June 18, 2007
Can you believe it's been a year already? A year and over 28,000 miles.
I was lucky enough to get the final weekend in the FJ. I had friends come to visit and I needed something that could cart around five adults...
June 13, 2007
Step on the FJ's brake pedal and there's a quarter inch of nothing (which is about normal) and then there's nonlinear, overly abrupt response. Try and back out a hair and the braking goes away just as abruptly. Then you get back on the pedal, and... you get the point...
June 4, 2007
When I was driving out of town this weekend, the "Maintenance Required" light flicked on on the dash and suddenly I panicked. "That sounds serious!" Miles from home and in unfamiliar territory I wondered if and when the FJ would break down. Fortunately it didn't and I got to my destination safely. After I wiped the sweat from my brow and sighed with relief I cracked open the owner's manual to see what that warning light meant...
May 30, 2007
Any motorist who regularly travels between NorCal and SoCal knows the city of Coalinga. A small town in Fresno County with a slightly disproportional cows-to-humans ratio, its name derives from an ancient Greek word whose etymological meaning roughly translates to "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CLOSE YOUR VENTS!"
Having learned my lesson years ago, my mind has long been programmed to hit the Recirculate button in advance. Unfortunately, this FJ Cruiser wasn't programmed to fully follow orders. After a few moments of easy breathing, I soon caught a whiff of the outside world. After 30 seconds, it was a distinct stench, and after a minute my lunch was ready to go back the way it came.
I realize these things happen; the Recirculate mode started fading away at 95K miles on my former 89 Mazda. But at 27K on a year-old Toyota?
Brian Sy, Automotive Editor, 27,300 miles
May 25, 2007
I have probably logged more miles in our long-term Toyota FJ Cruiser, including a four-day ski trip a few months back, than in any other car in the fleet. While I've found it hard to assess a car in a few scant miles (one night), I've spent enough nights in the FJ that I've come to terms with it. First, I know I would never own it. It's impractical for my city life...
May 21, 2007
When I get the keys to the FJ, I try to think of places to go for a little outdoor adventure. On short notice I was able to gather a few friends and headed up to Joshua Tree National Park for a weekend of camping under the stars and hiking into the backcountry. The parks stark beauty was marred by the screaming kids on one side of our campsite and the group of middle-aged fathers celebrating their weekend furlough with Jagermeister and Van Halen on the other.
The FJ, however, was a welcome respite between activities and bouts of ill-tempered tykes...
May 18, 2007
As some of you may know, I took a long ski trip a few months back in our long-term FJ Cruiser. My assessment at the time was that it was absolutely perfect for that very specific task. Big, strong, torquey engine, huge front window, enormous tires, great ground clearance, surefootedness over anything Ma Nature had for it.
So when I took the keys once again last night, I wanted to revisit my feelings...
May 14, 2007
I've had the FJ when I went to a Dodgers game, participated in a fun run around the Santa Anita Racetrack and parked in a crowded mall parking lot and each time I was able to find my way back to it just by spotting its white top and Voodoo Blue coloring. I love that! Usually crowded lots stress me out as I've always had a difficult time finding my own black Corolla if I'm unfamiliar with the lot and don't have any real landmarks around my car.
But with the FJ, I take comfort in the fact that as long as I'm in the general vicinity of it all I have to do is hit the key fob and listen for that high-pitch call and look for that helpful flash of the lights...
May 9, 2007
I've always regarded the FJ as an oversized Mini, in terms of its cuteness. Love the Voodoo Blue! But yesterday when Erin asked me if I'd ever buy one for myself, I paused. "Would you get one if gas wasn't an issue...if money wasn't an issue...if you got married...." she asked...
May 8, 2007
At a towering five-foot-five, I'm one of the shorter staffers, so I appreciate it when a car maker has grab handles for the driver in their taller trucks and SUVs. As you can see in the first photo, it's a rather big step up into the FJ. A large, simple handle on the A pillar makes hopping into the cabin a swift and easy maneuver for me. Why some other manufacturers put grab handles everywhere but next to the driver's seat baffles me. I guess they figure the driver can grab the steering wheel to hoist him/herself up and in, but that's awkward compared to this simple and effective solution.
