FJ as a Daily Driver?

[Tuono]

Do any of you drive your FJ everyday? Is it comfortable in that kind of enviroment? Is it nice to drive in traffic?

I work for a dealership and we took an 07 FJ in on trade. it has just under 6k miles, man. tranny. Its the maroon color with roof rack and the plain black wheels. I can buy it with my discount for $24,350. The book on it is over $30k. It will be my wifes daily driver, though and im wondering if it will be nice for her?? She loves them and has wanted one forever.

 

[firetruck41]

That's what 90% of people buy 'em for, they'll never take them off road (I'm not saying the other 10% can't have fun with them off road).

 

[back9]

I use mine everyday. A typical day I can put up to 100 miles on it.

The only problem is with my steering. It is out of control. I have talked with the dealer about it and they told me that there is nothing wrong.

The problem I am having is that everytime I drive by a dirt trail my truck jumps off the road, splashes in the mud then climbs any hill it can find. It has really become a problem because it can often make me run late for my appointments.

 

[Martin White]

Several people I work with use the FJ as a DD. They all love them. None of them offroads at all. The only thing is the fuel economy sucks, but none of them seems to care at all.

 

[Blues Dawg]

I use mine as my DD, and my modded offroad rig. I love it! Only problem I have is suicide doors in parking lots create a clam shell when parrked alongside others...

 

[LandCrusher'70]

The only problem is with my steering. It is out of control. I have talked with the dealer about it and they told me that there is nothing wrong.

The problem I am having is that everytime I drive by a dirt trail my truck jumps off the road, splashes in the mud then climbs any hill it can find. It has really become a problem because it can often make me run late for my appointments.

I have the same problem.

Dont'cha luvit?

 

[MudHunter]

I put my wife in one as a DD as well. She loves it. Its her first auto trans...and she wont go back now. We have a lift, 12,000 miles, and not a problem. We wheel it also, pretty heavily, and I trust it to get her home safely each day.

For that price...and the manual tranny....I'd jump on it personally!

 

[eli1]

I have the 6MT version and it's a Great vehicle. If she doesn't mind a manual transmission then She just may Love it. Full time 4 wheel drive is not going to help in the gas mileage (unless She can keep it below 60 mph in 6th gear maybe) though. I worry about the gas mileage (when I look at My budget) but I love the full time 4wheel drive,Atrac, etc. and plan on adding even lower gearing. It never ends

 

[FirstToy]

If it's going to be your wife's daily, you might also consider getting the 4Runner swaybars and swapping them in. They are thicker and will help the on-road cornering.

sounds like a good deal!

 

[FJ BODY RMR]

I have used mine as a daily driver since I bought in a little over a year ago. In December I changed jobs that requires me to use it as my work vehicle as well. Thanks god my company reimburses at a very generous mileage rate, when I started the job I was right at 8k miles. As of the end of this week I was at 39,200 miles. Yes, in just about a year I am out of the bumper to bumper warranty.

I enjoy driving it. I get a lot of looks and comments at stop lights. I have the same complaint as above regarding the clamshell effect when parked in a lot. I would like to see a model with 4 full doors in the future. I don't really notice any excessive road noise when driving but several people have asked if I had my window down when I was talking with them on the phone.

I usually trade vehicles every two years or 40k miles, but I think I will be keeping this one for at least 3 years or 150k miles.

 

[TomasMas]

Mine is a daily driver and I love it. I do a fair amount of challenging off-roading too and for me its the perfect vehicle. Fun to drive on and off road, easy to park. While I like the uniqueness of the suicide door since its angled and weighted down my six year old has let the latch fly and the door drops like a bomber bay door and I pray there is enough clearance not to ram the car in the next spot.
Still I wouldn't trade it for anything!

 

[kiskat23]

I am over 40K in a little over a year. Clamshell & mileage stink but, I love it and can't help looking at it in a window whenever I am driving by one.

 

[Mark W]

Do any of you drive your FJ everyday? Is it comfortable in that kind of enviroment? Is it nice to drive in traffic?

Why would people buy them if not as daily drivers????


Mark...

 

[ksheffield]

Spent FJ's first birthday wheeling with a couple of club members in the Nevada outback. It was great to get off the road and on a trail, push my knowledge of what this rig can do. I've put 23,000 miles on it and have loved driving every one of them whether as a daily driver commuting to work or on the trail.

Yes, the clamshell effect can be inconvenient, but there are more important things for me to worry about — like getting out of the parking lot into some dirt. I've noticed better gas milieage now that it has almost 25,000 miles.

Thought I'd miss the cargo space my previous Dodge Ram 1500 truckbed had, but not so. I can secure all my gear — road bicycle, backpacks, camping gear, oversized duffel, cooler bag, and road trip.

It will be winter soon enough here, and I've never had more confidence in another vehicle than I have with the FJ. I learned to drive in the snow with 2WD, so I'm pretty cautious. Have to be when you get tourists who are timid with their 2WDs or over confident with their Escalades.

As for passenger room, small people in back. Unless of course Salma Hayek needs a ride, then those poor passengers will have to find alternate transpo.

 

[Niner]

I've had mine for 2 1/2 weeks now and put on 2500 miles. (I use it for all of my sales/ service calls) love the cargo room and the comfort. I expect to be out of warrenty by about 9 months of ownership. I recommend one for a DD.

 

[Stinkyfinger]

I have had mine now for 11 months and have put almost 26,000 miles on it and I love it more now then when I first bought it. Despite the lift kit and the 34" mud tires it drives so smooth down the highway it makes commuting all week enjoyable. I actually traded in a 4runner limited for the fj and to my surprise I find the fj to be more comfortable especially on really long trips.

Recently I dropped my FJ off at the dealership to get some work down and they gave me a camery for a rental for two days. Years ago I use to own a camery and loved it, but now after owning the FJ, I was so unhappy in it. I felt like I was dragging on the ground because of how low it sat and I felt so claustrophobic in it because how close the windshield felt. It took me about a week before I got use to how far away the Fjs windshield is when I first got it. Now I've realized I gotten so use to it I can't drive anything else because of this.

So I do love the FJ as a daily drive because how nice it drives, but also now because I don't have a choice, I can't stand driving anything else

 

[DC Cruiser]

Got our FJ 3 weeks ago. Purchased it as a DD for my wife and a weekend warrior vehicle hopefully in the future. First 2 weeks we put on over 3,ooo KM's on the highway driving to Edmonton and back several times. The FJ totally blew us away the way it handles and rides on the highway as well as power. Awesome. Its very civilized as a DD as well as a great off-roader. The ol FJ 40 heritage is there under that new glitzy skin. LOVE IT.