What's The Big Deal With The FJ Cruiser?

"Torque Affair" (torqueaffair) 08/23/2016 at 20:53 • Filed to: None

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The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a big, bulky, shoebox-shaped SUV. The gas mileage is terrible, you can barely see out of it, and the interior looks like it was made in a toy factory. It’s also loud inside. So why do people like them so much?

It’s not that I spend my days pondering about people’s fascination with FJ Cruisers, although I do spend quite a bit of time thinking about the complicated series of movements cats utilize to land feet first when falling from a 2nd floor balcony onto the ground level. How do they do this?

Anyway, the FJ thing came to mind when a friend of mine professed his undying love for the FJ. I asked him what it is about the truck that he finds so amazing and his answer was that it’s “cool” and “simple.” What does that even mean? His 2-year old son loves it too; he saw one on TV and yelled out, “I like that truck!” Of course he does—it looks like the coolest Tonka truck ever built.

These adult-sized Tonka trucks are not cheap though. Even a 5 year old FJ with 90k+ miles is listed at $25K on Autotrader. Lower mileage, newer FJs are in the $30K range…. wait a minute. Are they going up in value?

If FJ Cruiser owners are anything like my friend, then you can imagine why it’s driving up the prices. They’re blinded by this desire to own one and they can’t explain exactly why. They just know they have been stricken with the “oh my god, I need an FJ” disease.

I guess if I think about it I can see why the FJ has a cult-like following like the Jeep Wrangler. It has a retro look that reminds fans of the original FJ40 why they liked it so much back then. It also has a body on frame design with high clearance that can tackle virtually any terrain you throw at it.

But are the owners really taking these offroad that much? Probably not. The only thing an FJ owner would use his SUV for is to drive to the grocery store to buy some spinach, followed by Juiceland to get a spinach juice and then drive back home to blend up a spinach smoothie. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one that’s dirty to indicate that an FJ may have seen anything other than nicely paved asphalt.

Maybe people like having the FJ around in case they need to drive it through water. It can supposedly plow through up to a couple feet of water and so small rivers should be no problem.

Or perhaps, people can’t get enough of Toyota’s legendary reliability. There aren’t many vehicles that have a coolness about them that are also reliable. Whereas the Wrangler might be in the shop every other day for a leaky windshield, you could probably keep driving the FJ through floods for hundreds of thousands of miles.

All this begs the question–could the FJ Cruiser be the next Land Rover Defender? Twenty years from now, will it be worth $100,000? Will people ever stop drinking spinach juice? The few owners that my buddy has approached to buy their car feel as strongly about the car as my friend.

I suppose I’ll never understand why they care as much as they do, but if the FJ is really worth more in the future, then perhaps I should start considering investments in quirky looking SUVs that are “cool” and “simple” instead of investing in stocks.

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TheHondaBro > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:00

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RT > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:01

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I think the most likely option is that the FJ Cruiser will not gain Land Rover Defender status, and instead end up remembered in a similar vein to the Suzuki Vitara/Geo Tracker. Not loved widely enough for prices to soar, but with enough people behind it for a moderate cult following.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:04

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Yeah my cousin has one, my wife calls it the car with uncomfortable seats.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:06

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Tons of the best and most legendary and coveted enthusiast cars are cars that lots of people love, but nobody can quite explain why. Often they also have huge, glaring flaws or shortcomings. That’s the nature of human emotions; if you like something, you may not be able to explain why, and you don’t have to.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:10

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4runner > FJ cruiser.

Nauraushaun > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:12

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The gas mileage is terrible, you can barely see out of it, and the interior looks like it was made in a toy factory. It’s also loud inside. So why do people like them so much?

Isn’t this sort of thing typical of many beloved American cars? Particularly the Challenger and Camaros that are currently available. The mileage is bad because Americans like power, the visibility is bad so it looks cooler, the interior is toy-like because it’s trying to pull off simple yet solid using nothing but plastic, and the road noise is because it’s cheap.

HammerheadFistpunch > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:18

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I can tell you that everyone I know with an FJC takes it off road, I think these are typically being well used. That being said, Im sure there are a lot that aren’t. My wife really likes them, but she’s never driven one. I like the idea of them, but I think the execution (at least stylistically) was poor. They are legit though, they will perform when asked.

HammerheadFistpunch > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 08/23/2016 at 21:22

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Its true you know.

Dru > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:32

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Rockstar games created a revised FJ that Toyota should have made into the next generation of FJ Cruiser.

C62030 > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 08/23/2016 at 21:36

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This man gets it.

C62030 > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:37

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This is me with a DeLorean. Aside from Back to the Future and those doors, it’s slow, unreliable, expensive and janky in general. But I respect it immensely because it’s the object of so many people’s fascinations.

