well last night me and the gf decided to put the mystery to rest and take a look at one of the new fjs at a local dealer. we took a blue one out, equipped with roof rack, convience package, auto, 4x4, upgrade package 1, i believe that was it. not all the options im looking for but hey, it did what it had to do. so we take it for a test drive....
i noticed the amount of room inside is nice compared to my current jeep wrangler. i think toyota under-utilized space in this thing, i mean there is room for alot of stuff on that dash. the back seat seems useless, as im a tall/big guy at 6'5, 375 lbs. but still alittle roomier back there than the jeep. it was very peppy, shifted nicely, drove great, and was very responsive on the road. no realy blind spots i noticed, as the front windows are very open and the mirror placement isnt half bad. the rear view is debatebale. thing has a ton of potential i would say. gf loved the little inclinometer/compass/temp display. but there was a couple things i was unsatisified with.
i wasnt too pleased with a couple things such as the drivers armrest, seems almost useless to me. the shifter on the auto is huge, do they make aftermarket ones yet? the backseat, but i guess thats something i could live with. the knobs are huge on the dash, not necessarily a bad thing but wow- who did they make this for- ray charles? my right knee hits the corner of the dash but its something to live with, i live with it in my jeep.
the questions i have are- i see people with sunroofs on their fjs, where did you get them? they dont appear to be an option, but i would def. want one. ive decided if i ever got one id run 305s on stockers with an ome 3" lift. ive also heard that toyota frames arent that stout, any comment? i wouldnt go overboard like i did on my jeep and throw a cam in it and stuff. i would make it my own with my own little touches. hows mileage on these things, it says 21 highway but how much have you noticed it dropping with 33s? thanks for your help guys, maybe one day ill get one of these soon....
still debating between this and a dodge 2500 with a cummins.
my right knee hits the corner of the dash but its something to live with, i live with it in my jeep.
I'm a big guy too but not as tall at 6', and I have found the FJ knee room to be perfect for me (a good 4 or so inches away). This was a big + for my decision, as finding a 4x4 that is family friendly and keeps my knee away from the dash is a hard combo to find.
Something to think about: KNEE INJURIES
If your knee is right at the corner of the dash now, any substantial FRONT END COLLISION will be instant KNEE DAMAGE. A knee is NOT something you want damaged as they rarely heal well and take a LONG TIME to recover from.
You will be a hard to fit guy, but I personally would keep that in mind. However, I doubt you will find any decent 4x4 out there that will fit better unless you go to the BIG BOYS, those HUGE pickups.
Real world gas mileage is much LESS than 22. I average (city & highway) around 17-18 mpg.
Rmpl
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Ti FJ still basically stock. BFG's all around. What Would Y'shua Do?
I didn't like the AT shift knob either. So I just cut 2" off the shaft, cut new threads and removed the lower half of the shift knob. DIY short shifter.
Location: currently Huntsville, AL, originally from Honolulu
Posts: 1,640
Re: newb questions after test drive...
Quote:
paroxysym previously said:
well last night me and the gf decided to put the mystery to rest and take a look at one of the new fjs at a local dealer. we took a blue one out, equipped with roof rack, convience package, auto, 4x4, upgrade package 1, i believe that was it. not all the options im looking for but hey, it did what it had to do. so we take it for a test drive....
i noticed the amount of room inside is nice compared to my current jeep wrangler. i think toyota under-utilized space in this thing, i mean there is room for alot of stuff on that dash. the back seat seems useless, as im a tall/big guy at 6'5, 375 lbs. but still alittle roomier back there than the jeep. it was very peppy, shifted nicely, drove great, and was very responsive on the road. no realy blind spots i noticed, as the front windows are very open and the mirror placement isnt half bad. the rear view is debatebale. thing has a ton of potential i would say. gf loved the little inclinometer/compass/temp display. but there was a couple things i was unsatisified with.
i wasnt too pleased with a couple things such as the drivers armrest, seems almost useless to me. the shifter on the auto is huge, do they make aftermarket ones yet? the backseat, but i guess thats something i could live with. the knobs are huge on the dash, not necessarily a bad thing but wow- who did they make this for- ray charles? my right knee hits the corner of the dash but its something to live with, i live with it in my jeep.
the questions i have are- i see people with sunroofs on their fjs, where did you get them? they dont appear to be an option, but i would def. want one. ive decided if i ever got one id run 305s on stockers with an ome 3" lift. ive also heard that toyota frames arent that stout, any comment? i wouldnt go overboard like i did on my jeep and throw a cam in it and stuff. i would make it my own with my own little touches. hows mileage on these things, it says 21 highway but how much have you noticed it dropping with 33s? thanks for your help guys, maybe one day ill get one of these soon....
still debating between this and a dodge 2500 with a cummins.
First off, Welcome!
1) any back seat is useless for a guy that is 6'5"...sorry to say, but get used to it
2) the big knobs were for gloved hands, also gives it a utilitarian feel.
3) according to my scan gauge, I get between 17-19 mpg with my 33 inch tires. Yes, scan gauge can compensate for wheel size changes. Of course, if I pound that petal or do a whole bunch of city driving, than I basically suffer with 15-16 mpg. Worse I've noted with scan gauge was 14 mpg. but that was a day of stop and go....gotta shop for this, gotta shop for that, stop over here, now go there, etc. kind of driving.
4) a big diesel may work out better for your ergonomics. don't worry about Toyota frames. The ladder frames on their trucks are pretty solid.
Hey big fellow - it must be difficult finding any vehicle that "fits". The back seat works great for "average" sized folks and kids. It's not a 4 door suv socker mom vehicle & that is one aspect of the FJ that makes it so attractive to most owners. We also did not purchase it for its great gas mileage...but we did purchase it because of its looks, off road capability, toughness, and to a certain extent, not many of them around. I agree, Toyota needs to offer a sunroof option - maybe in 08...hope you buy one, you won't regret the decision.
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2007 FJ Crusier 4x4
1971 FJ40 - sold
One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions.
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