I would like to know where these "tidy little diesel trucks" are sold in the US as well.....
Coming soon to a venue near you SQUIZZY'S Truck Sales...specialising in....Tidy Little Diesel Utes...err...Trucks!
Ochard EX has nailed it!. I'll try and explain some of the reasoning however behind the various arguement.
Firstly...those Tidy Little Diesel Utes as we call them are not real 1 tonners, despite what the Toyota Advertisements will have you believe. I speak of the Nissan Navara, Toyota Hilux, Ford/Mazda BT50, Isuzu D-Max etc.
These are the 2.5 - 3.0 litre Turbo Diesel Utilities perhaps best described as Medium Duty. From my experience Americans would call these 1/2 or 3/4 tonne vehicles (just my take) despite the fact that in single cab chassis some of them are actually rated at 1000 kg payload.
I challenge anybody to prove how a current model Hilux will carry 1 tonne everyday without the suspension collapsing after a couple of months....they all do it and that is without adding in corrugations and poor roads. The so called towing capacity of some of these jalopies is also very questionable because a lot of "car only" licensed drivers (in the Down Under) don't understand Gross Combination Mass (vehicle and Trailer).
Nonetheless these vehicles work hard, can carry a tradesman's gear and are very economical to run. You can say what you like about the Japanese but they generally know how to design a reliable and economical vehicle......too bad they still haven't learnt how to build a suspension for Australian Conditions. The best test I could apply to these medium duty vehicles is perhaps to ask this question:
"How do you think a current Toyota Hilux will go carrying a full 1 tonne everyday as compared to a 3 tonne Mitsubishi Canter carrying a its full load everyday; in terms of safety, economy and overall durability?". Simple...the Bitsamisshing will go just about forever and eat the Hilux for economy on a pound for pound basis. One of these vehicles is a medium duty daily driver and the other is a real truck.
In the Down Under, to get a Heavy Duty 1 tonner there is the 70 series Toyota LandCruisers (with 4.5 litre V8 Diesel), The Nissan Patrol Utility (with 3.0 litre TD) and the venerable Land Rover Defender in 110 (900kg payload) or 130 chassis (1300kg payload) both with the 2.4 TD from the European Ford transit range (and a cabin that came off the Ark).
These vehicles are not too far off apples for apples with the F250 sized "pick-ups" although they lack the sheer room and comfort of the American Cousin. The Patrol and Landcruiser 1 tonne "Utes" are much loved by Farmers who, if the F250 wasn't a minimum of $40K more, would probably buy more of the American Vehicles.....due to the primary producers diesel fuel rebate.
Getting onto Real Trucks...here is what makes it difficult for an Aussie to understand. Currently, I can get an ISUZU 3 tonne factory tipper, on the road for $47,990.00 Aussie smackeroos and to around $56K with all the fruit. The F250 starts at over $100,000.00 Aud...and the Lariat is $144,000.00......little bit of difference there. The ISUZU has six-speed or Automated for extra, Air-bags, Cruise Control, Central Locking, Sat Nav the whole works. For 50 grand less its not too bad a daily driver....but at the end of the day its a Truck and the F250 sized US pick-ups are cross-over vehicles that do multiple tasks. Call them what you will...its the intended purpose that matters.
To compare the F250 sized pick-up to the Japanese and European small trucks is really not fair. They (The Jap & Euro small trucks) need to be looked at in terms of the F350-550 sized trucks....as I think was mentioned earlier in this thread.
Its probably a shame that the Likes of ISUZU have not had more market penetration in the US. Maybe its to do with traditional buying habits, simple demand and supply or perhaps its something political. I wouldn't have a clue to be honest but I reckon if I was in the US and in the proper 1 tonne market I'd be looking more at what was most commonly available and had a decent support network. Of course if I was in the US fuel economy would be less of an issue due to the cheaper diesel pricing. Diggers fridge would be empty too......
Another thing I'll note about the current crop of medium duty utes in Australia. Its amazing how the owners of these vehicles over estimate their ability to carry loads...or rather, over estimate the weight of their loads. In our stone yard there is retail sales. These clowns come in with their flash utes (Nissan Navara's etc) and I occasionally get called upon to drive the forklift.
"This thing will take a tonne and a half Mate no worries!" Should see their faces when you put seven or eight hundred kilos on-board and the suspension is on the bump stops, they can hardly see over the bonnet and steering is almost non-existent. They always tell me there must be 2 tonnes in that pallet so I offer to put a 1 tonne pallet of cement on to compare.....they always leave without taking me up on the offer.
On the subject of emissions standards its complicated and without getting into the technical stuff there are major disparities. Firstly almost all the current diesel engines sold in Australian utility vehicles, with the exception of the Nissan Patrol, "could" or are sold in the US. The problem is that the engines are generally manufactured with Euro IV or Euro V at the fore. The fundamental difference between Euro and the EPA is that US mandates on levels of CO2 emission whilst the Euro regulates on fuel economy. Of course both set standards for specific emissions but its very confusing to try and compare the two. The fundamental flaw in the American system is the fuel economy can be reduced by adding an emission control.
Here is an Australian document which shows the adoption of Euro 4 and 5 whilst also permitting US or Japanese certification in various areas....ultimately to achieve the same goal:
http://www.ntc.gov.au/filemedia/bulletins/ADR80facts.pdf
What should be noted is that the European Engine manufacturer's have (had this stuff rammed down their necks) been working on getting these emission standards and simultaneously improving the fuel economy, for a lot longer than the US. Consequently the Euro manufacturer's are probably well in front in that regard. As little as 6 years ago much of the Western World was claiming that US emission standards were too slack but the gap has narrowed to the point its not logical for the layman to argue who is setting a supposed "higher" standard.
My apologies for such a long post but I'd hate a good discussion to be confused by the apples and oranges..