Also, I should tell you FJ fans that the sand in the long-term hourglass has just about run out for our beloved Cruiser, so we will be writing its wrap-up, sometime in the near future.
John DiPietro, Automotive Editor @ 25,375 miles.
May 7, 2007
Over the weekend, I took a trip to our local flatbox furniture factory and found that four, fairly fat packs fit just fine in the back of the FJ.
May 4, 2007
Last night wasn't about steering feel or cargo capacity. It was about me going to see my favorite band, Tool, on the 10,000 Days tour, at San Diego State, and our FJ Cruiser was my transportation. I'd usually prefer to take a small, fuel-efficient car to a concert due to tight parking situations and the inevitable idling and waiting after the show (shown above...
May 3, 2007
April 30, 2007
We reported back in October that the FJ cruiser had a small ding in the front windshield. At the time, the dealer quoted us a staggering $1,400 for replacement. Because the blemish was so small, we opted instead to have the hole plugged. It has lasted us several months...
April 23, 2007
The last time I took the FJ Cruiser out, it sailed along highways and through Death Valley. Until this weekend, I had never had any urban-only seat time in it. Saturday included general errand running, and a Dodgers game in the evening (where the "Cookie Monster" blue was much appreciated by passing fans). On Sunday, I was dodging drizzle and LAX Arrival Terminal traffic.
Later in the evening, we ran across a table on the sidewalk...
April 19, 2007
I see these gauges sitting atop the FJ's dash and wonder why they are there. In L.A. is it really THAT important to see the elevation changes on Sunset Boulevard from Beverly Hills to PCH? Who really uses a compass when you can Google your route first and are guided by street signs?..
April 16, 2007
Toyota's FJ Cruiser looks tough. It's got tough tires, a tough ride height, a tough roof rack and even tough looking interior trim. It's that last part that's got us puzzled. Fold the rear seats flat and there's plenty of room to throw stuff behind the FJ's front seats. The rear seatbacks (where cargo sits when the seats are folded) are covered with plastic that's got a tough looking pattern molded into it. But as this photo proves...
It's not tough.
April 9, 2007
I had a feeling the bike shop was going to call this weekend to tell me that my brand-new Electra Amsterdam had arrived so I borrowed the FJ Cruiser. When I went to pick it up, I thought for sure the bike would slot in nicely back there with the seats folded down and 66.8 cubic feet of cargo room. But instead there was a minor struggle as the bike was bigger than I thought.
The salesman loading it up was trying to be careful not to scratch the shiny red aluminum as he pushed it in but the handle got caught coming in...
Not that this is a particularly new idea, but it sure makes my life easier. If not for the rear-hinged half-doors on the Toyota FJ, this is what it would look like if you were trying to get a child seat past the front seat -- already pushed as far forward as it goes.
April 5, 2007
It's been a while since I've driven our Toyota FJ Cruiser. It used to be a real head-turner when it was first introduced, especially with its white and Voodoo blue paint. I remember little boys approaching me at red lights and asking about it.
Well, some 23,000 miles later, I see a number of FJs on the road and ours no longer causes quite the hullabaloo...
April 3, 2007
The FJ Cruiser has big tires, big door handles, big mirrors, big HVAC knobs, a big shifter, big roof rack, big blind spots, big everything. Toyota set out to give it an exaggerated boost of stylized testosterone and dang it, they succeeded. Yet, when a Benz E350 driver sat at a green light with either his finger in his nose or phone in his ear, my resulting honk of the horn produced nothing but a small, pathetic meeeeep. I hid behind the dash-top storage cover to hide my embarrassment (yet another use for it!)...
April 2, 2007
This isn't a new problem, but it's the first time I've personally dealt with it so now you get to hear me whine. The Toyota FJ Cruiser's paranoid alarm system decided to go off this weekend -- for no apparent reason. In the past anything from my own Saab Sonett's exhuast system (gotta love the forceful bark of a 1.7-liter V4) to dogs locked in the car (relax, it was only a few minutes with windows cracked) set it off. The Sonett set it off while driving through the company garage, and the dogs set it off when someone else was on a vacation, so neither incident had me running to quell the noise...
