Why do Fortuner's get a bad wrap?

[tingtongfarang]

A couple of decades ago, the international school staff car du jour was the ubiquitous Suzuki 4WD. It was notorious for falling over like a drunk from the breeze of an overtaking Honda Wave. So the Fortuner is a step up and more reflects the outrageous salaries paid to international school teachers.

...

... always making me smile.

Shit...i always had the vision they traveled on a honda wave with a basket on the front.

[David48]

Moved from a Jaguar XKR in UK to a Fortuner in Thailand. What a come down in aspirational terms? Nah - I'm happy as a pig in $hit - horses for courses. What the proverbial do I care what you hoi polloi think, anyway

... and what a nice Fortuner it is.

SantiSuk kindly gave me a lift one time ... saved my ass he did.

And I was so hung over ...

SantiSuk ...

[wilcopops]

"Utility" means pickup that's the origin of SUV.

Thats why in Oz pickups are called Utes.

[Dogbreath]

Early on in my five-year stay in LOS it became apparent to me that we peasants on motorbikes and in lesser vehicles were supposed to get out of the way of Fortuners be they driven by Thai or farang. They and their cousins in the Toyota HiLux have earned the sobriquet "road bullies". I don't see this behavior with other SUV and P/U drivers to the same extent.

Somehow, it seems, that once in the vehicle, the drivers are overcome with a sense of entitlement and invincibility that allows them to occupy whatever piece of the road they want no matter who or what is currently there, and they take umbrage at anyone who suggests otherwise.

Personally, I think the Fortuner is a great vehicle. The folks that buy them? Not so much.

[rotary]

I rented one years ago with a gas engine.........terrible, but not as bad as the Honda CRV

[wilcopops]

Early on in my five-year stay in LOS it became apparent to me that we peasants on motorbikes and in lesser vehicles were supposed to get out of the way of Fortuners be they driven by Thai or farang. They and their cousins in the Toyota HiLux have earned the sobriquet "road bullies". I don't see this behavior with other SUV and P/U drivers to the same extent.

Somehow, it seems, that once in the vehicle, the drivers are overcome with a sense of entitlement and invincibility that allows them to occupy whatever piece of the road they want no matter who or what is currently there, and they take umbrage at anyone who suggests otherwise.

Personally, I think the Fortuner is a great vehicle. The folks that buy them? Not so much.

see my first post - QED.

[monkey4u]

Toyota Nissan Isuzu Suv's = A Tractor with ac

[cracker1]

My Fortuna is eight years old now and I love it ! Has travelled 80,000 km and I have changed an interior light bulb, a battery and a set of tyres recently.

A truly great vehicle.

[kotsak]

For the hoi polloi it's the "look at me, look at me, I've made it" vehicle of choice.

"look at me, look at me, I've made it, even though I may be eating instant noodles for the rest of my life"

[IMHO]

Toyota Nissan Isuzu Suv's = A Tractor with ac

What about the Chev, Ford and Mitsu ones?

[sawadee1947]

Maybe because it's simply a Hilux posing as an SUV. Not that a Hilux is a sh1t vehicle, but it is simply a pick-up afterall, with a pick-up chassis, suspension, brakes etc

Very clever of Toyota to do this. Very stupid of the public if they think they are getting anything other than a pick-up posing as an SUV.

Not sure about the teacher connection - but that is one profession that are pretty high in the stupid stakes

I'm sure you never tried a Fortuner. If you once try you would see and feel the difference. By the way the suspension is quite different. But don't mind. I see you very envy. Be happy with your Vios.

[chris2004]

A big car driven by guys with a small pen*s.

[pgrahmm]

I have a 4 Runner back home in storage....in driving both (family has Fortuner) I was never impressed by the Fortuner.....a far as a 4x4 the Fortuner does not perform well - the 4 Runner feels stronger, more solid, and smoother (not a tinny) would leave it far behind and the 4 Runner is a decent 4x4 not a great one......I think I'd rather have the Sport here - it may be an illusion but to me they look smaller the the 4 Runner (US).....

At the time I bought the 4 Runner (all the air bags/curtains) it shared being the safest vehicle worlwide with (I believe) the MB 400?.....I felt safe in that car and had good handling characteristics for what it was - don't feel that in the Fortuner.....

Toyota used to build every platform 20% different one from the other but I do not know whether this still holds true.....

"At the time I bought the 4 Runner (all the air bags/curtains) it shared being the safest vehicle worlwide with (I believe) the MB 400?.....I felt safe in that car and had good handling characteristics for what it was - don't feel that in the Fortuner.....

