Toyota FJ Cruiser (2011-2016)

FJ Curiser Performance - Crossing the Simpson desert – I own a 2015 built FJ, and I crossed the Simpson desert in July 2017 by myself without any issues (travelled towards west from Birdsville). I tried to join an expedition group, but the leader blatantly refused me to join, saying that FJ is with petrol and my FJ's tyres are factory and I am inexperienced (fair enough). Eventually, I decided to make… Read more

the journey on my own, and I left Birdsville a bit later than the group did. After for about one hour of my journey, I found them having rest in front of a huge dune, and I had the "opportunity" to wave them while crossing the huge sand dune without hassles!!

For the fuel, I have about half fuel left (mine is 159L) by the time I arrived in Dalhousie Springs. Also, most time, I just forget to engage 4wd - so, most time, I crossed most sand dunes with 2wd, with the tyres' air pressure down to around 19 psi. Also, I have had 2 big road trips since I purchased my FJ in 2015 (mostly outback Australia; and I travelled around 7 ~ 8,000 km each time).

The only downsides/bad experience with my FJ was/(sometime still occurs), it has rattling noise (which comes on and off depending on the outside temperature and conditions of road surface) around the windshield, door trims and so on. My FJ is slightly over 80k now, and except for the above mentioned issues, I have never had any problems so far. So, I can confidently say that I could not be happier with my FJ!

Best off road vehicle made by Toyota – I have owned a 100 series 4.2 Sahara from new, a 3.00 SR5 Hilux and now I have been looking for a replacement for my 2015 Prado GXL 3.0TD Auto, its been a fabulous reliable vehicle and still drives like a new car after almost 70,000km. Just want a change, the only sensible choice is still Toyota. The local dealer was underwhelming on the px… Read more

against the new model, my wife just happened to notice a used FJ on the lot, so we looked closer, drove it for 30 mins immediately fell in love with it. The dealers model was the wrong colour, black an early model with highish km's and a price to match. So we set about looking for a better example. We found a white FJ with 18months warranty remaining with low km's and bought privately.

What a delight, love the roomy 'retro style' cabin, the quiet V6 petrol engine and the gentle snarl from the exhaust on acceleration. On the road similar to the Prado, but being shorter wheelbase does not feel as cumbersome and being petrol has better throttle response. Wish I had bought one of these new on the run-out, you have to drive one to appreciate what an amazing vehicle this is. Having covered under 2000 km's so far fuel consumption is around 11.9 tank too tank, 2.9 more than the Prado, a small price to pay for the sheer driving enjoyment. USed off road at the weekend in deep soft sand, the crawl control works effortlessly, cant understand why Toyota only make this available on the $90K+ Prado, the where owners are less likely to use off-road, this should be standard on all Prado's!!

This is the best Toyota SUV I have owned, now looking for a second one for me to drive !!

Likes: driving position, space, driving a pleasure, compliant ride on highways, supreme off-road ability, upright screen - makes the cabin feel bigger, Gripes: radio unit angles slightly down, crappy Dunlop Grandtrek tyres (originals) - will change soon!!

A NEAR PERFECT big toy with a few but NOTICEABLE drawbacks – This is a very personal review which is based on my own driving hobbies. I'm a 35+ years old male moved to Australia only a year ago. And my 2013 FJ Cruiser is the only car for my family so it's more likely an all-purpose vehicle rather than an off road beast. First off, it has a near perfect conventional platform with highly reliable moderate… Read more

modern engine. But it gets something wrong with the control.

I love the conventional body-on-frame, longitudinal-mounted-engine, part-time-four-wheel-drive design. Yea those serious off road tough guys may laugh at me for saying this, since it's the very basic platform for a real off road vehicle. As a typical mid age amateur weekend off road driver who also uses the car for highway travel, for going to work and for hanging out with family, however, this design makes a huge difference from those who drive unibody crossovers. When I’m buying a SUV this conventional platform is a must-have requirement. And this requirement alone rules out more than half (if not three fourth) of options.