This was the view through the FJ's windshield the other morning at sunrise. Driving directly east, the windshield lit up like a movie marquis. Part of the effect is due to pitting from a nearly vertical piece of glass traveling through the air. Another annoyance comes from the nearly horizontal hood which also reflects sunlight directly into the driver's eyes...
February 15, 2007
Saturday night we had a sense that our time with clear skies was going to be brief. During dinner, it was coming down hard and we could see the snow plows and snow blowers working overtime. Didn't matter. We had the FJ. Nothing was gonna stop us.
Sunday morning confirmed that. The Lodge staff reported that it had DUMPED, at least two feet, on top of the previous night's foot.
February 14, 2007
If you've been following the last couple days, I took our FJ Cruiser from L.A. to Mammoth Lakes for some skiing and snowmobiling. Seemed like a good idea. I had no idea how good until this morning.
Over the weekend the FJ Cruiser's maintenance light came on, so Monday morning I called Santa Monica Toyota to make a service appointment. Henry, our regular guy, was out on Monday so we took the FJ in on Tuesday instead.
After an oil change, tire rotation, and the usual battery of inspections, Henry called three hours later to say the FJ was ready to be picked up.
Total cost: $73.73
Kelly Toepke, Manager of Vehicle Testing at 22,339 miles
February 13, 2007
Refreshed in Lone Pine, we tour through a piece of embarassing U.S. history and up the mountain to Mammoth.
February 12, 2007
Over the last several days, I spent about 600 miles in our long-term FJ Cruiser. Temperatures ranged from the high 50s to the low 30s and elevations ranged from Santa Monica (100 feet elevation) to 7,500 feet with deep snow. I'll be writing about this trip in the days to come. Herein, day 1.
February 7, 2007
It was a dark and stormy night...
...actually it was just kinda foggy.
I was waiting patiently at a red light when the driver behind me, who obviously wasn't paying attention that traffic had stopped, slammed on his brakes and skidded toward me.
Then he just disappeared...
February 5, 2007
One of my relatives has owned a succession of Jeep Wranglers (all pre-dating the '07 redesign), and when visiting him, I always enjoy the novelty of driving them on errands -- I get a kick out of their compact dimensions, crazy-slow steering, bolt-upright seating position, and tall dash/small glass area. Over the weekend, I realized I get similar amusement out of driving our long-term FJ Cruiser around town while being spared most of the Wranglers' drawbacks.
February 2, 2007
January 29, 2007
January 22, 2007
If you're driving a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser, what other new 4WD vehicle will make you envious? Jeep Rangler Rubicon? You have to admit they're pretty cool. Dodge Ram Power Wagon?..
January 19, 2007
During a late afternoon drive yesterday, I discovered that the Toyota FJ Cruiser's stubby driver-side sun visor only covers about half of the window when flipped to the side. In my case, this wasn't enough to block out the setting sun beaming through the back half of the window. Some cars have visors with a telescope function or an extra extendable flap. Alas, the FJ has neither...
January 15, 2007
Every time I drive our long-term Toyota FJ Cruiser I can't help but wonder: Was the 1999 Isuzu VehiCross six short years ahead of its time, or just two small suicide rear doors away from success? I'm not sure which is the correct answer, but I do know this; the FJ is consistently praised by the media for its innovative design, while the VehiCross was hammered by the same media for its poor outward visibility and cramped rear seat. Well, I just spent a long weekend in our FJ, and trust me when I tell you, it's hard to see out of and its rear seat isn't exactly spacious.
From where I sit, there's only one big difference between the FJ and the VehiCross, the FJ is a sales success, while the VehiCross was not...
January 13, 2007
Two weekends ago, our long term FJ Cruiser celebrated New Year's Day by flying over rutted washboard roads in Death Valley, Ca.
As a part of a three vehicle, 10-person caravan, the "Cookie Monster" had many friends rotate through as passengers and give opinions.
Christine and Darrell felt the backseat was "clausterphobic", but after a while they likened it to "being in a lear jet". The aviation theme continued as Rebecca thought the back seat windows would be better with "airline style pull-down shades." Megan likened the exterior to an "ugly transformer", while Jeff became frustrated with the swing-out rear door that would "open all the way even if you just want to get something real quick."
