. The competition just does not offer as much as Toyota does!

Posted by: oxi | Dec 29, 2009 8:49:17 AM

When the Tundra came out in 2007, if effectively raised the bar by which all truck makers scrambled to meet or beat. Ford even upped the max towing capacity on its F150 without making any mechanical adjustments in order to stay competitive. Before the Tundra came out, most every truck on the market had some great features to offer but were missing something to make the whole package great. The 2007 Tundra was the complete package. Full-scale safety features, awesome capabilities, and passenger comfort. There were many "Truck" guys who jumped ship from the domestics when the new Tundra came out. It's no big surprise that the naysayers are jumping on every opportunity to point out every flaw and mechanical issue that the Tundra has experienced. I personally own a 2008 Tundra and driving my father's 2008 GMC Sierra doesn't even compare.

Posted by: sj | Dec 29, 2009 9:34:50 AM

I agree 100% with snowman. Always a good idea to wait a year for a new vehicle launch. After saying that though I did buy a 2004 F150 as soon as it came out but it had the bullet proof 4.6L in it so I knew what to expect. I would have gone with the 5.4L but with the problems with the spark plug popping out I was a little worried about that (although Ford fixed that problem). That 2 valve motor doesn't have a lot of get up and go but it does have great gas mileage. I average 19mpg and I don't give this truck any mercy. It just clicked over 85,000 miles as of two days ago and so far no problems at all. I am planning on getting a new truck and I really like the idea if Ford put a 6.2L in the F150 but I would wait for at least 6 months to see if there are any problems. Heck even the 5.0L would be a nice jump in HP compared to what I got now. If I had my way I would love to have the exterior of a Dodge with the reliability of a Ford underneath. Just my .02 cents!

Posted by: Shawn | Dec 29, 2009 11:43:45 AM

@LOU you make a couple of great points. Every car maker is a worldwide conglomerate. Ford being the only great American car company left? TRUE but lets not forget that they have a strong European operation and also expanding in the Asia Pacific area to. GM will rise again. 50% chance. They have jumped the gun on the bankruptcy and tried to sell off brands only to have that blow up in their face. Saturn / Pontiac gone, Saab still up in the air but as of right now slated to go, Hummer was sold but for scrap. They still have a lot to prove and do before they will become a force in the auto world again. Dodge is done. The writing is on the wall. It may take 4 or 5 years but it will fail. Fiat will go running back to Italy with its tails between its legs. The only way it could work is if they had their own version of Alan Mulally behind the wheel which they don't.

Your analogy was correct. I don't have a problem with Toyota building cars and trucks here and yes even I know that a lot of the money stays here. But remember there are ways to "fudge" the numbers. And lets not forget that the engineering, design, and management jobs for Toyota are still based in Japan. The guy who designed the Ford Trucks (as of right this minute anyway) works here in America. The people who do the engineering mostly work out of America although one could argue that they are sharing this duty with Ford Europe more and more for the cars anyways.

All the manufactures import cars... very true. But don't you think that by buying an imported car that has an American nameplate on it will better your American company vs. say Toyota of Nissian who then are getting to take all the money overseas since they don't have to invest the money back here because it was not built here? Either way I think we both made some good points.

@Oxi Dude I was only trying to make a comparison. You are correct though about patriotic duty so I stand corrected. What I should have said was show some pride in your country by having faith in buying an American product that was built, designed, engineered, fabricated, and conceived in America. And before anyone yells at me you can't say all that about the Tundra, it was built in America thats about it.

Posted by: Shawn | Dec 29, 2009 12:30:29 PM

Oops that should be Toyota OR Nissian not Toyota of Nissian. Sorry for the typo.

Posted by: Shawn | Dec 29, 2009 12:33:20 PM

I think yall are all a bunch of rambling idiots ranting about this and that "mine is bigger and better than yours". gimme a break guys. I bought a tundra for light duty work. if i wanted a heavy duty i woulda bought an F250 and if i wanted a freakin mule i woulda bought a dually cummins. Rambling on about domestics or foreign trucks and what truck is superior is ridiculous. I could give a rats @ss where my truck is made or who makes it just as long as it does what i need it to do. A truck is a truck, dodge, ford, chevy, toyota, nissan, take your pick. oh and let me ask all you guys who support the so called "American product". What kinda tv is in your livin room, or what kinda cell phone do you use, the shirt on your back and the shoes on your feet where are they made? And so on and so on.........................Yall get my point.

