Toyota FJ Cruiser 2014 review

It took a long time for Toyota Australia to get its hands on the FJ Cruiser, and the local arm of the company is not ready to let it go just yet. Although the iconic off-road wagon has been dropped from the lineup in the United States, Toyota Australia will continue to offer the FJ here as long as it has supply. That, contrary to popular opinion, does not hinge on the States because the FJ is built in Japan.

BACKGROUND

Toyota Australia started talking about the possibility of getting the car soon after debut at the Detroit motor show in 2003. But it was eight long years before that the funky, five-seat off roader finally made it into local showrooms.

The main stumbling block was the fact it was initially produced in left hand drive only, for the North American market. Other RHD markets to take the FJ include Japan, New Zealand and South Africa.

Although the FJ received a warm welcome from Aussie buyers, it was already dated by the time it got here. The inspiration for the design was the original FJ40 four-wheel drive built from 1960 to 1984, which played a large role in the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

FAST FORWARD

Since its introduction in 2011, Toyota has sold more than 8700 FJs here at the rate of about 200 a month. It's priced from $47,990 ($3000 more than its launch price) and premium paint adds another $550.

For those that don't know, the car sits on a separate ladder chassis and shares its engine and underpinnings with the LandCruiser Prado. There's only one model, with part-time four-wheel-drive, a V6 petrol engine and five-speed automatic. It comes in a choice of seven colours (not all with a white roof).

It's off road that the FJ Cruiser comes into its own

THE DRIVE

Nothing much has changed. It's big and surprisingly "cushy" for an offroader, with rather soft suspension. The steering is vague and you sit in this car with a roof that shrouds the cabin like a tank turret.

It's good for keeping out the glare of the summer sun, but not so good for all round vision when it comes to navigating crowded city streets. In fact, no matter how many times you look over your shoulder - you can't escape the feeling that you're surrounded by blind spots.

Toyota acknowledged the lack of vision when it added a reversing camera and rear parking sensors to the updated model, as well a larger fuel tank - no doubt to compensate for the lack of a long range diesel.

OFF-ROAD

It's off-road that the FJ Cruiser comes into its own. It's a force to be reckoned with, and more than a match for a Jeep or Land Rover thanks to its short front and rear overhangs and 224mm of ground clearance.

The FJ features selectable 4x4, an electrically activated rear diff-lock and switchable active traction control, with adjustable Crawl Control for added off-road control. 

The 4.0-litre petrol V6 is a lift from Prado, with 200kW of power and 380Nm of torque and is paired with a gated, five speed automatic. Weighing up to 270kg more than Prado, the FJ's economy is rated at 11.4 litres/100km. With a 163 litre tank that gives it a theoretical range of almost 1400km. It takes premium unleaded too.

The bad news as we mentioned is that there's no diesel, nor a manual - the latter being the preferred option of the off road community.

The design is as functional as it is stylish, with washable interior surfaces and chunky controls which are easy to use.

A clutch of off-road gauges adorn the top of the dash, with compass, temperature, and inclinometer. It can tow a 2250kg trailer but oddly a snorkel is not offered for the really serious off road stuff.

IDIOSYNCRASIES

There's the doors of course. The rear doors that is, because they open backwards in "suicide" fashion. It's an intriguing idea but soon loses its attraction after it becomes apparent that the rear doors can't be opened before the front doors and must be closed first too (good for keeping the kids corralled in the back).

The tailgate is hinged the wrong way, too. It opens from right to left towards the pavement, exposing those trying to access the luggage area to passing traffic. 

Then there's the windscreen wipers. There's three of them to cover the wide but narrow windscreen. They remind me of the wipers on my 1976 VW Beetle (that's not a good thing).

No trip computer either and the satnav is absolute crap. In this day and age one expects to be kept informed of distance to empty and average fuel consumption figure, but you just have to take the stated claim on faith.