Toyota and Nissan: Trailing in Large Pickup Trucks

Sales of large pickups such as General Motor's (GM) Chevrolet Silverado and Ford Motor's F-150 are rebounding, and Toyota and Nissan Motor's failure to attract the truly devoted pickup buyers means less cash in their coffers. Toyota truck owners are 38% more likely to fly on business than typical drivers, and they lean toward hobbies like backpacking and mountain biking. Buyers of big pickups from GM, Ford, and Chrysler, however, are more likely to own a rifle to hunt than a bike to ride. Because that group of traditional truck buyers is so much larger, the Big Three has retained more than 90% of large pickup sales. Researcher IHS Automotive forecasts large pickups will surge 18% this year and hit 2 million again by 2016. Japanese automakers' market share will average only about 8.6% over that span, IHS predicts.