PRICE
Price	CAD$29,990
Transport and PDI	CAD$1,390
MECHANICAL
Engine	4.0L V6 DOHC 1GR-FE 24-valve (variable valve timing)
HP	239 hp @ 5200 rpm
Torque	278 lb-ft @ 3800 rpm
Transmission	A750F 5-spd Automatic
Transfer Case	VF2A Part-time 4WD
Brakes	Four-wheel disc brakes
ABS	Std
Power Steering	Std
Front Suspension	Independent
Rear Suspension	Solid Axle
WHEELS and TIRES
Tires	P265/70R17
Wheels	Alloy
SAFETY
Driver Airbag	Std
Passenger Airbag	Std
Side Airbags	Opt
Side Curtain Airbags	Opt
Traction Control	Opt
Stability Control	Std
COMFORT and CONVENIENCE
Air Conditioning	Std
Cruise Control	Opt
Power Locks	Std
Remote Keyless Entry	Opt
Power Windows	Std
Power Mirrors	Opt
Adjustable Steering	Std
FUEL ECONOMY
Manual Transmission (city/hwy)	14.5 L/100km / 11.2 L/100km
Automatic Transmission	13.6 L/100km / 10.3 L/100km
DIMENSIONS, CAPACITY, WEIGHT
Length	4,670 mm
Width	1,905 mm
Height	1,830 mm
Wheelbase	2,690 mm
Curbweight	1,946 kg
Trunk Size	790 L
Fuel Tank	72 L
Towing Capacity	2,268 kg
WARRANTIES
General	3 yr / 60,000 km
Powertrain	5 yr / 100,000 km
Perforation Corrosion	5 yr / Unlimited km
Roadside Assistance	3 yr / 60,000 km

The FJ Cruiser is a difficult vehicle to evaluate because it's so tempting to review it in terms of what we expect from a typical SUV. But it's not your typical SUV. It's a concept vehicle that has made it into production virtually unchanged. As such, it makes some trade-offs in functionality to preserve its concept car style and desirability.

As is evidenced by its name and obvious styling cues, the FJ Cruiser is a rolling homage to the legendary FJ40 Land Cruiser. The grill, near-verticle windshield, white roof, angular wheel wells, and spartan dash evoke memories of the FJ40. In fact, the blue and white paint job is identical to the blue and white of my first vehicle, a 1978 FJ40. But that's where the similarities end. The FJ Cruiser is built on the same platform as the Land Cruiser Prado and 4Runner. As such, it drives like no Land Cruiser I've ever experienced. It has lots of power, good handling, and rides beautifully on the street and trail.

From a driver's perspective, the most noticable thing about the FJ Cruiser is its motor. The 4.0L 1GR-FE DOHC V6 is rated at 239 hp at 5200 rpm and 278 lb-ft of torque at 3700 rpm. Getting on the throttle rewards the driver with strong, steady acceleration. The variable valve timing pays off, producing a motor that is strong over a wide rpm range. Warning: heavy use of the throttle foot will result in a noticable drop in fuel economy, which is particularly painful since premium gasoline is recommended. Our test vehicle came equipped with the 5-speed A750F automatic transmission with VF2A transfer case (a 6-spd is an option) and was a joy to use. The excellent acceleration was complemented by beefy four-wheel vented disc brakes (4-piston fronts, 2-piston rears) and could bring the 4300 lb vehicle to a stop in short order. Like the 4Runner, the suspension features a double wishbone front end, and a coil sprung floating rear axle in the back. Our test unit came with an electronically locking rear differential.

Opening both doors provides convenient and unobstructed access to the front and rear of the vehicle.
The Spartan lines of the original FJ 40 are echoed in the FJ Cruiser's interior.	The 4.0L 1GR-FE DOHC V6 is decidedly unlike the original FJ 40's power plant.

• ABS: Anti-lock bracking system.
• EBC: Electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. Brake assist works in conjunction with ABS and provides extra braking power in cases where the driver cannot exert enough brake pedal pressure in an emergency situation. The force distribution system balances front/rear and left/right braking forces to achieve the shortest braking distance. As you might guess, the system senses cornering forces. This is a modern update to the old load sensing proportioning valve.
• VSC: Vehicle skid control helps to maintain cornering stability in situations when too much steering input is applied while the vehicle is traveling over poor traction road surfaces, such as loose dirt, pooled water, or ice. The system automatically reduces engine output and independently applies braking power as necessary to each of the four wheels to help maintain vehicle stability and driver control.
• ATC (also known as A-TRAC): Active traction control uses the same wheel sensors used for VSC. The system maintains wheel traction on slippery surfaces, by automatically applying brake pressure o each wheel, independently. ATC adjusts braking influence to individual tire grip at all four corners. When the rear locker is engaged, ATC and VSC are disabled, but I believe the TRD package allows ATC and VSC to work with the rear locker engaged.

