THE ALL NEW LAND CRUISER....

[M1911]

In 3 years have opened my sunroof 2 times

On hot days, I will tilt up the sunroof when I park, to try to reduce the heat buildup. But that is about it. I rarely use my sunroof.

In fact, I almost always have the shade closed. Sun through the moonroof just adds glare, and closing the moonroof cover reduces cabin noise slightly.

The Land Cruiser is already an overweight pig. The last thing I want is a pano roof, which would add additional weight up high to an already top-heavy vehicle.

 

[T4Runner]

Had it been available without the sunroof, backseat ceiling mounted entertainment and leather I’d have gotten it. But if they’re going to force a sunroof on me I want the front and rear passengers to see the universe through it.

That said, I rarely use the one I’ve got. The shade stays closed 99% of the time. Mostly gets opened so my son can watch the LED light show in the car wash.

The “moon roof” or whatever it was called I had in my former ‘87 Tercel wagon was pointless as it was a solid panel. So I guess it could be worse...

 

[onemanarmy]

This^^^

As an MBA I can say that this is how large companies operate. They segment the market (so as to avoid cannibalizing other segment sales) and then go after the estimated segment by designing a product to fit.

I don't know what segment the FJC was targeted at, but Toyota did the math and probably determined that a SFA would only steal market from the 4Runner segment and decided that the "I want the FJ history and 40/60-series looks" crowd was a much larger and available segment and that is who they went after.

but it did neither.

not (over)built on a Cruiser platform, and doesn't look like a 40/60/anything with rich history and heritage.

They sold due to looking different from anything on the road and having a manual trans option. Otherwise they are just a horribly designed 4runner with round headlights. Toyota could have given us a V6/manual trans, manual T case 'off road' 4 runner and done better.

 

[linuxgod]

It did exactly what Toyota wanted it to do at the time - steal market share from the Hummer H3 and Nissan Xterra without significantly cannibalizing competing Toyota vehicles like the 4Runner, and it avoided LC buyers moving down-market to a cheaper vehicle by keeping the FJC less capable:

Year FJC H3 4R X
2005 N/A 33,140 103,830 72,447
2006 56,225 54,052 103,086 62,325
2007 55,170 43,430 87,718 51,355
2008 28,668 21,373 47,878 33,579
2009 11,941 7,533 19,675 16,455
2010 14,959 3,661 46,531 20,523
2011 13,541 N/A 44,316 18,221
2012 13,655 N/A 48,753 17,222
2013 13,131 N/A 48,735 17,766
2014 11,726 N/A N/A 16,505
2015 229 N/A N/A 10,672

Marketing-wise, when the FJC was introduced, Toyota said they were trying to show what the FJ would have become if it had continued today (rather than become the 80/100/200 platform). That's evident in the front grill, which looks reminiscent of the FJ40 (and the 60, but not the 62 which had rectangular headlights), as well as the white roof, aggressive roof rack, etc. I'd counter that it does in fact look like a (rather bloated) FJ40/FJ45. In truth Toyota's "market" wasn't the FJ40 crowd but the "I want an aggressive-looking truck" crowd who liked the tougher/weirder/flamboyant (take your pick) styling of the H3, Xterra, etc.

I disagree about the 4Runner. Toyota used to offer a manual in the 4Runner (albeit I believe only in the 4cyl version) and they dropped it at the end of the 3rd gen because it didn't sell. There are a few hard core enthusiasts who'd buy a V-6 4Runner with a manual just like there are a few of us that would buy a stripped down 200-series GX in the US, but overall the market is just too small to warrant producing, distributing, and ultimately selling them. Remember, dealers buy the vehicles from the manufacturer and then re-sell them, and so most dealers want vehicles which are quick to sell, not specialty/niche vehicles which sit on the lot for months waiting for the right buyer.

Ultimately though I agree they largely sold not because of marketing segmentation but because they looked different, though I did know a guy who had a 40 who bought an FJC as his DD (so maybe a few people saw the similarities).

 

[Markuson]

About that “aggressive roof rack...” on the FJ... It always looked pretty useless to me—because it was curved curved. Who stacks concave-bottomed boxes on a roof rack??

Never could figure the reasoning on that...?

 

[M1911]

Few cars are sold with manual transmissions in the US. Even “sporty” cars like BMW 3-Series and 911s are mostly sold with automatics or double-clutch automated transmissions. This may be a joke, but it is more true than false:

It is us old farts that like manuals.

Personally, I greatly prefer an automatic over a manual when off-road.

 

[JohnJB]

This may be a joke, but it is more true than false:

It is us old farts that like manuals.

Hey now! I most recently owned 2 BMWs and 1 Land Rover, all manuals... and I'm a card carrying millennial. As is my wife, who has only daily'd manuals since she bought her first car. We do exist!

 

[Noah Miller]

Hey now! I most recently owned 2 BMWs and 1 Land Rover, all manuals... and I'm a card carrying millennial. As is my wife, who has only daily'd manuals since she bought her first car. We do exist!