Garret acted as the XM DJ most of the way up...
January 11, 2007
The FJ is my guilty pleasure. It's too big for my single-person, apartment-dwelling, city-living lifestyle but I love it anyway. And I love it for the most superficial reason of all. That Voodoo Blue...
January 8, 2007
I used the off-road-able FJ Cruiser this weekend to pick up a bunch of books from the post office. OK, it's doesn't really qualify as an off-road trip. But the parking lot did have big speed bumps. I needed something with a lot of storage space...
January 3, 2007
Several months have passed since I drove the FJ Cruiser. When I climbed into it last night, it felt so alien. I'm only 5'4" and feel dwarfed in most trucks. But once I adjusted the seats and mirrors, I felt comfortable...
December 11, 2006
I know I've driven our long-term FJ Cruiser in the dark before, but on last night's drive I was keenly aware of how powerful the headlights are. Not sure how much of this comes from the size (five inches in diamter), the location (they are high off the ground) or the design (they're just multi-reflector halogens, versus HID or xenon). Whatever the technical reasons, this vehicle puts out a lot of light. On the more desolate sections of PCH I was noticing details I don't normally see while driving in the dark...
December 4, 2006
Driving our FJ Cruiser this weekend I was waved to by two other guys in other FJs. I thought only Corvette guys did that, in the '70s.
Scott Oldham, Editor-in-Chief Inside Line
November 6, 2006
While in the care of another staffer, our 2007 FJ suffered a blowout. Using the full-size spare conveniently located on the rear door, he executed a roadside tire change. But the corpse was too shredded for us to be able to determine why it had popped. A new tire, for which we had to wait overnight, set us back $154.95 including mounting, balancing, tax and disposal fees.
We don't really know what happened...
October 30, 2006
Toyota can do a lot of things, and do them well, but it's been a while since the company surprised me. You see, the company has been spending all of its time in recent decades building up consumers' expectations -- mine included -- with quality merchandise at (until the Sienna minivan, at least) reasonable prices. Surprises were not on the agenda.
Well, this weekend found me in out long-term 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser, and Monday morning here I sit surprised...
October 26, 2006
Took the FJ in for routine service yesterday. Not only was it overdue for its 15,000 mile checkup, there was a spider crack in the windshield. Total cost of the service was an expected $150. Estimate for replacing our cracked windshield?..
October 23, 2006
My wife isn't exactly a big fan of the 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser's looks. Then, over the weekend, I gave her more ammunition to dislike the SUV. With a car full of people she volunteered to ride in the backseat. After she climbed in she leaned back out to close the door -- and that's when the trouble began...
October 17, 2006
Ok so I've had a little more time to reflect on my 1,125-mile journey and it seemed like a nice distance to gauge how thirsty our FJ really is. After busting out a calculator and doing a little math, I found that the median mileage was 18.25 mpg. It really is just about average amongst its competition.
Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer @ 17,063 miles
October 16, 2006
I just got back from another 1,100-mile round trip in the FJ and I'm tired. Actually, I'm more tired of being behind the wheel of a car for 18 of the 60 hours I had free for the weekend. So sick of freeway travel that I just want to walk to and from work long enough to forget the frustration of traffic. As an Angeleno that's blasphemy to declare but I don't care...
October 13, 2006
The FJ Cruiser has a base price of $23,905 (with destination), which makes it an unarguable steal. But our long-term tester is packed with many needless options and carries an MSRP of $32,102. And at that price I wouldn't exactly call it a steal. Overpriced it more like it.
Problem is Toyota clumps the FJ's option packages in a way that forces you to pay for stuff you really don't need in order to get a few things that make the FJ safer, easier to live with and more capable...
October 9, 2006
Whenever I drive the FJ Cruiser, friends and neighbors always ask the same question. "How much?" And they ask with a knowing tone as they already suspect it will be expensive. When I say "About $25,000 with some reasonable options" everyone seems generally surprised at the affordable price given the FJ's large dose of stylish fun. Of course you can boost the price by opting for every extra Toyota has but $25-26,000 gets you a well equipped 4x4 -
Brian Moody @ 16,000 miles - and the truck still gets plenty of looks...
