Toyota FJ Cruiser: Any thoughts???

[Melensdad]

Anyone have any thoughts about the new Toyota FJ Cruiser? The lovely Mrs_B seems to be smitten with these things so if she has her way, the fully loaded and barely broken in Volvo XC90 she drives now will become history and she will get a funky yellow FJ Cruiser at half the cost and with far less interior room.

The Volvo is a great car for long rides, it has plenty of luxury and lots of nice features. If you have kids it has a GREAT feature in that EACH kid can plug their headsets into the rear seat radio control panels (there are 2 panels for the rear seat) and they can listen to any of the 6 CDs in the changer, or the radio through headsets while the front seat driver/passenger can listen to what they want to hear! It allows the adults to remain sane!!!


Here is a link to the FJ website: http://www.toyota.com/fj/


I'd appreciate thoughts on this vehicle, I've never owned a Toyota but I've never heard anything bad ever said about them.

 

[XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq]

Toyota product is first rate. My wife's Avalon is a nice car and has been very reliable.

I think the FJ is too small. It needed to be about 50% bigger.

Keep the Volvo.

 

[DaveNay]

I might be interested in the Volvo.

edit: Or not....the wife wants a wagon, not an SUV.

 

[Dargo]

My very first vehicle was a Land Cruiser. I drove it for 4 days before I flipped upside down in a ditch full of snow.

Twenty eight dollars later, I was on my way. I loved it!!

 

[Jim_S]

Toyota product is first rate. My wife's Avalon is a nice car and has been very reliable.

I think the FJ is too small. It needed to be about 50% bigger.

Keep the Volvo.

Its a good car but it is too small and it really looks like the rear visibility is poor with those solid panels. I've never been in the drivers seat of one so I don't know for sure.

I second keeping the Volvo even if you get an FJ.

I assume all of us together get one vote and your wife gets 10,000?

Jim

 

[Melensdad]

Jim, as far as the 'votes' you are probably correct so I guess I better round up some more members?

If I get the FJ, then the Volvo will go, probably to one of my senior managers? I personally don't care much one way or the other. I rarely drive/ride in the Volvo so it really is "her" car. We do use it for the larger cargo space than my VW, but when I really need to move something, I have plenty of far better options so that's not much of a big deal either.

I think she might just be enthralled with the looks of the FJ being that it is cute. Not sure if the reality of the rougher ride, lack of luxury, etc will get her to reconsider? She is now mostly driving fairly short distances, to the various towns near us, so while she may rack up some impressive miles at the end of the week, it is usually just a bunch of short 10 to 15 mile trips to school, violin practice, gather groceries, etc.

What about "1st year" reliability of Toyotas? This is a new model? Anyone have reliability issues?

 

[Ice Queen]

My last car was a Toyota Land Cruiser and I loved it, I only parted with it because it was getting rather old. I now have a Landrover Discovery, though newer, it is not as good as the Land Cruiser, it is smaller, but much more difficult to park, it also has a transmission brake, which is a right pain when you are trying to hitch up a trailer as it rolls after you have lined it up. Give me my Land Cruiser every time!!!

 

[buckle97]

What about "1st year" reliability of Toyotas? This is a new model? Anyone have reliability issues?

I am considering the purchase of an '07 Camry so I am interested in this "1st year" reliablility also.

I had a friend in high school who had a 1975 FJ-40 Cruiser. It was a lot of fun. This FJ cruiser is nothing like that.

 

[Jim_S]

I think she might just be enthralled with the looks of the FJ being that it is cute. Not sure if the reality of the rougher ride, lack of luxury, etc will get her to reconsider? She is now mostly driving fairly short distances, to the various towns near us, so while she may rack up some impressive miles at the end of the week, it is usually just a bunch of short 10 to 15 mile trips to school, violin practice, gather groceries, etc.

any of the rental places have one? A few days of normal driving should set her mind one way or the other.

Jim

 

[BigAl]

I dunno Bob...... I think you would be taking a step backwards . The Volvo is about the safest thing on four wheels . A 1st year production vehicle is bound to have problems . Look at the 2003 F250 with that great 6.0 motor . It took Ford to 2006 to get it right .
I am glad you think the FJ is cute . I think it is about the most butt ugly thing I have ever saw . But you do own a Snow Trac so there is no accounting for good taste .... looks to me like Toyota forgot to design in the tail lights and just went to Napa Auto Parts and screwed a set on the back real quick to finish it up .

