Funny, AW and I test drove one last week. Same thing, either loaded with stuff we could not use in Death Valley, or too many dealer installed options. Several dealers were more interested in how high an interest rate we would stand for, instead of the vehicle being what we wanted. We walked, the Wrangler is going West for desert use.

 

The hubby bought an FJ 2 weeks ago..... Black Cherry......he's lovin' it.... we don't have pics of the MINI and the FJ together yet.... but the neighbors say we have the coolest cars in the neighborhood....

 

I've been on the FJ Cruiser forums for awhile. Like the MINI, I think I'd wait a couple of years before buying, but I'm enjoying the research! I love the Black Cherry, but I'm sure that will be discontinued by the time I get around to buying. I'm really looking for one for my son in a few years, although right now he's really leaning towards a MINI which would be fine with me. I can't think of anything more fun than going to BMW Driving School with my son, but that FJ sure is cool.
Annette

 

what is the URL of the FJ site...please

 

I have seen the new FJ and honestly it doesn't impress me. Seems to me that the Japanese rendition of the Hummer H2/H3. For what I have read in mags, the vehicle has terrible visibility and the cockpit has a closed in, "submarine" feeling.

Honestly, if I were looking for that look in a SUV, it seems to me the Hummer H3 looks better and it is a better looking rendition.

But who cares? I depise SUVs and I have never been interested in all terrain vehicles because I have no need for them.

Also the FJ strikes me as a MINI Counterfeit, due to the white roof offered on them. But I do know that historically FJ land Cruisers always came with contrasting white roofs.

I have also read comments about classic FJ owners that seem to be dissapointed on the new model. It seems to me the new FJ is a glorified Tacoma pickup with a different body style.

 

I love the old Land Cruiser. I have recently developed and interest in the old 70's cars. Currently I am working on a '72 VW Bus that I purchased last year. On my list of future buys is a BMW 2002 and a Toyota land Cruiser like that one with ambulance doors.

I liked the new FJ since I first heard about it. I took a close look at the Chicago auto show in 2005 and then again this year. I had always understood that the pricing was going to start around $20K. When they finally hit the stores I was very disappointed to see that that are much closer to $30K. And it doesn't seem that you get all that much for that price.

They do look cool though. I saw a black one recently that was hot.

 

I had a 1968 FJ40 Landcruiser in high school (I grew up in the mountains).

The hardtops for the FJ40s were painted white. They are definately not a Mini counterfeit.

It drove like a tractor - almost completely undriveable on the highway for anything more than a few miles.

It was a mountain goat off-road.

I checked the new one out with a friend who is interested in them. While the new FJ shares some styling cues from the original - any comparisons should stop there.

 

Spidey, the FJ forums are very different from NAM. I don't post very much, mostly lurk. The first time I posted I got totally slammed and was accused of a)being a troll b)not really being a "girl" then c)being a "stupid MINI driver".
Of course, this was back before anyone even had their FJ yet, so I decided the testosterone level was off the charts due to anticipation. Once everyone's FJs started arriving things settled down quite a bit, but it left a bad taste in my mouth to be sure.
Here's the link,
Annette
http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/

 

Thanks

 

cool vehic but I am going to pass.... Xterra will do just fine

 

They are neat, but anything that replaces my Defender 90 must be an off road beast with an interior intended to be cleaned with a pressure washer.

Thankfully, I bought the last of the "real" 4x4's ever made and it should last about as long as I do. . . .

 

Defender 90 is one of my all time favorites

 

I saw a plain silver FJ yesterday and thought, "How boring."

 

Funny you should mention that because we were looking at them. IF I lived in Utah or anywhere out west where it had Off-Road trails, we would buy one in a heartbeat.

However, for us city kids, totally worthless when a softroader does fine in the snow

Maybe someday.

 

Ok - I know the FJ looks nice and all, and who knows, maybe eventually I may consider owning one. However, if what you really want is a good off road vehicle that is a hoot to drive and goes good with your Mini, take a look at the Land Rover Defender.

As an added bonus, if they are well cared for, they seem to have an aversion to decreasing in value too much - very limited supply in the US.

here are two places to look.
http://motors.listings.ebay.com/Land...istingItemList
http://www.copleymotorcars.com/land_rover5_3.html

 

LR Defender isn't a retromobile, it's a ten to fourteen year old vehicle based on a 1940s chassis/body and early 1960s running gear.

They are brutal, uncomfortable, unreliable, unstoppable, insanely overpriced, and adored by all who own or desire to own them.

Back when I used an FJ40 to earn my living, a friend had a 1957 LR pickup truck. We used to say that it was more boat-like than car-like, that the best way to drive it was to take a compass heading and just go. Totally indestructable. A great vehicle if there ever was one.

 

Considering the FJ Cruiser more and more as time goes on. Must test drive one!!

 

I traded my F150 to buy an '05 MCS. Love the MINI, but with a kid, wife and two beagles, it wasn't happening as our only vehicle. So in May I bought an FJ.

To me, the FJ represented the same sort of value that I saw in the MINI. I got an MT 4X4 pretty much stripped (had to wait almost 6 months from order to delivery!) for 26K all in. I added a roof rack, alloys, and side airbags to arrive at that price. So, $26K seems like a pretty reasonable deal to me.

So far, I love it. And the contrast between the MINI and the FJ is geat-it feels like I'm climbing into a new car every time I switch. I particularly like the VERY solid feel, rubber-like interior, huge controls....and I haven't even used it in the winter yet. I have taken it off road and on the beach for some surf fishing. I don't know much about the off road aspect, but I let a bunch of guys that DO know such things take it through the dunes and they were unanimously impressed.

I have heard the complaints about visibility, but that just isn't an issue for me-and I drive in and out of city traffic routinely.

 

I think this is one ugly truck. Looks good on photos but in person it is the Japanese rendition of the Hummer H2/H3.

By the way, the Hummer looks much better in person.

 

FJ Crusier looks like a Mini all grown up

 

Anyone get one yet?!? :impatient

Its *looking* like I'll pass my Audi A4 onto my older brother, and pick up an FJ in the coming months. No guarantees yet though

 

I was really thinking about buying an FJ Landcruiser when I was looking into buying a new car. I love the styling, and I have also always had a love for the old Landcruisers.
The things that turned me off towards it was, the pricing was way too steep for what I wanted to spend. As other members stated, the base is around 20K, while all the ones I saw were upwards of 30K. The wait time was really painful also. I am not a fan of waiting for something that I just spent a whole bunch of money on. The wait for my MINI was hard enough, 6 months would have killed me.

I still kinda like them though. Maybe I'll buy one when people start reselling them for cheap.
Medic

 

My friend really wants one, him and FJ cruisers are like me and MINIs whenever we see one "HEY LOOK!!!"

 

6 MONTH WAIT?!

sheesh

 

In Miami we are seeing quite a bit of new FJ's, but sorry folks, to me this car is plain ugly and bloated. What a missed opportunity for Toyota to come out with a better design more akin with Land Cruisers of the past.

Why would anyone pick the FJ over a Hummer H3?

As much as I dislike Hummers, I think GM did a much better job with the H3 and seems to be more of a serious off-roader than the "poseur" FJ.

Don't tell me because it is a Toyota. How the FJ compares to the H3?