October 6, 2006
Why do I get stuck parking next to every clapped out Astro van in Long Beach? I know, using "clapped out" and "Astro van"in the same sentence is redundant - still, those vans are usually so dirty I don't dare lean against them for fear of ruining yet another pair of beige pants. But just try helping a small kid into the FJ without touching the car next to you. Once both doors are open you're stuck in "the box." And look at that van's side mirror - it's no picnic moving around that thing while holding a baby or grocery bags or whatever...
October 4, 2006
In the past, I've sort of complained about the interior space of the FJ Cruiser compared to its overall size. But the truck does make good use of what space there is. I was able to fit four large garbage cans in the rear cargo area without folding the back seat down. It's still no picnic if you need to install a rear facing infant seat. However, I'm happy to say that the FJ offers some practicality to complement its rugged good looks...
October 2, 2006
This was my first whole weekend with the FJ, and here are a few of my observations. I'll concentrate on what doesn't work me since that's just how I roll. First, the transmission does the typical Toyota strategy of staying in high gear, which is good for fuel savings but hinders driveability. Not terribly unexpected but still obnoxious...
September 29, 2006
Two days ago I blogged about a mysteriously broken bow on our FJ's roof rack. The entry led some readers to speculate that maybe we were to blame for the bow's failure since we've used the FJ as a camera platform. But it's not the case. The FJ's roof rack has two tiers, and the bows ride on the bottom level, well below our makeshift platform...
One editor put it nicely when she said of the FJ that people are initially scared of it because of its size but then usually end up charmed by it. For instance, she pulled up to a crosswalk where pedestrians were walking and at first they were startled when it lumbered up to the line but then cooed, "Awww" and couldn't take their eyes off it as they made it to the other side of the street.
In that respect the FJ, especially our blue one, seems to have the charms of its polar opposite in size, the Mini. I love Minis and, like those, I love looking at the FJ...
September 28, 2006
Yesterday I noticed that the FJ's rear cup holders are not cup holders, but bottle holders. And in two languages. We think the bottle part is because the bins are on the FJ's rear doors, which would make spillage a problem if the door is opened and there's an uncapped container in the holder. The French label befuddles, however, because no other instruction or warning labels on the truck are in anything but English...
September 27, 2006
Two days ago Road Test Editor Josh Jacquot blogged about a clunk in the FJ's rear suspension. Well, I've fixed it.
Turns out it wasn't the rear suspension after all. Instead it was a loose section roof rack making the racket...
September 25, 2006
No huge news to report this week with the FJ except that it is beginning to show signs of wear. It's windshield recently took a rock on the freeway and will likely need replacement and it's making an awful gronking sound from the rear suspension.
The sound, which began over the weekend, is going to be difficult to diagnose because it doesn't seem to correlate with any particular body motion or suspension movement. It occurs often, but not with any regular pattern related to speed or driving input...
September 20, 2006
During my recent road trip in our long-term FJ Cruiser, I really grew to like the placement and design of the audio controls on the steering wheel. I can work them with my thumb without moving my left hand from the nine o'clock position...
September 15, 2006
Drove the FJ back from Palm Springs today. The first half-hour of the trip was annoying, as 30-40 mph crosswinds (evidently caused by the tropical storm over Baja) had the Toyota, and all the other trucks and SUVs on I-10, fidgeting in their lanes. The wind also hampered acceleration, which didn't matter so much since anything over 70 mph felt rather unsafe anyway.
Once the winds died down, I settled back for an otherwise tranquil drive back into LA. In spite of its tall stance, the FJ Cruiser is generally a docile vehicle on pavement, though I was always aware of its high center of gravity...
September 14, 2006
On Wednesday, I was faced with an unpleasant task: Get from Monterey, CA to Palm Springs, CA by 12 noon for a business-type lunch. With no direct route between the two cities, it's basically a 400-mile slog that takes you straight through LA. I left Monterey at 5:45 (well before sunrise) and, running on 4 hours of sleep, could barely keep my eyes open. It didn't look good...
