Be honest, do you like the FJ Cruiser.......

Zack1978 · 02-17-09, 04:14 PM

Hi everyone,
I found a good deal on a new 08 FJ Cruiser, and I am on the fence about it. So be honest, what do you truly think of your FJ Cruiser? If you had to do it over again, would you? Likes and dislikes?

Thanks,
Zack

Dawg13 · 02-17-09, 04:23 PM

Owned a 08 FJ for a year and like it. Have had it some mild situations and have not got it stuck or rolled it yet. Have winched out others but have not really put it to the test. Still think I need something like a 40 for serious 4 wheeling. Use the FJ for traveling/four wheeling at the same time.

Corey · 02-17-09, 05:09 PM

The FJ Cruiser is hands down the best rig I have ever owned in my entire life.
Not my first Toyota either, it is my 4th.

I have no dislikes.
The 4.0 V6 is powerful, and I do not have a problem seeing out of like some state that say there are blind spots.

Rubber floor, no carpet, no leather seats, perfect combo for off road/camping.

BEE-JAY42 · 02-17-09, 05:10 PM

This won't help you make your choice but I must say I love the FJ Cruiser and I am jealous/pissed as hell that Toyota never made them in R/H drive.

joebob2586 · 02-17-09, 06:28 PM

For what the FJ Cruiser is its an awesome vehicle...its reliable and you can drive it to your wheeling spot, play around, in comfort, and drive it home. However it is a big box so gas mileage isnt that great, but truely in an 4x4 it wont be. It also isnt really a rock rig so if you plan on climbin rocks be ready to dump a lot of money into it...Ive had mine for a little under two years and I love it...you just have to look and see if it fits your needs and your type of wheeling...

1911 · 02-17-09, 06:41 PM

I agree with the other posters that for what it is, it is a great truck, but it is a compromise. The great thing about it is, you can drive to the trail head in quiet, cool comfort at 80 mph and still have a capable 4wd when you get there. Makes a great DD too. It can be built into a very capable wheeling truck; there is already a large aftermarket of lockers, transfer cases and crawl boxes, solid axles, gears, armor, and etc. but if your goal is an ultimate rock crawler you would probably start out with something smaller and cheaper.

Gumby · 02-17-09, 07:27 PM

To be honest - No.

I fought tooth and nail all the haters who had never driven one or would ever consider a vehicle built in the last 10 years. It's the best we could have reasonably expected Toyota to build. We asked for a lot of stuff they knew didn't sell all that well and they gave us most of it.

The wife really liked it and we bought one.

After two years I don't like very much of it at all. It's a cave. It only has two windows that open. Making them 48 inches long doesn't make it better. It buffets like crazy unless you open both windows. The sills are too high. The windshield is too far away. The overhang makes it so you can't see the traffic lights unless you're 200 yards back from the stop line. We've cracked the w/s three times already. The doors are so huge you can't park in a normal parking spot without holding the door half closed. Then you have to do this stupid dance to try to hold that door while opening the useless half doors that swing all the way open by themselves. Then you're trapped.

My wife bought it for the dogs. The plastic back and big back door would be good for our big dogs. They hate it. No air, no windows and no traction. They LOVE my CM Tundra.

The windshield seems always filthy. We go through a gallon of wiper fluid a week. The oil filter location is retarded. The rear window size and lack of vent is way past retarded. Want to talk about the rear lights or the plastic bumperette things?

And mine doesn't have any inner fender cracking issues.

It does off road well and it does have all those things we asked for; short wheel base, short overhangs, great off road manners, old school styling (albeit "influenced" rather than real good looks)

All that being said the wife really does like it and she spends 12-15 hours a week in it. We've got almost 50,000 miles on it and it's never been to the dealer. (The Tundra needs to go in for the 4th time in 19,000 miles for its 3rd bumper.) The drive train is excellent. It gets pretty OK mileage for a brick.