The six cylinder naturally aspirated 1GR-FE engine is one of a few ideal engines I can get. I was a V8 fan and that (GM Small Block) was what I had in my early 20s. But nowadays a good V8 is rare and hardly affordable for me. Besides I hate turbochargers, for both safety concern and odd acceleration feeling. Those fire and explosion hazardous caused by pressured fuel and air mix and high temperature in the engine bay is rare, but is enough for me to stop buying any turbocharged gasoline vehicle. Additionally the reliability of 1GR-FE is appreciated by a number of users. I have no idea about the engine reliability until I get a serious problem. Before that, I prefer to listen to those users. The second gen 1GR-FE mounted on 2011-2016 FJ Cruiser is even better. Slightly improved horsepower is good. But the best part for me is it fixed those known defects of the first gen.

Interior features are simple but reliable. I’m old school on this point, again. Those fancy electronics are not my thing. Most of my friends are fans of European cars. They got plenty of authentic electronic features coming with their Mercedes, Jaguar and Volvo such as touch screen control, pop-up navigation device, heated steering wheel and seats, etc. These things can fail more often than my friends expected. And once any part of them fails, it can be a pain.

But here is the problem according to my real experience: unpredictable engine power output involving over computerized control. I’m not talking about electronic controlled throttle. The electronic controlled throttle alone is bad enough because of response delay. But there is something else between the driver and the throttle. It’s the computer or so called ECU. When hitting the gas pedal it feels like giving the computer a suggestion about hard acceleration or moderate acceleration. Then it's just a suggestion. It’s the computer who decides to which extent it should listen. It increases engine power and shifts gear by considering a lot of factors which the driver has no idea about. It looks like Toyota engineers believe they know better about roads than drivers do. I’m fine if they apply more AI for family oriented sedans and crossovers. But for an off road SUV which already has a nice conventional body and engine, over computerized control is definitely not what I want.

Additionally I think my FJ Cruiser looks like a big toy rather than a working horse. And the potential for further modification is limited.

I have to be honest, that I don't really need many of off road modification in the near future. A bull bar with flood lights is essential, but a winch is not in my shopping cart yet. I don’t really have many chances to invite some friends to go very serious off road. Those friends are enjoying city driving with their fancy European crossovers. And I won’t challenge those difficult track alone. Large wheels mounted on lifted suspension and a safari snorkel look cool on the other hand. But I don’t really need them for river crossing. Actually I try to avoid any river crossing unless I have to do so since I believe that cold water on hot cylinders is not a good idea, not to mention there are tons of other potential problems.

When I want to modify a vehicle for style rather than for actual use, the vehicle should either born to be modified. Wrangler in stock condition, for example, is like an unfinished product waiting to add customized module by its owner. Otherwise it’s because the vehicle is not looking good enough. But, FJ Cruiser? No. It’s not in any of these two cases. It’s perfectly finished and I can hardly find some room for improvement after installing a bull bar and a roof rack. Also it looks so kawaii that I don’t want to break it for another style. So I have to keep it sweet and lovely like a big toy.

Also I found my FJ Cruiser is not friendly for modification. I checked online for parts and experiences for months. And I got frustrated. Some trusted professional off road drivers criticized how the suspension got horrible after being lifted, especially when driving against bumpers. They also talked about extra must-to-do work such as chopping a small part of the chassis. These are not my experiences so I don’t write more about them. But it’s enough to let me give up further modification.

Finally, the comfortableness is better than Wrangler, but much worse than most of other counterparts in the same price range.

Both front and rear seats are pretty roomy, comparing with other mid-size SUVs. I was looking for a Wrangler before I decided to go for my FJ Cruiser. And I’m a bit over the average weight at my height. It was disappointing to find that the front leg room is too narrow in a Wrangler, regardless of two door or four door variant. I felt my legs were constrained. That’s was a major reason I changed my mind and bought a FJ Cruiser instead. Besides my wife told me FJ Cruiser rear seats are surprisingly more comfortable than front seats. I think it’s because the lower head rest fits better for my 155cm wife. And the leg room for rear seats are not bad at all.

