Looking back, I usually find that I can tell from my notes how excited (or not) I was by any particular vehicle. Sometimes there is just one page, hastily scribbled down just so I don’t forget the car. In the case of the 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser however, there is a whopping 4 full pages! Most of these notes relate to cool factor or utility, two things which the FJ has in abundance.
When climbing up into the cabin, there are a lot of details to take in. The first design element to jump out at you must be the body colour center dash stack. Our tester was clad in Sandstorm beige, which prompted Mrs. Grant to exclaim: “The dash looks like the enamel stove my Mom used to have”. From this nostalgic foodie, that was a compliment of the highest order. Cool, in your face design was obviously a priority for engineers and it shows in other elements like dash vents and a really cool shifter. The killer stereo is backed up by a rear mounted sub woofer that looks like it might have been taken from the set of a space flick. Toyota has also included an aux jack for mp3 inputs, a must in today’s world.
The front seats are attractive and comfy. The adjustable inboard armrests on both front seats are a nice touch in today’s world when most manufacturers seem to have abandoned them. A glance rearward shows a decent amount of room in the back seat that looks like a cozy nook for the kids. What an adult thinks is cozy for a kid may not ring true through the eyes of actual kids.
To enter the back seat, one must open the small rear doors. This in itself can be a challenge in a cramped parking lot. It takes a bit of planning to ensure that the rear seat passenger is in the right position to open the doors, or there will be hilarity as attempts are made to get around the doors and the adult, without smacking the car next door with a door.
The rear doors have a couple of nice storage cubbies for the kids to keep stuff in. Once they’ve been loaded into the back, the kids are in their own little cocoon. So much so that the 9 year old commented that he felt a bit claustrophobic. Big word for a little kid. He also commented that it would be nice if the rear windows opened. One would think the rear cabin of the FJ would not be the seat of choice for a summer driving vacation.
Utility is a big deal for us here in The Garage and the FJ Cruiser has it in spades. High up on the list has to be the easily cleaned rubber floors, followed by tons of useful storage compartments. The two front cupholders are well placed to be accessible, without getting in the way and the open cubby behind them is convenient for storing things like a phone. The rear cargo area has tons of usable tie downs to keep a load in place on those twist roads the FJ likes to carve. The rear cargo area is huge and passes our 3 hockey bag test with ease, with the rear seats in the upright position. Fold down the seats and a couple could take enough gear to go camping for the whole summer. Our tester came with accessory cargo mats which were a mixed blessing. They have a grippy surface to keep stuff from sliding around. When loading a heavy object however, they stick to said object and slide forward along with it. They could be improved by a simple mounting post or two at the entry. Power inverter plugs are also included so the techno addict can keep the toys powered up on the road.
All of these individual details don’t really convey what the driving experience is like. Behind the wheel, one feels like one has landed in the cockpit of a huge coupe that is willing to do anything the driver wants. In the previous segment of this review I compared the FJ to Infiniti’s FX-35. Where the FX is all city and offers little or no utility, the FJ wants to get the driver out on the road and haul all of their stuff along with it. For the young (or young at heart) single person or couple who only need a back seat occasionally, the FJ Cruiser may just be the ultimate weekend get-a-way vehicle.
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it’s very good