Posted by: Mike | Dec 29, 2009 1:52:45 PM

Posted by: Mike | Dec 29, 2009 1:56:00 PM

Posted by: mike | Dec 29, 2009 1:59:22 PM

@TundraHeadquarters domestics might have used incentives but ford been the best selling truck 33 years running. so does that not mean anything. even if they got a discount you bought the truck and plan to keep it for awhile so if the truck was that bad why buy it in the first place. tundra built agood truck and had their big debut and apparently still doin worse then domestics. u had ur time to shine so lets get back to how things were and let domestics build what their better at.

Posted by: Jason | Dec 29, 2009 4:55:30 PM

Isnt the Titan being fazed out and the plant will be converted to making electric cars? I live in Texas and I still cant stand the Tundra.

Posted by: Chevy guy | Dec 29, 2009 5:42:19 PM

he said , she said it's all about brand loyalty but how can you forget the king of all trucks the the dodge ram srt-10 all the rest are wannabes, nuff said!

Posted by: chowman | Dec 29, 2009 7:49:20 PM

@chowman - the Ram SRT-10 the king of all trucks? You got to be kidding? Most guys don't need or want a drag racer. Any muscle car can do what a street truck SRT10 can do, that's why I'd pick the Raptor or the Power Wagon over the SRT10. If you need a heavy puller many would pick a dually diesel of their favorite brand as king.
Mike - there is an idea for you - have a vote in poll for which truck people think should be "the King of all trucks".

Posted by: Lou N | Dec 29, 2009 8:17:57 PM

@Mike - Im sorry to hear that you are unhappy with your Tundra. Im the complete opposite. I own an 07 Tundra (took delivery in August, and have had it since mile 8) and have had no issues. My mileage has never been under 11mpg (and that is with a small lift and 33" tires), my pads and rotors are still going strong at 37k miles, radio works fine (and its not the upgraded version), dash doesnt squeek (actually the entire cabin is quiet), its only been in the shop for an alignment (after the lift), and I dont have any odd shimmys at any speeds. To take ones personal experience with one bad apple and then declare all the apples bad is kinda close-minded and quite pessimistic.. With this mindset, the lemon-of-a Dodge Ram I use to own should have me ranting that they are in fact the worst truck in the world and that all dark skinned people on airplanes are going to try and kill me via lighting their underwear on fire.

I went with the Tundra in 2007 because everything in its class, that year, couldnt measure up in terms of overall driving enjoyment and feel matched with its performance.

And lets be honest, why kind of statement is this? - "Today, the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra and Ram 1500 all offer more powerful V-8 engines than the Tundra, and Ford is about to join that group, pushing the Tundra to fourth place for bragging rights." Why are we comparing today's trucks against one that came out almost 3 years ago? Didnt Toyota help play a small role in pushing GM, Dodge and Ford to make more powerful V8s? I dont know, I just found that statement odd.

Either way, the new Ford looks great and sounds like its going to have an awesome engine. Ive seen a few new Dodges in person and did my fair share of 'ooo-ing and ahhh-ing'. Aint America grand? The land of competition and one-upmanship! Cant wait to see what the next decade has in store!

Posted by: Another Observer | Dec 29, 2009 9:37:51 PM

- What was the single biggest change from '90s to 00's: Crew cabs. 2001 Supercrew is a big miss here.

- What truck form '00s do you see the most on the highway? 04-08 F150. Much more important than 09. 09 was a refresh... yes a significant one in some ways, but 04 was much more significant.

- 03 Hemi was much bigger news at the time than 09 is now or past year. Not even close. I have several friends that bought their first (and last) Ram, mainly due to the Hemi.

Posted by: Power Kid | Dec 29, 2009 10:16:14 PM

@ Power Kid, I see many more Silverado's than I do F-150's. I do agree that the biggest change was crew cabs so you have a good point there but I still say GM sells more half tons than Ford. GM makes the best half ton also.

Posted by: John | Dec 29, 2009 11:09:15 PM

Gotta giggle how now it's so important to have the most powerful motor when back in '07 it was considered excess.

Gotta laugh at the constant harping on the Tundra's teething problems when 4 year old Fords were still fragging cam phasers, fuel injectors, and getting spark plugs stuck (guess stuck plugs are mo' better than spittin' em out!!!)

Have to chuckle at how the underpowered 5.7 Tundra basically traded top honors with premium swilling 6.2's from GM in all objective performance tests in Levine's own comparison.

How GM's locker actually didn't work as well on GM's own proving grounds!!!

Tundra sales are down.......no kidding!!! So are everyone's!!
Show me 1/2 ton to 1/2 sales for a TRUE comparison. or did we forget that Ford/GM combine all weights of light duty trucks when reporting sales numbers???

