What would it take to meet your expectations for the new FJ?

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It will be auto trans, turbocharged V6 petrol with 250 hp, 4wd with low range but no lockers, on a modified Tacoma chassis. There won't be an OME lift because it's being brought out in the US market only for as long as two years.

This is total hype, this thing. Toyota's history has almost always been to try out vehicles in their domestic market before exporting giving them a chance to work out bugs without a worldwide loss of face, but not this time. They're going for a play in the retro world do duccessfully done by others with such as the (new) Morris Mini or the PT cruiser.

This will flop for being overpriced. If you buy one you are a dick.

Oh, I'd bet on a limited edition of about 1500 units in red. That package will add over $2K to the base price.

Heraldry Hereby Honked...........HONK!
 
I'll give Mr. T the benefit of the doubt for now. His reputation is for building real vehicles. He has seen the short term sales spikes on gimmicky vehciles from pt cruisers on. He has also seen how many wranglers get sold every year.

For me, I guess I'd be interested if it had decent power, was economical, cheap, had at least some cargo room, could seat 2 kids in the back and if it had real off road potential. It will be really interesting to see if it is a beefy part time 4wd or just a flimsy AWD.
 
honk said:
It will be auto trans, turbocharged V6 petrol with 250 hp, 4wd with low range but no lockers, on a modified Tacoma chassis. There won't be an OME lift because it's being brought out in the US market only for as long as two years.

This is total hype, this thing. Toyota's history has almost always been to try out vehicles in their domestic market before exporting giving them a chance to work out bugs without a worldwide loss of face, but not this time. They're going for a play in the retro world do duccessfully done by others with such as the (new) Morris Mini or the PT cruiser.

This will flop for being overpriced. If you buy one you are a dick.

Oh, I'd bet on a limited edition of about 1500 units in red. That package will add over $2K to the base price.

Heraldry Hereby Honked...........HONK!
:rolleyes: You are what they call, "Full of It". Your info is old, it will likely be based on the taco/prado land cruiser platform, but it definitely won't be turbocharged, will likely have rear locker, and of course, have lifts avilable like OME if it is based on the taco. It is not total hype unless the Tacoma/4runner/Prado Landcruiser is total hype. Tacoma, Tundra, Sequioa have all been produced for America in plants located in the USA only, with little detriment to reliability or reputation. How much does it cost if it's so overpriced? All the info on the web for the last two years indicates it will be a reasonably priced utility 4x4 suv.

Telling people they are dicks if they buy it, reveals you're probably an idiot to make such a blanket statement, therefore giving no credibility to anything else you wrote.
 
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to be satisfied with driving one, i'd need:
- reliability (not a problem with toyota)
- part time 4wd, not AWD
- 3 speed tcase
- manual transmission
- original colour codes from the 40 series trucks (very important)

to make me like it as much as my 40, i'd need all of the above as well as:
- diesel engine
- rear selectable locker
- removable top + doors
- more utilitarian (i'm thinking something along the lines of steel and vinyl, no fabric or plastic)

to make me give up the 40 for one, i'd need all of the above as well as:
- solid front axle option (comparable to heeps)
- dual locking diffs
- locking tcase
- factory soft-top
- free! it would take alot for me to give up my truck :)

i don't expect even half of what i listed, but as soon as they come out i expect that cruiserheads, new or old, will be building them up to be exactly like that
 
firetruck41 said:
:rolleyes: You are what they call, "Full of It". Your info is old, it will likely be based on the taco/prado land cruiser platform, but it definitely won't be turbocharged, will likely have rear locker, and of course, have lifts avilable like OME if it is based on the taco. It is not total hype unless the Tacoma/4runner/Prado Landcruiser is total hype. Tacoma, Tundra, Sequioa have all been produced for America in plants located in the USA only, with little detriment to reliability or reputation. How much does it cost if it's so overpriced? All the info on the web for the last two years indicates it will be a reasonably priced utility 4x4 suv.

Telling people they are dicks if they buy it, reveals you're probably an idiot to make such a blanket statement, therefore giving no credibility to anything else you wrote.


LOL!! So you've already put your deposit down, Ben? Determined to be the first sillylooking yoyo in the state to be seen in your glorified pedalcar? Good Luck, you're competing with the pimp, probly.

http://129.33.47.206/vehicles/future/index.html
 
firetruck41 said:
:rolleyes: You are what they call, "Full of It".
Telling people they are dicks if they buy it, reveals you're probably an idiot to make such a blanket statement, therefore giving no credibility to anything else you wrote.

