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Good point. I have thought of buying an older FJ and rebuilding it. I really liked that vehicle. I should have put a small block Chevy V8 engine in it like all the other guys were doing in the 60s & 70s. They are worth a lot more now than the $2400 I paid for it new. It was the last of the small rear window model.
Does anyone know how the exhaust system will impact horsepower and gas milage?????
Thankyou with appreciation,
Specs were known last week along with the models to be allocated to each store.
They did a 4 way test with the H3, Xterra, FJ and Jeep.
The FJ came in third place. They repeated what a lot of people here said- small back seat, very poor visibility through all the thick pillars.
The one in their test was yellow with plain black steel wheels, It looked pretty cool.
Different strokes for different folks!
Seems Toyota may, according to R&T, build the Supra after all, instead of putting the Supra on the shelf for the FJ, as Mr. Press indicated a couple of years ago.
C&D derided the FJ for poor ride quality, saying it was great off-road, but not good on the streets.
MT said the FJ was good at both, and better than Xterra on the streets, so it gave it the win.
Both mags had the FJ .2 seconds behind the X, 0-60.
DrFill
Agreed, it appears that these will not be basic models at all, loaded up with accessories and likely an addendum. We have 11 allocated, 3 MT and 8 AT, but not all at the same time obviously.
See FJ with agressive tires here:
http://www.toyotaoffroad.com/Articles/Toyota/2007_fjcruiser/2007_fjcruiser.htm
When I access toyota.ca from home, the very same site suddenly has no option to build and price and FJ, and no link to an electronic brochure. I still have access to FJ'S home page, with all the specs, warranty info, etc
The only tangible differences is that at work I have a DSL connection and the latest Windows version, while at home I have a dial-up and an older Windows version.
But why on Earth would that make an option to build an FJ and a link to an electronic brochure disappear???
Could anyone please go to toyota.ca and see if you can build an FJ and download a brochure. Please let me know what Internet connection you have
Thank you!
Cheers :confuse:
IMHO, 4Runner is good for people with kids or large families, or who do not desire the attention FJ is likely to attract at the beginning
However, your argument as to gas milage does not hold and even if FJ gets 1 mpg more, that will amount to a 5% price break. Frankly, most people who care about MPG do not buy off road SUVs. FYI: 4Runner has pretty reasonable size and it is not longer than a Camry and it certainly has better visability than the FJ. FJ does not have decent rear seats/doors/view and it is not really suitable for many apps. Finally, 4Runner has much more content and size at the same price! That is the point I was trying to make: at invoice it may work for a few people but at MSRP it will not given that 4Runners are selling over $4k off MSRP.
Also, unless you are going to do uber hardcore 4wheeling all the time, 4Runner is going to suffice 99% of the time.
Actually, turning radius probably has as much to do with ease of parking and nimbleness off-road as overall vehicle length.
From what I can determine, the 4runner has a 37.4ft turning circle while the FJ has a 41.8ft turning circle.
A turning circle more than 4' bigger for the FJ doesn't equate to 'nimbleness' in my book.
For $30K loaded. I bet it does better off-road than the FJ or 4-Runner for less money. Kind of like what the Liberty should have been.
34.7ft turning radius, btw - quite nimble, though I suspect you'd have to toughen it up a bit with aftermarket cladding and skidplates and so on. Plenty of money for that, considering the V6 Limited is $25K plus a couple thousand in options. Fully loaded, it comes to $29,362(TMV price, on this site) The only option I didn't add was the rear entertainment option and leather seats(since that's silly off-road, and you have to toss the 3rd row option)
FYI:Car based SUVs are basically allergic to off road use and installing skid plates is not going to cut it. You will also have to increase suspension travel and basically rebuilt the whole suspension plus add some lower gearing. If you take a naked RAV4 off road, it will cost you so much you will quickly forget the few thousand you saved orginally.
Do any dealers have prices for options?
I'm tall & chunky. I don't fit comfortably in a lot of vehicles. I think I'll fit OK in the FJ. I fit OK in the 4Runner. Compared to the 4Runner, the FJ has in the front:
Head room +1.6"
Legs +.1"
Shoulders +.4"
Hips +.1
I especially like the extra head room.
This sucker weighs 1000 lbs less than my Tahoe. It has only 40 hp less, but the torque is equal! At any point, & especially from a dead stop, the FJ is gonna run away & hide from the Tahoe!
Plus the 4Runner handles way better than the Tahoe already, & the 3.9" shorter wheelbase (vs. the 4Runner) will make the handling even crisper & sharper, though possibly a little bumpier ride.
The 4Runner has one of the sweetest & smoothest drivetrains of anything I've driven, so the FJ should be equally good.
BTW, I think FJ will be a vehicle mostly for the 35+ crowd, as FJ is not that cheap. Don't know how much Toyota is going to charge for financing FJs in the States, but in Canada they want 7.05% no matter if it's for 24 or 60 months.
And that will add many thousands to the price of FJ. I doubt too many people have enough free cash to buy FJ without financing. So, that very attractive initial price is for those few who will not finance. Unlike Jeep, Toyota won't be offering 0% financing on FJs. Get ready to open your wallets, folks
BcMalibu99: If you do not like Toyota rates get it financed elsewhere.