DBG > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:51

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I really wanted to like them, and test drove one a while ago. The fuel economy I could forgive, but the crazy prices they command used combined with the shitty interior and truly horrendous visibility out killed it for me. You’re exactly right that they’re like Tonka trucks for adults though. I get why that’s fun, just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Speaking of adult Tonka trucks, I saw a new, lifted Tundra with a yellow wrap and Tonka decals all over it the other day. Wish I could have taken a picture but I was driving. It was hilarious.

DBG > HammerheadFistpunch 08/23/2016 at 21:52

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Yup. I love the idea, but they’re too ugly and the interior is too shitty for me to actually like them in practice.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > HammerheadFistpunch 08/23/2016 at 21:53

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It is. But land cruiser tops both.

JR1 > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 21:54

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Eh I imagine they are used about as much as Wranglers off road. And besides in states like Ohio having a good 4x4 is always nice for winter.

Busslayer > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 22:27

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I think people like them because of their tire changing convenience.

gmctavish needs more space > Torque Affair 08/23/2016 at 22:38

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Only partially related, but someone used to live on my block that I never saw, but I saw their truck all the time. It was a post 1998 2 door black Blazer ZR2, and it was always filthy. Like, caked in mud and dirt 9 times out of 10 that I saw it. One day, the Blazer was gone, and there was a brand new, black FJ Cruiser parked in the same spot, with the same roof basket and off road lights that the Blazer had. It was already caked in mud, and I almost never saw it clean. Definitely someone who used their 4X4s properly, it made me happy.

Dusty Ventures > Torque Affair 08/24/2016 at 01:20

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Personally I like the Tonka truck looks, and I became a fan because Toyota had a big factory Baja program with the FJ when I was just starting in desert racing

Sneaky Pete > Torque Affair 08/24/2016 at 04:14

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Loved mine. Wish I could’ve afforded to keep it. The gas mileage was killing me. I wanted to buy another one a year or so back, but they ARE appreciating, which is crazy to me. I paid 23.5k for mine, brand new in 06. I’ve never seen one for sale for that cheap, used, unless it was 2wd and trashed.

Torque Affair > Sneaky Pete 08/24/2016 at 07:50

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Yeah, all the ones my buddy is looking at are getting snapped up within a couple days before he can actually check it out in person!

Torque Affair > gmctavish needs more space 08/24/2016 at 07:51

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haha, that’s awesome.

Torque Affair > Busslayer 08/24/2016 at 07:52

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wow, that’s insane and incredible!

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Torque Affair 08/24/2016 at 08:33

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Well for starters...

It has THREE(!!!) windshield wipers AND little lights on the mirrors!

vicali > HammerheadFistpunch 08/24/2016 at 11:26

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I’m a big fan, I would probably have one if I could go back and talk to my 20 year old self.. They are pretty specific tools- not for everyone.

HammerheadFistpunch > vicali 08/24/2016 at 11:39

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for one or two people, they are pretty great...minus the ability to sleep in them.

vicali > HammerheadFistpunch 08/24/2016 at 11:57

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Agreed, the 4runner is king of versatility, the fjc is targeted at the 2 door offroad market.

WiscoProud > Busslayer 08/24/2016 at 13:21

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I am amazed and horrified at that video.

WiscoProud > Torque Affair 08/24/2016 at 13:28

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I think they will maintain the Toyota Premium that Tacomas and Land Cruiser’s see, but I don’t think they’ll ever increase in price like the defender. Although the reason the defender is expensive is they were only imported to the US for a couple of years in small numbers. People wanted them and couldn’t buy them, which drove up prices. From what I gather, they are not nearly as expensive in markets where they have always been sold.

As for the desirability, I will say that its probably due to its very masculine look. The people drawn to the FJC are also drawn to Xterras and Wranglers. They are unabashedly off road vehicles, and allow the driver to feel like he could tackle anything that got it their way, even if the biggest obstacle they actually see is a speed bump at the mall. I like the looks of the FJC and even considered buying one a few years back. However, the horrible visibility overrode the coolness factor for me (I’m a sucker for big greenhouses), and I got an Xterra instead.

That being said, it really is a good vehicle if you would like to use it off road. Its stout, simple, and dependable. Good wheelbase and ground clearance from the factory, and I believe it can be optioned with a rear locker. The roof basket and rear tire carrier (keeps it out of mud and off obstacles) are just icing on the cake.

Torque Affair > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! 08/24/2016 at 22:40

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nice!

FJRon > Torque Affair 11/25/2017 at 16:02

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I know this reply is last, just discovered the post. 1. Having owned 4 4 Runners, I can tell you the FJ can drive circles around it. It is by far the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. I live in Colorado and spend my Spring, Summer and Fall in Ouray, Colorado and Moab, Utah on as many trails as I can. Winters I look for snow that is over 2 feet deep (no problem for the FJ). Here are a couple of videos I made:

and

No one going off-road? Check out the Annual FJ Summit: https://www.fjsummit.org/index.php

Drive it, you’ll love it!