New Nissan Titan Commercial

[Demons_Ram]

When I saw that new Nissan Titan commercial with the Titan driving along and all the heavy trucks and construction equipment falling in behind it, something just didn't seem right. After seeing it the second time I realized that all of the trucks/equipment behind it were more than likely diesel powered vehicles and the Nissan is not. (not yet anyway) It just seemed like a Dodge Cummins should have been doing that commercial. I guess Dodge missed out on that marketing shot. Especially since it's got "Big Valley Ponderosa" type music on the commercial and Dodge goes with western themes for it's models and trim-lines.

 

[JHerr]

I also found it interesting that Nissan did absolutely nothing to disguise the brands of construction equipment in their print ads. The one print ad clearly shows a Deere 724J wheel loader. Typically, that is not done.



While I dislike Japanese-designed full-size pickups, Nissan is doing, and has done, a lot of things right. Have you ever heard the stock exhaust system on a Titan? It sounds wonderful!

 

[biggieou]

One of the other trucks is a International, while yet another is a GMC.

 

[rbattelle]

There's an interesting story about that ad. When it was first released the background song was the theme from the movie "Bridge on the River Kwai". For those unfamiliar, it's a movie about a group of American PoW's during WWII forced by their captors to build a bridge. The song was quickly changed. :-laf



-Ryan

 

[Dieselnut59]

Nissan has some NICE inline 6 engines in their forklift and UD (light/medium) truck line, as well as their "Patrol" overeas. WOuld be NICE to see those offered here! When are the automakers going to EVER learn??? They make these vehicles overseas, already have the production capability for the engines and we have the demand (everything brought over that is diesel powered sells all that they make... Volkswagon TDI, Mercedes CDI, Jeep CRD). What is the deal? We NEED and DEMAND smaller diesel powered pickups and capable SUV's with diesels. OFFER IT AND IT WILL SELL!!!!!

 

[crobertson1]

I thought it was weird when in one of their truck commercials, they were hauling a Honda dirtbike. I would have thought they would use a Yamaha or Kawi or Suzuki-not a Honda!

 

[wcaldwell]

Look how slowly that Nissan is going across the bridge - it has to in order for the construction equipment to keep up in the convoy.

 

[Grizzly]

I also found it interesting that Nissan did absolutely nothing to disguise the brands of construction equipment in their print ads. The one print ad clearly shows a Deere 724J wheel loader. Typically, that is not done.



While I dislike Japanese-designed full-size pickups, Nissan is doing, and has done, a lot of things right. Have you ever heard the stock exhaust system on a Titan? It sounds wonderful!

Why do you dislike Japanese trucks? They make the best quality vehicles, cars and trucks. I'm excided about the soon coming full size Toyota truck.

 

[JHerr]

I loath them because my experience with Toyota products has been poor. You may think that Toyota makes the best, I don't.



My opinion is that their perception in the marketplace exceeds reality. Don't try to change my mind on this one. I will not buy a Toyota product... period.

 

[biggieou]

Why do you dislike Japanese trucks? They make the best quality vehicles, cars and trucks. I'm excided about the soon coming full size Toyota truck.

This is a HUUUUGE myth that has grown since the 70's when the domestic car companies did make poor vehicles. Go test drive one of those Titans and tell me the quality is leaps and bounds better than a Chevy, Dodge or Ford. It's not, plain and simple. I get so freaking tired of hearing people say that their quality is better than domestic and that is just not true. Yeah Benz and BMW type stuff is, but not Nissan Titans etc etc.

 

[Grizzly]

This is a HUUUUGE myth that has grown since the 70's when the domestic car companies did make poor vehicles. Go test drive one of those Titans and tell me the quality is leaps and bounds better than a Chevy, Dodge or Ford. It's not, plain and simple. I get so freaking tired of hearing people say that their quality is better than domestic and that is just not true. Yeah Benz and BMW type stuff is, but not Nissan Titans etc etc.

I can't vouch for Nissan since I have never had one, but I can vouch for Toyota and Honda since I have a Toyota Avalon and my wife has a Toyota Camry. We have had nothing but Toyotas and Hondas in the family for the last 26 years. That's when I gave up on GM and Ford. When I bought each of two Dodges I would have bought a Toyota if it was big enough and strong enough to haul my camper. If you don't believe me, pick up almost any copy of Consumer Report. I also think that of the so called big three, Dodge, Chevy and Ford, Dodge is by far the best one even without the Cummins.

