Sometimes people rush to judgment. That seems to be what happen when auto analysts reviewed the 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser back last summer.
Many questioned the SUV's suitability for day-to-day commuting. They harped that the FJ Cruiser was too boxy and too much like a truck. Others added that it had poor visibility from the rear quarters.
Ric Francis of the Associated Press decided to give it another chance. He took it out onto conventional roads. He used it to shuttle his kids, run errands, etc., decided it was a good commuter car after all. He pinted out that for people who complained about that blind spot in the rear quarter, the big mirrors provided on the vehicle proved sufficient.
In the second try, he acknowledged that the Cruiser is boxy. "It's supposed to be retro, so naturally it's going to be boxy," he wrote. He noted that the legendary Cruiser was boxy, too. He also came to the same previous conclusion that the vehicle is like a truck but that's because Toyota was out to make a world class off-road vehicle.
Francis full report can be found at the link. Our take? So it does pay not to snap to judgment. A second turn at the wheel can lead to new discoveries.