September 5, 2006
In addition to the noisy (optional) exhaust, the restricted visibility is starting to get to me. The mirrors do make a big difference and are helpful on the highway but backing out of a parking space is an excersise in faith in my fellow motorists - and boy do I hate having to practice a faith I just don't have.
Still, at the end of the day I love the way this truck looks good just sitting in the driveway - or just about anywhere else you can park it. It's attractive and somehow looks a little smaller than it really is - nice job Toyota designers...
August 28, 2006
As we've noted before, rearward visibility is none too good in our long-term Toyota FJ Cruiser, which can make it a little tricky to maneuver in urban areas, despite the fact that it's not very long or wide for an SUV. However, during a weekend in the city with the FJ, I found its blind spots pretty manageable. Its bumper-mounted reverse sensors certainly help, but more useful for parking are its exceptionally large outside mirrors. Properly adjusted, these mirrors allow you to see pretty far to either side -- and once I started taking full advantage of them, I started feeling a lot more confident...
August 23, 2006
As the days get shorter and darkness falls a little earlier each night, my evening commute is getting duskier. I like the colorless dash lights on the FJ Cruiser. They light up white on a black background and make a nice contrast to the toyish blue and white exterior paint scheme.
Our FJ continues to get stares from other drivers and pedestrians...
August 21, 2006
WELCOME TO FLAVOR COUNTRY LA to Seattle and back: 2,747 miles After the initial adventure of sleeping in this bad boy, the real experience of living with the FJ came in four days in the proud Pacific Northwest city of Seattle…home of strong coffee, surprisingly non-burly townsfolk and some of the most confusing exit ramps along the I-5. And while the title of this blog might appear to be a simple non-sequiter “The Simpsons” reset, it actually is fitting in my mind. This car belongs in a dreamy vision of ruggedness and purity found only in classic tobacco advertising.
August 9, 2006
PACIFIC NORTHWEST, Wash. -- So we tacked a solid 1,200 miles on the Tonka --er, Toyota FJ Cruiser yesterday and find ourselves in a constant rainshower with no hotel rooms in sight. Seattle at last.
In the past 24 hours the FJ has:
--Played some 14 hours of iPod hits
--Delivered Tigers, White Sox, Yankees and Dodger games to our ears via XM
--Broken the 10,000 mile mark (Congrats!)
--Been gawked at by nearly 10,000 people...
The family has already vetoed the use of our long-term Merceds R500 for our annual trek north to visit my folks in Oregon. Next on the list was the FJ Cruiser. Sure it's a whole different animal than the Merc, but off-road side trip possibilities abound on the way up. At our destination, the decidedly four-wheel-drive "Wall of Death" trail protects a magnificant 180-degree view of the rocky Oregon coast. So I brought the FJ home for a trial fitting, in order to see if this was to be the family truckster for our journey.
August 4, 2006
It's morning. I walk out of my house to our 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser. The truck's meaty tires, substantial ground clearance and healthy wheel travel all call attention to themselves. Getting inside, I see the stubby four-wheel-drive engagement lever and the locking rear diff button...
July 31, 2006
On Saturday, I took our Toyota FJ Cruiser to California's Yosemite National Park for a day hike to Nervada Falls. (Our FJ seems to be the vehicle of choice for trips into the Sierra Nervada mountain range; Inside Line's editor-in-chief and senior photographer have also used the Toyota for such purposes recently.) The FJ proved to be a fun vehicle for my passengers – three male teenagers visiting from France as part of a foreign student exchange program.
The boys entertained themselves during the drive by flipping through XM satellite radio stations and singing along with Beatles tunes courtesy of a hooked-up MP3 player. As the driver, I enjoyed the vehicle's responsive powertrain, comfortable seating and attention-getting exterior styling...
July 27, 2006
Here's an update on our 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser's fuel economy. In 8,000 miles of driving, we've averaged 17.2 mpg. The best recorded tank so far was 23.8 mpg. The worst was 11.8 mpg. For reference, the EPA gives the FJ Cruiser 4WD automatic a 17 mpg city/21 mpg highway rating...