Toyota used to build every platform 20% different one from the other but I do not know whether this still holds true....."

love to hear where you got those 2 snippets from.

I'll see what I can find for public consumption... at the time worked for Toyota/Lexus west coast but I'll stand by the statements...

[transam]

A big car driven by guys with a small pen*s.

.............gawd...................

So we must all buy vehicles on ones genital size..........?.......

[Banzai99]

A big car driven by guys with a small pen*s.

So if you see a guy in a Nissan March, do you assume he's hung like a Grand National winner ?

[henry15]

Many Fortuners and Vios drivers are barbarian, uneducated and very selfish people in trafic They think traffic rules are not for them. I think they all like the movie Mad Max very much.

[IMHO]

A big car driven by guys with a small pen*s.

.............gawd...................

So we must all buy vehicles on ones genital size..........?.......

I guess so

[pgrahmm]

I have a 4 Runner back home in storage....in driving both (family has Fortuner) I was never impressed by the Fortuner.....a far as a 4x4 the Fortuner does not perform well - the 4 Runner feels stronger, more solid, and smoother (not a tinny) would leave it far behind and the 4 Runner is a decent 4x4 not a great one......I think I'd rather have the Sport here - it may be an illusion but to me they look smaller the the 4 Runner (US).....

At the time I bought the 4 Runner (all the air bags/curtains) it shared being the safest vehicle worlwide with (I believe) the MB 400?.....I felt safe in that car and had good handling characteristics for what it was - don't feel that in the Fortuner.....

Toyota used to build every platform 20% different one from the other but I do not know whether this still holds true.....

"At the time I bought the 4 Runner (all the air bags/curtains) it shared being the safest vehicle worlwide with (I believe) the MB 400?.....I felt safe in that car and had good handling characteristics for what it was - don't feel that in the Fortuner.....

Toyota used to build every platform 20% different one from the other but I do not know whether this still holds true....."

love to hear where you got those 2 snippets from.

I'll see what I can find for public consumption... at the time worked for Toyota/Lexus west coast but I'll stand by the statements...

On the safety aspect page 2 of the Insurance Institute Highway Safety shows the 4 Runner and E Class MB as the safest vehicles per fatality rate...Toyota has the most on the non fatality list....all I can do with the phone....

[Ace of Pop]

A big car driven by guys with a small pen*s.

So if you see a guy in a Nissan March, do you assume he's hung like a Grand National winner ?

Best ask that in the Gay Section.

[smileydude]

Maybe because statistically speaking any faults found in cars with high sales volumes such as the Fortuner are amplified by the number of complaints when compared to say a few dissatisfied Land Rover owners?

I think the number of Fortuner's on the road and its high resale value speaks for itself. If it was piece of crap people wouldn't buy it in droves.

The Fortuner also seems to have better over all reviews compared to the Mitsubishi Pajero and Isuzu MuX.

Personally I think Toyota's designs are bland and prefer the Pajero but the whirring gearbox noise alone has put off a lot of potential buyers.

[jerome2]

First Fortuner is a real SUV : shorter distance between the front and rear wheels, back suspension different than pickups which make them more controllable (Isuzu MU7 is not,MU X yes)

second it's not fortuners drivers who are unpolite on the road, it's the high vigos drivers ,specialy black, yes you got that right

I cannot afford one but I like it ,less ugly than vigos, and less dangerous than pickups if you drive fast ,which I don't, because in case of accident ,we will always be wrong I suppose "it's your fault because you are farang.... you should be in Europe..."@!#$%^&*(

and also I don't trust any vehicule above 120

[bob009]

Toyota Fortuners, They are a great multipurpose vehicle and reliable. Over the last 20 years I have had 4 vehicles here in Thailand. First one I bought was a Isuzu pick up in the 90s which I had for 5 years not bad but underpowered and noisy. I then had a Toyota Tiger pick up which was a great pick up no problems in 5 years only the clutch prior to selling it with 125,000 on the clock.
2004 we bought our Toyota Fortuner 3 litre 4 WD Auto. Best motor I have had 160,000 kl and still running like new. Just had a major service at the Toyota dealership, all fluids, oils, and 2 roller bearings changed plus steering linkage. All in 16,000 baht. The best part of these motors is that they are cheap to service and the parts are cheap very reliable. I have heard some horror stories from friends with other makes of vehicles and the price of spare parts.
They are not built to be race cars; they are an all round family workhorse built for leisure, fast enough when needed and very comfortable.
They are what the are, how you treat them is a key factor. I thought of changing the Fortuner for a new one but it is running so well I have decided to keep it. I bought a Toyota Vigo pick up second hand with 10.000kl on the clock to do the donkey work around the garden and trips to the builder’s yard, Another great buy.
At the end of the day it’s choice of the individual, not everybody likes the same thing.
There reputation is like Fords in the UK you so many of them on the road.

