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Compact Pickup Comparison: Frontier, Ranger, Tacoma, S10, Dakota, B-Series, & Hombre - READ ONLY

579 messages,  Last post on Apr 15, 2002 at 5:02 AM

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What is this discussion about? Nissan Frontier, Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Dodge Dakota, Mazda B-Series Pickup

Messages Page 14 of 59

#125 of 579 Mad by scape2

Jan 02, 2001 (9:22 pm)

Why haven't you listed your problems with your 01 Toyota?
These are the first two people I have heard that like the new grill on the 01 Tacoma. On other internet sites its taking a beating. I figure Toyota will change it within 2 years. Sales will drop because of this grill believe me.
Anyone heard anything about the new Offroad pkg Ford is going to offer on the new Ranger?
And, the new S-10 for 2002, will be a Ranger/Toyota/Nissan killer. Its going to have a straight 6 that is going to have more HP and Torque than some small V8's! I keep trying to find spy photos but no luck yet, just plenty of stories.
While up on MT Hood I backed into a rock! damit! dented my bumper in, no damage to the truck bed. On my day off I will be hunting the junk yards for a 1998 Ranger bumper in black ...

#126 of 579 vince by allknowing

Jan 02, 2001 (10:04 pm)

Why would you want more HP and torque. Wouldn't that be as dumb as adding a supercharger?

#127 of 579 steve234 by allknowing

Jan 02, 2001 (10:27 pm)

You stated : "Toyota and Nissan have a reputation of keeping quiet about many of their recalls and problems. It is a lot easier for them because they are under different rules".
 
 I think that if they were really keeping quiet they wouldn't keep at the top in satisfaction by Consumer Reports, J. D. Powers, and most other auto publications. The Tacoma's gasket problem, for example, was handled way beyond what most owners expected and Toyota, as a result, retained it's satisfied customers. My experience with Ford is that they're going out of their way to satisfy their customers too, however, the amount of recalls are a real pain in the A--. Please explain to us all the different rules that Toyota and Nissan are under? If this is true I'd be interested.

#128 of 579 Perfectionism by webbd

Jan 02, 2001 (10:46 pm)

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Madhatr880.
 
Steve234, "Toyota and Nissan have a reputation for keeping quiet about their recalls." Because you can't find many recalls for Toyota or Nissan, doesn't mean there is some conspiracy to hide or bury the problems. The reason you don't hear much about Toyota/Nissan problems is because there aren't many. When there is a problem, like with the '95-96 Tacoma head gasket, they are quick to fix it and fix it CORRECTLY.
 
115K miles is a common mileage to replace a clutch, especially if you take into consideration the respective owner's driving habits. It is generally a good habit to maintain a car vs. waiting until it breaks and then fixing it. To say that your wife's shadow hasn't needed a clutch in 130K miles means nothing. It could go at 131K miles. You should replace it now.
 
And I should base my vehicle purchase on whatever makes my mechanic's job a little easier? "There are no perfect vehicles out there, so let's just all drive American cars." It is generally easier to draw conclusions than to actually research and to be objective. If there are no perfect vehicles out there, then what is the Honda Accord? Let's also not overlook the Nissan Maxima, Honda Civic, Toyota Camry, Corolla, Landcruiser, Lexus LS 430, and the list goes on and on. And how about my '00 Tacoma? One word--perfect. There is no perfect line of cars or trucks out there, but when you approach 95-99% reliability for a model line, that's about as close as you're going to get.
 
I'm assuming that the real reason behind your comments was that you've personally never experienced a perfect car or truck, and it is nearly impossible for you to fathom the idea of there existing such a thing. Many people have.
 
Back in the 1920's, it was a common sight to see the menfolk, every Saturday and Sunday, out working on their vehicles. And when it came time to buy a new car, they stuck with the same brand because they were very familiar with how to fix it. This tendency still burns bright today.

#129 of 579 madhatr880 by allknowing

Jan 02, 2001 (10:55 pm)

Good to see you back too.

#130 of 579 Toacoma-S driving experience by amora

Jan 03, 2001 (7:00 am)

Happy New years to all.
 
Just test drove a black Tacoma-S. Ummmm, well, yes it is better than S10 Xtreme 4.3, sorry S10 lovers but this rice burner spanks big time.
 
Webbd - Don't believe everything you read in Consumer's...I prefer the 25,000 mi truck tests in
Four Wheeler mag. If lemons are evident, they will ripen by that time.
 