Have to blow a gut LMAO at all the patriotic BS when comparing a company who has spent more money here to employ Americans in the last few years while GM is pushing Buicks in China and Ford is building factories overseas with all that U.S. green.

Lastly to all the ignorant remarks concerning the 89 octane comment......my truck makes FULL power with 87 octane. All the poor guy wants to know is if the Dodge makes its Tundra bashing 390HP on 87RUG....

Happy New Year Ya' All!!

Posted by: Jack | Dec 30, 2009 1:15:34 AM

Jack, I really don't care what anyone drives, thats their own choice but in the end you can say, or giggle, what ever you want about the Tundra but its just not as good a truck as the big three make. Thats the bottom line and no matter how anyone tries to spin the numbers or twist the facts, the fact still remains the same in the end. That fact is Toyota full size trucks don't measure up. If it did don't you think people would buy them? I mean word got out on the Camery and people buy them so its not a bias against Toyota, it must be something else. Maybe, just maybe the product isn't as good as the competition.

Posted by: John | Dec 30, 2009 4:41:59 AM

I own a 2007 regular cab Silverado and a 2008 extended cab Silverado. The 2008 is my "car" and it has proven its versatility and superior design many times over. Need to squeeze six people in the cab? I can do it, need to seat three up front and cram the rear of the cab full of stuff? I can do it. Worried about mud on the carpet? I'm not, I've got plain floors that can be washed out. All this in a six cylinder truck that gets 20 mpg and can is still rated to tow 4,300 pounds (in practice, I can tow much more, with some care and certain heavy-duty equipment, and it won't be quick). I'm quite pleased with GM's conservative design philosophy, but then, I expect my trucks to work, not look pretty.

Posted by: Tony | Dec 30, 2009 6:05:19 AM

Tundraheadquarters,

So you say the Tundra's sales are down because Toyota curtailed its production.Well the Chrysler cars and the Ram sales are down because Chrysler curtailed its production throughout March-Aug and some later,it really hurt Chrysler's 2009 sales !! For 6 months no minivans,no lx cars Rams were hard to get !!If they had some models it was the oddball low end models no one wanted !! It was proven most of the year alot of lots were empty of alot of its models.

Also the Dodge Ram 1500 is made in the U.S.A not Mexico,only the Heavy Duty is made in Mexico.

Posted by: Auto | Dec 30, 2009 6:14:19 AM

Ruger is right its where the profits go that is the important issue.GM was the last to outsource but because of cost issues they were forced to compete.I resent the japs and koreans as they have closed markets to our products and that gives them a advantage.I also dont have a problem with products made in Canada as they have a equal trade with the USA,and japan cant say that.I also think the GM Hybrid trucks are the most deserving on this list,no one else has them and what does cost have to do with it

Posted by: john | Dec 30, 2009 6:39:39 AM

I put between 45-50 thousand miles a year on a pickup truck. I own a small business, and I make sales calls on customers every day all year. I must have a vehicle that will get me to the customer, and do the job once I get there. I don't care what brand it is as long as it fills these requirements. That said I have to buy a Tundra for reliability.
I purchased Chevrolet trucks for years, and always spent time at the dealership for repairs. I have yet to take any of the Tundras, and there have been 5 five of them to a dealership for any kind of repair.
Build a better truck and I will buy it.

Posted by: SMALL BUSINESS OWNER | Dec 30, 2009 6:52:02 AM

2003 Dodge Dakota 4X4 Quad Cab with 4.7 V-8 is GREAT.

Posted by: Ken | Dec 30, 2009 6:59:00 AM

This is my second Ford Sport Trac- I fill the 4' bed of that truck with everyday shopping, with camping equipment or with vacation necessities. And I don't pack light.
Ford might have missed one important point re this truck: That it is nice looking - and comfortable. It drives like a car and works like a truck. When someone asks me about it, as they aften do...I tell them - this is a real lady's truck, it can handle anything and look pretty doing it!

Posted by: Lady Truckwoman | Dec 30, 2009 7:08:12 AM

I really do not care if anyone cares what I say, I have been a Ford man all my life and have owned a few Ford trucks. I would love to have a Tundra I think they are a great truck but the price is way out of my price range for the truck you get. Hey Toyota, let me drive one of yours for the advertizing since I travel the country as a travelinf Construction Superintendent

Posted by: David | Dec 30, 2009 7:36:09 AM

Toyota in my opinion still has the best bang for the buck. I've owned Chevy, Ford & Toyota. I've spent practically no time in the shop with my Toyotas and many hours in the shop with my Ford and Chevy trucks. My vote for reliablity is Toyota. It pulls my boat with out a problems up hill and down.

