2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Long before the SUV acronym became a common expression, there were sport utility vehicles, whether they knew that term or not. Consider the Toyota Land Cruiser, for instance. Introduced in 1960, it was simplicity personified, an all-grunt, take-anywhere rig. Despite its susceptibility to rust, this backcountry bruiser was just plain tough, taking on all sorts of rough-and-tumble terrain and then begging for more.


Toyota sold more than a million of the quintessential two-door wagons known as the FJ40 worldwide, and more than 300,000 Land Cruisers have landed Stateside. Many FJ40s still see abusive service in the roughest parts of the world, even though Toyota hasn't built them since 1983.

Styling

Fast forward to the latest SUV from Toyota, the FJ Cruiser. The production FJ Cruiser is remarkably unchanged from the well-received concept that debuted at the 2003 Detroit auto show, where Toyota hailed it as a return to the roots of SUVs (in other words, the FJ40).


All of which begs a few questions about this descendant of the FJ40: Can it live up to the reputation of its iconic father? Or is it merely a city slicker's SUV, with the flavor but not the substance of its gritty granddaddy?


To answer those questions, let's take a closer look at the FJ Cruiser's features, while giving a nod to the traits of its respected forefather. Based on the Tacoma and 4Runner chassis, albeit with a four-inch shorter wheelbase, the vehicle not only has fairly agile handling on the street, but also good approach and departure angles (34/31 degrees, respectively, on the 4WD model). An available locking rear differential and the standard 4.0-liter V-6, rated at 239 hp and 278 lb.-ft. of torque, also will aid in off-road adventures.