If I had to do it again I'd get that all that in a 4Runner.

As for a great out of the box wheeler - I've owned and wheeled the wee out of an 80 series. The FJC is no 80 series.

knoll0351 · 02-17-09, 07:28 PM

I Love my FJC!!! For a mall cruiser definately not! But if you intend to wheel it then buy one! If I had it to do over again I wouldn't have ordered one and paid full sticker to be upside down so much now, but don't regret the purchase at all. It rides so well on pavement, and even better once you've left the highway. Comfortable for the whole family and roomy enough for all of our gear. Even has plenty of power to pull our offroad trailer to our destination when we decide to load heavy! I can't say enough about how much we all enjoy this rig. For the money I've got into mine I may have bought an 80 and put some money into it, but at the prices of today...hands down buy one, if you intend to wheel it.

It will never be as capable as a 40 or other smaller rig, but for a family or comfortable ride it blows the competition out of the water.

Gumby · 02-17-09, 08:36 PM

Am I banned on the blue board yet?

outinthewoods · 02-17-09, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby

To be honest - No.

I fought tooth and nail all the haters who had never driven one or would ever consider a vehicle built in the last 10 years. It's the best we could have reasonably expected Toyota to build. We asked for a lot of stuff they knew didn't sell all that well and they gave us most of it.

The wife really liked it and we bought one.

After two years I don't like very much of it at all. It's a cave. It only has two windows that open. Making them 48 inches long doesn't make it better. It buffets like crazy unless you open both windows. The sills are too high. The windshield is too far away. The overhang makes it so you can't see the traffic lights unless you're 200 yards back from the stop line. We've cracked the w/s three times already. The doors are so huge you can't park in a normal parking spot without holding the door half closed. Then you have to do this stupid dance to try to hold that door while opening the useless half doors that swing all the way open by themselves. Then you're trapped.

My wife bought it for the dogs. The plastic back and big back door would be good for our big dogs. They hate it. No air, no windows and no traction. They LOVE my CM Tundra.

The windshield seems always filthy. We go through a gallon of wiper fluid a week. The oil filter location is retarded. The rear window size and lack of vent is way past retarded. Want to talk about the rear lights or the plastic bumperette things?

And mine doesn't have any inner fender cracking issues.

It does off road well and it does have all those things we asked for; short wheel base, short overhangs, great off road manners, old school styling (albeit "influenced" rather than real good looks)

All that being said the wife really does like it and she spends 12-15 hours a week in it. We've got almost 50,000 miles on it and it's never been to the dealer. (The Tundra needs to go in for the 4th time in 19,000 miles for its 3rd bumper.) The drive train is excellent. It gets pretty OK mileage for a brick.

If I had to do it again I'd get that all that in a 4Runner.

As for a great out of the box wheeler - I've owned and wheeled the wee out of an 80 series. The FJC is no 80 series.

ha ha ha this is great. Seriously. I love how eloquently you pointed out the retardedness of the design. I could'nt agree more (except for the 4runner comment)

I have had my FJC for a couple of years, and have mod'd the crap out of it, it's no 80 series sure, but it's one dam fine Toyota. I have put it through the ringer (and have the dents to prove it) It takes everything the trails throw at it, handles the highway too, holds all our gear, our dogs (I made a little window clip for the rear window out of a carabiner so i could keep the window open about an inch for air) and has no carpet to get stained.
Real sport UTILITY trucks are hard to come by these days.
kudos to Toyota.

I try to celebrate the weirdness of it, even though some days I'd rather have a normal windshield.

