My wife has a 2007 FJ and she loves it . We bought it used 6 years ago and have had no problems with it except the factory nerf bar on one side rusted out. The rig is great in the snow and is great on trails. Ours has the 6 speed manual transmission in it.
Around here, there is such a high demand for them, the Yota dealers are calling the folks they sold em to and offering to buy them back for darned near what they paid for them
I had a 2011 FJ. It was a second vehicle that I loved but rarely drove. The backseat was so uncomfortable the kids would not ride in it. Wish I still had it. If it had just been me and my dog I'd still have it.
I had one for a year or so when they first came out. Sold it and bought a Tundra Crewmax that I still have. My take:
Good:
6sp MT and full time 4wd Very good off road Good for two people Unique/Cool factor Unbelievable resale value Easy to clean up inside
Not so Good:
Terrible visibility out of vehicle (like really bad esp. when parking) Dark, cramped back seats with small windows and suicide doors (forget it with adults, not to mention kids and parking lots) Poor mileage Short range with smaller fuel tank and mileage Loud on the highway Rear spare tire mount inconvenient Bouncy ride Windshield is a rock magnet
I loved the FJ when I first bought it, but over time the drawbacks grew more noticeable, especially with a family.
It shares most if not all of it's underpinnings with the 4Runner, and the 'Runner is a way more functional vehicle. Given the sky high prices for the used FJ's, IMO you would really, really, really have to want that look to buy one.
2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser 4x4 auto owner here. My wife’s daily driver...with 237,000 miles on it,
I simply cannot say enough good things about it. Yes, visibility isn’t great but the reliability has been incredible. I just replaced the alternator...yeah. 237k on the Original. Rotors at 180k...the rear door holder strut broke at 100k...the replacement was $87...
Sactoller, respectfully I have to disagree with your comments in it being a real off-roader, other than missing a locker up front (* Toyota ATRAC and a rear locker works well enough) it’s every bit as capable as anything Jeep can dish out...with far better reliability. Fact is, the FJ’s off road capabilities far exceed my needs and wants. Unless you need a dedicated crawler, the FJ is more than capable enough.
It’s best party trick though, IMO, is that even 12 years old it’s still more road friendly than the Rubicon I test drove last week.
Parts are very available,it gets 17.5 mpg on BFG AT KOs and even after 12 years, 237,000 miles, plenty of desert driving and some days in Moab, there still not one single creak or rattle in the body. Not. One.
That vehicle is truly the most amazingly reliable and capable vehicle we’ve ever owned and we have absolutely zero desire to ever part with it,
Almost bought one about 10 years ago, just wasn't too practical, and salesman warned me about the visibility which turned me off. Saw one for sale locally here yesterday parked in someone's yard......almost stopped to take a look.
They're kinda ugly, I always thought of them as Toyota's answer to the Honda Element as far as looks are concerned. At least the Toy featured 4WD performance and wasn't the greenie phagmobile the Element is
The visibility to the rear isn't that great, but it is no worse than a pick-up with a topper on the back. For a hunting rig, though, it is fine with the addition of a winch. If you're going far afield and camping while you are hunting, getting an aftermarket roof rack is handy. There isn't enough room inside to accommodate an elk carcass and camping gear. I hear gripes about how they aren't comfortable, but neither are most pick-ups. And, even though they're no longer manufactured, they were and are popular enough that there's oodles of aftermarket equipment available. I've had mine for a decade and have had no problems. R
Had one and it was solid. Bought it for $18,900 with 30,000mi. Drove it to 65,000 and sold it for $18,000.
For a stock vehicle, this will be serious enough for most....
In the still of the video, you can see the IFS coming off the ground, on that rock, should not even come close to coming off. IFS is great for ride comfort on the road and dirt roads....suck ass for rocking. My 2018 Ram 1500 4x4 has a great ride, but I will probably, make it a solid axle truck in the next year or so.
287000 on it right now..An 07 with an auto and all the bells and whistles. I towed a boat from Wi to Lake Powell with no issues...If you plan on sleeping in the back get a piece of plywood and cut it to fit, then add a chunk of 4x4 to the back end of it. The rear seats folded town don't sit flush...I replaced the alternator at 255000 and that's about it other than 2 windshields and an exhaust...