The recent resurgence in Ram is a bit mind-boggling to me, not because they are good or bad, but because the lack of historical brand power has always seemed so arbitrary to me, and it's resurgence even more-so.
Whereas Toyota approaching Tier-1 makes a bit more sense. If nothing else, based on the fact that they're now more ”American" built than the three "domestic" truck companies.
Toyota isn’t even attempting to compete. They are playing it safe in a “if people only buy Toyota’s we have a truck for them” space.
Ram has always been a popular truck. It held they have UConnect and one of the better infotainment ecosystems. A lot of people
Still don’t think of trucks as luxury vehicles because the higher end brands don’t badge one, but the top fit and finish Trucks are trying to be something else.
Toyota is the “not quite first tier, not Nissan or a baby truck.”