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Good 4x4s have more torque than horsepower. Good 4x4s are readily upgradeable. Good 4x4s have strong frames and proper dimensions — not too much wheelbase, not too much overhang, and good ground clearance all around. Good 4x4s clean up easily, and shrug off wear and tear that would mar other vehicles. Good 4x4s have lots of room for your stuff, and lots of utility features that enhance self-sufficient operation. Good 4x4s can go really slow, work really hard and still not overheat. Good 4x4s are reliable, have great gearing and good traction.

We’ve all been hearing about Toyota testing the new FJ Cruiser on the Rubicon, getting ready for the retro-wagon’s launch in January of 2006. Our concern was that Toyota might not be serious about the four-wheel-drive part of the performance envelope. There have been cries that the FJ Cruiser might just be a styling exercise. In short, we were afraid the new FJ might not be a good 4x4.

We finally got to drive one ourselves last November, not on the Rubicon, but in and around the Ojai, California, area. We couldn’t do extreme trail testing with the prototype vehicles we had access to, but we did address some purposely-built obstacles that had the potential to stop anything without at least one locker. We also tackled trails with deep holes that had been dug with a backhoe, and featured steep off-cambers. Throughout our test drive we noticed the new FJ seemed to have the qualities listed above. And by the end of the day, we had satisfied ourselves that the FJ Cruiser has the potential to be Toyota’s best four-wheeler.

That’s saying a lot in our book, since we consider certain versions of the Land Cruiser to be some of the world’s best factory-built, off-road-going 4x4s. We also feel the 4Runner is one heck of a machine and a far better trail rig than most people give it credit for.