5 ms·

Toyota doesn't even bother trying to market the Tundra outside the Americas, since cowboy cosplay isn't terribly popular abroad, so it makes sense that they are

by bt848 7y ago

Toyota doesn't even bother trying to market the Tundra outside the Americas, since cowboy cosplay isn't terribly popular abroad, so it makes sense that they are made here.

weberc2 7y ago
I doubt "cowboy cosplay" is a primary driver of pickup sales in the US so much as utility and affordability (the US has wider roads and cheaper fuel than Europe).
- duskwuff 7y ago
  I think it's wrong to discount the strong cultural element to the ownership of pickup trucks in the US. Listen to a bit of country music and count the name-drops of pickup truck models, or drive down the road and count the lifted pickups -- there's more than just "utility and affordability" going on here.
  - weberc2 7y ago
    Fair point.
  - cat199 7y ago
    soo.. you're saying payola and product placement? seriously though, payola aside, there's some truth here.
  - ssully 7y ago
    A family member is starting the search for a new vehicle and is expressing interest in pick ups. It was surprising at first to me since he hasn't owned a truck in 20+ years, but then I was over while he had his country music on (he started listening to it almost exclusively the last few years) and I noticed how much they talk about trucks and it kind of clicked for me.
- greedo 7y ago
  Affordability? Have you priced out F-150 sized trucks lately? The F150 starts at $28K, but you won't find one at that price. They typically average closer to $40K. Tundras start at $33K, but they too typically sell at over $40K. And both guzzle gas like it's going out of style.
  - look_lookatme 7y ago
    The F-150 is a 20+ MPG truck. The Tundra is 15 at best.
nathancahill 7y ago
Judging be the number of Hilux's sold globally, cosplay (cowboy and otherwise) is alive and well outside of the USA too.
- tecleandor 7y ago
  Seems like the Hilux are made in 2 to 4L engines, while the Tundras are 4 to 5.7L. I'd say the Tundras are way way bigger, both in engine and shape.
seanmcdirmid 7y ago
Thailand is a huge market for pickup trucks, though more often of the smaller variety. The HiLux is made in Thailand (and exported to places like Australia from there).
magduf 7y ago
It's made sense to build Japanese and European cars in the US for a very long time. Honda has had 2 plants in Ohio for at least a couple decades now, and Toyota, BMW, and others have had plants here for a long time too. The US is the world's largest auto market, and US labor rates are lower than Japanese or German labor rates, plus there's a savings when you don't have to ship a 3-5000 pound object across an ocean, so of course it makes sense to build the highest-volume models here where they're bought (especially models that don't sell outside the US). As for "cowboy cosplay", the Tundra doesn't make much sense elsewhere because gas prices are generally higher in other industrial countries, and in less-wealthy countries with low gas prices (like the middle east) they buy smaller trucks (and wealthy people there don't buy trucks at all), so a large pickup truck obviously isn't going to sell well there. America is just a unique place where 1) gas prices are low, incentivizing buying larger vehicles, and 2) personal wealth is high enough for middle-class people to afford a very large truck, and 3) owning a truck for use as a commuter vehicle (rather than a utilitarian vehicle) is esteemed for some odd reason.
- blt 7y ago
  > owning a truck for use as a commuter vehicle (rather than a utilitarian vehicle) is esteemed for some odd reason. Isn't this basically what they meant by "cowboy cosplay"?
  - remarkEon 7y ago
    I've owned 4 cars in my life, a crappy 1995 Dodge Neon (May She Rest In Peace), a Jeep Wrangler, an F-150, and a 3-Series BMW. By far the most enjoyable driving experiences were with the Wrangler and F-150 - because of the height of the cab. Sure, the BMW drives "better" and has tighter steering and suspension etc, but sitting at that height gave you a view of the road that not only made me feel safer while driving it also was just more comfortable (I'm tall, 6'3"). I was in the military with those middle two cars, and they obviously had other utility for me than the comfort. It isn't just "cowboy cosplay".
    - magduf 7y ago

by bt848 7y ago

Toyota doesn't even bother trying to market the Tundra outside the Americas, since cowboy cosplay isn't terribly popular abroad, so it makes sense that they are made here.

