OWNED! Nissan's truck sales stumble

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,392
1,780
126
Maybe we'll see drastic price drops. I want to see some deflation for a change.....I don't know how people are going to be able to afford cars anymore if they keep raising prices on the crap boxes they sell.
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,765
615
126
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: PingSpike
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: Ornery
WTF, they only make 4dr, short beds! :confused:

the vast, vast majority of truck owners get some sort of extended cab version. of course it wouldn't be hard to offer a regular cab, extended bed version, but its more development funds and not a very large market

Huh. I didn't know that. I just figured with all the light trucks that had regular and extended cabs I see around most people agreed with me that 4 door trucks looked ugly. Who wants a huge truck like the titan with a short bed though? Just buy an SUV.

you suck at reading.

Apparently.
 

Alkaline5

Senior member
Jun 21, 2001
801
0
0
Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Maybe we'll see drastic price drops. I want to see some deflation for a change.....I don't know how people are going to be able to afford cars anymore if they keep raising prices on the crap boxes they sell.

I've been looking into buying a new truck, and I can tell you that the Titan is already dirt cheap. In my area Nissan is undercutting Ford/RAM/Chevy by at least $5,000 on similarly equipped trucks.


To Spike:

You seem to be assuming that everyone is looking for a "luxury SUV", but I don't think that would work very well for something like farming or construction. The bed on the Titan is only a foot shorter than a standard bed, just like every other 4-dr model. Not a big deal considering the popularity of the crew cab.
 

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
I think it was bad timing for Nissan, Ford has teh low end covered with the Hertiage holdover for the low end buyers & Ford loyalists are flocking to the re-designed F150.

I suspect if the trucks had been released in a year with no new pickups released by the big 3, sales would have been much better.
 

BigSmooth

Lifer
Aug 18, 2000
10,484
12
81
I don't think the Titan is in trouble yet. The truck just hit dealerships in December, so it hasn't been on the market long enough to build any kind of name recognition. I'm guessing the first quarter is not the best for pickups in general, so if the summer goes by and they still aren't selling, then it's probably time to worry.

Quest and Armada are probably more troublesome. Neither one seems to be a total failure, but I think Nissan's projections were far too high so they're going to have a lot of excess capacity at their plants, which is a big waste of money.

These are tough markets they are trying to break into (full-size pickup/SUV and minivan buyers have to be some of the most loyal in the industry) and it seems like Nissan was simply overconfident. All three vehicles have gotten good reviews, but there are many "good" products in these segments and people like to go with a name they know and trust.
 

pukemon

Senior member
Jun 16, 2000
850
0
76
Originally posted by: CChaos
The pickup drivers I know are usually very loyal to the brand they buy so breaking into this segment, no matter what you offer, won't be easy.

Out here in the midwest you're either a ford or a chevy man when it comes to trucks. Yeah there's Dodge and Toyota to some extent but still...
 

CChaos

Golden Member
Mar 4, 2003
1,586
0
0
Originally posted by: pukemon
Originally posted by: CChaos
The pickup drivers I know are usually very loyal to the brand they buy so breaking into this segment, no matter what you offer, won't be easy.

Out here in the midwest you're either a ford or a chevy man when it comes to trucks. Yeah there's Dodge and Toyota to some extent but still...

When I go to my in-laws, there's an F-150 around back and 2 Explorers and 2 Escapes in the driveway.

 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,345
126
well in the write-up i saw with the 3 top end duallies, that's pretty much what they said.. i am only agreeing with what i read

Bah! You're a bigger Mopar whore than I am a VAG whore.

:cool:
 

MaxDepth

Diamond Member
Jun 12, 2001
8,757
43
91
So does this mean people in Mississippi will be laid off because the projected numbers were way out of line?
That's not good.
 

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
Originally posted by: vi_edit
well in the write-up i saw with the 3 top end duallies, that's pretty much what they said.. i am only agreeing with what i read

Bah! You're a bigger Mopar whore than I am a VAG whore.

