2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser Review

The 2007 FJ Cruiser is a unique blend of retro styling and contemporary comfort and mechanical prowess.

This new Toyota promises "to be highly accessible and desirable to a large volume of young buyers," Toyota said. But it turns heads of people of all ages because it doesn't look like other SUVs.

The mid-size FJ Cruiser is a production version of the concept FJ Cruiser first shown at the Detroit auto show in 2003. It has the flat windshield, round headlights that straddle a rectangular mesh grille, wraparound rear corner glass and white top (no matter what its body color) of Toyota's classic 1967 Land Cruiser FJ40.

The new Toyota costs from $21,910 for a rear-drive version with an automatic transmission to $23,500 for the four-wheel-drive model with the automatic.

The rugged old FJ 40 had two doors and the FJ Cruiser has four doors. But the FJ Cruiser looks like a two-door model because it has two concealed rear-hinged doors that are opened with an interior handle that's tricky to reach after the front doors are opened.

Athletic moves are needed to get in or out of the tall FJ Cruiser's roomy rear-seat area, although the rear clamshell "half doors" swing out 90 degrees. You can order $345 running boards to make it easier to get in and out of the front or rear, but they're too narrow to help anyone with large shoes -- although they add to the retro look.

Another drawback to rear passengers are small, fixed side windows and thick rear roof pillars that can cause a claustrophobic feeling.

While occupants sit high, the rear posts, rather small back window and outside mounted spare tire create a significant driver blind spot directly to the rear, but help comes from a generally large total back glass area and oversize outside rearview mirrors.

The FJ Cruiser is similar under its body to Toyota's seasoned 4Runner SUV, but its tough, wide stance is based around a frame and suspension adapted from the Land Cruiser Pradeo, not sold here.

The new Toyota's stout 4-liter, 239-horsepower V-6 has good torque and provides lively merging and 65-75 mph highway passing. Power flows through a six-speed manual gearbox with rather long shift throws or a responsive five-speed automatic transmission.

Estimated fuel economy of this 4,050-4,295-pound SUV ranges from 16-18 mpg in the city and 19-22 on highways, depending on transmission and the drive setup. The four-wheel drive has low-range gearing and the optional All-Trac off-road traction control system is a definite plus for rugged driving off pavement.

Steering isn't too fast or slow for a tall, heavy SUV that must do well off-road but also must be agile enough for on-road use. The rather stiff, but-compliant, ride also is good for an on/off-road truck. The FJ Cruiser's weight, height and big 17-inch mud-and-snow tires don't encourage driving quickly through curves, although standard stability control and traction control systems help here.

The brake pedal has a linear action, and stopping distances are short with the anti-lock brakes, which have electronic brake force distribution and brake assist for sure, sudden stops.

Optional safety features include $650 front side air bags and curtain side air bags.

A $1,840 Convenience package contains such items as remote keyless entry, cruise control, power side mirrors and a rear-obstacle detection system. Sharp-looking wheels are a big deal these days, and you can get the FJ Cruiser's nifty alloy wheels for $650. Premium audio systems also are offered.

There's good room for four to five tall adults. Front seats are supportive during quick maneuvers, but the center of the rear seat is too stiff for anything but short drives. Here's attention to detail: As an aid to driver and front passenger comfort, the floor angle in the footwell is set at 33 degrees to help those in the front seats maintain proper seating position.

The speedometer can be read easily, but other gauges are rather small. The optional small compass, thermometer and inclinometer gauges set atop the center of the dashboard (pictured above) are hard to read at a glance. Power mirror controls are nearly hidden behind the steering wheel, but major controls are large, as are inside door handles. There's decent cabin storage, and the automatic transmission shift lever seems oversized.

Rugged features include water-resistant seat fabric and washable rubberlike floor covering.

That's not to say the FJ Cruiser is as stripped as the old Land Cruiser. Standard are air conditioning, tilt wheel, manual height-adjustable driver seat, console with cupholders, AM/FM/CD audio system with six speakers, skid plates to protect underbody components during off-road use and power windows and door locks. Three windshield wipers sweep almost every inch of glass.

The tailgate seems clumsy with its heavy bolt-on spare tire, and that spare makes loading through the tailgate's flip-up glass area somewhat difficult. But the tailgate swings open from the curb side for easy loading because the FJ Cruiser is designed for the U.S. market, although built in Japan. Doors on many Japanese SUVs swing the other way.

The cargo area is large, although the wide cargo opening is rather high. Seatbacks and the removable seat bottoms of the split 60/40 rear seat easily flip forward to greatly enlarge the cargo area.

The solid FJ Cruiser is more radical than rivals. Its retro-based styling and off-road-biased nature don't let it match the daily practicality of most of them. But Toyota is big and rich enough to take a chance on producing such a vehicle, and Toyota's reputation surely will help sales. 

2007 TOYOTA FJ CRUISER 

PRICE: $21,910 - $23,500

LIKES: Nifty retro design. Roomy. Good acceleration. Large controls. Easily handles bad roads.

DISLIKES: Small back side windows. Difficult rear seat entry/exit. Rear blind spots. Nearly useless running boards.