Anyone here own a Toyota FJ Cruiser??

I have been looking these over with interest lately. Any FJ Cruiser owners here? I'd like to get some candid feedback from an owner, not sure I'll get the whole picture on one of the forums where everyone is stoked about their new vehicle. Post up, please!

I have heard good things from the offroad community, but I would never buy the first generation of a vehicle.

My first year Avalanche (02) has been great, and they later deleted a lot of awesome standard features while simultaneously raising the price -- I'm not overly gun-shy of first year/first generation vehicle.
Off road and on-road, I have also heard overall positive comments, just hoping some FJ owners on this board might see this thread and post their opinions.

I've never driven in one, by I do remember reading a review that stated they were great except there was something weird about someone being buckled in the front seat while someone was getting into the rear.

ColoradoXJ13 said:

I have heard good things from the offroad community, but I would never buy the first generation of a vehicle.

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Why not? It's a Toyota - the last thing you need to be worried about is any manufacturing problems. I don't know anything about the car, but if you're buying from Toyota or Honda, whether it's a new model or not is irrelevant, they just make damn good cars.

I personally would stay away from Honda and Toyota. Several of my friends have Honda's and Toyota's and they have nothing but problems with them. They are always in the shop for something and are all relatively new. Plus the parts cost a lot more.

A lot of the car manufacturers still have that cloud over their heads because many years ago, their quality was not that great. Sure, Toyota owners report 1.79 problems per car and Chevy owners report 2.41. For all we know that could have been 1.79 blown Toyota Engines and 2.41 broken Chevy sun visors.

Just because it has two cup holders on each door, doesn't mean it's quality is better.

I do like the CJ Cruiser but it gets below average reviews overall.

Jeep Wrangler.

Would you expect anything else from me??



Seriously. I am interested on how you think it compares.
Looks like line-of-site would be a problem in the FJ.

I think the white top looks dumb as hell. That's my only opinion.

I have a Jeep Liberty.

I love my yeeper.

KBrew75 said:

I personally would stay away from Honda and Toyota. Several of my friends have Honda's and Toyota's and they have nothing but problems with them. They are always in the shop for something and are all relatively new. Plus the parts cost a lot more.

A lot of the car manufacturers still have that cloud over their heads because many years ago, their quality was not that great. Sure, Toyota owners report 1.79 problems per car and Chevy owners report 2.41. For all we know that could have been 1.79 blown Toyota Engines and 2.41 broken Chevy sun visors.

Just because it has two cup holders on each door, doesn't mean it's quality is better.

I do like the CJ Cruiser but it gets below average reviews overall.

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There are a LOT of Honda and Toyota owners out there who would STRONGLY disagree with your assessment of those automakers' quality.

I don't think the Jeep has the room I'm looking for, but I have always liked the Jeeps (CJ's and Wranglers).
As for the quality, I work for a company with a heritage based on quality and durability, and I also see product problems, no brand is immune from them --- like I often say, humans build them...
I have had only one (minor) warranty type issue with my Avalanche, in almost 6 years of ownership and 85,000+ miles. It has been a great vehicle, and is a testament to the quality that American carmakers are capable of. We also had a Honda accord (Japan built) that went over 350K miles, with only clutch replacements and maybe one alternator (until the air conditioner developed a leak when car was about 11 years old). There are fantastic stories and bummer stories from every brand. I do like the trending reports that Consumer Reports puts out, but they serve no value for new models.

I have concern about rear visibility with FJ Cruiser, too, but my Avalanche isn't exactly the best for rear visibility, either.

I have yet to test drive one of these FJ Cruisers, but I'll also post my impressions once I have driven one.

One thing everyone on this site will appreciate --- the FJ Cruiser forum has this thread posted for their "best mod ever" :
http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/foru...cussion/26877-absolute-best-upgrade-date.html

LouT said:

I don't think the Jeep has the room I'm looking for, but I have always liked the Jeeps (CJ's and Wranglers)

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Unlimited 4 door...

KBrew75 said:

I personally would stay away from Honda and Toyota. Several of my friends have Honda's and Toyota's and they have nothing but problems with them. They are always in the shop for something and are all relatively new. Plus the parts cost a lot more.

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My wife has a Rav4. Her sister has a Civic. Both pretty new. Neither have had any significant problems. The only thing that has gone "wrong" with the Rav4 during the 50,000 miles she's traveled in it so far was the check engine light came on because the oxygen sensor was adjusted incorrectly. But if your friends have new Hondas and Toyotas that are "always in the shop", I'd venture to say that they have lemons.

A lot of the car manufacturers still have that cloud over their heads because many years ago, their quality was not that great. Sure, Toyota owners report 1.79 problems per car and Chevy owners report 2.41. For all we know that could have been 1.79 blown Toyota Engines and 2.41 broken Chevy sun visors.