I have to complain, however, the driver seat and front passenger seats are not very comfortable despite of being roomy. I cannot pinpoint the reason but it feels much worse than some other mid-size SUVs such as Prado. For 30 minutes driving it’s acceptable. But I’m the one who sometimes spend eight hours on highway. And I’m suffering from arthritis of the neck. I feel way more tired and even hurt in my FJ Cruiser for long driving. Additionally it’s kinda harder for me to adapt it since I was used to super comfortable full-size SUV (1998 Tahoe) and sedan (2004 Aurora) in my last ten years.

There are some other small drawbacks mentioned by other reviewers, including bad air flow inside the vehicle, poor visibility and plastic interior surface. It could be better if they are fixed or improved, but it’s just fine for me.

Best car we have ever owned – Il start with the facts, -Its Reliable, i own two of them, one with 343,211kms and one with 75,000kms both of them drive beautifully and you cant honestly tell much difference between high kms and low provided its been looked after. I only notice because ours are cement grey and ebony. -I wont sell it, maybe consider selling our higher Kms daily… Read more

if all the stars lined up. But its a car you will realise that if you look after it very basics needs oil filter etc itl keep on giving for years to come. -Its efficient 11l per 100kms with a full load normal driving in the city. -many parts available for servicing and its cheap and easy to diy service. -holds its value. -built surprisingly tough, i had a fender bender in one of ours where my front wheel luckily they stick out, drove over the bonnet of an idiot that drive out on me, broke the mudflap off and scuffed the rubber sidewall, almost wrote his car off. -Its comfortable, you feel safe inside and it keeps the blazing sun off you. Also has side fold down sun shades inside that no other aussie car has. -the flat letterbox style windscreen, trust me when you drive out somewhere picturesque ie a beautiful sunset its almost like a reward for everyone inside. -powerful, blows a lot of things off the line but its got the right balance of power torque and acceleration coupled with smart tech thats reliable unlike or work amarok... Ughh nightmare. -its not a wanky design ffs, its just different. Who cares. -ive had several 2 or 3 day long drives in it with 4 adults in it and its been great. -if your overweight the front seat may be a little uncomfortable, i was for a few years, but when i got back to a healthy weight ie 80 from 115kg. I noticed the seat is so much more comfortable. -it does have a few blindspots, but its not a big learning curve or a massive amount of effort to move your head a little. -very easy to speed in. Maybe its because i miss our old falcons speed warning? But because it feels so good to drive you wont notice.

Didn't think this 4by would be this good – Use my 2013 fj as a daily driver and big trips. Just done a trip from Perth to the Pilbara, 5400k round trip 3000k of that off-road. Across the top of the Kennedy Ranges and desert tracks. I'm a hiker so all my equipment for the trip is light weight. My fuel consumption was 11.78 litres per hundred for the trip. As a daily driver l get 12 to… Read more

13 litres per hundred. On the beaches use a bit more fuel. Done 110,000 kilometres of trouble free driving with all the proper log book servicing. Had an 80 series land cruiser before, probably the best 4wd lve owned for the family. The fj was my mates vehicle l borrowed for a 2000k trip to the Esperance area. After that trip l bought it of him. My thoughts are, good 4x4 for 1 to 2 people. As long as you don't mind lightweight camping. Great for daily driver very comfortable, (lm 6foot 3ins tall) and fantastic as an overland long distance tourer with the 159 litre fuel tank. Perfection for me would have been a solid front axle, saying that haven't had a problem with ifs.

