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Claudia Hommel
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Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser by Cordell Koland Toyota has been front and center in the SUV market for decades. The new FJ Cruiser is an attempt to recapture the spirit of the original rough and ready FJ40 Land Cruiser in an up-to-date chassis replete with modern safety, performance and convenience features. I became aware of what might be called the historic Land Cruiser community when friends Jim and Debbie sold their ski cabin in Park City, Utah. They had an old wagon-style land Cruiser, the FJ55 model, attached to the property to serve as transport for shopping, nights on the town, and most importantly, to get to the ski lifts regardless of road conditions. After some investigation, Jim discovered that he could get serious money for the Cruiser back in California from an avid collector. So they drove the ancient SUV back to the Bay Area despite its hard ride and spartan amenities. It's no wonder that Toyota is attempting to revive the spirit of the original Land Cruiser. The sturdy off-road vehicles have spawned something like a cult following complete with avid collectors and a cottage industry devoted to maintaining and upgrading the originals. Highly restored originals with modern engines and other components are said to sell for $50,000 or more. If that price seems absurd, it¹s easy to find specimens offered on the Internet in the $25,000 to $35,000 range. By that token, the new FJ Cruiser would seem a bargain. The base price for the four-wheel-drive model with delivery fee fails to reach $24,000. This price delivers a vehicle that will take you down the road, or off it, depending on your preference. The base package includes a potent V-6, automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive. You also get power driver's seat, air-conditioning, power locks and windows and front airbags as well as vehicle stability control and electronic brake-force distribution. The only option I'd say is an absolute must would be the $650 safety package that adds side-impact airbags and side-curtain airbags. After all, if you really put this baby through its paces, you¹ll be playing in some pretty rough country where the law of gravity is a full-time participant. Visually, the FJ Cruiser has no peer in the SUV market right now as an attention getter. Several people stopped me to talk about it. A white-haired senior said she thought it was cute. Yes, while the FJ Cruiser does take visual inspiration from its storied ancestor, its lines reveal a cartoonlike appearance that draws smiles from most viewers. Toyota has also chosen bright colors, such as an egg-yolk yellow and a bright cyan blue that add to its appearance. But of more importance than appearance to the real off-road devotee is the engineering of the chassis. Toyota has given the FJ Cruiser a boxed, ladder frame bolted to the steel body. A solid rear axel anchors the vehicle under conditions of extreme load. The Cruiser offers about nine inches of wheel travel to step up and over most any obstacle. Ground clearance is set at a generous 9.6 inches. Because the wheels are placed at the corners of the chassis, the new FJ offers an amazing 34 degrees approach angle to tame abrupt changes in terrain. The FJ Cruiser offers the double-barreled advantage of Toyota¹s unexcelled SUV know how and a vehicle that emphasizes the right size and components to make it one of the best stock off-road vehicles currently on sale. The new Cruiser has only one engine, a torque-rich V-6 with Toyota¹s latest engine technology. The four-liter engine provides plenty of power to enable excellent acceleration and passing power. Toyota is well aware the new FJ Cruiser is probably slated to do double duty as a work and/or family vehicle. Consequently, it offers a relatively compliant ride quality and acceptable levels of road and wind noise at freeway speeds. But not all is perfection with the new Toyota SUV. The tight rear seat is acceptable for short haul runs, but access is a tricky through the narrow clamshell doors. Nevertheless, school age kids will love the set-up. The Cruiser is big on the cool factor. Rear visibility is limited by the design of the rear quarter, which features thick pillars that definitely restrict the driver¹s ability to see what¹s behind. One other minor haggle also has to do with visibility. I found it very difficult to read the electronic readout for the audio system in daylight. Vehicle:
Toyota FJ Cruiser 4x4
Price as tested: $32,167 Engine: Type: 4.0-liter V-6 Horsepower: 239 @ 5,200 rpm Torque: 278 lbs.-ft. @ 3,700 rpm Fuel economy, automatic transmission City 17 mpg Highway 21 mpg Curb Weight: 4,295 lbs.  Vintage Land Cruisers Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
