MSRP $22,890
As Tested $25,534
239-horsepower, 4-liter V6
16 city / 19 highway
More info: www.toyota.com/fjcruiser
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When we pulled up in Toyota's funky new 4x4 to pick up a friend, she remarked that it looked like a cross between a Hummer and a Honda Element. She was exactly right. The FJ Cruiser has the Hummer's wide, macho presence, but its cube-like shape, rounded edges and two-tone color scheme mimic the Element's sense of futuristic hipness. Key exterior touches include three wicked little windshield wipers and spotlights built into the giant side mirrors. The "FJ" moniker may sound like a corny abbreviation for "Future Jeep." Actually, it's the internal codename for the platform of the classic Toyota Land Cruiser, which is still one of the best-looking 4x4s ever made.
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Inside, the FJ feels a lot more like an Element than a Hummer. For all their girth, Hummers can be surprisingly claustrophobic, and the FJ is big on both the outside and inside. Like an Element, it has vast headroom and loads of durable plastic and rubber covering the interior. The oversized knobs and handles feel like surplus battleship parts, and there's a neat little pop-up storage area in the dash above the steering wheel. The suicide rear doors fold down just slightly to make hopping in a little easier, and rear legroom is more than adequate. Keep in mind that this is a very bulky ride, so be sure to take the rear parking sonar option.
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Quite frankly, the bargain basement price on the FJ Cruiser scared us. Our nicely appointed tester came in at about $25K, which is next to nothing for an SUV in today's market. With such a cool design, we figured Toyota had to have skimped on power. Our assumption was powerfully wrong. The FJ comes standard with a 239-horse, four-liter V6 that churns out 278 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,700 rpm. While that's certainly not overwhelming oomph, for the money it's quite impressive. The FJ comes in a rear-wheel-drive model and an auto version with part-time four-wheel-drive, but our tester's full-time four-wheel-drive with six-speed manual is definitely the way to go.
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If she likes four-wheelin' and has a funky sense of style, she'll be your constant co-pilot.
-- John D. Thomas |
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