BigyellowFJ · 02-17-09, 10:57 PM

We have had ours 2 1/2 years and we love it still, no reservations. We look for reasons to drive the FJ and it still makes us smile. Its fun to drive and its at home on pavement as much as it is on dirt. We have done sand, rocks, dirt, mountains and desert and it has never let us down. We do feel the best things you can do is replace the bumpers and skid plates. Everything else is personal taste and use that dictates other mods. Its not a 40 in the off road but again its great not to be a 40 on highway and city. It can get 20 mpg but some wish for better. Its a square 4x4, so expect mpgs for what it is. We feel Toyota built the best all around vehicle in today's standards that they could. There is nothing out there that would make us trade the FJ in for.

lgrt · 02-17-09, 11:27 PM

do it again... Yup... but it is not for everyone. Everything above good and bad are true. Of course I drove a 65 bus for years... that's a brick... and I'm just happy to have a rig that starts every time, head lights that shine more than 10 feet and roll down window :-)

good luck selecting a rig right for you.

BoondockSaint03 · 02-18-09, 12:25 PM

I loved my FJ it was more comfortable than a heep and pretty capable off road but with a baby on the way the wife wanted something more accessable. We ended up trading it in on an 08 AWD Highlander. Obviously the Highlander was not purchased for off-road capablility but comfort and 3 rows of seating. Now in retrospect i wish that i would have known that i could've gotten a really nice used FJ80 for 5-9K and used what was left over from selling the FJ to mod the hell out of an FJ80

pman · 02-18-09, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outinthewoods

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby

To be honest - No.

I fought tooth and nail all the haters who had never driven one or would ever consider a vehicle built in the last 10 years. It's the best we could have reasonably expected Toyota to build. We asked for a lot of stuff they knew didn't sell all that well and they gave us most of it.

The wife really liked it and we bought one.

After two years I don't like very much of it at all. It's a cave. It only has two windows that open. Making them 48 inches long doesn't make it better. It buffets like crazy unless you open both windows. The sills are too high. The windshield is too far away. The overhang makes it so you can't see the traffic lights unless you're 200 yards back from the stop line. We've cracked the w/s three times already. The doors are so huge you can't park in a normal parking spot without holding the door half closed. Then you have to do this stupid dance to try to hold that door while opening the useless half doors that swing all the way open by themselves. Then you're trapped.

My wife bought it for the dogs. The plastic back and big back door would be good for our big dogs. They hate it. No air, no windows and no traction. They LOVE my CM Tundra.

The windshield seems always filthy. We go through a gallon of wiper fluid a week. The oil filter location is retarded. The rear window size and lack of vent is way past retarded. Want to talk about the rear lights or the plastic bumperette things?

And mine doesn't have any inner fender cracking issues.

It does off road well and it does have all those things we asked for; short wheel base, short overhangs, great off road manners, old school styling (albeit "influenced" rather than real good looks)

All that being said the wife really does like it and she spends 12-15 hours a week in it. We've got almost 50,000 miles on it and it's never been to the dealer. (The Tundra needs to go in for the 4th time in 19,000 miles for its 3rd bumper.) The drive train is excellent. It gets pretty OK mileage for a brick.

If I had to do it again I'd get that all that in a 4Runner.

As for a great out of the box wheeler - I've owned and wheeled the wee out of an 80 series. The FJC is no 80 series.

ha ha ha this is great. Seriously. I love how eloquently you pointed out the retardedness of the design. I could'nt agree more (except for the 4runner comment)

I have had my FJC for a couple of years, and have mod'd the **** out of it, it's no 80 series sure, but it's one dam fine Toyota. I have put it through the ringer (and have the dents to prove it) It takes everything the trails throw at it, handles the highway too, holds all our gear, our dogs (I made a little window clip for the rear window out of a carabiner so i could keep the window open about an inch for air) and has no carpet to get stained.
Real sport UTILITY trucks are hard to come by these days.
kudos to Toyota.

I try to celebrate the weirdness of it, even though some days I'd rather have a normal windshield.

I don't own an FJC, but have spent A LOT of time in them (my best friend has one).
For what the FJC is, its very capable, not the best, but good. It is a very good compromise between on road comfort and off road capability, although I still think 80 series suspension up front would not have killed anyone. It is definitely NOT the best that they could or do make, its just the best we could expect to get in NA.