All strong and weak sides FJ cruiser after 200K km – Weak sides (for those who are going to buy): - assembled not by Toyota but by Hino. Guys on Hino are not that accurate. - the car is pretty small. Only 4 people fit. - not enough space at the back. - owner should use 95 petrol. - wind screen collects all rocks from roads like a magnet. That's it. No more negativism so far (for over 200K km) … Read more

Strong sides: - fuel consumption 10,5 - 12,5 l/100km - FJ can drive on any petrol (even 91) but you should not drive on 91 every day. - car is increadebly reliable. I was jumping on FJ and went through the Cape York. NEVER got any issues at all. After 100 000 km I changed tires, brake pads and spark plugs. That's it. It was not necessary to change any thing in suspension. - car can be easy modified if necessary. - short front and rear bumpers allow FJ to drive where no one else can.

Best car I’ve owned – Had mine for 3 years. Comfortable, heaps of power for what you need. You don’t have to listen to the horrible sound of an underpowered 3 litre diesel. Great off-road. And it’s cool. Show details

Great 4wd, beats almost anything offroad – My FJ is used for daily use and also used to go off-road on the weekends. I use my FJ 3-5 times per week. My FJ gets services once a year as per the manual. This car is great for 1-2 people but not if you have a family, having to constantly open the rear doors to let people in and out will be annoying after a while. Show details

A beast in off road and on road – Best performance when doin off road...have enough power for on road as well...i love the looks of this iconic Toyota off roader...interior is confortable and so simple and classic...a very reliable vehicle for work, family and play. Aftermarket accessories is heaps to find. Just use this car on your road trip and youll feel its power with its V6 engine. Excellent vehicle!!!  Show details

Love my FJ – I have owned two FJ Cruisers and absolutely loved them. They are reliable, easy to drive in the traffic or on the open road. I could not fault either car and am disappointed that Toyota is not selling them in Australia any more. I would recommend the FJ to anyone as an excellent car.  Show details

Great Reliable Car – This car is so easy to handle and so reliable. There are a lot of gauges that i still cannot understand like a Volt gauge but i have been told even if it is high it wont be an issue. so the question is, what is it's purpose? Car is a bit of a petrol eater but is so smooth and easy to drive.  Show details

Classic car ever – We owned a year 2013 blue FJ Cruiser, very friendly to female driver (me) I adore this car so much and even named him "cutie". It took me and my partner to so many places and explored everywhere. Wish FJ Cruiser is going to have a new model in the future and i'd love to get a new one for myself.  Show details

FJ Cruiser - future classic? – Purchased my second hand FJ Cruiser a few years ago and true to type has been faultless. The FJ has the highest resale of any vehicle in North America, and can't see why that would be any different in Australia. It seems to be turning into a classic, no doubt due to its funky looks, serious off road credentials, comfort and rock solid Toyota… Read more

reliability.

The engine and gearbox work well together, like most Toyota V6's strikes a good balance between smoothness, performance, economy and reliability.

The styling does make for some blind spots and is not as spacious inside as you'd think, but it's still practical, easy to load and clean out when required.

If your after a car that is comfortable and capable in nearly all settings this is worth a good look at.

4 litre Jeep Eater – I purchased my Fj in 2014, since then I have travelled over 130000km, the vehicle is very capable off road and fun to drive on the beach. Fuel consumption averages 11.4km per litre with BFG all terrain tyres.Very reliable being a Toyota product. Hope they make them again one day,especially if it's a v8 diesel.  Show details

great – lovely car pity Toyota have stopped production, I was worried being a petrol not towing very well but it tows my caravan (2Ton ) beautifully , fuel is a negative only uses 95 octane or higher so you get robbed at the pumps ,but still nice vehicle imo Drives like a car and all the usual luxurys. Also some say the fj is ugly I say my FJ is stunning in black , and it also a very capable off road vehicle  Show details

Fantastic ...my second one! – Had the Hornet/Bumblebee Yellow for my first FJ but then went Red for the all over roof and because red goes faster. Love the extra fuel tank but a fill up is expensive :). Have been thinking of a supercharger (10K) when the warranty is over on this one. Just a comfortable cruiser. ;)  Show details

Best car ever – Smooth drive, super roomy! So comfortable to drive I love this car! Have had mine over a year now and never want another car!! Does eat up a fair bit of petrol, but I'm a sahm so mostly short trips and barely any traffic these days so not too bad all in all!  Show details

