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I hope that Toyota offers an integrated winch as eith a package or accessory.
At the unveiling, Toyota offered to price yet - but promised it would be "surprising". My guess is $25 for a base model.
What he said was length is 11" shorter but wheelbase only 4" shorter. It is probably the same or wider than the 4 runner.
But then I've heard other people say that the FJ is another Element and sales will start tanking after a year or two. Does anyone here feel that it has the same appeal as the Element?
Grab an increasing share in a diminishing market (Pure-bred off-roaders, Element, Wrangler, Xterra, Hummer).
I'll bet the last buggy-whip was a pretty good tool!
Maybe the Supra will come back!
In 2008.
DrFill
If only it were as cool as the Mini Copper it unsuccessfully apes.
Thank You.
DrFill
The FJ is clearly aimed at the frat crowd, i.e. those who want to appear "cool", as opposed to grown men.
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I also see that Toyota has updated their info. on the FX, and have new exterior pictures, but nothing on the interior. Maybe the interior hasn't been finished in time for the show?
And I guess Toyota has answered one of my main questions: there will not be a base engine that is smaller than the V-6. I figure this thing has to be at least a little lighter than the Tacoma pick-up, so that V-6 will really light it up.
Locking diff is optional, as are power mirrors, alloy wheels, privacy glass, cruise and all that other jazz. That is good, except I wish the locking diff were standard. But this matches the Tacoma too, so I am not surprised. I figure the FJ configured the way I would want it would be close to $25K.
And for you tow fans, I guess it will tow 5000 pounds, which outstrips the Element (not surprisingly given that the Element is a high-roof car, and this thing is an actual truck).
I very much like the specs they have shown so far, now I await a better look at a production interior. The rubber floors work just fine for me. The standard stereo has separate tweeters, a little thing that I like.
I think they will offer a factory package that includes a winch - it is not surprising it is not standard given that there will be a 4x2 model, and that there will certainly be the snow crowd among the customers for this model, that will not want an extra hundred pounds hanging off their front bumper in the form of a winch they will never use.
There is no reason Toyota should not get back in the Jeep game with a niche model like this that costs them so little: this is basically just a repackaging of the mechanicals for the Tacoma 4x4 truck with a fresh body style. They have always had great trucks, and they should not cede the offroader contingent to the XTerra, even if they ARE only worth perhaps 50K sales a year, or whatever.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
But, the FJ looks like a suitable replacement. Would like to see some interior shots of the car in Chicago.
bpratico: cool truck! I have always been curious about those 4Runners, does the pop-off top leak when you wash it? When I bought mine I thought about getting an older used one with the "convertible", but didn't want to have to deal with the hassle of manually locking hubs. f course, in the new Tacoma and the FJ it is just a dial on the dash - there isn't even a lever to pull any more, let alone hubs to lock.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Nope - top has never leaked. Also got a sunroof, which has also never leaked. But the interior is now pretty ratty, having hauled dogs in it for years. Still has original paint (gold) and still looks good, having kept wax on it through the years. The cheap plastic covers on storage comparments of the side of the bed are falling apart, and the radio tuner is flaky. But everything else still works.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Overall Width: 74.6
Overall Height: 70.9
Wheelbase: 105.9
Ground Clearance: 9.6
Those stats alone are why this SUV is better than every single SUV out there, which are either too long, too narrow, or both.
And even the ones that come close can't match Toyota quality/price.
As far as the design, it even looks good in that ridiculous blue, imagine it in black or silver.
I've waited a long time for an SUV that can match the VehiCross in terms of style, dimensions, and yes TWO DOORS, and Toyota has finally done it and better.
The FJ has spectacularly unique individual styling with fun funky details everywhere. A design tour-de-force in my opinion. I have seen pics of the interior and the dash has a mechanical appearance matching the color of the exterior of the truck.
The FJ is going to be a smash hit and I hope that I will be able to negotiate a decent discount in the first year.
It is amazing to me how much fun styling you can buy today for a very modest price. Witness the Mini, The PT Cruiser, the Element, The Scion line, The VW Bug etc and now the FJ Cruiser, Wow. At one time you really had to spend a lot of money to make a design statement. Capitalism is wonderful. And a neighbor of mine just brought home a new Mercedes CLS, Wow.
I have owned a Lotus Esprit Turbo, various Corvettes, Dodge Stealth, 57 T bird, Nissan 280 Z, Masseratti Merek, Toyota Celica, Lexus SC and now the Infiniti FX35.
One other car that looks to be a home run for 2006 is the new Saturn Sky. Cant wait to see that in person also.
DrFill
What about all the young bucks and old bucks who just want a convertible sports car, stick shift, and an engine with some torque instead of whining rpms!
B
So 'Yota has Echo (Vitz), Corolla (Matrix is not a car to me), Solara, Camry, and Avalon.
So 5 cars, 6 SUV
I guess they're trying to reflect the market!
I still want a car for MEN!
Saturn Sky looks good. New Civic Si. Dodge is for men only.
DrFill
Oh yeah, and you forgot the Prius.
