Because the chicken tax keeps out great vehicles so the US automakers don’t have to compete.

The hilux and 79 landcruiser are run of the mill workhorses in virtually every country in the world except the US and Canada. They run rings around the Tacoma and tundra.

Tariffs and old world protectionism like the chicken tax are keeping the US automakers on life support, but they’re all doomed - they’re not even trying to compete.

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nextos 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

AFAIK, the classic Toyota Land Cruiser (J70) has not been sold in EU for more than a decade since it doesn't comply with emission regulations.

Interestingly, some are assembled in Portugal for North African and Middle East markets.

	▲	testing22321 an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		The 70 series is still very easy to buy and register in many EU countries. The new 2.8 diesel is euro 6 We types who drive around the world do it often.
	▲	fakedang 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Land cruisers are almost collectors items now in the Middle East. Transcends across wealth and status. Doesn't matter if it's a middle class office worker with a large family, a soccer mom living in the Palm or a filthy rich oil sheikh with an arsenal of sports cars stored away in his garage - they all have Land Cruisers (or the Prado). I might actually just get into the hobby of collecting Land Cruiser models, and maybe a few Japan-exclusive Toyota models.

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rootusrootus 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Explain why, if they are so much better than the Taco and Tundra, we can get the latter here in the US without paying the Chicken Tax?

Toyota manufacturers those trucks in the US. They could manufacture the Hilux here too, but they choose not to. So it seems like the Chicken Tax isn't the actual problem. Toyota seems to think Americans do not want the Hilux, at least not in sufficient quantities to justify bringing it to market.

	▲	testing22321 an hour ago \| parent [-]
		> Toyota seems to think Americans do not want the Hilux, at least not in sufficient quantities to justify bringing it to market. Correction: they think they can make more money selling the Tacoma and not the Hilux. That’s not the same thing at all.

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seemaze 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Been lusting after a 76 cruiser since I got my license. Settled for a first gen taco in the early aughts. It's been from Cabo to Dawson and back again twice and is still only half way through it's useful life..

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neom 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Fingers crossed Carney changes for us Canadians, I was in Mexico for a month and rented a BYD Seal, fantastic car.

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logancbrown 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The "protectionism" you cite is due to crash regulation and emissions standards.

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linkage 3 hours ago | parent [-]

This is unadulterated cope.

America has 40% more traffic fatalities per km driven than the European Union and has less stringent emissions standards (especially for the Hilux's category, which is actually why giant SUVs became so popular over the years).

The US government doesn't even bother with these spurious pretexts anymore. They openly admit that they want to coddle local automakers to ensure that the government has a supply chain of transportation vehicles in wartime. It's quite literally socialism for the entire American auto sector.

	▲	TitaRusell 3 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		This in itself would not be so bad. After all Korea and Japan supported their auto industry. But the American car companies are just completely unwilling to make cars that the rest of the world wants to buy.
	▲	rootusrootus 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		> coddle local automakers Are you only including automakers headquartered in the US, or are you also including automakers who have a bunch of factories in the US?
	▲	bluGill 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Irrelevant - they still don't meet our standards.

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robotnikman 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I wish we could get the Hilux here. Had to settle for a Tacoma instead.

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NDizzle 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I, too, am waiting to execute my master plan to import a 70 series Land Cruiser. Late 90s/early 00s model. It's almost time. Last car I'll ever need to buy.

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gowld 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In case you forgot after you read the article: the article talks about the US providing Hilux trucks to allies in the Middle East.

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Der_Einzige 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

The C8 corvette is car of the year for like 5+ years running by every major automotive publication. When GM/Chevy tries, they beat everyone else. Too bad bean counters ruin everything except their halo cars.