To me, the FJC is what I call "pulling a GM" (my apologies any GM fans, I don't like GM). They took something they already made (120/4runner platform), chopped it, and put a different body on it. This is very similar to what GM did with the H2 and H3. What bothers me most the about it is, they could have done it with the 70 series platform, which they still make and sell everywhere else in the world

Its a great car, but if your concerned about any of the quirkiness that comes with it, get a 4Runner. Its the exact same thing underneath, just with a 3in longer wheelbase.

PLUS you can a 4Runner with a V8

steande · 02-18-09, 10:51 PM

I would buy an FJ again. It does have it's quirks (small windshield, big doors and only 2 windows that roll down), but for as little as I drive and for my types of recreation (hunting, camping, wheeling, snowshoeing) it is perfect. My dog and I can track mud all over the inside and just hose it out when we get home. It does great off-road and with the added winch, I am confident that I can get into and back out of most places. If you want some luxury and creature features this truck is not for you. If you want Toyota quality in a mostly bare bones package then go see our local dealer.

eventhough · 02-19-09, 07:49 AM

I might buy one again.

Pros:
Styling
Wheelbase
Fairly capable off road
Fun to drive
My wife likes it (at least she says she does)

Cons:
Rear visibility
Weak diffs
Fender cracks
Windshield speckling
Rear windows don't open
Toyota's handling of the fender cracks

I think most of the cons could be pretty easily fixed. The weak diffs and fender cracks are supposedly fixed on the newer models. I would say the weak diffs issue is but I don't know about the fender cracks - problems are still reported.

adso · 02-19-09, 08:18 AM

Yeah, I'd do it again. I vowed I would never give up on my FJ62, but after spending months trying to find a vacuum switch for the transfer box, I really appreciate a vehicle that has parts easily available. Not that I've needed any for the FJC. It has been no trouble at all. I don't wear myself out driving on the freeway getting to the trails. I got stuck in a mudhole once. But beyond that, it has gone everywhere I have pointed it. I unwind and rewind the winch just to make sure it still works, but I haven't needed it except to help other people when it gets icy around here (there weren't any trees around the mudhole). Yes, you have to be careful backing up because you can't see anything behind the back door "window". You can't see traffic lights. You can't fit a 4' X 8' sheet of plywood in the back. You adjust.

It's quirky, but I don't think there is a better compromise of DD versus offroad capability out there.

NYCTRD · 02-19-09, 11:45 AM

I love it overall.
No problems with windshield (yet!), can deal w/ cumbersome doors, visibility, etc.
The ONLY general comment I have, could be said about any manufacturer:

I wish the FJ's were still a little "over-built". Of course, we'd have to pay more, but SLIGHTLY thicker sheet metal, stronger IFS components, frame, slightly thinker/less "soft" plastics, etc. would be nice.

knoll0351 · 02-19-09, 01:50 PM

I defininately have had my share of windshield pits....11 to be exact, but I'm still on the first windshield. None have ran nor are they in the way of my vision so.....

beaufort-fj60 · 02-19-09, 02:13 PM

Zack, get a 4runner... I love mine

NYCTRD · 02-20-09, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beaufort-fj60

Zack, get a 4runner... I love mine

I'm a BIG guy (280#'s 6' 2" tall).

I LOVE the headroom in the FJ--The 4 runners seem a LOT tighter...Is this so?

Gumby · 02-20-09, 02:10 PM

My third gen was very tight on the headroom. Much tighter than the Echo we traded it for.

daddybear · 02-20-09, 09:58 PM

I have had my FJ sine early 07. I live in colorado and use it pretty hard. The only problem I have with is that it does not have enough clearence on the front end without modification. It has never really been a problem but 3 more inches would be better. It does not have enought clearence for tire chains on the A arm clearence. I use chains on mine sever times in the winter and in hunting season and if you dont have your chains on the inside real tight then hit the a arm.

