2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV Review & Ratings

The Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV has been around for seven years, first launched at the North American International Auto Show of January of 2005. Designed very much in the spirit of Toyota's legendary range of FJ40 Land Cruisers, the FJ Cruiser takes a lot of its basic chassis and structural design from a cocktail of Toyota's Prado Land Cruiser, 4Runner four-door SUV and their Tacoma pickup truck.

The design crew at Toyota was rumored o to have taken created a revamp of the FJ40 Land Cruisers with the FJ, instead creating a picture of how the FJ40 would have evolved had it remained in production instead of being discontinued in 2001, after close to fifty years.

It doesn't take too much inspection of the Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV to see all the resemblances that can be taken from the original FJ. These include the almost trademark grille built into the front lip of the hood, triple windshield wipers, the fifties look round headlights and the traditional Toyota emblem on the main grille, the utilitarian spare tire mounted on the back of the vehicle and the FJ's almost legendary white roof.

The FJ Cruiser SUV draws its power from a Toyota 4.0-liter V6 engine that develops 258 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, capable of carrying five passengers as well as towing as much as 5,000 pounds of dead weight in the most difficult of conditions. In on- road driving conditions, the FJ has been tested with being capable of reaching 0-60 in 7.8 seconds.

Coming with a choice of three drive- trains- either rear-wheel drive with a five speed automatic gear box or an intermittent four-wheel drive automatic version Toyota also offer a six speed manual on permanent four-wheel drive for the FJ Cruiser.

Reviews hasten to point out that among its rivals either from Toyota or other off road vehicles,, the FJ Cruiser SUV puts up the best performance on challenging surfaces, including rocks, sand and gravel, as well as snow and ice due to the FJ's short front and rear overhangs that allow serious off-road maneuvering. For those who not only expect difficult driving conditions but actually go looking for them, Toyota offers an underbody armor option.

The Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV is a comfortable five seater, and although it may take a moment or two to spot it, the Cruiser is actually a five door vehicle, as the side door handles are rear-hinged and very well inset. To enhance the FJ Cruiser's cargo handling options, the rear 60/40 seatback can be partially tipped forward to provide more cargo area.