July 24, 2006
California was once again hit with record temperatures over the weekend. While driving our Toyota FJ Cruiser around, I found its outside-temp thermometer (it's part of the optional "floating ball" gauge pack) to be a consoling companion. Sweating and cranky, I'd say to myself, "Dang, it's hot!" Glancing at the display gave reassurance that I wasn't overreacting. The FJ, meanwhile, took on the elevated temperatures without a worry...
July 21, 2006
My brother and I were ragged after hiking 22 miles round trip to the top of Mt Whitney and back. We needed a soothing side trip and the FJ was happy to help. Driving north out of Lone Pine we hit the Tioga pass over to the eastern side to Yosemite National Park. The beauty was unreal and the FJ was right at home cruising the forest roads...
July 19, 2006
In an attempt to scale Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the Lower 48, the FJ Cruiser became our Sherpa. We stuffed it full of firewood, food, tents, sleeping bags, blankets, boots, clothing, ice axes and trekking poles. All geared up and good to go we approached the base of Mt...
July 18, 2006
One thing became apparent to me once a few of my family members wanted a ride: the FJ is tough to get in for the vertically challenged. Being 5'10" I never had a problem getting into the Cruiser. My sister who is 5' had to literally climb into the cabin with the help of the numerous handholds. My nieces all being sub-5 foot required a helpful push to get into the cabin...
July 17, 2006
500 exhausting miles later and I have nearly arrived at my destination at the base of the Buttes, a range of mountains north west of Lake Tahoe. Unwittingly I happened on a Cruiser convention. FJs are everywhere around here! Yellow ones, blue ones, some with roof racks and a couple lifted. Fellow owners drive by waving, giving the thumbs-up, honking and even flashing their lights in passing...
I need coffee. It's a tick before 6a.m. and I've just started on my twelve-hour journey north out of LA to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Where are all these fellow travelers going?..
July 12, 2006
Our FJ Cruiser is the tallest vehicle I've ever had to park in my carport (excluding duallies and H2s that wouldn't begin to fit). Toyota lists the 4x4 FJ's height at 71.6 inches, but with the safari-style, tubular roof rack on our long-termer, it's a tighter fit than our long-term Nissan Titan (76.7 inches), with less than 2 inches of clearance under the lowest hanging beam. When I went to the farmer's market today in downtown Santa Monica, I had to search for street parking because all of the public garages have a 6'-5" height maximum and I didn't want to risk it...
July 10, 2006
During a lost weekend in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, the appeal of our long-term Toyota FJ Cruiser was undeniable. It looks good in the wilds, and it's just out of place enough in urban settings to look cool. Even the High Sierra locals from hikers and horsemen to hippies and high schoolers had good things to say about it.
Richard Homan, Inside Line Editor in Chief
June 30, 2006
Our FJ Cruiser, and thousands of others, will be paying a visit to the dealer to have its tires inspected. Toyota tells us a possible problem with the way the tires were mounted on the wheels could have caused some damage to the tire beads, which might lead to an air leak. No one has complained, but Toyota is implementing a voluntary recall to be sure no one does. Owners will take their FJs to a dealer, who will confirm the VIN falls in the affected range and then examine the tires for evidence of the problem...
The miles have rolled up quickly on our FJ Cruiser, as several editors have used it for long road trips. With the "maintenance required" light winking at us, we took the FJ in to Santa Monica Toyota for its 5,000-mile service. The service consisted of an oil change, tire rotation and inspection of various items such as the drive shaft boots, fluids, hoses, belts and brakes. The folks there were efficient and courteous, as dropping the FJ off and picking it up a few hours later was a breeze. The charge came to $72, which didn't strike us as too bad, as an oil change alone would've run $30.
June 28, 2006
On my morning commute, I quickly took this shot of the rear view mirror to show how little you can see out the back of the Cruiser. While the front window is huge and wide, notice how you can barely see the car behind me in the mirror. The rear window is small and the full-size spare sits in the way. If someone were to walk behind the truck, I wouldn't even see them...