weberc2 7y ago

I doubt "cowboy cosplay" is a primary driver of pickup sales in the US so much as utility and affordability (the US has wider roads and cheaper fuel than Europe).

duskwuff 7y ago
I think it's wrong to discount the strong cultural element to the ownership of pickup trucks in the US. Listen to a bit of country music and count the name-drops of pickup truck models, or drive down the road and count the lifted pickups -- there's more than just "utility and affordability" going on here.
- weberc2 7y ago
  Fair point.
- cat199 7y ago
  soo.. you're saying payola and product placement? seriously though, payola aside, there's some truth here.
- ssully 7y ago
  A family member is starting the search for a new vehicle and is expressing interest in pick ups. It was surprising at first to me since he hasn't owned a truck in 20+ years, but then I was over while he had his country music on (he started listening to it almost exclusively the last few years) and I noticed how much they talk about trucks and it kind of clicked for me.
greedo 7y ago
Affordability? Have you priced out F-150 sized trucks lately? The F150 starts at $28K, but you won't find one at that price. They typically average closer to $40K. Tundras start at $33K, but they too typically sell at over $40K. And both guzzle gas like it's going out of style.
- look_lookatme 7y ago
  The F-150 is a 20+ MPG truck. The Tundra is 15 at best.

nathancahill 7y ago

Judging be the number of Hilux's sold globally, cosplay (cowboy and otherwise) is alive and well outside of the USA too.

tecleandor 7y ago
Seems like the Hilux are made in 2 to 4L engines, while the Tundras are 4 to 5.7L. I'd say the Tundras are way way bigger, both in engine and shape.

seanmcdirmid 7y ago

Thailand is a huge market for pickup trucks, though more often of the smaller variety. The HiLux is made in Thailand (and exported to places like Australia from there).

magduf 7y ago

It's made sense to build Japanese and European cars in the US for a very long time. Honda has had 2 plants in Ohio for at least a couple decades now, and Toyota, BMW, and others have had plants here for a long time too. The US is the world's largest auto market, and US labor rates are lower than Japanese or German labor rates, plus there's a savings when you don't have to ship a 3-5000 pound object across an ocean, so of course it makes sense to build the highest-volume models here where they're bought (especially models that don't sell outside the US). As for "cowboy cosplay", the Tundra doesn't make much sense elsewhere because gas prices are generally higher in other industrial countries, and in less-wealthy countries with low gas prices (like the middle east) they buy smaller trucks (and wealthy people there don't buy trucks at all), so a large pickup truck obviously isn't going to sell well there. America is just a unique place where 1) gas prices are low, incentivizing buying larger vehicles, and 2) personal wealth is high enough for middle-class people to afford a very large truck, and 3) owning a truck for use as a commuter vehicle (rather than a utilitarian vehicle) is esteemed for some odd reason.

blt 7y ago
> owning a truck for use as a commuter vehicle (rather than a utilitarian vehicle) is esteemed for some odd reason. Isn't this basically what they meant by "cowboy cosplay"?
- remarkEon 7y ago
  I've owned 4 cars in my life, a crappy 1995 Dodge Neon (May She Rest In Peace), a Jeep Wrangler, an F-150, and a 3-Series BMW. By far the most enjoyable driving experiences were with the Wrangler and F-150 - because of the height of the cab. Sure, the BMW drives "better" and has tighter steering and suspension etc, but sitting at that height gave you a view of the road that not only made me feel safer while driving it also was just more comfortable (I'm tall, 6'3"). I was in the military with those middle two cars, and they obviously had other utility for me than the comfort. It isn't just "cowboy cosplay".
  - magduf 7y ago