:cool:

this may be true, but HOWEVER, at least for the time being, the Ram 3500 high output turbo diesel has the biggest power output right now.
that's why I put Ram > all.

I also think they look better than any other truck, personally.
 

TheAudit

Diamond Member
May 2, 2003
4,194
0
0
I don't usually like trucks but I do like the Titan.
I hate the Quest though, don't like it's looks.
 

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
1
81
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: Aharami
yea i saw the quest on the road the other day. it was freaking ugly as hell!! almost left a bad taste in my mouth
It would leave a bad taste in the mouth of a blind man. Visually that vehicle is horrific.

 

slag

Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
10,473
81
101
Originally posted by: Mookow
Originally posted by: edro13
Honda's truck will pwn them all! :D

It'll be the world's first truck offered exclusively with FWD and a 2L 4-banger. ;)

Just wait till the riceboys get their hands on that. Soooooo much extra room to mount and even bigger spoiler on the back.

Actually, the subaru brat was a full time front wheel drive 4 banger truck (it was 4wd also, but i know that a few models were 2wd only with a 5 speed stick)



 

RagingBITCH

Lifer
Sep 27, 2003
17,618
2
76
Originally posted by: CraigRT
Originally posted by: vi_edit
well in the write-up i saw with the 3 top end duallies, that's pretty much what they said.. i am only agreeing with what i read

Bah! You're a bigger Mopar whore than I am a VAG whore.

:cool:

this may be true, but HOWEVER, at least for the time being, the Ram 3500 high output turbo diesel has the biggest power output right now.
that's why I put Ram > all.

I also think they look better than any other truck, personally.

(LAUST)Too bad it doesn't have the transmission to handle the power(/LAUST) :p :D
 

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Originally posted by: CraigRT
Originally posted by: vi_edit
well in the write-up i saw with the 3 top end duallies, that's pretty much what they said.. i am only agreeing with what i read

Bah! You're a bigger Mopar whore than I am a VAG whore.

:cool:

this may be true, but HOWEVER, at least for the time being, the Ram 3500 high output turbo diesel has the biggest power output right now.
that's why I put Ram > all.

I also think they look better than any other truck, personally.

(LAUST)Too bad it doesn't have the transmission to handle the power(/LAUST) :p :D

heh, we'll see.. it's a brand new truck, and obviously some time will tell.
 

geno

Lifer
Dec 26, 1999
25,074
4
0
Originally posted by: vi_edit
well in the write-up i saw with the 3 top end duallies, that's pretty much what they said.. i am only agreeing with what i read

Bah! You're a bigger Mopar whore than I am a VAG whore.

:cool:

The new 3500 is a monster, you can't deny that
 

Sluggo

Lifer
Jun 12, 2000
15,488
5
81
Originally posted by: slag
Originally posted by: Mookow
Originally posted by: edro13
Honda's truck will pwn them all! :D

It'll be the world's first truck offered exclusively with FWD and a 2L 4-banger. ;)

Just wait till the riceboys get their hands on that. Soooooo much extra room to mount and even bigger spoiler on the back.

Actually, the subaru brat was a full time front wheel drive 4 banger truck (it was 4wd also, but i know that a few models were 2wd only with a 5 speed stick)


Dont forget VWs attempt at a Rabbit based truck way back when. Didnt Dodge/Chrysler also offer a small pickup that was based on one of its econo-boxes?


VW

Dodge/Chrysler version
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,600
1,005
126
I think the Titan, Armada and Quest are just plain ugly. I test drove a Titan about a month ago but I couldn't see buying one. I just didn't like the looks of the thing. I'd never buy a Chevy or Dodge either and I think the new Ford F150 is fugly. I do like the F250/F350 and the Toyota Tundra Double Cab and could own either of those trucks. I don't need anything with the hauling/towing capabilities of the 3/4 or 1 ton Fords though.

There's that whole 1st year model thing too. Over at Titan Talk there are Titan owners complaining of a wide range of problems. Some minor and some not so minor.

I think they did a good job with the new Altima though. That car is freaking everywhere in So Cal. They're as common as Accords and Camrys here.