Love it AAA – Fantastic drivers car with lots of room, big buttons, good technology, very fast with 200 Kw, reliable, great value for the capability, goes anywhere. Big fuel tank, quality GPS with logable additional save points, average speed via the GPS, radio produces a good note, seats are comfortable, No carpet which is great for those muddy sections off road. And it's not like everything else! LOVE IT!  Show details

Great go anywhere vehicle – Brought our yellow Fj in Dec 16 brand new. I always loved the look of them so when I heard they where being discontinued we jumped in and brought one of the last ones in yellow. Its one of those vehicles you either love or hate, we love it!. People say they wish it had a diesel and I was one of them at first but the trouble is the Toyota diesels… Read more ·  1

like in the Prado only put out 130kw and are at least 2 generations behind the likes of the euro stuff and even Hyundai,they are the sort of thing you would hear pulling something agricultural in a paddock. The petrol engine is 200kw and is smooth, powerful and gives out a nice V6 growl when you put your foot up it. Fuel economy is good if you are not standing on it all the time, I worked out I was using 13.8L per 100k around town which will get better as it gets more km on it.

I am approx 193cm ('6'4) so with two teenagers it is cramped behind me but I just push my seat forward for long trips. I find the drivers seats lack good lumbar support on long trips.

As of yet we haven't taken off road but with crawl control etc it should be a very capable vehicle.

I like the easy clean interior and the durable materials in the back so you can just chuck ya stuff in and go.

Fj cruiser is the best – French vanilla.bueatifully made..so quiet to drive and the handellung is supurb.not to mention toyotas quality at the right price.pitty there not in production any more which will make these collectors items in a few years..good on you toyota. So much room in the rear and its a real head turner  Show details

The best purchase of our lives – We absolutely love this car! Great for families really heavy duty inside and out, im not so worried about the dirt so easy to clean. The car is smooth and quiet. The dogs absolutely love car rides plenty of room in the back for them to be comfortable. We have done a lot more family things since buying this car. What more can you want from the fj cruiser.  Show details

Brilliant on and off road just love it – Our "near new" FJ Cruiser is simply brilliant to drive. On tarmac it is very stable in 2 wheel drive. Push the lever and your in 4 wheel drive. Took it down to Deep Creek in SA - going down off course is easy it's the coming back up that I thought I would engage the diff lock. No! not needed and it just cruised up the hill in 4x4. Have since been… Read more

up to the beautiful Flinders Ranges and man it's just a dream. It's auto everything and that suits me just fine. Over large knobs in the rough - for when you're bouncing about easy to turn on and off. And it just sails through all types of terrain.

II's the best 4x4 we've ever owned, and we've owned 4. The engine is a 4 litre V6 so it's a tad thirsty but great balance of power.

I'm 185 cm tall and there's enough leg room. I have two batteries to use with our fridge.

AND I love the shape.

Perfect vehicle for the 9000 km outback trip we did last May – Cannot fault the FJ for off road driving. We were not stopped at any stage even though we had to contend with 100's of kilometres of 30 - 60mm deep mud. We travelled 700 - 8ookm per day in comfort and all of the equipment worked perfectly. Fuel consumption averaged 11.1km/100 in 2WD, 14 in 4Wd and on the rare occasions we needed Low Range, went up… Read more

to 17km/100. Have fitted Mickey Thompson ATZ3 tyres which are perfect for what we travelled and I have left them on as they are not noisy on the highway & handle as good as the rubbish originally fitted.

Fj cruisers owners only know how powerful these things are – We purchase the fj cruiser early this year & have not looked back. But first we purchase a new sx Corolla had that for 6 months was't happy with it then went back to Toyota & had l look at the 200 series Gxl land cruiser & test drive very nice but the price of it mate need shares in company's to buy it then had a look at the gxl ute land… Read more

cruiser but still the price high.