You're the oldest Millenial possible, so not really, besides Millenials almost never own anything, especially not 3 cars already. You barely even know what a floppy disk is or the biggest inventions for the walkman, Auto Reverse and Automatic Music search.

 

[linuxgod]

About that “aggressive roof rack...” on the FJ... It always looked pretty useless to me—because it was curved curved. Who stacks concave-bottomed boxes on a roof rack??

Never could figure the reasoning on that...?

Apparently it makes it easier to roll your FJ right side up after it falls over on black bear pass

 

[linuxgod]

Personally, I greatly prefer an automatic over a manual when off-road.

I learned on a manual and miss driving cars with them regularly, but I have to agree that off-road an AT is easier. Not that I couldn't do the switchbacks on BB in a manual, but it's much easier to left-foot-brake in reverse than to clutch and e-brake on them.

 

[JohnJB]

You're the oldest Millenial possible, so not really, besides Millenials almost never own anything, especially not 3 cars already. You barely even know what a floppy disk is or the biggest inventions for the walkman, Auto Reverse and Automatic Music search.

I will say there is a huge difference between millennials born in the mid/late 80s and those born in the mid 90s or later. At this point sociologists are thinking of breaking my generation up and calling those later kids, Gen Z or whatever catchy name.

... and floppy disks are what ran my typing "games" in computer class! Bona fide floppy, not the 3.5".

(Also my age on Mud profile is not correct)

 

[M1911]

I learned on a manual and miss driving cars with them regularly, but I have to agree that off-road an AT is easier. Not that I couldn't do the switchbacks on BB in a manual, but it's much easier to left-foot-brake in reverse than to clutch and e-brake on them.

I learned to drive in 1975. Until I bought my ‘03 4Runner, all of my cars had been manuals.

 

[SWUtah]

I always loved driving my 2005 Dodge regular cab 3500 duelly 4x4 CTD 6 speed manual. Man that’s a mouthful. Badass truck, bought it new. Wife at the time would not ride in it.

 

[OGBeno]

I learned to drive in 1975. Until I bought my ‘03 4Runner, all of my cars had been manuals.

I was born in 1975. But I did learn to drive on a manual as well.

 

[Markuson]

I will say there is a huge difference between millennials born in the mid/late 80s and those born in the mid 90s or later. At this point sociologists are thinking of breaking my generation up and calling those later kids, Gen Z or whatever catchy name.

... and floppy disks are what ran my typing "games" in computer class! Bona fide floppy, not the 3.5".

(Also my age on Mud profile is not correct)

5.25” floppies for the win!
And even larger before that...

I remember even using audio cassette tapes that plugged into early computers...where moldy old modem sounds played into an audio receiver to read the chirps and squeals played on the tape.

When 64kb was supposed to be “all the memory you’ll ever need...”



PS. My first car was a 5 speed manual Volkswagen Rabbit Diesel.

Gutless as could be, so I needed every bit of that stick shift...

 

[mongoose2231]

Cept for my 100, all my vehicles have been manuals as well. Its sad that they are going the way of the dyno. What's funny is that i can heal and toe, and double clutch, and for what...lol. when i switched jobs last september, i had to leave my 2010 scuon xd manual behind, was a company vehicle. Had 210k miles on it. Original clutch, never showed signs of failure. Then the car was given to a young kid who destroyed the clutch the first week. Go figure.
Still, the new cruiser can still be a surprize when it arives.

 

[TonyP]

Personally, I greatly prefer an automatic over a manual when off-road.

I agree, it allows for much more control. I got a lot of questions on my Troopy build about why I'm using an auto.

To be honest, for a highway cruiser or daily driver, I'd probably prefer an auto too. You don't need to practice your cool heel toe skills on your way to a desk job. It's kind of douchey.

But for joy of driving, manual. All my old crap wagon BMWs are manual.

To bring it back to the the new 300 series. Hopefully they offer trim levels. I'm sure they won't but I don't foresee myself buying one anyways.

 

[Romer]

I took my 40 offroad this past weekend and climbing over a rock or restarting from a pause going up hill are completely different with a clutch. I definitely prefer an automatic when wheeling. Of course the 40 is a different experience all together

 

[Markuson]

I learned to drive on a manual...first caress manual...second car was a manual...recent WRX was manual... I like em. But there are limits.

-For flying through the desert at high speeds, a manual Cruiser would be a blast. But for crawling up and over rocks on Metal Masher, Steel Bender or any spot where you are stopped, tipped up as high as you can tip without rolling backwards...and then have to pop the clutch to get going again without descending and maybe rolling? --I’m a good clutch guy and all too...but that gets a little ridiculous.

 

[linuxgod]

@Markuson agreed. Sometimes a clutch is awesome and sometimes it's an unnecessary burden. Like with this guy (who does all sorts of stuff wrong, lack of proper clutch control on the angled restart aside...)