 

[JHerr]

Well said, biggieou. You are more articulate than I. As my brother says, if the Nissan, Toyota etc. were so terrific, you would see them in commercial applications. In our part of the country, you see virtually none. I wonder why?



I know of a local company that purchased several "1-ton" Toyotas for small service trucks in the early '90s. They changed back to Dakotas because the maintenance costs on the Toyotas were too high.



The presence of the Big-Five truck manufacturers (Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Nissan, and Toyota) will produce products which will benefit the truck-buying market. Competition is good. I personally will stick to the traditional Big-Three and will be partial to manufacturers who offer an inline-6 diesel.



I will put my Ram's reliability and maintenance costs up against anybody's. Over 142K and only normal wear items replaced: tires, brake pads once and a couple of front end ball joints.

 

[SMorneau]

I work with people who tell me how much better Jap cars are. I tell them about my 93 Toyota and how many times that engine was cracked open for work. The dealer service was generally a very good experience but it cost a lot to do head gaskets. I had an 84 Toy with a 22R that I wish I still had. It was indeed a remarkaby reliable engine that helped Toyota build thier reputation. Engines before that and some after that have not proven to be as reliable. My mom has had two Avalons, which she loves, but one was just about dumped by her due to computer problems. I not trying to trash Toyota or any other brand I'm just saying my experience doesn't bear out the way better quality theory. IMO, the styling on most Japanese vehicles is crap.



Anyway my boss had his door lock jamb in his Corolla and the dealer said the only way to get at it was to cut holes in the door panel, make the repair, and then replace the panel for about $500 total. Kind of quieted him down a little on the Jap quality thing.

 

[biggieou]

I think that the thing that upsets me the most is people that just run their mouth about domestics and how crappy they are(I'm not saying anyone on here did this, just in general)and how wonderful foreign cars are. Yes there are certain cases like the 6. 0 that are terrible domestics, but there are imports that arent as reliable as everyone hypes them up to be. I was always told and still believe to this day that a car will treat you as well as you treat it and I think people tend to be rougher/dont keep the maintenance up on their domestics as they do on imports(I have no facts for this, mere speculation and from personal observations). I mean heck I am driving a Ranger with 360,000 miles on it. Yeah she leaks a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but she runs nonetheless. I think that it apparently doesnt know that its a domestic and should have only got about 100K on it before it died. Sorry I vented again, it just upsets me when people rip on domestics and thats my . 02

 

[rbattelle]

reliable as everyone hypes them up to be.

Unfortunately, perception is reality. That perception is killing the US market.



But there are other factors in the car market. Looking at things completely objectively, if you want a small economy car for commuter use what are your choices:



-Corolla

-Civic

-Altima

-Cobalt

-Focus

-Neon



Now, if you go and look at each one of these vehicles and pay attention only to material qualities, fit/finish, fuel economy, noise, vibration, and harshness, you'd be hard pressed not to choose the Civic (or perhaps Corolla). From an objective standpoint, it does it's job (that is, being a small commuter car) extremely well, without fanfair, with decent styling, and with tolerable comfort. Does anyone think a Cobalt or Neon or Focus is a better small car than the Civic? I've driven all four, and the Civic outclassed them all in terms of NVH and fit/finish - factors that have little to do with actual reliability, and everything to do with perception. As I said at the beginning, perception is reality. If car A is 10 times more reliable than car B, but car A "looks cheap" inside, people are going to "percieve" that it's actually less reliable than car B. Furthermore, they'll actually go to great lengths to convince themselves that car B is more reliable, usually by ignoring all factual evidence and relying on hearsay.



Trucks are a different story, which is why "car people" buy Tundras and Titans, but "truck people" buy domestics. Domestic trucks are heavier built, and probably offer fewer compromises in terms of strength. They're also marketed more appropriately to the US consumer (which is a huge factor... maybe the biggest) than the Asian brand trucks are. But the Asians getting better. The latest Tacoma and Tundra commercials are pretty good.



As far as I'm concerned, there is not a significant difference between the domestics and the Asians in terms of reliability anymore (averaged across all model lines per manufacturer). There remain significant differences in appearance and the resultant perception of quality/reliability, however.



-Ryan