[02x03] August 7, 2011

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alclark

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America's Strongest Pickup
The guys head into the mountains to put their trucks through impossible tests; Tanner takes a new off-road vehicle to the Louisiana swamps to race an air-boat; Bill Engvall stops by the test track.
 
Hmm, I'm liking their preference for cheap car challenges :)
 
Kind of a repeat of their Alaska challenge. I would prefer some cheap car challenges.
 
Kind of a repeat of their Alaska challenge. I would prefer some cheap car challenges.

My thoughts exactly. I read it and thought, "Wait a second...this sounds familiar..."

Also not happy about Bill Engvall. Probably just skip that.
 
Kind of a repeat of their Alaska challenge. I would prefer some cheap car challenges.

My thoughts exactly. I read it and thought, "Wait a second...this sounds familiar..."

Also not happy about Bill Engvall. Probably just skip that.

actually, i believe Tanner and Rutledge are testing a brand new Ram 3500 Heavy-duty and a Ford F-350 Super-Duty? according to the commercial i saw.
 
Looks like we're talking about brand-new trucks here.
Y'know something? I'm kinda curious to see whether build quality as improved since the days of TGUK's Toyota Hilux. So why not get a demonstrator model for last year's Tacoma and subject it to the same soft of tests?
 
Because they've not improved the Tacoma one bit; even Toyota says it is a weakened, softened HiLux that isn't anywhere as durable.

The Tacoma is a shadow of the original Toyota Pickup.
 
I'm curious how "tough" these couch on wheels are. They're not trucks anymore in my mind.
 
I'm curious how "tough" these couch on wheels are. They're not trucks anymore in my mind.

Are you actually doubting the strength of an F350? $60,000 King Ranches and Lariats may have $25,000 worth of Leather, chrome and crap, but underneath is a truck that makes the Hilux look like a Japanese tin toy from 1952. Take a look at an XL or XLT. Maybe they look more like trucks.

Do actually think anything that can tow 21,600 lbs. (5th wheel) or carry 6,250 lbs. isn't tough? Think about putting over three tons in a pick up truck. The 2011 Powerstroke only makes 800 lb. ft. of torque.

Hell, I could throw a Toyota Hilux in the back of my 2005 F250 XL FX4 Powerstroke and not notice carrying it around.
 
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I agree with Beech on this one. I loved my old '85 Ramcharger; it was rugged as hell, tough as nails and destroyed any trail or load I handed it, mostly thanks to its suspension/drive train that was virtually unchanged from the old WWII Power Wagon.

BUT, I've driven several Dodge full sizes owned by relatives and found them to be just as tough. More importantly, they are WAY more powerful and more comfortable for daily living, let alone driving. Hell, my '96 Dodge Dakota's 3.9 magnum V6 is more powerful by far than the 318 in my old Ramcharger, and gets about half again the mileage.

Lets be clear on this: America loves pickups, especially full size pickups. While Japanese small pickups do well here, their sales numbers do not in any way approach the sales figures of the Big 3 full size trucks. And lets not even talk about the Tundra and the Titan; their sales figures are so low that Nissan considered rebadging the Ram r/t spend even more money to develop the next gen Titan, and the Tundra facility is nowhere near its production capacity. After decades of industry leading sales (the number one most sold vehicle in the world? Ford F series, Chevy Silverado is not that far behind it, and the Dodge Ram has placed in the top 10 sold in the US since its '94 redesign) the Big 3 give Americans exactly what they want in a pickup.
 
This episode was surprisingly good. It also ended on a much better note, since Tanner wasn't militantly screaming "GOODNIGHT" at the audience.
 
Though it was entertaining, I'm growing tired of trucks already. And looking at next week, wished they wouldn't think all the US thinks about is trucks/4x4s. Would love to see some car challenges thrown in to mix it up. Tons of possibilities with cheap car challenges.
 
This episode was surprisingly good. It also ended on a much better note, since Tanner wasn't militantly screaming "GOODNIGHT" at the audience.

Doesn't Clarkson usually yell, "Goodnight everyone!" right after he announces the episode's bombshell?
 
Doesn't Clarkson usually yell, "Goodnight everyone!" right after he announces the episode's bombshell?

Often he says "and on that bombshell it's time to end, thanks for watching everyone and goodnight." And no, he does not angrily scream it like Tanner.
 
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