All Cars, All the Time

Toyota FJ Cruiser





When it comes to off roading the FJ is the real deal says Edmunds. The brand new Xterra competitor will roll into dealerships by March 2006 with a starting price below $25k. A few interesting points from the article: in the 4x4 models the automatic will offer 2-Hi, 4-Hi and 4-Lo mode while the manual models are always in four-wheel drive, the reverse opening side doors do not help much when it comes to getting into the back seat and poor visibility (to be expected in the back, but also in the front because of the high hood). Let's not forget those wacky three windshield wipers! The 4.0 liter V6 puts out 239 horsepower at 5,200 rpm, and 278 pound-feet of torque at 3,700 rpm and the truck returns 16/19 with the manual and 17/21 with the automatic.

I like the styling of this truck and the pains that Toyota went through make it a real off road monster is all the better. The massive C pillar on the side does give me pause (and offers a cave like rearward view), but it is much more appealing to me than the Xterra. I can’t honestly say that I have a need for this truck and the people that I haul around would really carp about the rear seat ingress/egress but whenever I see a uniquely styled vehicle I am always tempted. If I lived closer to the 4x4 trails of my youth, I’d be visiting the Toyota dealer come March. To read the full article click here.