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The Toyota Hilux and the Hilux derived "Champ" (starts at about $13K USD) are not allowed in the USA, but other countries do buy them. The "Chicken Tax" and ot

The Toyota Hilux and the Hilux derived "Champ" (starts at about $13K USD) are not allowed in the USA, but other countries do buy them. The "Chicken Tax" and other measures keep them from being sold in the USA. Instead, the cheapest MSRP pickup from Ford is $36,875 . https://www.motor1.com/news/698055/toyota-13000-dollar-hilux-champ/ https://www.motor1.com/news/698055/toyota-13000-dollar-hilux...

EricE 2y ago
The cheapest truck I could find is from Nissan - the Frontier, starting at $30K. Luckily it's a darn good truck/platform!
snakeyjake 2y ago
I've driven both the Hilux and the Tacoma. In every aspect the Tacoma is superior, especially at the high end of the trim levels but even with the base models. I do not understand people's fascination with them, other than the fact that they are seldomly seen in the US. For towing the Tacoma is better and the hilux is only better for hauling if you get the commercial models with the reinforced flatbeds. Even for "hard core" offroading the Tacoma is better with a much better approach angle and a departure angle within 0.5 degrees of the Hilux. In non-emerging markets, like Australia, the price is the same which makes the obsession with them even stranger because a Hilux SR5 (three trim levels up) is actual, literal, trash compared to a Tacoma SR5 (base trim level) but is $5,000 USD more-- again, in markets economically similar to the US. They are only "cheap" in markets where the average annual income is more like the average monthly income in the US. Is it the diesel? Some kind of talibancore aesthetic thing?
- jwells89 2y ago
  I think people really just want to see the hole that was created when the Tacoma upsized in 2005 filled with something, because even “midsize” trucks are overkill for a lot of people.
- el_duderino_ 2y ago
  I just want a small truck. I don’t need to haul frequently, but I do enough renovation work and landscaping that a truck bed is a huge quality of life upgrade. Some of us just want a decent, simple beater work truck.
  - snakeyjake 2y ago
    Obviously there are many models of both the Hilux and Tacoma but the greatest size difference between the two in the 4-door double cab configuration is that the Tacoma is 6 cm, or 1.12% longer. I do not think that an length increase of the width of a single standard playing card is a practical difference. It is 2.9% wider, that may be noticeable. The hilux used to be a lot smaller than it is now so maybe people are remembering the hiluxes from 25-30 years ago?
kart23 2y ago
I really doubt its because of chicken tax, probably more due to the various regulations and standards for cars that we have in the US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_Standards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_S... The champ looks like it would do terrible in a crash, and it doesn't have the federally required backup camera.

EricE 2y ago

The cheapest truck I could find is from Nissan - the Frontier, starting at $30K. Luckily it's a darn good truck/platform!

snakeyjake 2y ago

I've driven both the Hilux and the Tacoma. In every aspect the Tacoma is superior, especially at the high end of the trim levels but even with the base models. I do not understand people's fascination with them, other than the fact that they are seldomly seen in the US. For towing the Tacoma is better and the hilux is only better for hauling if you get the commercial models with the reinforced flatbeds. Even for "hard core" offroading the Tacoma is better with a much better approach angle and a departure angle within 0.5 degrees of the Hilux. In non-emerging markets, like Australia, the price is the same which makes the obsession with them even stranger because a Hilux SR5 (three trim levels up) is actual, literal, trash compared to a Tacoma SR5 (base trim level) but is $5,000 USD more-- again, in markets economically similar to the US. They are only "cheap" in markets where the average annual income is more like the average monthly income in the US. Is it the diesel? Some kind of talibancore aesthetic thing?

jwells89 2y ago
I think people really just want to see the hole that was created when the Tacoma upsized in 2005 filled with something, because even “midsize” trucks are overkill for a lot of people.
el_duderino_ 2y ago
I just want a small truck. I don’t need to haul frequently, but I do enough renovation work and landscaping that a truck bed is a huge quality of life upgrade. Some of us just want a decent, simple beater work truck.
- snakeyjake 2y ago
  Obviously there are many models of both the Hilux and Tacoma but the greatest size difference between the two in the 4-door double cab configuration is that the Tacoma is 6 cm, or 1.12% longer. I do not think that an length increase of the width of a single standard playing card is a practical difference. It is 2.9% wider, that may be noticeable. The hilux used to be a lot smaller than it is now so maybe people are remembering the hiluxes from 25-30 years ago?

kart23 2y ago

I really doubt its because of chicken tax, probably more due to the various regulations and standards for cars that we have in the US: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_Standards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Motor_Vehicle_Safety_S... The champ looks like it would do terrible in a crash, and it doesn't have the federally required backup camera.