The 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Land Cruiser FJ40

If you feel you need to blame someone for the new FJ Cruiser, point your fingers at Chrysler and VW for starting this whole “old is new again” retro design philosophy with the PT Cruiser and the New Beetle, respectively.

However, if you’re like me, you won’t be looking to place blame but rather to send a thank you card to Jin Kim, who designed the FJ’s exterior at Toyota’s California-based design studio, with cues taken from Toyota’s legendary Land Cruiser FJ40—the rugged, safari-worthy vehicle built some 40 years ago (pictured to the right). Look at the new FJ straight-on and you’ll see those same two round headlights mounted in a grille, inspired by the original’s oval-shaped grille shell. Both are flanked by parking/turn-signal lamps and sit just below a hood-mounted air scoop.

Similarities continue with squared-off wheel wells and a rear side window that wraps around the corner. You can see where Kim took his inspiration. And he readily admits this, but confusingly also says, “I didn’t want to take the design in a retro direction.” Sorry, Mr. Kim, but you headed in a retro direction—without passing Go—right down to the white-roofed, two-tone paint job of the old FJ40. But I ain’t complainin’ one bit. It works for me.

The accompanying photos are somewhat deceiving as to the FJ’s size. When I first saw photos some months ago I supposed it to be a huge, Hummer-like vehicle. But when I pulled into the lot of Northtown Toyota I was faced with a much smaller vehicle than I’d imagined. At 184 inches long, it’s not small, mind you, but smaller than it looked in print. And, as I said to my 13-year-old son who was with me, it looked like an overgrown Hot Wheels car. Toyota, in some of its press materials, calls the design “charming.” I can’t imagine fans of the rugged old FJ40 warming up to a “charming” heir. Maybe “evolutionary” would be a better description. I’d think it’s certainly less offensive to the off-road types who’ve flung their FJ40s through the wilderness over the years.

Although, now that you mention it, I wonder just how many FJ Cruisers will follow in the footsteps of their predecessor and find themselves actually leaving the safety of the paved road. After all, the most dangerous driving conditions faced by many “rugged” SUV drivers these days are found on stretches of road in congested suburban shopping areas. Charming indeed. New FJ buyers could at least “look” tough by opting for the standard, plain black steel rims, and forgo the fancy-schmancy aluminum jobs. Toyota has chosen not to show these black beauties in any of their press material, but you can view this winning look in their e-brochure located at www.toyota.com/toyota/vehicles/2007/fjcruiser/ebrochure.jsp

The inside of the new FJ, while not quite as wild as the outside, has its “charms.” It’s not quite as sparse as the old FJ40, nor as severe as a Hummer. It is a bit “tougher” looking than, say, a PT Cruiser. But it works. My favorite feature is the body-colored panel in the center of the dashboard. It’s even more of a standout when the exterior is one of the vibrant colors such as Sun Fusion (yellow) or Voodoo Blue. The biggest problem inside is outward vision, created by the huge blind spot at the wide “C” pillar behind the clamshell rear side doors; also, rearward vision is hampered by the combination of a small rear window and a tailgate-mounted spare tire.

Most buyers won’t care about any of these shortcomings. And at prices starting at around $21,000, Toyota will sell all they can build. For more info, visit www.toyota.com.