And I think of it more in terms of cars and trucks. For Yota, the count is five trucks, 7 cars, and two wannabe middle-of-the-roaders, the RAV and Highlander, which really can't do anything trucky but do sit tall and look the part, with the consequent loss of fuel economy that entails.
Now we can add one to the trucks count, the FJ. 2006, here we come. I will almost definitely be picking one of these suckers up. But having picked up a first-year Toyota recently (my can-of-loose-bolts '03 Matrix), I will not soon be making the mistake of buying in the first year again. So perhaps my own driveway will not contain an FJ until calendar 2007...
PS After MR2 and Celica go, the next two on the possible mid-future chopping block are Echo and Land Cruiser, so one of each, car and truck. Just in case you wanted to, say, accuse Toyota of being heavily truck-biased...
:-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Yeah, the new Cruiser I guess replaces the Real Cruiser, by 2007 I'd say.
I test drove the Vibe GT. Was a LOT of fun!
Steering wheel seemed welded into the dash, though. Driving became awkward. But roomy!
How can I forget Prius?
I left out Tundra and Tacoma. They definitely aren't cars.
Toyota has become cars are for girls, trucks are for guys. I'm nmot vibin' with them right now.
I'm selling my Civic and looking at the 93 MR2.
But 132k? Guy wants $6k. It's in great shape, but not that much.
I want a Cooper, made by 'Yota!
DrFill
As for cars.... Bring back Supra Prius rocks. A little more power wouldn't hurt. Camry needs new styling. I guess when you're pumping out 400000 of any car a year it would look boring anyway. Bigger engine in Matrix. More power in Tundra.
I'm done
Did you not see this?
"Contrary to rumors, Toyota's Supra replacement will in no way, shape or form, bear any resemblance to the Giugiaro-designed Volta concept which appeared in Geneva last March. Toyota does, however, plan on delivering a high-performance sports car along the lines of the departed Supra some time between the end of 2006 and 2007. This two-door, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sport coupe might be built on an all-new platform, although it's expected that Lexus will not build its own variation. Toyota's luxury subsidiary will instead build its own supercar based on the LF-A concept shown at this year's Detroit auto show. The car will probably be priced from around $30,000 and some sort of prototype could very likely debut at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show"
http://www.edmunds.com/future/2007/toyota/supra/100486034/preview- .html?tid=edmunds.f.mmindex.content.num97.0.all*
Now you can quit whining about your supra. I currently own a 98 4'runner. With the exception of the cupholders, and lack of power(the v-6 is laggy) it is one of the best "trucks" out there. I tell ya what though...I wouldn't trade it for one the new 4'runners. Too mommy-fied for my taste.
For all you comparing a nissan product to a toyota product, you should be ashamed. Don't get me wrong I like nissan styling. Their reliability though leaves something to be desired.
This FJ looks to be a great truck for toyota. Something that can compete with jeep for off-road capability AND still have the piece of mind with toyota reliability.
-SiK99
The Sports car market cycle(outside of 'Vette) has only 3-4 years to it, then it's burnt out, then dormant for 4-5 years. 'Yota has clearly missed this cycle.
They WILL build that Lexus supercar!
But they won't "dumb it down" enough to make the Supra live again, in any relevant form.
And it would hurt the Lexus. You can't sell a $100k car, then sell a knock-off with strong performance for $30K. Rich folks ain't havin' it!
Stop talking about Supra! It depresses me!
FJ is uglier than the original, and IT MISSED this SUV cycle (Hummer cycle) too!
All the freaks will buy it for a couple of years, than it's a Celica.
DrFill
That comments make me wonder just what you are filled with, fill.
If you havent learned the SUV is not a "cycle" by now, check the numbers.
In fact, the only downside to an SUV is the bulk, which, guess what, Toyota solves with the perfectly proportioned and styled FJ.
This is not a 4Runner, that can take potholes smoothly, and rock the rocks. This is a dedicated off-road machine. You are playing to a very narrow market. AND only 2-doors! Limits it's versatility.
B. The Element and XTerra didn't fly far.
The Element is high teens! The Xterra sells 60-70k? With 4 doors? This truck is $22-23k all over the place. Over $25k with options!
C. The market is heading DEEP into crossover SUV.
Why NOW release a super off-roader? Timing?
Look up the Toyota RSC from the 2002 Show Circuit. THAT is where the market is headed in 5-7 years.
Release THAT off-roader, today!! I'm all over it!
I'll buy two of those!!
And I guess you haven't seem a hooked-up old-school FJ. Watch MTV's "Pimp My Ride", where they do one up in YELLOW (!), and it looks hard as hell!
It looks like Wrangler's Big Brother, just out of the Slammer, on more 'Roids than Giambi!
Remake THAT FJ!
Toyota can do better.
Make a Supra
Make an RSC.
Remake the FJ PROPERLY.
Thank You.
DrFill
" B. The Element and XTerra didn't fly far."
Both outsold their respective companies' sales projections, right out of the gate. The XTerra continued to do so through most of its first gen model cycle, and Honda had to shift production to build more Elements to meet demand.
