Cruiserhead
12-27-2005, 07:24 PM
Here is a edmunds.com road test w/ video of the yellow FJ
they mention 90% of sales expected to be 4x4 versions. downsides seem to be cramped and hard to access 2nd row, poor visibility
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=108557/pageId=67604#
I like the 'second opinions'- Erin Riches sounds pretty good regarding the market and such
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=108557/pageId=67605
"Nissan touts the Xterra as a tough, affordable SUV with "everything you need, nothing you don't." That phrasing rolls off the tongue nicely, but when you're talking about a vehicle you drive every day, you might want to take back some of that "nothing you don't." No surprise then that despite its rugged intentions, the Toyota FJ Cruiser goes well beyond meeting your needs: Three front windshield wipers, gratuitous side mirror lights that don't signal your turn or illuminate puddles, and styling so irresistibly retro that every Range Rover driver you meet is ready to abandon his elite safari vehicle for a Toyota that's one-fourth the price.
Climb inside the FJ, though, and it feels immediately less practical than the Xterra. The driving position is very similar to the Hummer H3's and that means you're sitting up high in a wide box of a vehicle with a short glass area and lousy rear visibility. Getting into the backseat is a hassle, thanks to reverse-hinged rear doors that can only be opened when the front doors are open, and rear legroom is tight.
Of course, if transporting passengers is more novelty than necessity, you'll get over these shortcomings. Aside from its styling advantage, the FJ handles better on pavement than the Xterra. Its steering is quicker and more direct, and the ride isn't quite as bouncy. Take a corner hard and the FJ's truck origins come through loud and clear, but for the most part, Toyota's budget off-roader is perfectly at home in the suburbs.
And that's a good thing, because I passed a restored '70s-era FJ with knobby off-road tires and its driver wouldn't turn his head. He's not going to buy the 2007 FJ. The guys in the Land Rovers are going to buy them for their kids. Nissan touts the Xterra as a tough, affordable SUV with "everything you need, nothing you don't." That phrasing rolls off the tongue nicely, but when you're talking about a vehicle you drive every day, you might want to take back some of that "nothing you don't." No surprise then that despite its rugged intentions, the Toyota FJ Cruiser goes well beyond meeting your needs: Three front windshield wipers, gratuitous side mirror lights that don't signal your turn or illuminate puddles, and styling so irresistibly retro that every Range Rover driver you meet is ready to abandon his elite safari vehicle for a Toyota that's one-fourth the price.
Climb inside the FJ, though, and it feels immediately less practical than the Xterra. The driving position is very similar to the Hummer H3's and that means you're sitting up high in a wide box of a vehicle with a short glass area and lousy rear visibility. Getting into the backseat is a hassle, thanks to reverse-hinged rear doors that can only be opened when the front doors are open, and rear legroom is tight.
Of course, if transporting passengers is more novelty than necessity, you'll get over these shortcomings. Aside from its styling advantage, the FJ handles better on pavement than the Xterra. Its steering is quicker and more direct, and the ride isn't quite as bouncy. Take a corner hard and the FJ's truck origins come through loud and clear, but for the most part, Toyota's budget off-roader is perfectly at home in the suburbs.
And that's a good thing, because I passed a restored '70s-era FJ with knobby off-road tires and its driver wouldn't turn his head. He's not going to buy the 2007 FJ. The guys in the Land Rovers are going to buy them for their kids. "
-Erin Riches
they mention 90% of sales expected to be 4x4 versions. downsides seem to be cramped and hard to access 2nd row, poor visibility
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=108557/pageId=67604#
I like the 'second opinions'- Erin Riches sounds pretty good regarding the market and such
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=108557/pageId=67605
"Nissan touts the Xterra as a tough, affordable SUV with "everything you need, nothing you don't." That phrasing rolls off the tongue nicely, but when you're talking about a vehicle you drive every day, you might want to take back some of that "nothing you don't." No surprise then that despite its rugged intentions, the Toyota FJ Cruiser goes well beyond meeting your needs: Three front windshield wipers, gratuitous side mirror lights that don't signal your turn or illuminate puddles, and styling so irresistibly retro that every Range Rover driver you meet is ready to abandon his elite safari vehicle for a Toyota that's one-fourth the price.
Climb inside the FJ, though, and it feels immediately less practical than the Xterra. The driving position is very similar to the Hummer H3's and that means you're sitting up high in a wide box of a vehicle with a short glass area and lousy rear visibility. Getting into the backseat is a hassle, thanks to reverse-hinged rear doors that can only be opened when the front doors are open, and rear legroom is tight.
Of course, if transporting passengers is more novelty than necessity, you'll get over these shortcomings. Aside from its styling advantage, the FJ handles better on pavement than the Xterra. Its steering is quicker and more direct, and the ride isn't quite as bouncy. Take a corner hard and the FJ's truck origins come through loud and clear, but for the most part, Toyota's budget off-roader is perfectly at home in the suburbs.
And that's a good thing, because I passed a restored '70s-era FJ with knobby off-road tires and its driver wouldn't turn his head. He's not going to buy the 2007 FJ. The guys in the Land Rovers are going to buy them for their kids. Nissan touts the Xterra as a tough, affordable SUV with "everything you need, nothing you don't." That phrasing rolls off the tongue nicely, but when you're talking about a vehicle you drive every day, you might want to take back some of that "nothing you don't." No surprise then that despite its rugged intentions, the Toyota FJ Cruiser goes well beyond meeting your needs: Three front windshield wipers, gratuitous side mirror lights that don't signal your turn or illuminate puddles, and styling so irresistibly retro that every Range Rover driver you meet is ready to abandon his elite safari vehicle for a Toyota that's one-fourth the price.
Climb inside the FJ, though, and it feels immediately less practical than the Xterra. The driving position is very similar to the Hummer H3's and that means you're sitting up high in a wide box of a vehicle with a short glass area and lousy rear visibility. Getting into the backseat is a hassle, thanks to reverse-hinged rear doors that can only be opened when the front doors are open, and rear legroom is tight.
Of course, if transporting passengers is more novelty than necessity, you'll get over these shortcomings. Aside from its styling advantage, the FJ handles better on pavement than the Xterra. Its steering is quicker and more direct, and the ride isn't quite as bouncy. Take a corner hard and the FJ's truck origins come through loud and clear, but for the most part, Toyota's budget off-roader is perfectly at home in the suburbs.
And that's a good thing, because I passed a restored '70s-era FJ with knobby off-road tires and its driver wouldn't turn his head. He's not going to buy the 2007 FJ. The guys in the Land Rovers are going to buy them for their kids. "
-Erin Riches