The safety features are nice to have on the street but when playing on dirt roads, they can result in some unexpected behaviours that take some getting used to. Nothing dangerous, just something I'm not used to, having driven very basic 4x4s for so long. And if you don't want to get used to them, you can disable them with the flip of a couple of switches. In other words, the best of both worlds.

For a stock vehicle, the FJ Cruiser was nicely set up for off-roading. The low range gearing was good and first gear on the automatic transmission was slow enough to provide the fine control needed for crawling over tricky obstacles. Naturally, the electric rear locker was very useful and worked exactly as you would expect. It's an option that we would highhly recommend to any fourwheeler. Ground clearance was a generous 9.6 inches, aided, no doubt, by the 32" stock tires. All in all, it was a very good package that could get you to a lot of places. The only thing I'd recommend is slapping on some aggressive mud tires, but that's a standard requirement for all stock vehicles, in my opinion. I should also mention that our FJ Cruiser came with a fully rubberized floor, making it easy to clean up after off-roading adventures. It also has a 115 amp power inverter in the back, so you can bring along some of those luxuries from home to soften your camping experience, or run power tools in the field.

With the rear seats folded down, the FJ Cruiser has a useful amount of cargo capacity, as well as a rubber carpeted floor and seat backs for handling messy items.

So it's got great power, handling, and off-road capability. But what's it like to drive on the street? Well, that's where I think it loses marks as your typical family SUV. For starters, visibility is noticably restricted due to the large C-pillars and mall side windows behind the front seats. The side/rear visibility is very similar to that of a pickup truck with a canopy on the back: not very good. Looking out the windshield has its own limitations. The short, near-vertical windshield is placed very far forward, giving the FJ Cruiser a roomy appearance from the outside, but giving the driver a view reminiscent of looking through a tank driver's viewing slit. When stopped at an intersection, I frequently had to lean forward and look up in order to see the traffic light. Basically, with the FJ Cruiser, you don't get the improved visibility that is a benefit common to most SUVs. The rear-hinged passenger doors (colloquially known as suicide doors) don't give you SUV-like ease-of-entry, either. For starters, the front seatbelts are attached to the rear doors, so people in the front have to undo their belts in order to let people get in or out of the back. And when you pull into a nose-in parking spot (like at the supermarket) where the spaces are narrow, the rear-hinged doors pose an unusual problem. You open your door to get out, then you open the rear door so you can get your kids out. So now you've got the front door blocking your movement to the front, and the rear door blocking your movement to the rear, and behind you is another parked vehicle. You're boxed in! You and the kids have to now shuffled towards the front door so you can close the rear door, and then move toward the rear so you can close the front door. Sure, it's not the end of the world, but it is annoying. Having said all this, I have to make it clear that these observations are coming from someone with a wife, two toddlers, and a dog.

The contrasting viewpoint comes from someone on our staff who is single. He drove it for a weekend and he and his girlfriend loved it. They both lead active lifestyles, have no kids, and like to get out snowboarding in the winter. He loved the power and the responsive, fast shifting transmission. The four-wheel drive features were very much appreciated when driving to the ski hills. As far as that rear door goes, they thought the reverse-hinged passenger doors were great. Opening both doors gave them a large, single opening which make it convenient for reaching into the back of the vehicle to access their gear, and they liked the fact that with the front and back doors open, there was a little bit of privacy (and a wind break) for when they got in and out of their snowboarding clothes.

The key to understanding and evaluating the FJ Cruiser is to recognize that it is not intended to be another 4Runner. It's not aimed at people who need to haul their 2.5 kids and one dog to the mall. It's for people who fall in love with the singular, extreme styling of a concept vehicle. It's a style-driven 4x4 that is built for people who are looking for a vehicle that is fun to drive and competent on the trail. The FJ Cruiser fulfills those two roles admirably and it does so while evoking the legendary, rugged styling of the original FJ series.

The FJ Cruiser's traction and braking systems made it easy to drive in the snow with confidence.	Having a selectable rear locker was a great convenience.	Suspension travel was quite good. With the running boards removed, the FJ Cruiser should be able to handle some very challenging terrain.
Despite it's poor side and rear visibility, it was quite easy to drive off-road. We were happy with its maneuverability.	The FJ Cruiser had a good low range gear ratio. Slow, technical driving was a cinch.	The powerful V6 and quick shifting 5-spd automatic made the FJ Cruiser a pleasure to drive on the street.