Couldn't agree more.
 
fsusteve said:
Actually, just wife's approval, which I just got when she saw it for the first time.

She said if they come out with a Troopie version, she's all over it.

:D So did mine, except she hates that blue color whether on this thing or on FJ40's. Hers is red, mine's biege, so I guess they'd better give us a green one.
 
Two things to consider:

1) Toyota is not building this compete with the TJ Wrangeler (I wish they were, it'd suit me better)-except in terms of demographic. At least in my eye. The TJ, while a pretty functional vehicle in terms of laying claim to Jeep heritage, is nothing new stylistically. The FJ Cruiser may or may not turn out to be as capable as a Tacoma. It may or may not function as well offroad as your box stock 1976 FJ40. I see the FJ Cruiser as a vehicle who's target demograhpic is skewed towards the "younger, hiipper, more affluent crowd." Maybe not you here reading this, but lots of younger affleunt folks dig on the sytling cues the FJ Cruiser uses. That seems to be the target demographic here, and I think it's likely to work. Scions are selling...Look around-bmw has changed their market share dramatically in the last 5 years using this approach, and made a truckload of cash doing so. I'm not here to argue if I personally like this-I'm merely stating from a modern automotive business point of view I can see the strategy here, and I think it's as likely to work as not.

2) They're blowing a major FJ feature by not giving the FJ Cruiser a removealbe hard top.

I'm sure everyone here wishes that Toyota would follow Jeep's cue with the TJ Rubicon and re-release a modern FJ40 replica. I know I do. It *may* be that FJ Cruiser popularity-if achieved-could lead there. FJ Cruiser owners (especially if we can get them here, to pirate, to become tlca members {which I know may seem even more heretical than the fj cruiser itself}) may find old shcool FJ40's to be really neat garage mates to their new fj-toy.

You never know, stranger things have happened. Heck, an FJ Cruiser on a taco chassis with front and rear winches/lockers intrigues me. I'm willing to be open minded. I see upside here for everyone. Don't like it? Don't buy one:) Be open minded though, you never know where this might lead...
 
It's supposed to be an affordable utilitarian 4wd, but the specifications on Toyota's website as provided by honk seem to hint otherwise. How affordable or utilitarian is a vehicle with a: 1)removable GPS system, 2) 20" wheels, 3) fancy mirror spotlights, etc?

I guess it all depends on your definition of "affordable" and "utilitarian". And as mentioned above, it is marketed towards a certain target market, which apparently doesn't include professionals with student loans and spouses in grad school. :D It sucks to be poor...hopefully only for another two or three years.
 
i forgot about winches, i would need winches

and Stone, i don't think they'll have all those options on the production model, already i've seen reports that they're gonna cut back to 18" wheels :) my bet is that those will all be options
 
I'll admit that I'm not very enthused about the FJ Cruiser concept; however, what I see as the "end-game" here for Toyota is that they are looking for any excuse possible to NOT build another proper 40 series cruiser. If they throw out to the market the FJ and the market (and by that I don't mean the hardcore folks like us--just the broader SUV market) does not respond by gushing and throwing dollars at them clamoring for it the way folks did at first for H2's, then Toyota can use that fact and say that it makes no business sense to build a vehicle pointed at an even smaller market demographic than the FJ had been pitched towards. It's all numbers to an auto manufacturer.

One abiding truth is this: some folks will never consider buying a used vehicle, much less 20-25 year iron for the purpose of building up a great off-road truck. The FJ cruiser gives folks a chance to grab onto a part of the Land Cruiser heritage and to do it with a brand spanking new truck.

There is definitely a market out there for what the FJ cruiser is--I see it as something for Toyota to rally the SUV-inclined towards the Toyota flag with some fresh excitement with a modicum of retro-flavor. I truly believe that if you lay your head upon your pillow at night and dream that there will one day be a brand new 40-series truck sold, you had better pray very hard that the FJ cruiser actually sells. A LOT.
 
I may be mistaken but doesn't FJ mean gasoline engine? A deisel FJ defeats the whole purpose?
What do I want? I want the inline 6 gasoline engine, dependable, great torque and easy to work on when things go south.
 
I think if they keep it cheap and utilitarian supported with a strong aftermarket I'd consider one. Call me a dick but it could be a really sweet rig it is Toyota after all.

The new design is not traditional but does carry cues from days of old and before I put my money down its got to look a little better than the concept!

--Speculation, there is sooo much we won't know until its on the market.
 

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