FJ Cruiser

[Mike]

Dealership near me has a Yellow Cruiser...

Might try and score a test drive tomorrow if I can free up some time.

[BeaterToyota]

Let us know if it's anywhere near as shitty as the one they brought to Takeover.

They have grown on me a bit, as a daily driver kinda rig, but I wouldn't ever build one and plan on wheeling it.

[gtrsnax]

I read in a wheeling mag that base price is gonna be something like $22k. Im curious to see how well they stuck to that plan.

[ccannon222]

The dealer in Stafford has 2 of them. They both had auto trans and the sticker was 28K.

ccannon

[Mike]

From what I've seen, the markup is horredous. If I were going to buy one, I'd wait til the market was saturated and the demand is lower.

[hecull]

Did you take that test drive?
I noticed on my way to work this morning that the dealer I got my Taco from has at least one. I want to see if I can drive one this week, but with only one or two per dealership, I don't know if they're even letting people test them out. I know when the Crossfire's came out, the dealership didn't even let me sit in the one on the showroom floor and I was seriously considering the car at the time. (Gimme a break, I'm old, it was an early-mid-life crisis kind of thing)
Kyle

[trailtoy]

Has anyone seen the new print ads? They are really pushing how well the FJ is off-road. One is all about the frame, another about the traction control and locking diffs. Could be smoke and mirrors but who knows.

[Donkey]

It looked like a real piece of crap at takeover. It was just a prototype.

[Mike]

Didn't get out this weekend. I've was working on a grad school project from 8-8 sat/sun. Maybe next weekend.

[hecull]

I've been seeing the ads myself. I agree, looks like a lot of smoke and mirrors to me too.

I went by the dealership today to check it out. The only one they had was already sold, but they let me check it out anyway. They offered me a test drive in it, but I declined. I wouldn't want someone driving a truck I already bought. I'll drive one when they get their next shipment in, supposedly later this week.

First of all is price. The one I looked at was 33k. I had read the base would be in the low 20's, and it was. 4x4 V6 base is 22ish. The options made the price ugly of course. The sales manager said that for the first year, you're not going to find one stripped down. Things we'd want, like locking diff and such, are REALLY expensive in a package.

The one I looked at had the sliders and a big 'ole skid up front. The front skid is a cast pot metal or aluminum job mounted by stamped sheet metal. Under that was a stamped sheet metal skid like we're used to. I sure wouldn't trust those sliders to protect the rockers of a 30k plus truck. They are screwed in to welded in nuts on the frame and attached by what looks like 1/8" plate. The tube the sliders are made out of is very thin too.
It was sitting on highway tires. Yet, on the spare tire carrier, it had molded in tire tread prints of a mud terrain.

As for the interior, well first off the back seat is useless. I have much more room in the back of my '03 Tacoma double cab. The suicide rear doors open very wide(over 90 degrees,) but access still sucks to the back. The guages and dash look "gimicky," and look nothing like the prototype we saw at Takeover. The whole theme of the interior is to look tough, though to me it just looks cheap. The integrated GPS is gone for anyone concerned about that. There is a power outlet in the cargo area like the '05+ Tacoma's though. You can also get a built in subwoofer, though the one I saw didn't have it.

Suspension looks like a modern Runner. Those little motorcycle coilovers we saw on the one at Takeover are replaced by standard stuff.
I think dollar for dollar you get more on the Cruiser than on a Wrangler, and I'm impressed with that. But I don't think we'll see any of these on the trails any time soon.

Another note, unlike most everything Toyota makes, this one is made 100% in Japan. I expected it to share enough with Taco's and Runner's that it would be made in the US. Not so, and there are no plans to begin production here per the dealer.

Well, there are my first impressions.
Kyle

[gtrsnax]

I'll be riding the trails out at GWNF this weekend alongside an '07 FJ in my group, I'll try to remember to come back and give a report and pictures and how it does.

[jdanna]

I test drove one this past weekend, and I really liked it.

I love the rubber interior (I would have enjoyed that in my taco when I sank it at the takeover)

I love the it has a 4 link, I love the style, and I love that it has 3 windsheild wipers.

As far as drivability goes, it drives real nice. Stops a hell of a lot better then my 04 taco (the fj has rear discs), and the steering takes a lot less effort then my taco.

But they were asking WAY over the MSRP for the thing. If you are thinking of buying one, wait until they arent so damn hot and prices go down. 30+ grand for that thing is just outragous.

And what sucks is that they only offer the stickshift with the full time 4 wheel drive. Thats pretty much a deal-killer for me.

just my thoughts

[85xtracab]

yea there gonna be the new yuppie black top 4 wheeler ,get one in 10 years.

[toyotanuts]

Well went to paragon this past weekend and the FJ trail team was their with 3 cruisers. They paid me to haul the camera crew around on friday. They was letting people drive them on the trail. I drove one for a hour it wasn't to bad for what it is . I told them they need to make a rubicon unlimited with a cruiser grill, thats what the off-roaders want. The crusier rides good, has great power, good brakes and the traction control works good.