February 10, 2026
Tariffs, Toyotas, and Top Gear tantrums
Toyotas and Terrorists: "Why are ISIS's trucks better than ours?"
Readers rage: “Let us buy the Hilux!” while others say focus on terrorism
TLDR: ISIS favors rugged Toyota Hilux trucks for desert ops, stirring envy and frustration online. Commenters blame U.S. tariffs for blocking Hilux sales, roast bad website readability, and argue we should focus on fighting terrorism—not truck brands—highlighting how policy and priorities shape what we drive and what we debate.
The story asks a wild question — why do ISIS convoys roll in shiny Toyota Hilux trucks while U.S. bases limp along with shared pickups and crowded buses? The comments lit up like a desert bonfire. The loudest chorus: blame the “chicken tax” — a decades-old tariff that blocks foreign pickups and keeps the Hilux out of America. One commenter swore Hilux and Land Cruisers “run rings” around the domestic lineup, calling U.S. protectionism the reason we’re stuck with less rugged rides. Another turned it into a fan moment, praising the Top Gear torture test where a Hilux survives everything short of Ragnarok. Meanwhile, a curveball: a reader derailed the convo to roast the site’s tiny gray text and mile-long line widths, sparking mini-memes about “terror by typography.” And then came the moral whiplash — one voice asked why we’re arguing truck vendors at all when the real issue is stopping terrorism. That clash — tariffs vs. tech vs. ethics — kept the thread boiling. For a piece about extremist logistics, the community made it about policy, design, and pride, with a side of “let me buy the dang Hilux.”
Key Points
- •ISIS prominently uses Toyota Hilux trucks for mobility, combat adaptability, and operations across desert terrain.
- •The Hilux is preferred for its durability, performance, and ability to mount heavy weapons like .50 caliber machine guns.
- •U.S. deployments faced limited personal vehicle access despite nearly $10 billion spent on vehicles and aircraft in Afghanistan (2010–2020).
- •The Hilux has a long history of use by various militant and insurgent groups across multiple regions since the late 1960s.
- •Fielding capable vehicles also supports ISIS’s recruitment and sustainment by projecting competence and capacity.