Posted by Stephanie Brinley on December 28, 2009 at 9:20 am
PickupTucks.com and AutoPacific have taken a look at all the new trucks sold in the past 10 years and made their picks for the most significant trucks of the decade. The trucks that made the list introduced cutting edge technologies and pushed the segment into new territory.
“Despite the economic challenges of the past two years, it’s hard not to look back at the last ten years without calling it the decade of the pickup truck,” said PickupTrucks.com editor Mike Levine. “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.”
Though there are many trucks that had a significant impact in the last decade, it’s clear that the 2009 Ford F-150 earned the title of “Most Significant”.
“On balance, we thought the 2009 Ford F-150 was the most significant pickup of the last decade,” said Jim Hossack, vice president of consulting for AutoPacific. “It sells in high volume, owners like it and its body, chassis and powertrain are all first rate. Features abound, and there are more models, series and options than can be counted. It’s a good looking truck and suitable for the widest possible range of tasks and uses.”
After the jump are those trucks deemed most significant, in no particular order.
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Posted by Stephanie Brinley on August 11, 2009 at 7:17 am
“The 2009 Motorist Choice Award for the Compact Pickup segment is the Nissan Frontier. A sturdy truck and worthy winner, Frontier combines the traditional product virtues of quality, reliability and durability with attractive financial considerations so important in today’s challenging economy.” – AutoPacific
“A strong retained value and low maintenance costs were the keys to the Nissan Frontier win.” – IntelliChoice
Owner Satisfaction Highlights
• Reliable/Dependable
• Quality
• Durable/Long Lasting
• Vehicle and Brand Reputation
Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
• Strong Retained Value
• Low Maintenance Costs
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Posted by Stephanie Brinley on November 5, 2008 at 6:00 am
Is My Pickup Better Than Your Pickup?
Among our contributors are owners of vehicles from a MINI Cooper (two, actually), Audi TT, Ford Flex, an aging Ford Taurus, and a Toyota Tacoma. For us, it is always fun to apply our analysis and industry knowledge to our own lives and rides, and the Frontier provided the chance to do that again. While I drove the Xterra and Frontier during an afternoon on a press preview, contributor Keagan Patrick took the Frontier that spent a week with California HQ out for some seat time and direct comparisons against his Tacoma.
Nissan Frontier
Keagan’s Toyota Tacoma
Follow the jump for his take!
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Posted by Stephanie Brinley on November 5, 2008 at 5:00 am
Products Apparently So Good, They Needed Little Improvement.
Nissan‘s current Frontier and Xterra were introduced for the 2005MY. Four years later, they came to the showroom with minor changes. And though Nissan is planning a retreat from the full-size pickup-truck business, due to a product-sharing agreement with Chrysler that still has time to implode, executives tell us work is underway on the next iteration of Frontier, Xterra, and Pathfinder. We’ve got a couple of years before those arrive, and Nissan says they keyed 2009 changes at providing more of the attributes customers already know and love their Xterras and Frontiers for.
In a tough truck market, the goal is to ride out the panic, see where things fall, and keep as many buyers as possible to ensure the smallest sales slide you can. In this depressed market, Nissan tells us their trucks haven’t fallen as much as the other guys (though they didn’t have as far to fall). Nissan’s also adjusting options and trim-level mixes as those customers sticking with trucks are less focused on luxury and more on utility and practicality.
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