Toyota Needs to Step Up!

And this is why they come with basic bitch highway tires so of 248k 124k came with TRD OR I'd suspect that less than .5% of those are people who will actually take their vehicle offroad and of those that will are those that are members of some sort of forum and are upgrading wheels and tires anyways.

 

I would say that Toyota has a brilliant strategy. If you know anything about business, you know that to scale is the hardest thing. Toyota has a method and a process for producing and selling Tacomas at scale -- which is very hard to do. Anything that impacts, disrupts or that process and that movement, they just don't do. This is why you really can't order the specific Tacoma that you want "made to order." That would slow down the system. And in a scaled model you don't slow down the system!

The second really great part of the Toyota strategy is that since they want to mass produce high margin vehicles at a big profit, they let the aftermarket handle the customizations they don't want to do or can't do profitably. That builds a successful community that ensure long term brand loyalty -- and frees Toyota up to focus on building reliability into their products.

Overall, you have to hand it to them ...

 

Just in time manufacturing!!!!! There is a great book about Toyota and this process.

Oh and compared to other companies yota doesn't have a lot of different option packages just look at the ranger or colorado and compare. it's pretty crazy how many different packages those trucks have and how much more you can compound stack the packages.

 

Odd that a company like Ford that sells 10x the number of trucks compared to Toyota can deliver a "made to order" truck that doesn't slow down their system. Maybe time for Toyota to join the 21st century manufacturing process?

 

Toyota has a bunch of usless configurations/packages. SR, SR utility pkg, SR-SX access cab or 4dr 4cyl or V6. SR5 AC or DBC, long or short bed, and the Trail pkg. TRD Sport, TRD OR auto or 6spd, AC or DBC long or short bed. Premium, and Tech pkgs available on respective modles. Limitted, with or with out the night shade pkg, and the TRD Pro. All of which are basically the same truck, the only difference is wheel base, and bed length along with engine choice, cab size, transmission choice, and 2 or 4 wheel drive.

I think Toyota would be better off having less of these pkg options, which are nothing more than different color grills, wheels, and cloth or leather seating surfaces.

 

They don't do that haven't you heard about the saga of the Broncos now delayed.........Ford only outsells due to one thing major commercial accounts for the SD and f150s. If you looked solely and compared the rangers to to the tacoma they fail miserably. So toyota sold 250k tacomas while ford sold 90k rangers pretty dismal. Tundra sold 112k last year so 360k toyotas sold over 2 models vs 975 over 6 models and hundreds of thousands of that were major fleet accounts with municipalities, energy companies, etc. If we can take a sole look at just the #s and compare without major commercial accounts I think you'd be surprised at how quickly that gap closes. Pretty sad when you barely beat the frontier in sales for your mid sized truck No car manufacturer these days really likes doing a made to order vehicle go to a dealership and ask for a certain one they'll first try and get you in something they have as close to it in their lot then if that doesn't work they'll look at other dealerships and have one that will work for you or meets your specs transferred in. Last case scenario will be a made to order by the manufacturer with exceptions of certain vehicles like the GT500 mustang or the ZR1 vettes etc. But run of the mill cars that's the last thing any dealership or manufacturer wants to deal with. I forgot also what company is getting rid of all their car models because they can't compete with the likes of Camry, Corolla, Accord, Civic, Avalon, etc.

Not saying that tundra can't step up their game but there is a reason ford and dodge are killing it in the truck game and most of it isn't on the normal private consumer side. It's pretty easy to boast numbers when you have huge government and commercial contracts to fill orders that get new vehicles every 3 years.

Oh now that I was looking at the sales stats damn was I close with takes every manufacturer added together in the midsized market to touch tacoma
Colorado/Canyon 155k
Ranger 90k
Frontier 86k

vs

tacoma 248k

 

Toyota is playing a long game the big three not so much. This evidenced by every economic downturn when they the big three find themselves in a pickle.

If the Fed ever lets another recession happen, I wouldn't be surprised if Ford and FCA file BK followed by GM. These companies are way too dependent on full size truck sales to make the numbers.

 

Have you looked at ford and chevy lately???? I don't count the different cab and bed configs that's kinda a given.

 

That's.... Literally what packages are, dude. Most cosmetic changes, with a few mechanical goodies here or there.

 

"All of which are basically the same truck, the only difference is wheel base, and bed length along with engine choice, cab size, transmission choice, and 2 or 4 wheel drive."


Consumers like choices, it helps tailor what they buy to what they need (or think they need) but equally or perhaps more important (for sales) it makes them feel their mass produced item is something special -- auto manufacturers have been doing exactly the above for many decades.

 

GM before for bankruptcy the same as last time. FCA doesn't need a recession to fail this is evident by filing bankruptcy every decade since the 60s or another company buying or bailing them out. That company should not be allowed to operate in the manner in which it has been.

 

Nope to many configurations especially with the fullsize Ford. Picking out what I want and don't want would give me anxiety. Than the likelihood of actually getting the truck I optioned out probably wouldn't be a possibility.

For 2021, I would say the Tacoma has too many different models of Tacoma to choose from.

 

If you think ford is bad look at the silvarado with 5 engine packages to choose from. Tacoma compared to it's competitors sans the ranger right now and even any other truck on the market is pretty weak when it comes to the option packages.

 

When every vehicle is electric in 20 years and there's no engine and transmission, what will Toyota have to lean on?

 

Shhhhhhh don't speak of that blaspheme

 

The engine and transmission seem to be the biggest complaints in the current generation Tacoma, and they still lead the pack. I assume they will lean on whatever keeps them on top right now.

 

But the Tacoma has been the best selling midsize for decades in NA, it's not going to be special. I don't think Toyota needs to hype up the Tacoma as something special or unique for the buyer. QDR is what moves Tacomas, not leather seats, chrome wheels, and paint the same color as eyeshadow.

 

They're leaning on what they did 20 years ago right now, they'll be leaning on what they do now then

 

I really think timing chains, quality sensors and electric motors is really what has set Toyota apart. Props goes to Aisin.

 

When I think BMW I think failed water pumps, can't say that for Toyota. BMW has decent engines, but they need coolant haha