Toyota FJ Cruiser -- Say "Hello!" to 2007's Coolest Car
The Sky looks pretty cool, and the new GM SUVs are important to the brand. The Caliber makes a statement about Chrysler's view of the economy sedan market, and the Mustang GT500 will threaten the Corvette's title as "King of the Performance Bargains." The new Camry will sell over 400,000 units, and the redesigned Altima looks to have addressed its Achilles' Heel (cheap interior). And there's no denying the early reports of Honda's Fit being a major player in the sub-compact class.
But just push all of that aside and say "Hello!" to 2007's Coolest Ride. Why do I love the FJ Cruiser? Because from a pure design standpoint it is very good. Its off-road ability will rival the market's top dogs, its on-road demeanor makes it a capable (if not stupendous) pavement runner, and its price point gives it "every man" status in terms of potential customers. And if you want to throw all that out the window it still has an ace card to play -- this thing just screams "FUN!" on a level not seen since the new Mini Cooper debuted in 2002. It's supposed to be for young guys looking to go off road (or at least looking to look like they go off road). But when you get housewives (even non-desparate ones) lusting after a vehicle targeted at beer bongers, you know it's broken out of its base market. Yes, it has questionable visibility and spurious rear seat entry/exit, but again I reference the Mini Cooper, which essentially had no cargo space and could serve as a speed bump for Escalades. But four years on Minis are still selling (and re-selling on the used market) with verve. I expect the same market reaction to the FJ. BTW, this photo is of our latest long-term addition, so you'll soon be seeing regular updates on how much we do (or don't, for a few unbelievers on staff) love the FJ.
I LOVE IT. It looks like a Lego car to me. I keep expecting to a yellow, barrel-shaped head in the driver's seat.
I have no doubt it will be a big hit for Toyota, despite the poor rear visibility, difficult rear passenger entry and thirst for 91 octane fossil fuel. Extreme "coolness" is always a hit. I've already seen several on the road. All things considered the world is a better place with the FJ than without it.
The impact this FJ has on the market should be interesting to watch. If this indeed becomes the blockbuster hit many predict, will we see more "hardcore" SUVs from other vehicle makers? Will Nissan make future Xterras even more extreme? Will we see Honda offer a true off-roadster somewhat along these lines? With all their ATV and off-road motorcycle experience they certainly have the capability, but do they have the desire to enter this market niche?
I don't think this car sells because it's a true off roader. It sells for it's interesting design. The FJ rides nicely on-road.
And I would try to obtain a "LEGO" badge to replace that Toyota badge to bump up the coolness.
Dorky, retro 70s looking garbage. I'm not big on buying cars based on how they look (hell, I've owned a Stanza, a Protege, an 06 e90 and all are UGLY) but egad the FJ takes the dorkiness of the Element one notch higher. It's like some marketing guys told the uninspired folks of Toyota to come up with retro because it's so "in" (or at least was in the late 90s, early oughts); the end result sullies the world right now, the very 1970s-looking cry-for-attention FJ.
The 1970s are a bad time for everything. Building an SUV - a design concept that's already fraught with nothing but heinous creations - based on that era smacks of unbelievable short-sightedness. I really think these things need to be killed before they inspire more Gremlin and Pinto lookalikes.
Cool looking vehicle from Toyota,but not worth what many dealers are currently selling it for-30K plus. Especially when Xterras can be had in the 22K range,fairly well equipped.It seems early on people are taking it for a less costly Hummer,more H3 than FJ40.But when the early hubbub dies down and soccer moms realize that their carsick kids have no rear window to barf out of,the market will revert more to the offroad crowd it was intended for and prices will drop to more reasonable levels. Unless the yups buying these things actually learn how to use their mirrors to back up and lane change and put status above practicality.
I can't get excited about this car. It's got "look at me" styling going for it (which I don't like, but it's at least eye-catching), but not much else. I guess if you can afford to have an impractical car and love the styling then it's great, but if you're budget-concious and have normal needs then there are better offerings elsewhere. It should sell well on style alone I suppose.
In other forums I have seen the "FJ" referred to as "Fake Jeep." I'm not a Jeep fan but a Jeep looks better than the FJ that reminds me of a Tonka toy from my childhood. Coolest car? Technically it's not even a "car." It's an SUV. Coolest would be a matter of opinion. Cool is not a word I would use to describe it. To each their own though. There are plenty of other vehicles on the highway I think are eyesores.
angel
The vehicle is ugly, inside and out. On top of that the mileage is TERRIBLE and no one seems to care. Why does a small SUV wth 240hp get roughly the same mileage a GM's 3 ton SUVs with 320hp and 4 speed autos? This vehicle is like a rolling 3D cartoon.
I drove it and thought it was really cool. Had the TRD exhaust and a nice growl when I hit the gas. It's a little bouncey due to the suspension being tuned for off-road but it really brings out the "kid" in me. Might have to buy one for the wife and then drive it on the weekends.
