Future of American small trucks

[Mustangfan2003]

Well the Ranger has been around forever almost unchanged at all and at the same time the Colorado and Dakota seemed to be unnoticed at all.  According to autoblog looks like Ford will give up all together on small trucks here


*UPDATE: Ford continues to tell Autoblog that the new global Ranger is not planned for North America. As we've previously reported, the new F-150 will receive an EcoBoost powertrain that should deliver similar economy figures to the Ranger while providing improved size and capability, thereby negating the need for bringing a smaller pickup in this market.

I'm guessing maybe an F150 with a ecoboost 4 cylinder?  As for the Colorado and Dakota who knows.  I think Chrysler was looking at building a unibody pick up but backed out since the Ridgeline hasn't done well.  As for GM they went from selling a total of 144,668 Canyon's and Colorado's a year to just 42,520 last year so I couldn't see why they would keep them around much longer.

[Raza]

Oh no!

[68_427]

GM has been testing new small trucks.

[Mustangfan2003]

Yeah but is it for our market or just everyone else?

[68_427]

Our market.

[GoCougs]

Not true about the Ridgeline - it has done well - it matched Honda's sales target of 50,000 annual units, but has fallen off with everyone else in the last two years. Dodge is dumping the idea because the Dakota was never very good and as of now is the slowest selling pickup even behind the Titan.

Detroit has so abused their small pickup brands (Dakota, Ranger) or introduced such mediocre product (Canyon/Colorado), the full-size market has become so darned competitive the last 10 years or so, and Toyota and Nissan have so amped up their game, Detroit is better off spending $$$ elsewhere.

[Mustangfan2003]

Detroit has sold so many full size trucks there just isn't that much emphases on compacts anymore.  Also, full size trucks aren't that behind in price.  For example Fords website list the Ranger XL starting at $17,820 and the F150 XL starts a $21,820 and that is with a standard V8 for 2010.

[SVT32V]

Not true about the Ridgeline - it has done well - it matched Honda's sales target of 50,000 annual units, but has fallen off with everyone else in the last two years. Dodge is dumping the idea because the Dakota was never very good and as of now is the slowest selling pickup even behind the Titan.

Detroit has so abused their small pickup brands (Dakota, Ranger) or introduced such mediocre product (Canyon/Colorado), the full-size market has become so darned competitive the last 10 years or so, and Toyota and Nissan have so amped up their game, Detroit is better off spending $$$ elsewhere.

The ridgeline never met its goal of 50K units a year, although in the first two years it came close, even then it only got that close because of the heavy incentives.
Last year they only sold 16K units, a 51% drop, it is dead, honda will axe it.

[Mustangfan2003]

From what I hear Honda won't renew it.  I guess pick up buyers like something that is a little rugged, unlike SUV buyers. 

[GoCougs]

The ridgeline never met its goal of 50K units a year, although in the first two years it came close, even then it only got that close because of the heavy incentives.
Last year they only sold 16K units, a 51% drop, it is dead, honda will axe it.

Not true. In its first full year of sales ('06) sales were 51k. '08 and on wasn't pretty but that was the case for everyone else, too.

I'd forget it if I were Honda and Detroit too - Toyota utterly owns this segment.

[Mustangfan2003]

The Frontier seems to do well too, well around here atleast. 

[Atomic]

with the new durango due out shortly, i am wondering if there might be a dakota derivative of that? maybe a jeep scrambler in chrysler's fold? would be cool.

[Onslaught]

I miss the old little trucks from the 80's and 90's. I'd like to have one that size right now. I have no need for a big truck at all.

[Mustangfan2003]

Jeep should build this



There is a rumor that I read that after Chrysler acquired Jeep only Dodge, or Ram now I guess, would only be allowed to build pickups after the run of the Comanche ended.  After changing owners 3 times in the past decade who knows what will happen next.  

[Byteme]

Not true. In its first full year of sales ('06) sales were 51k. '08 and on wasn't pretty but that was the case for everyone else, too.

I'd forget it if I were Honda and Detroit too - Toyota utterly owns this segment.