So then we went to have a look at the fj cruiser my wife said I don't like that so I said how about we ask Stan the Toyota sales man we take it & test drive it. So we did I sat at the back & my wife drove it & then mate my wife was hooked she said can not believe how smooth the fj cruiser is & the power torque it has & how different inside of the interior was so at the end of the day for the price of the fj & reviews I looked at the fj cruiser is the way to go.

Fj cruiser is a 4x4 can tackle any 4x4 off road tracks like the 200 series can & has diff lock crawling system, two tanks, power windows, GPS Nav radio 8 speakers system witch sounds good & the the doors how they open i love it some thing defrent from the other 4x4 on the market.

The look of the fj to me looks retro look from the first models what Toyota made years ago & now we have done just under 10.000klm & not bad on fuel we get a months worth out of two tanks full that's

1300 Klm from to wife's work that's throughout traffic to me very good we had a ls1 SS commodore all ways 400 Klm get on a tank full.

Fj cruiser is a full on 4x4 l really like the 200 series land cruiser but the price & running cost of the 200 series fj cruiser was the car for us & the price.

So far I replace the tyres with all terrain tyres, front nudge bar with led bar light & more accessories in the future.

FJ - It's a secret only owners know – Bought my FJ second-hand (30000km) in January 2016. I have finally had a chance to take some annual leave and test her out properly off road. I headed to the Flinders Ranges two days after SA's now infamous state-wide blackout. Perfect timing as due to the floods there was water everywhere which can be very rare in the Flinders Ranges. The FJ… Read more

carried my daughter and I through water crossings, flooded gorges, mud holes, up rocky slopes and through clay pans without a hitch. I couldn't find an obstacle that needed either first gear or the rear locker. I then headed over to the Victorian high country and spent a couple of weeks touring the back tracks and fire trails. Plenty of water again and a lot of mud, but the FJ took everything in it's stride including many a steep rocky slope where I did test the rear locker, which turns the FJ into a go anywhere tractor. In my whole trip I couldn't even spin the rear wheels. I had a couple of hairy moments in mud where I had over committed myself but again the FJ sailed through with a bit of lower tyre pressure. Needless to say the highway driving is just such a pleasure but that's not why I bought the FJ, for me it's the off road capability in comfort and style and the FJ has ticked all the boxes so far. A few mods have helped - AT Tyres / Bull Bar / suspension upgrade and body lift / light bar / LED replacement bulbs / rocksliders, with more mods on the way

If you have an FJ already getting it dirty is a must and if you don't have one and want one, act now as the FJ is likely to become a rarely sort after beast now she is out of production - this is the only down side as the new Toyota models don't even come close! What is also cool is that whenever you pass another FJ you get a smile and a wave - it really is like FJ drivers know a little secret, one thing is for sure we all share a little bit of the FJ experience!

Not a beast but a great performer – After selling my 80 series we where looking to replace with something less cumbersome but capable. The FJ seemed to be a good match and after 1 year of ownership I can report that it has exceeded expectations. It's just the 2 of us and we don't have anything heavy to tow. It was the off-road capabilities that looked the part and after doing a few… Read more

trips on very soft sand the performance has been impressive. With the addition of a bull bar and winch we tackled the beaches at robe with ease. I purposely drove the same tracks that previously gave the 80 series trouble and was amazed at the ease which we pushed through the soft sand. The extra weight of the bar and winch did drop the front but that has now been sorted with a 50 mm lift. ( this I would recommend if taking off road)

Below I've listed some of the features

Fuel economy,

Power and Torque,

Off Road Capability including rear locker and crawl control standard equipment, Approach and departure angles are the best I've seen.

Highway drivabilaty,

Long range fuel tank,

Build quality,

Reto look (love it or hate it),

Spare wheel mounted on rear door.

Basic instrumentation layout including reversing cam, nothing too fancy

Washable seats and floor

I could go on but you probably get the picture.

The only improvement I can think of would be a turbo diesel, but the petrol is doing everything right, even servicing at $220 is amazing.