But forget Element, it is a car, FJ is a truck. XTerra is the only comparable vehicle out there.
"This truck is $22-23k all over the place. Over $25k with options!"
As will be the FJ, I am sure. And your point is? Perhaps the only other small truck-based SUV you could compare besides the XTerra is the Jeep Liberty, which also costs around this much with the V-6 and 4WD, and that is a V-6 that is seriously down on power compared to the FJ's 4.0
"Why NOW release a super off-roader? Timing?"
NO, because Toyota no longer has one (unless you have $50K to spend on an LC, and REALLY like leather). And it has always been a truck company with some genuine offroad cred. To maintain that, it needs a vehicle like FJ right now.
Oh yeah, and
"A. The Super Off-Roader is a "Cycle"
This is not a 4Runner, that can take potholes smoothly, and rock the rocks. This is a dedicated off-road machine. You are playing to a very narrow market. AND only 2-doors! Limits it's versatility."
I am not sure where you got the idea that the Super Off Roader, whatever that is, is a cycle. There are as many people today, if not more, as there were 40 years ago that like to go offroad in their trucks. It was never a big portion of the market, but it is a small, strong foundation on which to base a truck like FJ. Add to that a bunch of people who will want one for the snow and only need a smaller vehicle, and a few who just think it looks cool or want an SUV but can't afford a midsize one, and bingo! 50K sales per year easy. IIRC, Toyota is only hoping for 40K in the first year.
And this has all the mechanicals of the Tacoma, so where's the downside for Toyota? It can be brought to market cheaply for them, and as a result can be a niche model rather than one that has to draw down major sales to recoup costs.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Well there is also the Kia Sorento.
So the only question is why WOULDNT Toyota (or anyone else) put out a vehicle with only two direct competitors?
Especially when it overtakes both of them in terms of design and quality so much so that in effect it has NO direct competition?
Thanks to the FJ, you wont have to settle or compromise with any of the LAME current crop of SUVs or crossovers out there.
XTerra is solid competition for FJ, Liberty is less so, and to me that seems to be about it, unless you want to toss in Wrangler, which I wouldn't.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Make a Supra"
Talk about being out of cycle. Two-door sports cars are way out.
Regards,
Tom
I don't think the FJ would have poor on-road characteristics as doc fill suggests. 4runners ride well, and this is the same frame (alot shorter overall length but not much shorter wheelbase).
Now.
Who cares about projections!
What are 'Yota's Projections on the FJ?
My point is the market here is very small.
This also includes Wrangler. That is THE competition! Two-door, six cylinders, heritage, off-road (Primary use). Or the old Vehicross.
Element is close but still a secondary competitor because of price and power differences.
Liberty, Sorento and Xterra are 4-doors, so they are in a different class.
Xterra sales are VERY MODEST, for a 4-door SUV with V6 power in an SUV market, with virtually NO competition! Liberty is it.
Sorento doesn't sell. Element same.
And, Nippon, Toyota hasn't had a major off-roader in this class for how many years? I think over the past 10-15 years, they've been doing alright, no?
My point is instead of making an UGLY MISREPRESENTATION of an off-road legend, why not start a new class, car crossovers, with an RSC-type vehicle.
Start turning cars into potential off-roaders (or at least great snow buggies!)!
Instead of following a dying breed, why not just start a new one?
Rav4? Prius? RX? They did pretty well, no?
Start something. New. Hot! Now.
Thank You.
DrFill
Wrangler - I tossed it in, but it is an offroad beast with a removable roof. Try driving a Wrangler on a highway trip of more than, say, 3 hours. You will long for death. There are pretty much no vehicles left on the market as punishing as that.
Most of the SUVs nowadays are car-based models ("crossovers") or truck-based models tuned for pavement ride and extended to seat seven. In other words, they are all street-oriented, and/or oversized. With most of them, it has reached the point where their offroad ability s seriously compromised.
FJ is neither street-oriented nor oversized. But unlike Wrangler, it is not so awful on the street that you could not take a highway drive up to the mountains and go skiing. It just skews the balance the other way from everything out there today.
The 2-door vs 4-door distinction is not a meaningful one. Up until 2002 Toyota had a very decent stock offroad vehicle in the 4Runner. XTerra is very much an FJ competitor. Liberty is too, if you believe the hype about a frame INSIDE the unibody. Me, I think you can't have your cake and eat it too, but I have not seen anyone do anything hard-core with a Liberty yet, so I dunno for sure. It has good stats apart from that.
"Who cares about projections!"
Projections matter because they indicate the volume a manufacturer needs to sell to make a decent profit on a particular model. I think Toyota is projecting 40K for FJ in its first year out.
I know that in a bigger-is-better market like the U.S. it is very hard to get your brain around the notion that some people prefer smaller vehicles, and vehicles that are capable in different ways, but not everyone has three kids, two dogs, and a ton of useless crap that they want to tote everywhere. And some people actually need a vehicle that IS rugged, rather than just looking the part. I mean, c'mon doc, think outside the box!
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)