"atfsgeoff" (atfsgeoff)
09/20/2020 at 23:35 • Filed to: None
7
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"atfsgeoff" (atfsgeoff)
09/20/2020 at 23:35 • Filed to: None | 7
| 12 |
My cousin picked up his dad’s 2011 FJ Cruiser with 58k miles on the clock for a substantial family discounted price, and after I assisted with repairing a wiring problem with the front diff A-TRAC harness (some critters chewed through it while it sat for a year in his dad’s back yard), I took it for a ~10 mile spin.
Surprisingly roomy and comfortable inside, suspension strikes a nice balance between compliance and handling on the road. Visibility is kinda bad, the greenhouse is very narrow and the beltline is very high. Three wipers is really neat. Has adequate power, not fast but not slow either. IIRC 2011 saw a bump in horsepower to 260 from the 1GR-FE V6. This being an automatic (booo), it still has a pretty good drivetrain for offroading. Legit 2-speed transfer case, an electrically locking rear diff, and the aforementioned A-TRAC electronic brake bias system to control wheelspin for the front diff, both accessible only in low-range 4WD.
Rear seats are
juu
st
big enough to be usable by full size adults, The midget suicide rear doors make climbing into the back far less difficult, though still not as easy as with full rear doors.
As I drove it after the sun had set, I got to experience the somewhat lackluster halogen lighting, which if I’m honest wasn’t as good as the OEM halogens on my truck or my Volvo. Maybe they just need adjusting.
This particular example being pretty low mileage, everything is still pretty tight. I’d love to get one in manual some day, but that’s pretty far down the road and with the Toyota Tax seeing no end in sight, if I ever do get one it’ll probably be a 300,000+ mile neglected example that needs lots of TLC. Still, w
ould be cool.
!!!CAPTION ERROR: MAY BE MULTI-LINE OR CONTAIN LINK!!!
Heat shrink tubing is magical stuff.
Nothing
> atfsgeoff
09/20/2020 at 23:55 |
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One of my gripes with the 4Runner are its subpar headlights. I upgraded the fogs to OEM LED, and put different halogen bulbs in the low beams. The bulbs made a *little* difference, but the fog lights really helped.
I’ve looked at these with the thought of getting a manual with the dual VVTi engine, but man the price is insane. A 58k mile 2011 FJ would be listed for $35k here, if not more. I told my wife I could sell the 4Runner, get an FJ, drive it for who knows how long and not lose any money. Granted, the 4Runner also hold its value, but not quite like an FJ.
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atfsgeoff
> Nothing
09/21/2020 at 00:02 |
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For real, the resale value on these things is obscene.
wafflesnfalafel
> atfsgeoff
09/21/2020 at 00:16 |
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T est drove an 09 back then - super cool rig and a nice size if you don’t have kids/family. Ended up getting something that got better mileage and because I was lame and poor at the time.
Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
> atfsgeoff
09/21/2020 at 00:35 |
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I saw one in that same blue color a few days ago. Not bad at all. The design aha's really held up. Makes you wonder why Toyota doesn't bring it back to compete with the Bronco and Wrangler.
gmctavish needs more space
> atfsgeoff
09/21/2020 at 02:45 |
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I was liking the idea of a manual
one of these...until I saw
prices, and learned that the manuals are full time 4wd.
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atfsgeoff
> gmctavish needs more space
09/21/2020 at 08:10 |
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What’s wrong with full time 4wd?
Textured Soy Protein
> gmctavish needs more space
09/21/2020 at 08:39 |
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This full time system is good. You have all the same off-road features but also a Torsen center differential for on-road bad weather driving. Total upgrade with no downsides whatsoever.
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gmctavish needs more space
> atfsgeoff
09/21/2020 at 09:45 |
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Worse fuel economy, mostly
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gmctavish needs more space
> Textured Soy Protein
09/21/2020 at 09:49 |
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I don’t like the fuel economy hit, and there’s no good reason they couldn’t have had the transfer case include 2wd and have full time 4wd as an option.
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Textured Soy Protein
> gmctavish needs more space
09/21/2020 at 10:03 |
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True, I suppose I had it in my head that V6 4Runners with Torsen diffs still let you run in 2wd mode and forgot the stick FJ doesn’t . But personally as someone who would mainly use a 4wd vehicle on-road in bad weather, if I still lived somewhere farther north than where I’m at now, I’d be more than willing to trade the 2wd mode for the Torsen if that was the choice. Not like the mpg becomes good in 2wd mode, just less bad.
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gmctavish needs more space
> Textured Soy Protein
09/21/2020 at 10:15 |
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For me it’s because I’d need it to also be a road trip vehicle, so the slightly less bad fuel economy would start adding up faster
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Nothing
> atfsgeoff
09/21/2020 at 13:14 |
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Case in point, this 2014 manual with 120k just popped up, $30k. And according to the pricing matrix on Cars.com, it qualifies as a “good deal”. Yikes.