Tacoma -vs Ranger 2019 sales figures...it aint pretty

Nissan seems to thrive on near death experiences. I suspect they will change their marketing strategy, dump some unprofitable products, and come back stronger.

Nissan Predictions (with some known info) for 2020

Titan

Will stay in the product line with a more refined front look. Big, bold, and ugly just didn't sell.

Horsepower will increase to 400 with 413 pounds of torque with the VK56 -- Same HP and torque as today's QX80. Should see the same in the Armada. Makes sense to have one big V8. Though the Q70L delivers 416 horses through tuning.

New 9-speed transmission with smoother shifts. Though I had no complaints with the old 7-speed as shared with performance Infiniti products. I guess this means Infiniti will get the same 9-speed. Is this really the ZF 9-speed?

Who cares about MPG when you can drive a truck that feels more like a race car?

Frontier

Will look somewhat like the Navarra from the side but will sport a more truck like version of the Nissan V-Motion front end like the Pathfinder.

Will this be like the Ridgeline & Pilot siblings with some cab sheet metal sharing? Actually Honda does a good job of controlling costs by stamping out Odysseys, Pilots, and Ridgelines from the same roll of steel and by using the same sheet metal presses in their Lincoln AL plant. The Honda sheet metal machines look like giant transformer toys that can switch between models in some remarkable timing like 7-minutes. This could help Nissan keep the cost of sheet metal down.



Underneath, the new Frontier will NOT be a Navarra. It will share more of the new Titan frame and use leaf springs to support towing and to keep the cost lower.

Think baby Titan from a suspension standpoint. Actually the current Frontier's front suspension can already be converted to use the heavier Titan components. The sharing of suspension components will improve aftermarket support for off-road suspension enhancements that can be used with either a Frontier or Titan chassis.

Low Price Leader

Nissan would like the base Frontier model remain the "go to" brand for little 4-cyl delivery trucks. Think part store delivery and termite company trucks. The base trucks will continue to use the venerable 2.5L 4-cylinder with improved HP and Torque. Why not just stick an existing Nissan 2.5L turbo upgrade on the truck engine and call it a day?

New Engine Rumor

The new Frontier is rumored to receive a new 3.0L V6 with a 300 HP option. Could this be something simple for salesmen to remember like 400 HP for the Titan and 300 HP for the Frontier?

Of course it would make too much sense to bring back a more powerful version of the legendary VQ30 that could run 400,000 miles with minimal maintenance. No way.

It might be a variation of Nissan's current 3.0L with 86 mm bore and 86 mm stroke. Now that would make for another "coin balancing" smooth V6. A turbo version already exists for the 3.0L to compete in the "small truck performance wars" as buyers and manufactures look to go smaller and faster.

Will it get the 7-speed automatic that's been around in Infiniti SUVs for a few years? Infiiniti cars and SUVs shared some good transmissions with Nissan trucks in the past. It won't be the first time.

Diesel Rumors

What ever happened to the 4-cyl Cummins diesel? After cancelling the Titan Cummins model, it seems like a stretch for them to offer a Diesel in the U.S. market, especially when they are looking to be the low price leader.

Renault announced it plans to completely phase out all Diesel models to go electric. That is a bold move from the country where Diesels were invented.

When I see a new 2020 Frontier, I won't be shocked. I'm sure it will look familiar.

 

Found it!

 

I think a 2 or 3 year lease would be the only way to touch one, that way you could dump it before it starts falling apart.

 

And right about when the next generation Ranger will debut.

Ford is sticking the 2.3L EB drivetrain in base model 2020 Ford Explorers.

 

Hey now, still have mine and after 21yrs it's not falling apart yet.

 

Or wait five years when the Tacoma is rusting and trade it in for the Ranger... I love the Tacoma, I do..BUT this commentary is as bad as politics today with zero fact checking.

 

this is a Tacoma forum, don't expect any unbiased opinions,lol

 

Sales figures are not opinion, however the talk of why the Ranger is not selling well is.

 

Tacoma is 1.76 X better than a Ranger. It’s just rudimentary science.

 

I got tired of going to the mall and having trouble finding my Tacoma with the million others here on Hawaii.

 

Not so great looking numbers in September for anyone but the big GM twins.

 

Yep I had a 99 Ranger, the only reason I got the Tacoma was I needed more room to haul the grandkids around. I gifted it to a buddy who found himself without wheels. It's his dd and I see it once it twice a week. It has well over 210k on it, no issues outside of normal maintenance. She was and still is rock solid.

 

A dip in sales for September 2019 isn’t that bad considering the refreshed 2020 Tacoma was due to arrive this month. 2019 YTD sales still outpace 2018 YTD.

October 2019 sales may fall short compared to October 2018, since some dealers are almost out of 2019 Tacomas and 2020 Tacomas are trickling in.

 

Yep. I hope everything bounces back next month.

 

I sold mine to my boss so I see it all the time ... still running strong and looking good. I was considering a new Ranger before I got the Tacoma until I found out they didn’t offer a double cab long bed plus I’ve always wanted a Toyota 4X4 (Thanks a lot Back to the Future!)

 

Yep. November should be much improved. I could be wrong, but I anticipate Tacoma sales may settle a bit over the next several months as Ford Ranger sales increase. The Gladiator is also due to pick up some steam. No doubt, the Tacoma will still reign as #1 midsize pickup!

 

Still drive my 98 from time to time. I have been neglecting it tho since I got the Taco. Still looks good after over 20yrs.

 

It’s a new truck and they’re already practically giving them away.

 

Not much love for the Ranger...even if it is free.
I told my worker " I'm trading in the old truck for a new one. Which you want? The Frontier SV or the new Ranger?" . No hesitation..." I'll take the Frontier with the V6" .