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Except that Consumer Reports goes into more depth than that, and they also rate Honda and Toyota near the top of the heap (as well as their luxury lines, Acura and Lexus), while most American cars never make it into the top ten anymore. Even though reliability is getting better, it's still not nearly as good as the top Japanese cars. So, I could believe the firsthand experience of my wife and her sister, coupled with the rigorous investigation by Consumer Reports...or I could go by your friends' supposed problems. Let's see...:cross:

the_bird said:

There are a LOT of Honda and Toyota owners out there who would STRONGLY disagree with your assessment of those automakers' quality.

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We are on our second Toyota Sienna (first one was totaled unfortunately). Toyota knows how to make a solid vehicle. My father owns one of their trucks and says it is the best truck he has ever owned. The very last thing I am worried about with our Sienna is mechanical breakdown.

That all being said, if it were a first generation Chevy I'd pass. (In fact we bought a Malibu when they reintroduced the line...BIG mistake). But Toyota...no worries there.

I have a Jeep Liberty and would strongly suggest not getting one. Jeep has the worst customer service I've ever had. My biggest beefs are:

1) They never provide loaner cars. Every dealer/repair shop except the Jeep ones have provided loaner cars without a problem. They don't even provide loaners for the numerous recall items I've had to deal with.

2) When ever anything goes wrong the dealers blame corporate and then corporate blames dealers. You can't get anywhere with these idiots.

3) Quality stinks. My Liberty has been in the shop size times for over three weeks total time. And this is with consolidating some of the repairs.

Stick with the Japanese cars.

The four door is sweet, OIIIIIO, but I am worried about what Bass Burner said. Also think that Jeep may ride rougher. Can you still hose them out inside? I think (don't know yet) the new FJ Cruiser is like the old Jeeps in that respect, hose out with rubber floor and drains...
Anyone here even "know a guy" with an FJ Cruiser?

I tink you should check the FJ's out. It seems to be a throwback to the the old Land Cruiser. I'd be curious about them for comparative reasons. I'll address BassBurners Q's.

IIRC the Liberty is a 1.0 product, so above posts about that apply.

BassBurner said:

1) They never provide loaner cars. Every dealer/repair shop except the Jeep ones have provided loaner cars without a problem. They don't even provide loaners for the numerous recall items I've had to deal with.

2) When ever anything goes wrong the dealers blame corporate and then corporate blames dealers. You can't get anywhere with these idiots.

3) Quality stinks. My Liberty has been in the shop size times for over three weeks total time. And this is with consolidating some of the repairs.

Stick with the Japanese cars.

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With respect to my 03 Rubicon...
1) Never had to have a loaner, because it's never been in the shop. Not all dealers provide loaners. It's not a given for a car in this price category.

2) Never even dealt with the dealership. I bought mine through a broker.

3) Never been in the shop.

I will say one thing though, my Jeep eats tires.


I've only hosed out the 03 once and the 91 I used to have 3-4 times. It's a PITA even with the drain holes.

Don't know much about them, but here's what Consumer Reports had to say:

The FJ's styling echoes the rugged early FJ40 Land Cruisers. While its off-road prowess is superb, the FJ is full of compromises. Visibility is horrendous, and the rear-hinged rear doors provide poor cabin access and are difficult to close. The FJ has clumsy handling and can be disconcerting at its limits, although the standard stability control keeps it secure enough. The ride is compliant but jiggly. The V6 powertrain is smooth and punchy, and reliability has been top-notch in its first year. Crash-test results are excellent. However, the FJ scores too low in our testing to be recommended.

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Wow. I never drove one and it looks like I could have written that review.

What are you looking for in a vehicle? I *LOVE* my Honda Element, it's not too far out of the vein of the FJ. It's ugly but uber-utilitarian, tons and tons and tons of space inside, far more than any other vehicle with a similar footprint. Good milage, all wheel drive, very comfortable for me on long trips. Might be worth a test drive. It's been around long enough where you can find used ones, now. Mine's an '04 with almost 50k miles - and not a single problem (yet ).

I like the unique factor - something kind of eye-catching, and versatility, room for me (6'2"), SWMBO, 2 kids (boys 14 & 10) that are getting big and need room, possible room for dog and luggage for weekend trips to VT (inlaws). Prefer decent comfort & convenience features and a nice ride yet decent and safe handling. Want side airbags and side curtains for safety. Decent fuel mileage would be a plus. Ability to tow or haul larger items is also important.
Jeez, reading all of that is making me think I need another Avalanche. But I'm not enamored with the new prices, so much that was standard on mine has become an option, that to equip one at least as nice as I have now it will sticker at $49K which is way more than I want or need to spend on a vehicle.