This may be totally trivial, but there is one thing about this truck that bugs the heck out of me. Why oh why does the base 4x4 come with black steel wheels that look like they're missing their hubcaps?? Couldn't Toyota have at least used the silver steel wheels from the Tacoma? Honestly, I just keep thinking that they forgot to put the hubcaps on. Yeesh. But yes, aside from that, it does look like a Lego jeep I had as a kid and I think the rest of it is cool.
I like the black wheels. In fact, I like them better than the alloys. It's more honest, and fits the back-to-basics off-road image better than do alloys, which is what this truck is supposed to be about.
FJC rules I got it for my 21st birthday a few weeks ago !!!! I haven't had many vehicles in my life but this is the best so far. The on rode ride is smooth, I guess because of the front independent suspension. Off road is really amazing with the stock equipment the FJ has. I was really shocked!!! The soud system with 9 speakers with subwoofer is well above average for stock equipment. I have the 4x4 auto silver almost loaded without roof rack , trd exhaust system and trailer hitch. A real SUV for me. However before I go back off road I will get a few extras put on my FJC!!!
So have any customizers chopped and punked it out yet?
Seems like big brother to the Xb box.
Honestly.. If i saw anyone driving one of these, i would probably make fun of them.
I respect your opinion Karl, but your absolutely crazy on this one. The coolest car of this year is going to be the Shelby GT 500, period. And After Toyota is dealing with their new "Feeling" I doubt this would be very much of a hit, it's hideous.
As with all predictions, time will tell...
I dont think we need time to tell us that this isnt the coolest car of 2007. I dont see how a small hummer like Toyota with a ridiculous curb weight and poor mileage is cool. The whole concept of styling a production vehilce like a military one is kind of old now. I dont see how this is any cooler than an H3.
Ummm, we need time to tell if (unlike the H3) far more people want one than are available to buy, which will result in a large backlog of orders and a consistent, long-term issue of demand far out-stripping supply (with likely price hikes above MSRP when new and/or excellent residual values when used).
Because if all that does happen, then no matter what anyone thinks regardling styling, power, mileage and functionality, the FJ will be deemed an undeniable success.
Just like the Mini is an undeniable success, even though some people continue think it's ugly, impractical, inefficient, unsafe and over-priced.
I do believe that supply has caught up with demand. Many Toyota dealerships now have at least 2-3 FJC on their lot. So, it took less than 2 months, which is quite short.
The car is a total gas-hog that stops people in their tracks. The visibility is difficult, and God forbid you try to shut the back door without disengaging the lockbar. And yes, kids cannot barf out the rear passenger side windows. But I'd rather drive this than a Prius or a more practical car or SUV in areas saturated with aggressive SUV drivers and heavy tractor-trailer traffic on the major highways - particularly when you see 2-3 accidents per day on your daily commute route. So when it comes down to your inevitable "turn" as a victim, wouldn't you rather be driving this tank - loaded with airbags and reinforced steel up the yin-yang - than a practical, energy-efficient tin can...especially when your toddler is in the backseat? And as for any car sickness in it, you can spray it out with your gardenhose. We bought our beast two days after we saw one in a parking lot and have no regrets.
After test driving a blue FJ Cruiser at a local dealer, it reminded me of why I loved my 1976 FJ 40, it was just plain fun to drive. Cruising down the interstate at 70 mph in the FJ Cruiser was a smooth, quite ride and I could even listen to the radio at normal volume, something I was never able to do in the FJ 40. Shifting to 6th gear was pure heaven. I always wished I had one more gear in the old FJ. Heck...here I was shifting two more gears! Pure heaven. Just like in the old FJ I felt I was going on an adventure and ready for anything man or land could throw at me. Now I just need to decide on what color I want?
WELL WELL WELL ITS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS "BLUEGUYDOTCOM" HAS YET TO TEST DRIVE AN FJ YET. ALSO MORE PAINFUL IS THE REALIZATION THAT INDEED HE DID BUY UGLY CARS AND NOT ONE OF THEM LOOKED LIKE AN FJ SO THE REFERENCE TO THEM IS NULL AND VOID . AND WHAT IS REALLY EVEN MORE SO BEYOND THE THRESHOLD OF PAIN IS THE REFERENCE COMPARING AN ELEMENT WITH A FJ CRUISER .
THATS KINDA LIKE COMPARING SCION TO A MINI COOPER . THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE IN COMMON IS 4 WHEELS AND EVEN THE WHEELS DON'T COMPARE!
BLUE GUY , I AM NOT PICKING ON YOU BUT , COME ON MAN GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE OSTRICH HOLE ! THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE FJ IS A SMASH SUCCESS . SO ALTHOUGH YOU MAY NOT CARE FOR A OFF ROADER THAT CAN DO THE BAJA AND LOOK BACK AND LAUGH THEN WASH UP GO TO THE WALDORF ASTORIA FOR DINNER , I AM LIKING IT BIG TIME. AND THERE YOU GO AGAIN WITH REFERENCES TO 2 TOTALLY DIFFERENT STYLES OF SMALL CARS THE GREMLIN AND THE PINTO . WHY NOT ADD THE AMC PACER AS IT HAD WINDOWS TOO DIDNT IT? I LOVE PINTO BEANS !