If there are any new units left grab one with both hands as they have stopped production ...

Toyota keep spares going long after production has stopped so this is not a problem.

Happy motoring,

Lou

Too Cool and Funky to be a Toyota 4WD – It was love at first sight and the first drive didn't disappoint me either. I bought one of the very last FJ Cruisers available for sale in Australia. I can't understand why Toyota stopped production of this vehicle in Aug'16. It ticks so many boxes for a good solid reliable 4WD. It's so retro cool that most of my friends keep complimenting its… Read more

looks and asking about it. And it's such a joy to drive.

This vehicle was designed in California and built in Japan. That makes it the best of both worlds. My last vehicle was a 1995 XJ Jeep Cherokee which I bought new over 20 years ago. It was also retro looking and the most reliable car that I'd ever owned. Virtually no problems in 20 years of ownership, so the FJ Cruiser with Toyota reliability, was the only feasible upgrade choice.

The Fj Cruiser is like a Tonka Truck. It looks wide and chunky on the outside and quite roomy on the inside. But for what it is, it's surprisingly very easy to drive around the city, even in peek hour traffic. If you read all the reviews, the most common complaint about it are all its blind spots. However, if you're over six foot tall, like me, then there really aren't any blind spots. Vision is good all around because you are tall enough to see through the rear view mirror, over and beyond the spare tyre on the rear door. Despite the small rear window. You are also tall enough to see up and over the bonnet, through the tiny narrow and very upright windscreen. Plus stepping into the cabin is so easy with no bending or hunching over required. The front seats are also big and very comfortable and there is plenty of leg room. Most noticeable for someone like me with long legs and size 12 feet. is the abundance of space to move or rest your feet when driving (unlike the Jeep Grand Cherokee which has a foot operated hand brake lever which gets in your way). Yes, for sure, the FJ Cruiser is the ideal vehicle for tall people. So if you're short, this vehicle most definitely is not for you.

The big 4 litre petrol V6 engine is smooth and powerful. I love the way it accelerates from the lights and gives off a nice distinctive grunty sound. It's got the same engine as the petrol V6 Prado yet weights some 400 kg lighter. That gives it some serious go and you don't have to really rev the engine to extract it either. Fuel consumption is slightly better than my previous 4 litre straight six Jeep, so that's a win for me. The 159 litre fuel tank is also a win for me because for weekend trips I no longer need to fill up in the country towns that charge over 15 cents per litre more than the City servos. And because it's not a diesel I don't need to worry about expensive dirty and water contaminated diesel fuel.

On my last holiday I did 900 km of a mixture of 110 km/hr cruising,70 km/hr country dirt roads and slow off road work and achieved 9.91 litres per 100 km fuel consumption. That's great fuel economy for a large petrol engine 4WD. So good that it makes no sense to buy any of those far more expensive turbo diesel 4WDs such as the Prado or Nissan Patrol as I can't see any advantage that they offer over the FJ Cruiser.

An interesting thing though is how different the power characteristics are too my previous XJ Jeep cherokee. They are both 4 litre six cylinder petrol engines. However the FJ Cruiser has twice as many cams and valves, weighs 500 kg more but has 65 kw more power, 60 NM more torque and a V6 rather than straight 6. But the XJ Jeep engine is far better in slow city traffic and at around 60 km/hr in hilly terrain. It loves to be lugged in traffic and on the hills, holding it revs at constant throttle incredibly well. By comparison the FJ cruiser wants to continue to rev and accelerate, reluctant to hold a constant 60 km/hr. If you tried to lug the engine then the revs would drop off and the engine would get bogged down needing a boot full of throttle to get going again. A a result I've had to change my driving style in these situations. That's the only negative about the FJ engine. The rest is all good and superior in performance.

Another plus is that there is no space robbing third row of seats. More room for luggage. How many families have 5 kids anyway? The suicide doors are kind of cool and no problem for teenage kids to get into the back seat, which is quite wide and could seat three adults comfortably. However, once again short people will have an issue climbing into the back especially if they are wearing tight restrictive clothing.

