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...