One of the most American things out there has to be pick-up trucks, so you would logically expect something so close to the heart of Americans will be built well.
As much as this is true, there is ever more opposition as the rest of the world has cottoned onto the truck trend. With capable competitors from Europe and even China, the stiffest opposition has always been from Japan. Now more than ever they offer excellent products in every part of the pick-up market segment.
Some of them have been there for decades, others are fairly new players, but one thing they have in common is they have taken a lot of sales from the big American brands that led the way for so long. These are the 10 we’d have over their American rivals.
10 Toyota Hilux
Although the new one is pretty good, nothing can beat this 80s classic that just keeps going. We’d take this over any classic American truck.
They look particularly good when, like this one, they have been tastefully modified with a simple lift kit and some decent off-road wheels and tires.
9 Honda Ridgeline
If you're looking for something refined like a modern SUV with a truck bed then look no further, the Honda is by far the most refined, and even the cheaper model comes with more standard features than the American opposition.
Albeit the least workmanlike, it won’t haul much more than your weekend gear and if you don’t get the AWD version, you're stuck with an FWD pick-up.
8 Land Cruiser Pickup
This is the Jeep Gladiator for the rest of the world. It brings new meaning to the term “back to basics,” but it can haul any load pretty much anywhere in the infrastructure challenged world.
Being such a popular workhorse for the Third World also means it has a bit of a reputation as being the most commonly used “bad guy” vehicle, real villains don’t drive black vans; they drive Land Cruisers.
7 Nissan Frontier
It is the oldest model you can still buy new and is on its way out, but if you want an affordable back-to-basics pick-up truck, this should be right at the top of your list.
Not the most comfortable as a daily driver, but a dependable workhorse able to take pretty much any form of punishment you throw at it, much like the old Hilux above.
6 Isuzu D-Max
This is by far the best pick-up truck the rest of the world gets and North America doesn’t, Isuzu has long since been leaders in new diesel technology and their latest truck boasts a near-perfect balance between torque and economy.
One aspect they do sadly lack is refinement, although the drivetrain refinement has improved a lot, their focus on the commercial sector means even their modern pick-up trucks feel like more dated workhorses.
5 Toyota Tundra
After years and years of ignoring the full-size market, Toyota went all out with the American built Tundra.
It was the Japanese giant’s way of taking America on at its own game, and they arguable pulled that off rather better than anyone, including most of the buyer’s expected.
4 Mazda BT-50 GT
After being in the pick-up wilderness (otherwise known as rebadged Fords pictured above) for around a decade, Mazda has come back strong with an unusually solid-looking contender.
After their long, strained relationship with Ford ended they started developing their new BT50 around the Isuzu engine and platform. They then add their renowned Mazda touches, adding the much-needed quality and refinement to the already capable Isuzu.
3 Nissan Titan Warrior
It must be said that the standard Titan is at best, mediocre, and the Titan XD puts in a strong argument as one of the worst trucks out there.
Reservations aside, this yet to be released pick-up looks light years ahead of them and if Nissan gets their engine choices right this could be a big seller for them.
2 Toyota Tacoma TRD
Nothing new about the Tacoma, with a growing fanbase this pickup really proved Toyota right not to simply ship the Hilux to America.
For a time, it was king of the midsize pick-up hill, although many would rightly argue it is still one of the best options, the competition has improved and it only really still shines in TRD trim.
1 Land Cruiser FJ45 Pickup Restomod
This isn’t any full restoration, the one thing all old Land Cruisers lack is decent power and this Land Cruiser gets that in spades.
A modern fuel-injected supercharged V8 fills the engine bay, some updated running gear and oversized mud-terrain tires round off a simple, beautiful pick-up truck.