Consumer Reports... FJ scores too low to recommend

[ramsee1]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum for this post. Anyone see the last couple of issues of Consumer Reports? The FJ scored great in just about EVERYTHING, but failed to earn their seal of approval because of poor visability. You know blind spots, etc. They don't even mention the rear sonar. How do you all feel about this? I think the FJ is the BEST suv in it's class and we should write them and let them know what's up. BTW they consider the FJ a compact suv... I do believe it's a bit bigger than a Kia...

[Pinker]

I think Consumer Reports gets a general negative review from most forum members here. It's funny how CR does not see the same way that let's say Edmunds does. Hmmmm. Personally, I think GM has CR in their back pocket. Just my opinion though.

[ramsee1]

I know look at the reviews for the FJ on edmunds.com. Hard to find any higher....

[RoverGGM]

It's not exactly a "Consumer Reports" kind of car. I feel it's a niche vehicle and it seems people either love it or hate it. I spent 6 hours last night at the Nashville Auto Show and in watching folks reactions to the FJ, my theory was proven true there.

I had folks say everything from "I love it, it's so cute" (females) and "It looks like it could climb a tree" to this one "sensible shoe" wearing gentleman that exclaimed "I just don't get this vehicle!" I thought to myself, "I'm sure you don't". I told nearly everyone that noted the blind spots that I had delivered televisions in college in a panel van and never once ran anyone off the road because of the absence of side windows. I set the mirrors properly and use them.

They are not for everybody, heck they're not even for most bodies. But for those of us that have them and love them, there's nothing else quite like the joy of looking over our shoulder at them as we enter an establishment and seeing it in the parking lot. It is an automotive expression of an exciting feeling of "possibility" that most SUVs can't quite muster.

I doubt the Consumer Reports reviewers "get it" either. It's not astoundingly useful as an appliance. There are many "better" vehicles out there (depending on your judging perspective) that serve as transportation.

I like their perspective on one of my other favorite Toyota powered vehicles as well (The Lotus Elise). It's as impractical as the day is long, but so much fun you should be arrested just for driving it. Consumer reports frowned on it too. Amazingly both these vehicles were listed among the "most collectible" vehicles available this year.

Folks that put that much credence in the magazine without using/opening their minds don't deserve this much fun either.

[ramsee1]

Well you bring up a great point. Consumer Reports seems to judge all their products from one standpoint. It seems to me that if you're in the market for any kind of suv, you should have some kind of understanding that handling, blindspots, braking, etc is going to be different than lets say a Honda Accord. I do however see the FJ as satisfying something larger than just a niche market. It seems every week I see more and more with no end in sight.

[JefFJ]

Consumer Reports is simply an opinion, albeit one that carries great weight. As others have mentioned, the organization has a bias that shows in its "evaluations." CR doesn't release their criteria for judging and don't release the actual product scores, so one should always view the reviews with a bit of skepticism. I don't know how many folks on the forum noticed, but back in January, CR woefully botched their evals of infant car seats. Because of their proprietary scoring, it's difficult to know if any other of their other reviews are affected by errors.

Cars.com tried to rate the FJ and Dodge Nitro as being in the same class before ceding the title to the H3. It proves again that you can't trust everything you read ...

[SoonerFJ]

RoverGGM previously said:

It's not exactly a "Consumer Reports" kind of car. I feel it's a niche vehicle and it seems people either love it or hate it. I spent 6 hours last night at the Nashville Auto Show and in watching folks reactions to the FJ, my theory was proven true there.

I had folks say everything from "I love it, it's so cute" (females) and "It looks like it could climb a tree" to this one "sensible shoe" wearing gentleman that exclaimed "I just don't get this vehicle!" I thought to myself, "I'm sure you don't". I told nearly everyone that noted the blind spots that I had delivered televisions in college in a panel van and never once ran anyone off the road because of the absence of side windows. I set the mirrors properly and use them.

They are not for everybody, heck they're not even for most bodies. But for those of us that have them and love them, there's nothing else quite like the joy of looking over our shoulder at them as we enter an establishment and seeing it in the parking lot. It is an automotive expression of an exciting feeling of "possibility" that most SUVs can't quite muster.

I doubt the Consumer Reports reviewers "get it" either. It's not astoundingly useful as an appliance. There are many "better" vehicles out there (depending on your judging perspective) that serve as transportation.

