"Offroad Adventures": current (Febr.) issue

[edadis]

Excerpt:

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.

[air]

Good writing has more substance than flair. Good writing is readily accessible. Good writing has strong roots and proper grammar - not too many obscure references, not too much filler, and good proportionality all around. Good writing edits easily, and shrugs off criticism that would debilitate lesser prose. Good writing has lots of room for insight, and lots of self-fulfilling prophecies. Good writing can be read really slow, shows that it has been worked on really hard and still stand the test of time. Good writing is timeless, and has great an eternal audience and worshipers.

In short, I am afraid the excerpt may not be good writing.

[mappelman]

A very good article. Had someone give me the mag and just for everyone else here is the link.

It's Percy Yellow:


http://www.oramagazine.com/pastIssues/0602-issue/fj.asp


Oh yeah Air are you leaking again?

[Percy]

Okay, I like that right down to the 70's style page design!

[JohnGalt]

Percy previously said:

Okay, I like that right down to the 70's style page design!

Do all toyotas have 3yr / 36k mile warranties?? I thought it would be 4 yr / 48k like porsche, bmw, and others.....

[caliFJ]

Percy previously said:

Okay, I like that right down to the 70's style page design!

do you need a tissue?

[Toyotaman]

JohnGalt previously said:

Do all toyotas have 3yr / 36k mile warranties?? I thought it would be 4 yr / 48k like porsche, bmw, and others.....

yes all toyotas have 3yr/36k and 5yr/60k powertrain warr.

[Topless4runner]

ya don't need to offer crazy warrantys just to sell vehicles when you have a rep. for quality like toyota's. the article was pretty good too; mostly i was glad to have a perspective from someone off-road oriented. i still havent gotten my 4wd toyota owner; im assuming its in limbo somewhere over the pacific at the moment; another victim of the military mail system...