Home Forums Gear Hunting Trucks and Four-Wheel Drives Toyota FJ Cruiser - Tell me about yours.

I'm considering buying one and as of yet I've never been in one.
Wife asked 3 questions that I can't answer.
1. How do they ride?
2. Are they noisy
3. Difficulty in entering and exiting? We're both in our 80s and she is developing some mobility problems.

Tag... Always liked them. Wish they'd run them longer...

I know nothing about them- but have always looked at them and considered them to be nice.

-Jake

Ride? We are running stiff sidewall light truck tires, load range E. We are very happy with the ride, freeway or unimproved dirt. And of a lifetime of 4 wd's, we have never had a rig handle snow like the FJ.
Noise? Again, after a lifetime of 4 wd's, and our tires are directional deep snow and mud traction year round, the road noise is better than tolerable, better than the Tundra and better than the Tacoma (we are dyed in the wool Toyota you can guess) better than the Chevy's, Fords, and way better than the Dodges we used to run.
Entry? We kept ours completely stock, I am 75 and have no problems, wife is overweight and shorter and has found it's easier to move the seat clear back when exiting. Not to be gross, but getting in she gets her butt up on the seat on her tiptoes, and then pivots in using the grab handle (ours is a 2007). Seats as comfortable as our living room on long trips., and we have had some pretty nice suburbans back when we had kids at home.
All things considered it is the finest rig we have ever owned. Yes, the roof rack whistles at certain speeds. Yes, snow builds up faster on the nearly flat windshield. Small price to pay.

Start reading the reviews....

Be advised they are a hot ticket right now...

Nice/clean/low miles prob bring more $$ than it was new....crazy...

https://www.carmax.com/cars/toyota/fj-cruiser

Yeah - the FJs have become almost a cult vehicle - prices are crazy high.

Had a 2011 FJ that was nice, but just never became a must have vehicle. I took a couple long trips in it. Was great off road and great on the highway. Way too much is made about visibility. For a new driver, it might be an issue, but for someone who knows how to drive it's not an issue. Everyone who rode in the back said it was uncomfortable. I never got back there, so I don't know.

Really a good vehicle if that's what you want. I don't think they are worth what they are selling for these days though.

Thanks for the info men.
The one I was considering buying has sold. I'm concluding that sale prices are way too much for what you get. Moving on. Any suggestions? 4WD, SUV. Used.

One other thing that is an annoyance...on manual trans models, reverse is geared so high it's ridiculous. You are either slipping the clutch or shifting to low range 4wd to get turned around in a tight steep spot. Or backing a trailer up an incline. But that is not just an FJ Cruiser thing, true of all models.
Oh, if you want a new one, you can still get it...from South Africa, I think 38,000 Rand Dollars, 27,000 USD...same basic rig, but now has bluetooth aux gas tank,and onboard air compressor for re-inflating your tires after sand driving. Shipping? probably about a million bucks.

Look for a lightly used 4 Runner. More room and long lasting. I have an 05 that's been trouble free all along.

I had one. 2006. They're ok. No complaints. It was easy to clean out, good for hunting dogs in back.I sold mine and got a tacoma quad cab with long bed. Fit my needs better

Obviously they Are priced way too high now. As mentioned just buy a 4 runner

It really depends on what you want one for. If you live in a rural area and are looking for something to handle the roads in the good weather as well as the bad, the FJ is the way to go. If you'll do a lot of driving in crowded towns, I'd suggest something else. The visibility limitations with the extra large window posts, and limited rear visibility make life tough if you spend too much time tooling around town. And, although you don't sit as high as in a big p/u, it can be difficult to spot some of the new very low slung cars when they're alongside. To sum up my 13 years worth of experience with mine, it is a fine, fine bush rig with very few mods required. And it is a heeluva lot warmer than a Jeep in the winter. It is OK for long distance driving and with the smallish windows and the AC it handles the heat well. It is not a good town car unless you like parking in an open area and walking most everywhere you go.

I bought an Fj 40 in 1978 last year the originals were made....road like a log wagon and drove like a tractor. Wish I still had it I'd sure as hell sell it.

I later got sucked in again by the new version....needs Premium gas and has two blind spots in the front.

No regrets when I sold either.

I realize this thread is dead, but I wanted to comment anyway. I’ve had an 08 FJ for 3 years now. Absolutely love it. They’re better than a wrangler in every way possible, unless taking doors and top off matters to you. Easy getting in and out, tons of leg room, back seat is accessible and big enough to be useful. Rear storage is plenty big and back seat folds down if more is needed. It will go anywhere off-road and still drives and rides good enough to take anywhere on the highway. I farm and drive a 3/4 ton truck for my daily driver. I use the FJ to hunt and fish out of, feed cows when it’s too muddy for the truck, and drive it anywhere that my truck will be tight in a parking lot. It also works fine for a second vehicle for the wife and kids if needed. The ride is similar to a half ton truck. Highway noise is a little louder than I expected, I don’t think the back end is insulated very good. I had an 05 Sierra 1500 crew that I sold to buy the FJ. I have no regrets so far. The interior is all rubber and plastic other than the seat covers so it cleans out very easily. 4.0l v6 has lots of power and it handles a trailer better than you’d think. The visibility, or lack there of, takes a little getting used to but isn’t a huge issue.

+2 on the 4-Runner as an option.

We bought one new for my Wife in '97 and it's still going strong. (V6-5 speed)

160,000. miles on it now. Drives great and ride is good.

Goes well in snow and slick roads.

I imagine we'll keep this one 'till we both quit driving.

Wife is 70, and I'm 68.

Virgil B.

The Lexus GX series...built on the 4R platform..

Much nicer build quality....V8 power....cost more new than 4R

Right now the GX will be less money used than a similar year 4R & prob less offroad use

As in the used car markets...both these are very popular..but GX is usually better deal cost wise

I don't know anyone who ever owned an FJ for very long. Most of the people who bought them moved on from them fairly quickly.

My experience as well. I had a F-350 as my Farm and Ranching Truck back when I had my 2010 FJ Cruiser.
Used it mostly for hunting, but I did take it on several Colorado Fly fishing trips.
I’d take the FJ Cruiser over a Jeep any old day and twice on Sunday.
Never got stuck and never found anywhere I couldn’t go with it. Twice as comfortable as a Jeep. More leg and head room, more interior storage space, and much better A/C & Heater

Not to mention the fact that it drove and handled 10 times better than a Jeep on the highway. And a much smoother ride.

Only complaint I had was that straight up front windshield on long road trips. It was a bug catching SOB.
Wish I still had mine.

Had a 4runner (2012) for 8 years great vehicle. Wife is short so I put on factor running boards. Just traded for a used GX460 (2018) same size as the 4runner but more towing capacity has a V8 and way more comfortable for my back. Plus comes with the running boards and does not sit as high as the 4runner.

They ride like chit, poor visibility
Under powered imho,
there are easier vehicles to get in and out of.