To add to the FJ Cruiser's flexibility, we recently had an aftermarket Bluetooth kit installed. With the wide variety of new car and aftermarket Bluetooth systems available today, there's really no good reason for driving around while holding a cell phone in your hand. With the FJ's already limited outward visibility, we felt this truck was the perfect fit for a hands free phone kit. Parrot Electronics sent us a 3200 LS Color Screen unit and so far we're very pleased with the results...
June 25, 2006
As Canadian grunge poet Neil Young likes to say, there comes a time. And for our long-term 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser, that time was this weekend in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. With its massive roof rack, blockish stance and short front and rear overhangs, the electric blue FJ looks the part of a post-modern toy for metrosexuals with near-off-road wanderlust. I found it to be the nearly ideal tool for the outdor world that lies between car camping and the Jeepers Jamboree.
The weekend gear of two grateful travelers plus one oversized Alaskan Malamute fit neatly into the rear cargo area behind the second-row seat. Even though on this trip it only carried a big dog, I noticed that the rear bench seat would outfit both kids and adults with a surprising amount of legroom. From the outside, it appears that the cargo area should be a bit more generous than it is, but at least the rear door is hinged street-side (which makes for easy loading when the FJ is parked at the curb) rather than hinged curb-side (like the Lexus GX models) which make you walk inconveniently around the door to load.
June 21, 2006
This past weekend when I took the FJ Cruiser camping, we had four friends who made it to the campground after the main gate had already closed at 10pm. Since there was no way they could lug all their stuff to our site on foot, I volunteered to shuttle their gear for them while they hoofed it. So they stuffed all their bags, beer, firewood, boomboxes, tents and chairs into the FJ and there was still room to spare for one rear-seat passenger.
Caroline Pardilla, Production Editor
June 19, 2006
Another great thing about the FJ Cruiser? When you don't have a place to put your wet bathing suits and towels after a day at the beach, its roof rack serves as an excellent substitute for a clothes rack.
Caroline Pardilla, Production Editor
I took our 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser out camping this past weekend and found that in addition to hauling me, my friends and all our gear to our campground quickly and stylishly, it also served as a nice, if not better, alternative to a tent. The fold-flat cargo area only sleeps one and I had to lie down at an angle. But it was doable and way more comfortable than sleeping in the tent since I wasn't subjected to chilly mornings or creepy crawlies.
However, the first night I barely got any sleep since I had made the mistake of taking the key out of the ignition...
June 16, 2006
Although the FJ Cruiser is one tough truck, as proven in its victory against the Nissan Xterra in a recent Inside Line face-off, it does have one overly sensitive area, its alarm system. Many of us have discovered that the optional "Security RS3200 Plus system with proximity sensor" system will go off with the slightest provocation.
While having dinner at a pizza joint in a strip mall, the FJ started honking its horn and flashing its lights. It was right outside the window and I was bewildered as to what set it off -- curious folks taking a peek inside maybe?..
June 13, 2006
Finally, I got my turn in the FJ Cruiser. When I went to our parking garage, all I could think was how the vehicle looks like an overgrown Tonka Toy.
But guys seem to love it. I had men at stop lights asking me about it...
While the FJ's looks and off-road ability are great, it's not the perfect vehicle for those with kids. Access to the rear seat via the clamshell doors is fine unless you need to put a rear facing child seat back there. With a more traditional child seat or booster, rear seat leg room is acceptable but I wouldn't call it spacious.
Brian Moody, Road Test Editor
June 12, 2006
I love seeing the FJ Cruiser parked in my driveway. It looks fresh and makes me feel like I have something special, unique and fun - something that's more than just practical. And I'm not the only one who thinks this truck looks great - no matter where the FJ is, little kids point, big kids stare and adults ask questions, lots of questions. Seems like mostly men asking about the FJ...
June 9, 2006
We recently drove our long-term FJ Cruiser up to Big Bear Lake for some much needed R&R. The only snow was isolated to small patches at the peak of the mountain so there was no real need for 4-wheel drive, but that didn't keep us from finding excuses to use it anyway.
June 6, 2006
Believe the hype. The FJ Cruiser's interior floor, which is touted as an easy clean up rubber-like material, is actually easy to clean up. Here's a photo I shot of the rear tunnel area (not the floor itself) after unloading a filthy mountain bike...
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