Additionally, the Canadian market is very weird and as an ex-pat (note the handle) I have found a way to get around the Toyota Canada bull: simply buy the vehicle in the US and import it. I've done it and it is not very hard. It is only 6.1% in additional duty (for imports) but the dealers have lower margins in the US and the current exchange rate (0.87)is so favourable that most of that will be made up. Obviously, this may require that you find the money elsewhere for a few weeks before you finance it up North. Furthermore, you may be able to "save" much more if the Canadian option bundling is different. For example, in the US you can buy side curtains on some lower-end HLs and 4Runners but in Canada they will rape you for the full price on the Limited. That is another $6-7k in worthless options. Another way to trim some taxes is to drive it around the US on your vacation and depreciate the vehicle before you formally import it. Better yet, title/register it first in state like OR and that may allow you to avoid PST.
my $0.02!
The FJ's unique look significantly elevates its value vs. the 4Runner. The basic 4Runner body, though tweeked a bit (& IMO the look was absolutely improved for '06), has been around since MY '03. The FJ is a fresh take on the original decades-old Land Cruiser theme. Even though the 4Runner may be better at the same sticker price as the FJ, shoppers wanting something sharper & fresher will gravitate toward the FJ. That could keep FJ prices elevated longer than six months as you predicted.
I'm biased in this regard, because I put down a deposit a month or so ago. I'm really ready for something new & can't wait to see how I fit & take it for a test drive.
I had some hesitation when I noticed the blind spots. Then after talking to my wife, who drove 40' school busses, I decided only a wimp would pass on a vehicle solely for its blind spots. Professional drivers use mirrors almost constantly. Certainly anything short next to a school bus is completely hidden to the school bus driver except for his/her mirrors. But when I was in reverse today in an indoor parking lot, it occurred to me that the blind spots would cause the most problems in that situation. Obvioulsy school buss drivers never find themself backing up in dark indoor parking lots.
Has Yota had any recent racing success whatsover? Even the most recent Lexus still don't keep up with a Bimmer from a sport viewpoint (not talking about pure straightline acceleration, but overall balance).
I drove the latest 330i vs. a Lexus IS at a tight Autocross track (favored handling). The Bimmer ate the Lexus' lunch.
Only my 2c.
Braindrainer, come back to Canada, Harper is about to start cutting taxes All this stuff about going to USA to buy FJ is just way too much hassle. Besides, I don't want to be treated like an interloper at a Canadian dealer every time I come for service. Moreover, to get an off-road option for FJ I'd need to get a totally loaded FJ in the States. In Canada, it's a mid-loaded version of the FJ. A fully loaded version in Canada adds lots of stuff I don't care about, and an additional $3K MSRP. So, there's a saving of 3K right there.
I think I'll wait for a year for prices to come down, minor reliability bugs to be removed, and will save enough to buy without financing
But yeah - the poster needs to go watch some rally racing - that's where the real insanity and skill is. 120mph+ down a road my car couldn't take at 25mph...
This is a NASCAR nation fellas.
Good luck at Indy this year.
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I still think the report of a 41-foot turning radius must be a typo or something. How could it have a turning radius that much bigger than the 4Runner when it shares all the running gear? Perhaps because of the larger tires? If it's correct, that is a blow to offroad-ability.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The first two we have coming are both Yellow/White, an MT and an AT, both 4WD.
The AT stickers at....... $32000+
Any idea what the sticker is on the MT?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I like the looks of the little rig..except for the front suspension..I just can't stand the thought of having an independent suspension up there. I personally don't like them, and do not want it. Maybe I didn't do enough research..but since this is on a modified 3rd world chassis..can you put the more rigid "axle" from another model under there from another model? I've played with old Ford Bronco, Land Rovers and Jeeps... I have no problems compromising ride and the little on-road ability that I would give up (people have to realize these are not speed demons!) to make it more versitile off road.
Just asking..and yes..this is definitely one of those "will something off of this fit on that" questions.
Here's an indication:
FitzMall which is a large discount internet store in the DC area ( Prius' are $1000+ off sticker!!! ) has the FJ's at sticker ranging from $28K+ to $31K+. Like us they seem to have 15 or 20 units 'available'.
And then there's the bumper and grille. At the L.A. auto show they had the prototype and the pre-procusion model next to each other - maybe 20 ft apart. The concept was roped off, but anyone could reach over the ropes and touch/feel the prototype. It was also up on some fake rocks, so it was easy to look underneath.
The original - sealed beams and metal. Very solid, though thin gauge steel and aluminum.
The pre-production model - all plastic and plastic. Sealed-beams were gone - replaced by a flat plastic "lens" no better than a CD case. The grille was tap on it shaky and thin - like a typical Corolla. Now, this wouldn't be bad except it's a 4*4 marketed at supposedly, well, being used as such.
And then there's the bumper. The original - there are the "wings" on the edges - metal, like the rest. The pre-production - plastic. One had popped right off, in fact. bottom line - if you tap or hit *anything* with the bumper off-road, the grille or "wings" on the bumper will disintegrate.
Lastly, the original concept had glass everywhere. The rear quarter=panel window is plastic. Not glass. Plastic.
It just - I dunno such a let-down compared to the concept. Feels like they took a Tacoma or simmilar 4*4 and put a fake plastic toy body on it, much like how the H3 is.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)