Muchas gracias. getting better everyday, off pain killers and starting PT tomorrow... so i'll be back on pain killers again I really gotta update that blog. Just been neglecting it too much.

Hutchstaco:

The H2 is a complete and total waste of a vehicle, with no more off-roading ability than your average full-size GM SUV. It is loaded with plastic molding to make it "look tough." The "louvres" on the hood that the H1 had, well, solid piece of plastic trim. Plastic clad bumpers. Plastic plastic plastic!! Deep down secretly I certainly do not want one. Deep down secretly I'd take a REAL HMMV for trail duty. But I would not waste good money by purchasing a vehicle that is the epitome of everything wrong with GM.

 

Janet Reno with a vibe? No thanks for that image.


People may say it's more like a Rav4 compete for the soccer mom market but Toyota has to sell alot of these things so the FJ will continue to be made for at least a little while but after 6-7 years it may evolve into something else or be discontinued and owners will have a truly "Limited" model.

 

i know someone who advertised for hummer, and he took his H2 to off road jamboree courses as part of his deal, and having been a owner of 3 H1's and many other off road vehicles, including a very well decked out toyota, he said it handled very well, nothing like a tahoe. you guys are not going to get my point, but i dont think you have enough experiance to comment on them the way you do. i agree about the ability of the H3, or lack of it, but i have give the H2 credit, i think they are fun to drive, and his got 10.5 mpg, i only get 15 in my tacoma. having a tahoe in my family w/ the 20 inch rims i would not off road that, but an H2 i definitly would.

 

Good post Hutch and I think coming off of driving different makes and models you do obviously see unfair biasedness against certain vehicles but that's just naturally going to happen on boards that cater to a specific group or groups of vehicles and brands. I try to see the other side of things even if I don't like something since it's better to know and dislike instead of just being ignorant to something. So,when i bag or hate on something I want to back it up with a smart response.

I've driven two H2s and while they make a solid off road vehicle they are a bit much for a daily driver and make my 4Runner almost seem to have sport car-like handling through the twisties up in the mountains and H2 and the word "agile" do not go together.

 

Well Said

 

whats wrong with plastic? doesnt the FJ have plastic too? my least favorite part of the FJ is the bumper. doesnt do it for me. o well...i still like it. one thing for sure is that US MFG dont know how to make plastic look nice. gawd, chevy and ford interiors imho look UGLEEEEEEEEEE. too "plastic" looking. atleast Toyota and other japan mfg can make their plastic not look so "plastic" i think japan has talent there. the US could use some pointers. my friend has the new mustang saleen and gawd its a rad car, but damn it has the Ugleeeeeeeist interior.

 

Well, unlike a lotta band-wagoners out there, I've test driven H2s as well as H1s in my various endeavors. The H1 was wild to drive- big, slow, no power, wider than hell. Sure as hell was different than the Ferraris' I drove that day. The H2 I was able to off road a bit, and though it is capable, I wouldn't consider it a trail-suitable vehicle based solely on its immense side. The thing IS however suprisingly nimble on pavement, much more than I thought it to be. The hill descent control is neat-o (it was the first vehicle I'd ever driven at the time with it), but gimmicks and plastic cladding designed to make it "look tough"


Again, forest for the trees here, GM markets the thing not to off-roaders, but to soccer moms, bling-bling'ers, and the atypical moron that thinks because he has 4WD he can do 80 MPH in a snow storm.

joshik:

My old VW was entirely plastic on the inside. And it looked like a miniature Audi when it came to fit and finish. American cars, specifically GM's have had hideous interiors, and the cheapest fit and finish of any company's product. Blame GM's complacency and reliance on the defective old UAW system, which I've blasted here and elsewhere. If VW can do it on a $15K car why can't GM do it on a $50K truck??