Consumer Reports at its Best - Page 2

mikey · 09-15-2007, 09:47 AM

The FJ handles highway driving just fine, no worries there.

The only thing that is not so great in parking lots are the doors, if the spot is narrow they are sometime not the easiest to work with, but you work with what you have and it's all good.

Supreme fuel vs regular fuel........about $3-$4 per tank.......nothing to worry about.

wrigman · 09-15-2007, 09:58 AM

Don't know if it is still true, but at one time C.R.'s main Intrest holder was owned by General Motors. I think that say's a lot.

MIAMIFJ · 09-15-2007, 10:11 AM

My FJ is daily driver and I drive 40 miles a days..... I am already out of warranty w/o issues. I run 87 octane since May 2006 w/o issues. I do fill up w/ premium for road trips or towing my boat. Parking lots and adult size passengers on the back are a problem, no doubt about it. Highway driving, stability, cornering- no problem at all. I can take an exit ramp at 60 mph w/o noise from the tires. The FJ is a truck and rides like one. The aerodynamics are horrible and at highway speeds on a windy day, you will ask yourself why you ever bought one. But ask me if it is fun to drive..... IT IS.

**1911** · 09-15-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Yellowsubxb previously said:

What I am concerned more about is the handling on the highway, in shopping mall parking lots with narrow spaces and whether or not you can use regular gas instead of premium as Toyota suggests.

Any help would be appreciated.

Highway handling is excellent for a tall vehicle like this. I've done multiple long road trips in mine and am always pleased with the road manners and highway handling.

Shopping malls, I don't know - hate those places and avoid them at all costs. The visibility in most any direction is not good, but like every vehicle I've ever owned, once you learn where the edges are and what they look like when you turn etc. you can park wherever you want.

The 1GR-FE engine in the FJC has a 10:1 compression ratio and will generate top torque and hp with premium gas, but the ECU computer will automatically retard the ignition timing to prevent pre-detonation if you are too cheap to run premium.

Yellowsubxb · 09-15-2007, 04:31 PM

This is an awesome forum. You guys/gals are just like the great folks who hang out in Team ScioNRG and Club xB where I usually post.

I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your insights, both positive and negative.

I want to get a larger vehicle so I don't get blown off the road. At 6'2" with size 14 shoes, I've narrowed it down to a 4 wheel drive either pick up or SUV. After sitting in a whole bunch of Hondas and Toyotas in the last cople of days, it looks like it down to a Highlander (boring and automatic) or an FJ Cruiser (six speed manaul if I can find one here on Long Island) pending a road test.

Besides the easily cracked windshields (just like on our 3 xBs) are there any other concerns I should consider about the FJ Cruiser?

One concern I do have is the listing on this website: http://www.healthycar.org/home.php about the high levels of some chemicals although the FJ is a bit better than the xB.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any further insights.

Alan

kirkster70 · 09-15-2007, 06:37 PM

I've actually had a couple GM cars in the past and CR was spot on with every single problem those cars had. To the "T". It was almost uncanny how precise they were with all the problems.

The bad things they have to say about the FJ just never made any sense to me, but maybe we are all biased, even though I don't think so. I use my mirrors a lot, so I don't get the blind spot issue at all. Now I wish all cars had those honkin' big side mirrors. And premium gas is not mandatory. Handling? I don't get that one either.

Supposedly CR is independent. If GM hold interests in CR, CR sure isn't doing GM any favors. All of the recommended vehicles are Hondas and Toyotas.

The thing I don't understand is how they can give a vehicle like a Durango that has black circles in every category a "recommended" rating.

The FJ is one of maybe 5 cars they reviewed with perfect solid "excellent" red circles in all categories. All 5 vehicles were Hondas and Toyotas.

Yellowsubxb · 09-15-2007, 08:16 PM

Quote:

kirkster70 previously said:

I've actually had a couple GM cars in the past and CR was spot on with every single problem those cars had. To the "T". It was almost uncanny how precise they were with all the problems.

The bad things they have to say about the FJ just never made any sense to me, but maybe we are all biased, even though I don't think so. I use my mirrors a lot, so I don't get the blind spot issue at all. Now I wish all cars had those honkin' big side mirrors. And premium gas is not mandatory. Handling? I don't get that one either.

Supposedly CR is independent. If GM hold interests in CR, CR sure isn't doing GM any favors. All of the recommended vehicles are Hondas and Toyotas.

The thing I don't understand is how they can give a vehicle like a Durango that has black circles in every category a "recommended" rating.

The FJ is one of maybe 5 cars they reviewed with perfect solid "excellent" red circles in all categories. All 5 vehicles were Hondas and Toyotas.

I agree with you Kirkster.CR claims to be independent and receives no advertising revenues to back the claim up. They have been on target every time (except as I mentioned about a GE microwave a few years ago.) A friend of mine is a Ford salesman who used to complain to me that CR was biased against American cars in favor of European (especially German) cars. Now that German engineering has taken a major downturn and Ford is beginning to show signs of improvement, he loves CR. It comes down to what set of eyes you are viewing through to reach your opinion. I've been buying cars based on their ratings and reviews for 30 years and have never been disappointed or worse, suprised. I believe they're more honest, for better or for worse, than mags like Car and Driver and Road and Track which rely heavily on auto ads for their revenue. One man's opinion.

Jim&Tammy · 09-15-2007, 11:42 PM

Yup...I read the same kind of statement for the 07's after I purchased mine. I wrote about in here not too long ago. So now I am going to sell it and get a Xterra or H3...Ha.

rons8888 · 09-16-2007, 08:19 AM

CU is what it is. They do present much objective info, and give opinions. It's just that you and they may have different weightings on the same issues. If visibility is a deal breaker for you, then FJ might not be the best vehicle for you. For those who consider it only one issue (and one they are willing to compensate for), then no problem. What always got me, was their rating bubbles for trouble/reliability. Every year, the same vehicle keeps going back and forth between above and below average. Must be something about how they calculate this.

CU is ok as another evaluation, but too many people take it as an absolute instead of putting their review into perspective. Most of us realize there are few things in life that are absolutely good or bad.

Yellowsubxb · 09-16-2007, 07:37 PM

Quote:

rons8888 previously said:

CU is what it is. They do present much objective info, and give opinions. It's just that you and they may have different weightings on the same issues. If visibility is a deal breaker for you, then FJ might not be the best vehicle for you. For those who consider it only one issue (and one they are willing to compensate for), then no problem. What always got me, was their rating bubbles for trouble/reliability. Every year, the same vehicle keeps going back and forth between above and below average. Must be something about how they calculate this.

CU is ok as another evaluation, but too many people take it as an absolute instead of putting their review into perspective. Most of us realize there are few things in life that are absolutely good or bad.

Couldn't have said it better!

Alan from south of the LI Sound.