 

[cj7]

I saw some out in Moab this year. They seem to be very capable off-road. The owners seem to like them all around.

 

[pixie]

I looked into buying a new FJ. Very hard to see what's behind the right rear side. Some people say they make alot of wind noise on the highway. Bet it doesn't ride all that great with the short wheel base. Get a dealer to let her drive one for a day.

I love my 4runner which is a 97 with 210,000 miles and not a rattle and few problems.

It was the visibility thing that really nixed the deal.

 

[Melensdad]

Very hard to see what's behind the right rear side. . .

It was the visibility thing that really nixed the deal.

Uhh, she doesn't usually look around to see what is near her when she drives

But I have a feeling that given due consideration she will reconsider. No leather seats, no electric adjustment for the seats, not sure if 1-touch windows are available . . . it will probably be those types of things that "sink" this as a choice, but it is her choice to make, and to live with. The leather seats are certainly a luxury, but they are also very practical when you tote kids around because they are durable and easy to clean. The other things that come with a luxury vehicle like the XC-90 are often just extreme convenience items and many can be lived without, but a few become almost necessities after you have them for a while.

But so far she thinks it is really "cute" and likes the look. In my mind, it would be a nice vehicle for a few years for the lovely Mrs_B and then a decent hand-me-down to our daughter when she is of driving age.

I think it says a lot that nobody posted anything against the brand. Apparently Toyota is as good as people say it is???

 

[DAP]

...
I think it says a lot that nobody posted anything against the brand. Apparently Toyota is as good as people say it is???

You can bank on it .. thanks to Gen Douglas MacArthur and the Ford Motor Car Company in 1945 ....

There is a place or 2 in texas that restores the original FJ series .. (land cruisers that most mistake for jeeps) the restored FJ40s start at about 35k. I believe the outfit is called Custom Cruisers ...

D R O O L

My tacoma just turned 100k with literally 0 (read zero) repairs except for the o2 sensor which went on schedule at 90k miles.

It's so damned reliable it bores me to tears.

Just wait for Toyota to start delivering a 1 ton pickem up with a diesel engine ... keep hearing this rumor over and over again. You think the Big 3 truck divisions are hurtin now??? Wait til we see the jap diesel in a jap 1 ton ...

 

[Melensdad]

It's so damned reliable it bores me to tears.

I had a Volvo 240 just like that. In fact I had it for 10 years and got rid of it because we just got tired of driving it. That is a really nice reason to get rid of a car, a heck of a lot better than trading it in because it is too expensive to maintain. Got to love reliability!

 

[Ice Queen]

Volvo cars ARE BORING, they are like driving an old overcoat! Volvo produced the best truck in the F10, but I don't like the FH, or the FL as much, look nice outside, but I don't like the wrap around dash, but I have never had the opportunity to drive one so cannot comment on that. As for Toyota, the only dealings I have had were with my Land Cruiser and that was BIG, but super to drive and very reliable. As I have already said, in lots of ways I prefer it to my Discovery. The one that you show in the picture, to me, looks very small and would not be my choice as I have one large dog to cater for and always seem to be carting loads of stuff around. Also am always towing something - recovery trailers, small trailers, stock trailers, caravans etc., and we have lots of HILLS around here, so I need some power under the bonnet (hood to you!). All this is probably not of much use to you and Mrs. B but it does boost my posting numbers!!!

 

[Melensdad]

Volvo cars ARE BORING, they are like driving an old overcoat!

Anita I will grant you that point, they are boring. But if that also means RELIABLE then I will accept some level of boring. My impression of the Toyota vehicles is that they are very reliable vehicles, and that is certainly a good thing! Now thing being a new model, the reliability of the FJ Cruiser is still open for debate.