Posted by: Mark | Dec 30, 2009 9:05:39 AM

Nissan and Toyota make ugly trucks. Other than the ugliness of them, I don't know any more about them. However, the only truck I would buy right now, regardless of anything else, is the Ford F-150. GM and Chrysler took too much OBAMA money and neither are stable companies. FORD is the only American company who did not take and squander my hard-earned taxes. GM and Chrysler may not survive and who wants a vehicle from an ill-run, about-to-go-down-the-tube, stupidly run company???

Posted by: Jerry | Dec 30, 2009 9:15:23 AM

Hey,
I have wanted for years to comment on the evolution of pickup trucks. So here goes.
My first beef is with the engines, I had a 1990 Dodge 4-wheel drive that got 19mpg! I could lock it in 4-wheel, or I could hook onto 10,000 lbs of towing and still get 17mpg. As I've moved to more recent versions, I'm lucky to get 12mpg. I consider that drop in fuel economy inexcusable.
Secondly is the height. The morons that have designed the new body styles have obviously never got their hands dirty. As near as I can determine the 2009 model pickups are 6 inches higher than is acceptable. When you have to open the tailgate, climb up on the tire, or carry a stepladder to retrieve your shovel out of the bed, or to latch your gooseneck hitch there is definitely something wrong with the truck.
My third beef with the current pickups is that it is too difficult to find a simple traditional cab pickup. Yes the 4 door pickups are nice, if you really should be driving a sedan. But 4 door trucks will not work for me. Four doors and a full length bed is entirely too long to manuever through dirt roads, fields, and pastures. It definitely is too long to fit into a parking space. A short bed is not an option, some of us need the length in the bed.
My final complaint is the doors, when Dodge went from the small doors on the old "boxy" trucks with the 1994 model year, the massive doors they put on them are way too large, try hanging on to one of them when the wind is blowing!
Of course I could continue with things that were changed for the worse, such as the oil plug, access to the engine.
And what's up with moving from the 5.9 liter to the 6.2 liter engine. Come on, that 5.9 has been and still is an awesome engine.
The one thing I've seen done right, by Dodge at least, is the 6 speed manual transmission.
...an old cowboy.

Posted by: Cattle | Dec 30, 2009 9:32:18 AM

Some (extremely) random truck thoughts/observations...

In five years it will be Toyota and Ford fighting for the #1 sales spot.

Toyotas current sales figures/production are an obvious concession to protecting their used truck values. I applaud them for that.

Truck are hard on rear rotors and pads.

Haw many actual sales has Toyota lost due to early reliability issues? Not many. People who care about such things know Toyotas history of making things right even after warranty expirations.

GM/Ram will have continued resistance to their truck due to the Government bailout money. Of course over time this will abate.

Since when is 300+ HP considered too little for a 1/2 ton truck?

If not for the 2004 Ford all of our trucks would be less capable.

If not for the Duramax all of our diesels would be less capable.

The new Ram and F-150 sure do have nice interiors.

The Tundra interior should be better...much better.

I challenge anyone out there to go buy any new new full-sized truck that is NOT a solid reliable workhorse.

Competition and choices are a good thing. May the truck wars never end!!

It's better to be a truck consumer than it is to be a truck manufacturer.

Happy New Year to all Pickuptruck.com readers and Mike. Thanks for being the best truck site on the net.

CreigMac

Posted by: CreigMac | Dec 30, 2009 10:54:40 AM

How can any of you say buy American when domestic vehicles use foriegn parts, find an American transmisson in a ford car. Mexico and Great Britton have the ford parts market and their not even building them cheaper, they cost more to import thus driving up the prices even more. If you are going to buy American then they should build American.

Posted by: gridman | Dec 30, 2009 12:08:58 PM

for all the patriotic tundra owners who brag about the tundra being built in the usa and how many americans they employ, i have one question for you, where do you think all of the profits are going? do you believe the money is staying here in the usa? i sure do not. i believe all that money is going over seas to strengthen a FORIEGN COUNTRY. if you feel good about buying that vehichle, then why don't you move to japan and be a foriegner like your tundra will always be. one last question why don't you ever see a tundra with a wrecker bed, a ambulance body or fire truck body on the back of it? i don't need to see sales reviews or anything else to prove to me about a truck, i see for my own eyes what does the brute work in this country,and has been for the last hundred years.

Posted by: george | Dec 30, 2009 12:14:08 PM