Toyota’s retro-styled FJ Cruiser takes aim at the youth market

Tom Incantalupo | ROAD TEST

April 7, 2006

You might think the last thing Toyota needed in its lineup was another sport utility vehicle, what with eight already - 11 if you include Lexus models.

But Toyota disagrees.

And so the FJ Cruiser arrived in showrooms last month, representing Toyota's first attempt at a retro look. It is mechanically based on the 4Runner, but its odd, choppy styling is inspired by 1950s and 1960s Toyota trucks, including the first FJ40 and Land Cruisers. Note the round headlamps tied together by a wraparound grille. Note also the white roof that looks almost like a soft top. And note the wraparound side windows. All were FJ40 design cues.

Note also that there are three windshield wipers, an unusual feature that does a great job, it turns out, of keeping this very wide and upright windshield clear.

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One might question how much nostalgia there is in America for these old Toyota trucks, but the company says that positive public reaction to a concept FJ Cruiser that made the auto show circuit in 2003 drove the decision to produce it.

Toyota says the FJ is aimed at "young buyers with active outdoor lifestyles," though I'm sure a Toyota dealer will be happy to sell you one even if you're an old person with an inactive, indoor lifestyle. In that case, though, you can probably skip the optional brush guards and off-road lights.

The FJ has two full-size doors and two smaller doors that are rear-hinged - like an extended-cab pickup.

Unlike other retro wagons, such as the Chrysler PT Cruiser, Honda Element and Chevrolet HHR, the FJ isn't based on a car. Toyota says the FJ's structural basics are shared with a vehicle sold in the United States as the Lexus GX 470 and elsewhere as the 120-Series Prado or Land Cruiser Prado.

Under the hood of this 4,000-pound-plus vehicle is a 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine whose 239 hp. at 5,200 rpm is adequate but no more. Motor Trend said zero to 60 mph took an acceptable 7.6 seconds in a four-wheel-drive automatic version it tested. The engine has 24 valves and variable valve timing.

The FJ can pull a 5,000-pound trailer, Toyota says.

Fuel economy by EPA estimate is 18 mpg city, 22 mpg highway in rear-drive versions, and 17 and 21 in four-wheel-drive automatic variants. Toyota recommends premium fuel.

The front suspension is independent, but the rear has a solid axle. Ride and handling are on the clumsy side but acceptable for a truck-based SUV. Steering is variable-ratio rack and pinion and very highly assisted, detracting from the FJ's highway manners.

Also working against the driver are those wide roof pillars, which impede vision in lane-changing and backing. The tailgate and outside-mounted spare tire make it difficult for the driver to see cars that are tailgating, a sport more popular than bowling here in New York.

The high-standing FJ is built for serious off-roading. Both available four-wheel-drive systems have low ranges. Ground clearance is an impressive 9.6 inches in four-wheel-drive models.

The interior has a utilitarian look - and a lot of plastic that looks much cheaper than the high-quality materials we're used to finding in Toyota vehicles. The interior was designed for easy cleaning. Rubber covers the floor. The seat fabrics have a special resin coating to repel water. No leather is available. Headroom is vast and rear-seat legroom is sufficient for most adults.

Black-on-white analog gauges include voltage and coolant temperature indicators. Atop the dash is a small cluster consisting of a compass, an outside temperature thermometer and a tilt-meter that shows pitch and roll - the last useful in off-roading.

Most important controls are large and easily accessible, designed to be operated while wearing gloves. Not so the smaller switches below the heater/AC controls that lock and unlock the rear differential and operate the subwoofer, which are set too deeply to be easily reached or for their labels to be read from the driver's seat.

Front seats are manually adjustable. The split rear seatback can be folded down to increase cargo room, but to get it flat, one must tilt the bottom cushion forward. The tailgate swings open to the left.

The FJ begins at $21,710, plus $650 freight, with a five-speed automatic transmission but without four-wheel drive.

Oddly, considering that this is aimed at young people who are presumably budget-conscious, Toyota doesn't make an even cheaper rear-drive FJ available with a stick shift instead of the automatic.