In looking at some of the reviews, I was suprised that the fuel mileage is not better. Given the size of this thing, I figured it would be a bit better on the fuel mileage. It seems to be right about what we experinece with the current Volvo XC90 T6. I also found out that many of the convenince features we have on the Volvo are simply not available on the FJ Cruiser. Something tells me that as the lovely Mrs_B more closely examines the FJ the less desireable she will find it. We hope to test drive one within the next week.

 

[AndyM]

I must be boring because I think Volvos are exciting!
I'll take a 1971 Volvo 145 station wagon!

 

[DAP]

....Something tells me that as the lovely Mrs_B more closely examines the FJ the less desireable she will find it. We hope to test drive one within the next week.

I will also say that I doubt seriously that the lovely Mrs_B is the intended target market for the reintroduction of this retro toyota.

The europeans (volvo included) have always led the way when it comes to 'amenities' in automobiles. The new FJ is intentionally austere. They want it filled up with mud and sand (but don't void your warranty with off roading accessories) ....

I think your spot on that this is a flash in the pan romance. Could be a pricey pan though.

 

[DAP]

I must be boring because I think Volvos are exciting!
I'll take a 1971 Volvo 145 station wagon!

One time in the late 80's, I knew 4 people who all owned 1972 240 DLs with diesels. They all had overdrive, black leather, heated seats, sun roofs, sticks and ALL WERE that LOUD VOLVO ORANGE. 2 were wagons and 2 were sedans.

When the last one went away .. they tallied the aggregate mileage up 1.003 million miles for the 4 cars.

 

[BoneheadNW]

Just wait for Toyota to start delivering a 1 ton pickem up with a diesel engine ... keep hearing this rumor over and over again. You think the Big 3 truck divisions are hurtin now??? Wait til we see the jap diesel in a jap 1 ton ...

I agree with you 100%. I have a 1990 Toyota std bed 4wd pickup that has 130k miles and I will never get rid of it. We also have a 1996 Toyota 4runner that is our "extra" car and while it doesn't get driven too often, it comes in handy when our Honda van is being used by some family member or being serviced.

I have to say, if I had the choice between your wife's Volvo and the Toyota FJ, I would go with the Volvo. Two completely different cars for different uses- the Volvo with the leather seats would be too good to pass up.
Bonehead

 

[Melensdad]

I have to say, if I had the choice between your wife's Volvo and the Toyota FJ, I would go with the Volvo. Two completely different cars for different uses- the Volvo with the leather seats would be too good to pass up.
Bonehead

I think Anita/IceQueen really hit it on the head with her "boring" comment. The XC90, while a really nice vehicle, and a very practical & reliable one (despite all its electronic gizmos), is the antithesis of fun. At 45 years old, the lovely Mrs_B is still a good looking fun loving woman and would prefer a fun vehicle but don't want to give up the niceties of the Volvo.

So the FJ Cruiser has the "looks" of something she would like, it will haul enough to suit her needs but no more. It is "cute" enough to give up some luxury. But when winter winds start to howl and the temps hit sub-zero numbers, the heated seats feel really nice in the Volvo.

I think if Toyota had a "luxury trim" version of the FJ available we'd own one in a heartbeat. Toyota offers the 4 Runner in multiple levels from basic to luxury, but the FJ Cruiser is currently a very nicely equipped vehicle but only offered with limited options. I understand that the target market is probably younger & more active, but . . .

 

[Melensdad]

Well we had a chance to go play with the Toyota FJ Cruiser. Nice fun vehicle, but the lovely Mrs_B has decided it was just infatuation and got over it when reality set in. Cargo space behind the rear seats, when the seats are in the upright position is fairly small. Too small for the lovely Mrs_B who hauls her school supplies and rarely unpacks ALL of but essentially uses the back of her Volvo as a storage bay where she takes out what she needs when she needs it. The Volvo has probably TRIPLE the cargo space with the rear seat up? Heated seats are lacking on the Toyota. The lack of storgage in the armrest, lack of full console, etc were drawbacks as well. During winter in this climate they are a wonderful convenience, the lovely Mrs_B often drives short distances and the heated seats warm up much faster than the engine heater. So at this point the FJ is not going to end up in our garage.

 

[DAP]

Bob .. whats the number out there at the house? I'll have a talk with the LMB, and steer her thusly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_G-Class

No thanks necessary ... glad to do this as a favor!