DriveTech

2007 Toyota FJ 4X4 hits a home run

I love it when manufacturers listen to the public and bring back a vehicle they have missed for so long. The only real competition the Jeep Wrangler ever faced was from the Toyota FJ40. From 1960 to 1983, the FJ40 dominated the safari business and lead the Jeep in a lot of off-road excursions.

I worked as a Toyota service manager during the FJ40's heyday and it was quite the vehicle. While a little on the slow side, it would go just about anywhere and was it rugged. A friend of mine fell asleep behind the wheel of his FJ40 crossing the desert, flipped the FJ four times and when it landed on its wheels, he shook out the cobwebs, checked all his fluid levels, had a soft drink (caffeine rush), fired up the FJ and headed on his way. That really says what the FJ was all about.

If you missed the old FJ, you're really going to like the new FJ. Keeping the old headlight and grill package and still hanging the spare tire off the rear are small reminders of the good old days. But today's FJ has all the modern conveniences the old FJ40 was missing, such as air conditioning, power and a great sound system, just to name a few.

This 2007 Toyota FJ came from Toyota of Temecula Valley and unlike most Toyota dealers, it has a few on the lot for you to check out instead of being put on a waiting list. This particular FJ is the personal driver of the general sales manager, so it came full of gas, cleaned up like a new penny and ready to go.

My test FJ came with the standard 4.0-liter, 239 horsepowered V6 and Toyota's VVT-i technology. You get a choice of transmissions, including a five-speed automatic (which was in my tester) or the six-speed manual. You can either go two-wheel or four-wheel drive and choose from a load of TRD (Toyota Racing Development) options, such as the tuned exhaust and roof rack, which is beefy enough to hold just about any load you can get up on the roof.

As my tester came with the automatic, the shifter was between the very comfortable and water repellent bucket seats. The seats are surrounded by cup holders and an inside armrest. The driver's seat has eight manual adjustments. The optional cargo mats are as rugged as any I have seen. In fact, the FJ can be ordered as stripped down as you would like it or loaded up to the rafters. That's a nice touch in today's car buying world.

Inside are a few old FJ40 touches, such as dash and door panels that carry the outside color. In this case, the color was blue - nothing fancy, just blue with a white top that's reminiscent of the old FJ40. The top doesn't come off. The good sized backseat will split 60/40 and the bottom seat cushions can be removed for a flat floor. The hard back surface uses tie downs to keep the load in place.

To get into the rear seats, flip open the small rear doors that open suicide-style. These doors can carry water bottles and small items in the storage pods. The rear door opens just the way I like it, from right to left, giving you protection from street traffic. The spare tire is mounted on the rear door but is balanced perfectly so there's no problem opening the door.

Once inside the cargo space, there's a large speaker system on the right side and a first aid kit on the left. The floor had a heavy rubber mat with tie downs protruding through for easy securing of a load.

Safety features are typical for Toyota, with front air bags, stability control, traction control, ABS brakes (with additional Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assist) and crumple zones and beams in the doors, plus a lot more. For a few dollars more, you can get curtain shield airbags for the front and second row seating, plus side bolster airbags as well.

One thing the older and newer FJs do not have in common is the ride. The older FJ was a rough ride, but today's FJ is a dream to drive on and off the road. Plus it gets 17 miles per gallon in the city and 21 MPH on the open road.

Was there anything I didn't like about the 2007 FJ? The optional outside power rear view mirrors are too narrow and create a blind spot, but a couple of convex mirrors would take care of the problem. I'm also not a fan of two-tone instrumentations lighting, with white on the speedometer, tachometer, fuel and temperature gauge and orange lighting on the compass, climate controls and audio system. But that's a personal taste.

There are a lot more positive things I could write about the FJ, but space prohibits. But I will say this: I would definitely put one in my driveway. With a base price starting at $23,300, how could you go wrong? Toyota hit a solid homerun with the 2007 FJ!

Next week, a ride from Bob Baker Volkswagen Subaru.