Consumer Reports reports Jeep bested Toyota... wait, what the hell?

The Discovery is still offered with a stickshift (the Diesel version).
 
My X is significantly larger than the Grand Cherokee, but smaller than the 4Runner (which is probably larger than an FJ80 Land Cruiser the way it has bloated up).
 
Mitlov said:
I think you can also get FJ Cruisers with sticks. Vehicles in the 4Runner/Grand Cherokee size category, though, I think are all automatics.
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They still haven't solved the body cracking and windshield shattering issues in FJ Cruisers - even on stock ones that have never seen anything more challenging than a speedbump at the mall. I wouldn't take one if you paid me, manual transmission or not.
 
Spectre said:
They still haven't solved the body cracking and windshield shattering issues in FJ Cruisers - even on stock ones that have never seen anything more challenging than a speedbump at the mall. I wouldn't take one if you paid me, manual transmission or not.
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That really wasn't the point of my post. The issue was whether SUVs still had manual transmissions, not whether you wanted to buy a specific SUV that does have a manual transmission.
 
If an 'SUV' cracks apart going over speedbumps in a normal fashion, it's not an SUV. It's a wagon in a party frock with a suspension lift. :p
 
jetsetter said:
Apparently the platform was co-developed and Jeep and Mercedes both participating.
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As has been discussed in the Maserati-thread, Merc's biggest input to the platform was claiming the naming rights due to the fact that a "U.S.-developed" car is unsellable in Europe due to the bad reputation U.S. cars have outside enthusiasts circles.
 
Spectre said:
They still haven't solved the body cracking and windshield shattering issues in FJ Cruisers - even on stock ones that have never seen anything more challenging than a speedbump at the mall. I wouldn't take one if you paid me, manual transmission or not.
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Also, the manual transmission on the FJ is only available with the fuel-guzzling full time 4WD powertrain while the fuel guzzling automatic is only available with the part time 4wd system. This makes no sense to me.

Oh, and the frames crack right over the front wheels, even on vehicles that have never been off road. As far as I know, Toyota has yet to issue a recall for this serious issue.

The FJ is a very flawed vehicle due to Toyota putting form above function. It was never intended to go to production but Toyota rushed it through final development to get it on the market. The result is a vehicle with many, many flaws. I wanted to love the FJ; I wanted it to be my next vehicle to replace the FJ80 we had for years. The more research I did into the FJ the more disappointed I became. Driving one didn't help. I can't imagine trying to wheel that thing; the high shoulder line, massive blind spots, horrible rear visibility and jutting roof line made seeing out nearly impossible. It was like driving a concrete machine gun bunker, and about as much fun. Even without having to reverse the vehicle or drive in heavy traffic I felt constrained by the lack of visibility. The high shoulder line made looking down at the ground impossible unless I tried to stick my head out the very short window.

My X on the other hand, has great visibility. I can actually see out the side of the car to check my blind spot in traffic and the lower shoulder line means I can look down at what the tires are doing when off roading. I have outstanding rear visibility and more versatility and access to the vehicle thanks to four real doors. The Nissan also produces 261 bhp and 281 ft/lb compared to the Toyota's 239 bhp and 278 lb/ft.
 
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