Talk:SUVs
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As an owner of an '07 FJ Cruiser and an '06 Volvo XC90- I can tell you that I believe the clever yet fatally flawed Land Rover does not belong on this list. See recent articles about the Land Rover's reliability for explanation.
My XC90 2.5T gets greater than 20mpg for a large, heavy, safe, beautiful, and comfortable vehicle that has delivered nearly 20,000 trouble free miles in the past year. Whilst the 2.5T is not as fun as the V8 offered, this vehicle truly is a bargain and has more than enough power at all times if driven properly. The shiftable transmission allows me to downshift to 3rd gear if I need power to pass. This is without a doubt one of the most underrated vehicles available (well-actually no longer available-for 07 the un-tested 3.2L 6cyl is the base engine available.).
I can also comment on a 2 month old FJ Cruiser. This is a fun and stylish gas HOG, that only gobbles premium fuel. It has the driving charm of a full-size pickup, fun-but diminished by experience driving a more advanced vehicle (see Volvo above). The most important feature of note on the FJ is the unusable backseat. Legroom is minimal, the isolation from front seat passengers is uncomfortable, and Good Luck getting in and/or out of the back seat. So far it is a fun and cool vehicle with outstanding off-road capability-but it is most certainly NOT a good choice for "the urban jungle".
The FJ (As someone who owns one and goes into Manhattan on a regular basis) is a Horrible choice for a city vehicle. It is a gas guzzler, with truly terrible visibility, and a almost useless back seat. I have quiter literally driven a wider variety of vehicles from right hand drive mail trucks to semis-and the FJ is the worst vehicle to try to park EVER!
Don't get me wrong I enjoy my FJ-but an ideal city vehicle it most certainly is Not.
I'm very suprised that there is not one compact suv (rav4, crv, escape, etc...) on the list. (While I like the FJ, I don't consider it a compact suv.)
