The Toyota Tundra is the less popular truck in the lineup, but it still sells enough to make a difference. With the news that the Nissan Titan pickup truck is on the chopping block, is the Tundra next? Toyota could learn a few things about the Nissan truck to try and avoid the same mistakes. Looking at the Toyota Tundra sales numbers compared to that of The Big Three trucks gives a glimpse into the future.

The Toyota Tundra doesn’t want to be the next Nissan Titan

Nissan recently confirmed that the Titan pickup truck wouldn’t be in the lineup past 2024. The full-size pickup trucks exiting from the segment will leave the Toyota Tundra next to The Big Three’s offerings. The Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, and the Ram 1500 make up significant sales in the segment and in the U.S. in general.

Automotive News says that if Nissan had figured out a way to get buyers away from the Ford, Chevy, and Ram trucks, it wouldn’t be in this position. The Nissan Titan didn’t have best-in-class towing numbers or better fuel economy. It didn’t have any added features, technology, or even a hybrid powertrain to lure buyers in.

Using the outdated body-on-frame design weakened the strength of the Titan in the market. It was a rough ride that didn’t have anything to balance out the lackluster offerings. Nissan had plenty of money to invest in the truck’s design but didn’t.

Can the Toyota Tundra excel in an area that Ford, Ram, and Chevy trucks do?

For the Toyota Tundra to retain what little market share it still has, Toyota has to level up in one area. Whichever area that is, it better make the Tundra leaps and bounds ahead of the other trucks in the segment. If it could tow more than the Ford, Ram, and Chevy, that would be a significant selling point to brag about. Buyers of The Big Three trucks want to be able to tow boats, jet skis, trailers, and everything else without much effort. That is one place the Tundra can still steal away.

That’s easier said than done. While many automakers have committed to electric vehicles in the not-so-distant future, is there time for this? It will still take a while for the full-size gasoline pickup truck to go away entirely, and Toyota has the means to do it. With 15 battery-electric vehicles planned for the future, the automaker can keep up with the Tundra and the Tacoma pickups in the meantime.

The sales numbers in the full-size pickup truck segment don’t lie

In 2021, GoodCarBadCar shows that the Nissan Titan sold 17,775 units. The Toyota Tundra sales numbers show 43,865 units sold in 2021 and 44,316 units sold to date in 2022. The Titan is only at 11,212 for the year, which is down a staggering 54%.

In contrast, the Ford F-Series pickup trucks sold 362,031 units in 2021 and has already sold 299,345 in 2022. The Chevy Silverado and Ram 1500 have pretty solid numbers as well.

One issue mentioned by Toyota Tundra owners is a lack of tow hooks. If Toyota wants the Tundra to steal some more market share, add tow hooks! Get some better towing and hauling numbers together, and make the Tundra irresistible to Ford, Chevy, and Ram truck buyers.