Cost of running and relability for me was a big big factor in buying the Fortuner.

[David48]

We are sort of steering away from my OP ... but that's OK ... there have been some great answers and I warmly appreciate that ...

If, down the track, I decide to buy one, a used one, I doubt I'd front up enough coin for a new one.

So, what sort of fuel economy would I get?

Does the 4WD version chew up much more?

AWD version?

I'm not even remotely an off-roader, but we have a roughish entry road to the Farm, maybe 3 klms long.

The Farm Father's 2WD 17 yo diesel Toyota pick-up does it regularly, but at a snails pace and with my hand on heart when it rains.

Apart from the Farm Road, most of the driving would be sealed rural roads with a little bit of the City Cycle thrown in.

[David48]

Toyota Fortuners, They are a great multipurpose vehicle and reliable.

<snip>

Bob, thanks for that detailed reply.

[Ace of Pop]

. A new contender in the Wannabe Race. China's Land Wind X7. Its upset Land Rover.... Fortuna Types will snap this up if sold here. About 55.K. $.U.S. cheaper than the genuine Evo.

[neverdie]

Horrible Drive the Fortuna.

I wish Toyota would offer the 200 Series Landcruiser in LOS. Now they're a nice drive for a SUV/4x4 IMO. Plenty of herbs too for those power junkies.

[stevenl]

we will always be wrong I suppose "it's your fault because you are farang.... you should be in Europe..."@!#$%^&*(

Please stop writing this nonsense.

[Sviss Geez]

Maybe because it's simply a Hilux posing as an SUV. Not that a Hilux is a sh1t vehicle, but it is simply a pick-up afterall, with a pick-up chassis, suspension, brakes etc

Very clever of Toyota to do this. Very stupid of the public if they think they are getting anything other than a pick-up posing as an SUV.

Not sure about the teacher connection - but that is one profession that are pretty high in the stupid stakes

"Maybe because it's simply a Hilux posing as an SUV. Not that a Hilux is a sh1t vehicle, but it is simply a pick-up afterall, with a pick-up chassis, suspension, brakes etc"

Isn't a a pickup a vehicle with a cab and an open bed at the rear? A Fortuner definitely isn't a pickup as you state, it is a SUV.

The Fortuner doesn't have the leaf spring rear suspension that the pickup has either. So it doesn't have pickup suspension.

How does a pickup braking system differ from an SUV system, they're both either discs or drums, the same as every other car on the planet aren't they?

Regarding your assertions that the public are very stupid for buying Fortuners and that the teaching profession is highly stupid, your observations simply highlight who is really the stupid one. Just to give you a clue it's not the Fortuner buyers or professional teachers.

What happened, did you forget what you were going to say?

[Commander Tamson]

CARSJPG.jpg. A new contender in the Wannabe Race. China's Land Wind X7. Its upset Land Rover.... Fortuna Types will snap this up if sold here. About 55.K. $.U.S. cheaper than the genuine Evo.

Wouldn't you just love to see someone like the BEEB's Top Gear put that up against a genuine Evoque.

[Commander Tamson]

Maybe because it's simply a Hilux posing as an SUV. Not that a Hilux is a sh1t vehicle, but it is simply a pick-up afterall, with a pick-up chassis, suspension, brakes etc

Very clever of Toyota to do this. Very stupid of the public if they think they are getting anything other than a pick-up posing as an SUV.

Not sure about the teacher connection - but that is one profession that are pretty high in the stupid stakes

"Maybe because it's simply a Hilux posing as an SUV. Not that a Hilux is a sh1t vehicle, but it is simply a pick-up afterall, with a pick-up chassis, suspension, brakes etc"

Isn't a a pickup a vehicle with a cab and an open bed at the rear? A Fortuner definitely isn't a pickup as you state, it is a SUV.

The Fortuner doesn't have the leaf spring rear suspension that the pickup has either. So it doesn't have pickup suspension.

How does a pickup braking system differ from an SUV system, they're both either discs or drums, the same as every other car on the planet aren't they?

Regarding your assertions that the public are very stupid for buying Fortuners and that the teaching profession is highly stupid, your observations simply highlight who is really the stupid one. Just to give you a clue it's not the Fortuner buyers or professional teachers.

What happened, did you forget what you were going to say?

Why do the words Nut Job suddenly spring back to mind?