Lemony · 02-20-09, 11:22 PM

I like it,
wife hates it,
kids hate it,
2 of the 3 people who had FJ's that helped talk me into buying it no longer have FJ's, the 3rd hasn't even been on the lawn, real high mileage but 0 offroad.
toyota hates me,
2 (3 if you count toyota) for and 7 against if its a democracy the FJ loses.

would I buy it again, no most likely not. 4 door taco or Rubicon
Its my 3rd FJ first two were 40's.

Josh83 · 02-21-09, 08:56 PM

I love it. Would I buy it again? I don't know. A bigger vehicle really fits my lifestyle better.

Michael Hanson · 02-21-09, 09:06 PM

The top wont come off,bad blind spots,excellent mechanicals.I dont like it.

Corey · 02-22-09, 05:10 AM

Me thinks this question was aimed at those of us who actually own and drive an FJ Cruiser on a daily basis.

I see some though who are posting that do not own one or may have never even driven one.

holmanm · 02-22-09, 05:10 PM

I love my FJC. About the blind spots. As long as you put bubble mirrors on the properly adjusted side mirrors, a Fresnel lens in the back window, a Fresnel lens strip on the top of the windshield (too see traffic lights while stopped), have a neck that lets your head rotate and train yourself to look around the a-pillars, then you can see everything you need to (for street driving, not necessarily rock-crawling).

I don't have a family so the occasional niece or nephew, with or without car seat, getting in and out of the back seat is fine for me. I could see it getting old on a daily basis. But I went from a 89 Bronco II and 97 Mustang Cobra so it's actually easier than either of those.

The only negative I haven't been able to fix, and it's a small one, the rear view mirror doesn't have the double swivel joint like every other vehicle I have owned has. I'm 6' 5" and like my rear view mirror to be as high as possible so I can see at a slight downward angle out the back and so I can see out the middle of the windshield better. I hate when I see people driving with stuff hanging from the rear view mirror. But keep in mind this comes from a guy that drives with all the displays shown previous pictures, so to each there own.

Overall, I think it's very well built. A lot more off-road capable than I will ever need. I can live with 20 mpg for the kind of vehicle it is. No need to use the high octane gas like Toyota recomends.

Gumby · 02-22-09, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holmanm

No need to use the high octane gas like Toyota recomends.

The wife sees about 40 miles more per tank on mid grade than on regular.

When she puts regular in it she spends about $2 a tank more than when she puts mid-grade in.

The motor's not going to be hurt by putting regular in, but it doesn't make any sense to. Penny wise, pound foolish.

holmanm · 02-22-09, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby

The wife sees about 40 miles more per tank on mid grade than on regular.

When she puts regular in it she spends about $2 a tank more than when she puts mid-grade in.

The motor's not going to be hurt by putting regular in, but it doesn't make any sense to. Penny wise, pound foolish.

I am definitely not doubting you or your wife's findings because I know every person and every vehicle is different but in my case, there is a gas station in town that charges the same price for 87 and 89 octane gas and even when I run several tanks in a row of 89 I still get 21 mpg highway and 18 mpg city (actually town, 2000 pop.) I use a program on my PPC phone that tracks my mileage on every fill up.

Maybe I should ask them why it's the same price. Maybe it's not really 89 octane. They moved to a new location about 1/2 a year ago and started doing this, I figured it was just a promotional thing and they would stop after a couple months.

I don't understand how it costs $2 a tank more for regular. Around here regular is usually $.10 less than mid-grade so it should cost $1.50 less per 15 gallons. A tank is x number of gallons no matter how much your mileage is. She should be spending about $2 a tank less for regular but having to fill up 40 miles sooner. Which means she is saving a little over $1 per 300 miles using mid-grade. Of course if your "gas price to grade difference" is more than 1.61/.10 she would save more.