Now I got ya. That site is actually Consumer Guide and not Consumer Reports. It explains why I've not been able to find any information about the VX in CR.

I think if you read their review I don't think you can consider it a "bad" one:

Road Test Evaluation

Although the VehiCross might look unorthodox, it's among the better-performing SUVs, delivering good acceleration, accurate steering, and good grip and balance in turns. Better yet, you get those benefits without excessive body lean. Ground clearance close to 8 inches helps enhance its offroad capabilities, too.
On the down side, the V6 engine sounds coarse under even moderate throttle. In addition, a test model suffered plenty of intrusive gear whine, as well as a wind leak from a driver's window. Fuel economy in early testing averaged 14.7 mpg.


Although the VehiCross suffers from a choppy ride over uneven pavement, most bumps are easily absorbed. Braking performance and pedal feel are satisfactory, but nothing special.


High step-in and a low roofline translate to difficult entry/exit, though seats are comfortable--especially the Recaro-brand front buckets, which are emphatically a rarity in vehicles of this sort. The cabin is roomy enough, too. Shared with Isuzu's Amigo, the dashboard has hard-to-reach audio and climate controls. The rear bench splits 50/50 and folds flat, but cargo space is tight.


Visibility is dangerously obstructed over-the-shoulder. Worse yet, the slotlike rear window and intrusive spare-tire shell conspire to hide virtually all objects behind the vehicle.
They basically jam it for the rear visibility, noise, choppy ride and entry/exit. Ther 1-5 numbers are skewed because they are a comparison of all classes of vehicles. If you do a search by any other SUV from the period, you'll find the VX actually rates higher than most or at least as comparable (SUVs in general are ranked lower - how can you compare them to a car?).

Considering that this site and Consumer Reports in general are geared to the average consumer, they really aren't publications geared to the automotive industry exclusively, such as Motortrend, Car and Driver, Automobile, etc. The VX stands its own ground in these real trade publications and was rated above average in SUV-specific publications.

Unfortunately for VX sales, I think the average consumer reads more publications such as CR than Car & Driver. I think this increases the VX's appeal, rather than decreases it. Would you love your VX as much if there were 10 in your neighborhood, or if they were as common as Muranos?

-- John