Buyers of pickup trucks are distinctly discerning at the moment, and with the high-quality trucks available on the market right now, there is no reason for this behaviour to change. As a result, though, the market has isolated itself from the second and third tier manufacturers that are emerging in other parts of the world. Car makers like Great Wall and Mahindra have not been able to establish themselves in the US, which is working to preserve the quality of the local entrants.
An unintended consequence of these factors however, is that the local manufacturers are still facing competitive pressure from the top tier Japanese companies, who can deliver product into the US at remarkable price advantages without being having their reputations linked to the lower quality entrants. This is resulting in a war of price vs value, where Toyota and Nissan are delivering high quality trucks at low prices, which is forcing local car makers like Chevrolet, Ford and RAM to react, or risk losing market share.
Two things are therefore happening at the same time. Prices are coming down, and trucks are getting bigger. Ford, RAM, GMC and Chevy have each delivered monstrous ‘full-size’ vehicles to counter the rash of mid-sized variants coming out of Japan. And Toyota and Nissan are ratcheting prices way down to counter the high cost of locally made trucks. These are interesting times in the segment, and the following is a demonstration of those two diverse actions.
20. GMC Siera 3500HD $36,585
The Siera 3500HD is GMC’s play at the ultimate luxury pickup. Designed to excel as the dual-purpose machine that is currently most demanded (that is the truck needs to be powerful enough to handle work responsibilities during the week, and comfortable enough to carry the family on the weekend). With high quality interior finish and powered by GMC’s largest engine (6.6L Duramax Turbo Diesel powerplant), the Siera ranks highly on both counts. It is also the most expensive truck on the list.
- 1 of 20