ALSO YOU FORGOT TO MENTION (BEST SPORTS CARS) the
1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder with Chain driven camshafts, V12, 6 webers, 180 mph top speed, wooden steering wheel, wire wheels, Learjet 8 track player......also Ferrari 360 Modena is quicker to 60 (3.9 sec) than your 550 Maranello
 
regards....
 
the Babyboomer

#131 of 579 Engine Sizes & Efficiency by cthompson21

Jan 03, 2001 (7:41 am)

Somebody please explain to me how a smaller displacement engine that produces less power while using the same amount of fuel (in a lighter truck too) is more efficient than a slightly larger engine that produces more power while using that same amount of fuel.
 
It seems to me that quite the opposite is true that the Ford SOHC 4L is more efficient than the Toyota 3.4L. (while the 3.4L is more efficient than the OHV 4L)
 
It seems to me that some people have been taken in by the car rags and their COMPLETELY, ABSOLUTELY, USELESS measure of hp/L.
 
It's about as useful as tire width vs. steering wheel diamater.

#132 of 579 Moparbad - Tonka & Texas by cthompson21

Jan 03, 2001 (7:42 am)

What exactly are "Tonka Trucks and Texas Trucks"?

#133 of 579 yoda logic by steve234

Jan 03, 2001 (8:00 am)

Whether you guys like it or not, the asian manufacturers do operate under separate rules. Their cars may be made in the U.S., but the corporate records are kept in the country that the manufacturer is based in. In Japan, the corporations run the country to a large extent. You have a lot more tame government administrators than in any european/NA country. It makes it harder for U.S. regulators, media and special interest groups to scrutinize the repair records. Most of these groups take the easy way out and attack the manufacturers that it is easier to get information about. Toyota, etc. does not always have to call it a recall. The may call it a special customer program or some other nonsense. Many reputable columists have made references to the Toyota problems, but without pinpoint data, they have no case they can prove. This is not saying that Toyota is producing crap or that they are not taking care of their customers. It is saying that when you compare recall records, you have to compare apples to apples and you cannot in this case.
My personal opinion of what little advantage that the asian manufacturers have is that being relatively new to the market, they have better control of the dealers. Many of the domestic dealers are operating under francises from just before or after WWII. These give very little quality control over service departments. That is why the main importance in buying a vehicle is to find the most reliable dealership in your area.
 
As far as working on vehicles, I like the ability to work on my own vehicles when I have the time. I do not like having to use special tools or being told that only a dealership can do the repairs. I see more of this with imports than american cars. Since I also have a lazy streak, I also am very careful of my choice of vehicles. All of my vehicles are carefully chosen for my demands. I can recall only one new vehicle that I have owned that did not last over 100k before I decided to get a new model. The problems with that one vehicle was a matter of bad luck, not the car.
 
As for changing the clutch out. A clutch is not like a timing belt. Any decent driver can tell when a clutch needs replacement. With that logic, you would replace tires at 40k miles regardless of tread. As long as the plate and bearing are good, I will leave well enough alone.
 
Oh, BTW the reason why most countries use Land Cruisers for the military is that there is no other competition other that Land Rover. The U.S. uses dedicated military vehicles. Th LC is designed to fit a limited market. A military LC is a lot cheaper than a LR or a Hummer.

#134 of 579 Steve234 by webbd

Jan 03, 2001 (11:45 am)

You comments about recall comparisons not being apples to apples seems plausible. This is all the more reason just to refer to Consumer Reports or J.D. Powers, firms that question the individual owners out there and then pool the information for our reading. If you abide by what these firms say, then Toyota vehicles (9 out of 14 total categories) ranked #1 according to J.D. Powers, and the Tundra, Tacoma and F-150 are the only trucks to have positive reliability according to Consumer Reports.
 
For those of us who may be mechanically-challenged, having our clutches replaced or auto. transmissions rebuilt at 120K-150K makes good sense as we are not able to discern the exact moment in time that those systems are going to need replacement. We'll probably only find out in some dark parking lot on a rainy night.
 
The reason foreign militaries and army groups use the Landcruiser over the Land Rover or Hummer has everything to do with reliability. Have you ever seen the repair sheet on a Hummer or a Land Rover? How about the durability of the GM engines in both of these? No one in his right mind would attempt to travel into the Sahara or the Himalayan jungle with either the Hummer or Land Rover. Neither has the off-road prowress (the hummer's too large for certain situations and is better at bobbing across the desert or being shot at, and the Land Rover is better at driving around a mall parking lot). The fact that the Landcruiser is the cheapest of the three is icing on the cake for these people.
 
Four years in Air Force Intelligence, I learned that a lot of U.S. equipment is poorly built and nowhere near being the best on the market.

Messages Page 14 of 59

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