Honda's overall sales didn't drop by more than half.  People kept buying Hondas, but not ridgelines  After some initiaL excitement, the ridgeline failed in the marketplace.

Toyota utterly owns 5th and 6th place, with annual sales of the Tundra and Tacoma combined equal to about 40% of the F-series sales, both monthly and YTD.

Ford's ancient Ranger is doing better in 2010 than the Ridgeline did in it's best year.

[2o6]

The Mahindra truck seems promising.

[GoCougs]

Honda's overall sales didn't drop by more than half.  People kept buying Hondas, but not ridgelines  After some initiaL excitement, the ridgeline failed in the marketplace.

Toyota utterly owns 5th and 6th place, with annual sales of the Tundra and Tacoma combined equal to about 40% of the F-series sales, both monthly and YTD.

Ford's ancient Ranger is doing better in 2010 than the Ridgeline did in it's best year.

Meh - moderately lame attempt at Toyota/Honda haterism + Ford apologism. The subject of my posts and this thread are "compact" pickups (or, pickups other than full size).

[CJ]

Ford owns the full-size truck segment.  The Tundra, while a good effort, just isn't as good as the F150. 

[GoCougs]

Last time the F150 (er, F100) was best in class was in 1987 (beginning of the its eighth gen). Today, the Tundra, Silverado/Sierra and Ram are all better trucks. Only the ancient Titan plays second fiddle to the F150, and not by much.

[Onslaught]

Last time the F150 (er, F100) was best in class was in 1987 (beginning of the its eighth gen). Today, the Tundra, Silverado/Sierra and Ram are all better trucks. Only the ancient Titan plays second fiddle to the F150, and not by much.

I don't know where you get that from. I'm not a fan of the F-150. But it's as good if not better that the Silverado. And way better than a RAM.

Oh, and I have to say that the Silverado's sheet metal in it's bed is as thin as wet toilet paper. I've never seen such a flimsy truck bed before.

[Mustangfan2003]

Last time the F150 (er, F100) was best in class was in 1987 (beginning of the its eighth gen). Today, the Tundra, Silverado/Sierra and Ram are all better trucks. Only the ancient Titan plays second fiddle to the F150, and not by much.

Huh?  Not been in many trucks have you? 

[CJ]

Have you not been to Texas?  Practically every farm truck is an F-Series pickup.

[Mustangfan2003]

I see way more F150s than any other new truck.  Saw a new Ram today for the first time in a while.

[goldenlover1101]

I am pretty sure the F-150 is one of if not the best truck in class. If the american car companies do something well its trucks (at the expense of their cars). This is the one area the Japanese have yet to fully master and take over Detroit.

[Mustangfan2003]

Full size truck owners are very loyal to their brands, this is one reason Toyota or Nissan will never make a major impact. 

[Tave]

The Tundra and Ram are the best trucks in their class. Obviously Ford outsells them.

Huh?  Not been in many trucks have you? 

I've driven all generations of the Big 3 since the mid-90s, mostly as work trucks, hauling large loads over extremely rough terrain. Ford hasn't been competitive in a long time.

[Onslaught]

No way a Ram is any good. If will fall apart in 5 years or less.

[Tave]

No way a Ram is any good. If will fall apart in 5 years or less.

That hasn't been our experience, and we are as hard as you can be on equipment.


We'd buy Tundras if they weren't so damn expensive to purchase and maintain.

[Mustangfan2003]

I had a 99 Silverado, last GM truck I ever have.

[GoCougs]

I don't know where you get that from. I'm not a fan of the F-150. But it's as good if not better that the Silverado. And way better than a RAM.

Oh, and I have to say that the Silverado's sheet metal in it's bed is as thin as wet toilet paper. I've never seen such a flimsy truck bed before.

Nah, by simple virtue of Ford's perpetual Achilles heel for decades and decades (engines), the Silverado (and most everyone else) wins. When Ford engines aren't WAY outmatched on power (gas engines) they're WAY outmatched in reliability (Powerstroke diesel).

The new Ram I'm not a fan of the fact that one can't get an extended cab, but the new Hemi and Cummins are top notch and the coil sprung rear 1/2-ton is a foreshadow of things to come.