I love driving this little Tonka Truck around town and in the countryside. It holds the road well on bumpy gravel tracks and has plenty of ground and ramp over clearance in the rough. It's certainly a very capable 4WD and comes with lots more traction aids than my previous Jeep. There is also plenty of after market off road gear to dress this vehicle up. My only concern with that is that this would negate the stock weight saving advantage it has over the Prado. That's one of it's attractions to buyers like me. A relatively light and nimble off road vehicle.

If I won 10 million bucks in lotto the FJ Cruiser would still remain as my number one car. It does everything so well and nothing else comes close.

Best SUV I've ever owned – I had a lot of SUV's incl three BMW X5's but the FJ Cruiser beats them all. Bliss to drive on highway and absolutely incredible when taking off-road. I drive very sporty, hard cornering and love drifts. The FJ is an absolute joy to whack around corners, either on comfortable roads or on rough bush tracks, the FJ is nimble and seriously solid. I… Read more

souped my FJ with all the tuning options available: King Brown cat-back sports exhaust, extractors, XEDE torque chip, TorquePedal, K&N air filter etc; its clocking 6 seconds to 100km/h - nice :) Also upgraded to bigger wheels and tyres without needing to lift it: 17 x 9 with 285/75. I absolutely love this car and will keep it forever. I can't believe toyota stopped producing the FJ Cruiser. In my mind it's the best car toyota ever produced.

Powerful Cruiser of all time Toyota Rocks – No one imagine that Toyota will ever built this type of powerful and most durable Cruiser, Toyota FJ Cruiser is Autonomous Machine with devil looks and amazing full capacity shocks system with heavy duty drivetrain. The all-wheel-drive version is more compelling with its six-speed manual, two-speed transfer case, and increased… Read more

go-anywhere-ability. Along with roughhewn looks come a roughhewn ride and a roughhewn interior that’s easy to hose out. Many vehicles are better on-road, but very few are better off-road.

NIce one – I will recommend everyone to buy this car, its awesome. I have been driving this car to the mountains and hill without an issue. The toyota service was amazing, and they are the one of the best car dealer in the world I think, I will definitely recommend them to my friend and you guys. Cheers  Show details

Fantastic vehicle – The best car I've ever driven. I absolutely love it. Everything about it is so great. IT will be the only car I ever need and I will one day pass it down to my children. They haven't even been born yet, but I'm confident it will last that long - as long as I don't wreck it.  Show details

Rock sliders can actually handle tough rides – I already sold mine but I still wanted to make a review because this 4WD stayed with me for quite a while. Good family car, great for camping and excursion, good space at the back, retro-looking, and good engine. It does need regular oil changing. Were a family of big people and leg room has been an issue. The dashboard in front gets in the knees… Read more

so you have to watch your knees especially if you're a tall person. Otherwise, headroom is pretty spacious and overall its easy to clean.

Fantastic Value for Money!! – Brilliant all round 4wd. Nothing has gone wrong in 1110,000kms Comfortable, quiet, fast, capable off roader .... average 15l/100klm with 2 inch lift, full roof rack, high lift Jack, roo bar, long range tank, 285/75/r17 tyres, Tows my 1250kg camper with ease. The back seat is comfortable, cruise control great, fantastic clearance of road. Handles on road very well for a full size 4wd etc Great Value!!!  Show details

Great vehicle, performance, quietness and economy are features – Since my first new Land Cruiser (55 series) until this FJ Cruiser I have owned six new and many s/h cruisers mostly used as tow vehicles doing high mileage including eleven years of full time outback work. The FJ Cruiser is as good as any and better than most as a 4WD and the best as a highway cruiser. Very competent vehicle and typical Toyota, it… Read more

is bulletproof! You can trust a Toyota to get you there when failure could be unspeakable, the cruisers never failed.

But a warning, don't test drive the FJ unless you intend taking it home!