I guess thinking this out I may just need to do the full blown detailing thing on my Avalanche and go through her front-back mechanically and run her for another 4-5 years...

You've all given me great food for thought. I'm a bit surprised nobody on here actually has one of these FJs. I still may take one for a test drive to see how I like it...

I think the FJ is cool looking, but I've never been in one and I don't see a ton of them around. Take it for a spin and see - you know the quality will be there, so if it "fits" when you drive it, I'd go ahead and get that. The Elm is probably a bit small for you, it was just a thought. But, definately an FJ over a generic-SUV.

The last FJ's I had were 2 FJ40's(1971,78) and a FJ55(1971). Don't think there is much in common though....

One of my buddies has one. I've only been in it a few times and being a German car enthusiast i should be hating it. Hell, that thing is cool though. He hasn't had any problems with it and he lifted it + big tires and some blacked out rims (the car is black) and i will tell you what, it's a mean SOB. I'm also fairly tall, 6 foot and my friend is a bit taller and we fit fine and don't have visibility issues any worse than any other big rig i've driven. The engine is decent, not a ton of power, but enough to move you around. Not entirely sure you could tow, never tried so can't give you any solution there. Other than that, to me it's one of those unique cars that has quirkiness over usability. That's me though, why go with budweiser when there are a other great beers out there right? An explorer to me is BMC while the FJ is a Full Sail Amber -- it's good and there are things wrong with it, but hell i'll always take it over BMC.

Oh, and my girlfriend gave me a fj last night

Klainmeister said:

Oh, and my girlfriend gave me a fj last night

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I hope the first word in that isn't "fist"

"What's a "ZJ"?"

"If you have to ask you can't afford it"

-Beerfest-

My mom owns an FJ and she loves it. The doors kinda leave something to be desired, as they're batwing doors (the front and back doors lock in together) I love driving it. It's got a lot of kick to it, and they can two their T@B trailer with no problems at all. The rear visibility is limited, and I guess they must have known that in it's design because it has a proximity alarm built into the back. basically, the closer you are backing in to something ,the faster and louder this beeping goes.

The floor is all tough rubber, and it can be hosed out. And they have, actually, since they have dogs that like to get carsick. I dunno what that review that Orpheus posted means by the rear access door provides poor cabin entry. It's a rear door. it's supposed to be there for putting stuff in the back! It is kinda disconcerting to drive at first because it's a high profile vehicle.

If you need to do any offroading on a day to day basis I recommend it.

I do like the triple wiper blades on the front windshield too

They actually have hosed it out? It sounds like the Elm in some regards (I've got the "suicide doors" too), and everyone thinks the Elm's floor can be hosed out but there's actually a crapload of electronics underboard that would get ****ered if you did.

Yanos said:

"What's a "ZJ"?"

"If you have to ask you can't afford it"

-Beerfest-

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I still say you have a really good looking APBT (your avator, I'm assuming is your dog)!

Klainmeister said:

Other than that, to me it's one of those unique cars that has quirkiness over usability. That's me though, why go with budweiser when there are a other great beers out there right? An explorer to me is BMC while the FJ is a Full Sail Amber -- it's good and there are things wrong with it, but hell i'll always take it over BMC.

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Yup, that's along the lines I'm thinking...
And thanks for the non-owner review, good to have since you're not "in love" with the vehicle like an owner would be.

eviltwinofjoni said:

My mom owns an FJ and she loves it. The doors kinda leave something to be desired, as they're batwing doors (the front and back doors lock in together) I love driving it. It's got a lot of kick to it, and they can two their T@B trailer with no problems at all. The rear visibility is limited, and I guess they must have known that in it's design because it has a proximity alarm built into the back. basically, the closer you are backing in to something ,the faster and louder this beeping goes.

The floor is all tough rubber, and it can be hosed out. And they have, actually, since they have dogs that like to get carsick. I dunno what that review that Orpheus posted means by the rear access door provides poor cabin entry. It's a rear door. it's supposed to be there for putting stuff in the back! It is kinda disconcerting to drive at first because it's a high profile vehicle.

If you need to do any offroading on a day to day basis I recommend it.

I do like the triple wiper blades on the front windshield too

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Thank you, too, for the non-owner review. I didn't notice the triple wiper blades. I have heard that about 1/3 of the FJ's sold have experienced windshield damage, and it's based on the steep angle of the windshield, etc. If your mom's isn't broken yet, there's some type of aftermarket shield that comes highly recommended.

I think the proximity sensor sounds useful, as long as it can detect bicycles, kids, etc...

Been travelling this week for work, still haven't test driven one of these!!!