I like their perspective on one of my other favorite Toyota powered vehicles as well (The Lotus Elise). It's as impractical as the day is long, but so much fun you should be arrested just for driving it. Consumer reports frowned on it too. Amazingly both these vehicles were listed among the "most collectible" vehicles available this year.

Folks that put that much credence in the magazine without using/opening their minds don't deserve this much fun either.

VERY well said and I whole-heartedly agree. I HOPE that most people (and consumer reports) never "get" it. The last thing that I would want is to see the lemming crowd running toward the FJ like they do towards more "mainstream" vehicles. Once and if that happens, look for the FJ to become more like the RAV4/Kia/Element and less like the FJ40.

[Dragon]

RoverGGM previously said:

It's not exactly a "Consumer Reports" kind of car. I feel it's a niche vehicle and it seems people either love it or hate it. I spent 6 hours last night at the Nashville Auto Show and in watching folks reactions to the FJ, my theory was proven true there.

I had folks say everything from "I love it, it's so cute" (females) and "It looks like it could climb a tree" to this one "sensible shoe" wearing gentleman that exclaimed "I just don't get this vehicle!" I thought to myself, "I'm sure you don't". I told nearly everyone that noted the blind spots that I had delivered televisions in college in a panel van and never once ran anyone off the road because of the absence of side windows. I set the mirrors properly and use them.

They are not for everybody, heck they're not even for most bodies. But for those of us that have them and love them, there's nothing else quite like the joy of looking over our shoulder at them as we enter an establishment and seeing it in the parking lot. It is an automotive expression of an exciting feeling of "possibility" that most SUVs can't quite muster.

I doubt the Consumer Reports reviewers "get it" either. It's not astoundingly useful as an appliance. There are many "better" vehicles out there (depending on your judging perspective) that serve as transportation.

I like their perspective on one of my other favorite Toyota powered vehicles as well (The Lotus Elise). It's as impractical as the day is long, but so much fun you should be arrested just for driving it. Consumer reports frowned on it too. Amazingly both these vehicles were listed among the "most collectible" vehicles available this year.

Folks that put that much credence in the magazine without using/opening their minds don't deserve this much fun either.

Chief Joseph, Martin Luther King Jr, Shakespeare, Bob Dylan nor any of the other great orators in history could have said this any better.

[Deep S.TX FJ]

RoverGGM previously said:

It's not exactly a "Consumer Reports" kind of car. I feel it's a niche vehicle and it seems people either love it or hate it. I spent 6 hours last night at the Nashville Auto Show and in watching folks reactions to the FJ, my theory was proven true there.

I had folks say everything from "I love it, it's so cute" (females) and "It looks like it could climb a tree" to this one "sensible shoe" wearing gentleman that exclaimed "I just don't get this vehicle!" I thought to myself, "I'm sure you don't". I told nearly everyone that noted the blind spots that I had delivered televisions in college in a panel van and never once ran anyone off the road because of the absence of side windows. I set the mirrors properly and use them.

They are not for everybody, heck they're not even for most bodies. But for those of us that have them and love them, there's nothing else quite like the joy of looking over our shoulder at them as we enter an establishment and seeing it in the parking lot. It is an automotive expression of an exciting feeling of "possibility" that most SUVs can't quite muster.

I doubt the Consumer Reports reviewers "get it" either. It's not astoundingly useful as an appliance. There are many "better" vehicles out there (depending on your judging perspective) that serve as transportation.

I like their perspective on one of my other favorite Toyota powered vehicles as well (The Lotus Elise). It's as impractical as the day is long, but so much fun you should be arrested just for driving it. Consumer reports frowned on it too. Amazingly both these vehicles were listed among the "most collectible" vehicles available this year.

Folks that put that much credence in the magazine without using/opening their minds don't deserve this much fun either.

Word.

[UncleBuck]

You know, the only recommendations that really makes any sense to me is the one I get from people who actually have real world experience with something. CR gets a vehicle to review for a short period of time to pick apart or praise. Granted, when we see something that appeals to us, we tend to look for the good things said or reported and tend to glaze over the bad. But, most will research a little more and talk to people or check it out themself (check out the lift/tire threads). I did, and personally the blind spots did not bother me, I got a couple little mirrors and problem solved.

If people don't get it or can't/won't open their minds, then all the better for the rest of us who do get it. The FJ has a proud heritage and many good folks who are keeping the faith.

UB