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Thinking about buying one

3K views 21 replies 22 participants last post by  Aslan 
#1 ·
I just figured I would hop on a forum that was dedicated to this vehicle.

When they first came out with the FJ I thought they were heinous looking. I was not a fan of the blue, yellow, and red with the rally roof color scheme.

However, I thought the overall body structure was interesting and it looked like it would be a pretty fun truck to drive.

The other day I saw one with some pretty aggressive tires on it and it looked like it had a 3-5" lift on it. That was pretty cool, but the thing that really peaked my interest was the color scheme. It was ALL black. Even the rims.

I did some more research and saw that there is a silver one with the white rally roof, as well as a maroon color with the white rally roof. I have to admit, those colors were much easier on my eyes. :)


I am in the market for a new vehicle and I love Toyota. The FJ just scared me at first.

I did notice on edmunds that the consumer report section rated this car a 9.4 out of 10 on average, which is pretty impressive.

Those of you who own one on here, is it worth it? What are the things I should look for or be aware of?

Thoughts on the vehicle vs. some of the other SUV's in the same price range? I am also looking at the Nissan XTerra.

Thanks all! I appreciate it.

Cheers.
 
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#2 ·
As a former Nissan owner.... don't do it. Nissan corporate is horrendous. They are the worst bunch of tightwad jerks on earth. I was a loyal Nissan fan, until my Pathfinder experience totally soured me on the company. I promised them after the way I was treated that I would tell each and every person who was considering a Nissan not to do it. They told me to go ahead. Seriously. So there you go. That's my pitch.

I wouldn't buy another Nissan if my life depended on it.

You don't have to buy an FJ, I'd just suggest you look elsewhere than Nissan. If you don't buy a Toyota, then buy a Hummer or a Jeep or something. Just avoid NISSAN! :)
 
#4 ·
I to looked at Xterra's. I bought a 2008 fj, and Love it. I don't like the gas mileage, but I love driving the FJ. My wife love's the FJ and is glad we choose it over the Xterra. We took it to Big Bear in the snow last week and it was great. I would buy the FJ again in a second.
 
#5 ·
What are you waiting for. The FJ is an Awesome vehicle and its got the Toyota Value and will hold its value. There is pleanty of info in this forum on why to buy one. If you dont mind reading all the topics, I am sure you will be convinced. We love ours!
 
#11 ·
X2......
 
#8 ·
wickedsolo .... hope my insight helps you in your decision as I was in your boat not too long ago.

when i first saw the fj at the '06 LA auto show, i thought it was cool, but too "weird" looking for me to actually buy!!! soooo glad i changed my mind! it's an awesome truck, and quite honestly, very fun to own and drive - and i don't even go off-road!

before pulling the trigger, i spent a good six months researching and like you also considered the nissan xterra, along with the hummer h3 and jeep wrangler. here was my assessment for each vehicle:

1) nissan xterra - cheap price / cheap, bland, plastic, uninspiring interior / if i couldn't afford any of the other trucks, i would've "settled" for this one and only because of the price.
2) jeep wrangler - offroad heritage / outdated interior / reliability issues, relatively speaking / this truck is cool and obviously very capable off-road but not realistic as a daily driver.
3) hummer h3 - ridiculous gas mileage / insufficient power for weight of vehicle / interior is nice but not very spacious / almost pulled the trigger on this one, but too many "negatives."

in the final analysis, given that 26-30k is a lotta dough and with all else being equal, i put most of the weight of my decision on these two factors:

1) reliablity, and
2) like the cadillac commercial says: "when you turn your car on, does it return the favor?"

in terms of reliability, 'nuff said. :blueblob: as far as the second factor, i can honesltly say that i always have a smile when i drive my fj! :)

i think you'll find after doing your own research and considering all the factors (capability, reliability, quality, resale value, fun factor, etc.) that the fj comes out on top! and trust me, what i once considered "weird" (or in your case "heinous") is exactly what makes the fj special and unique. you should be able to get a pretty good deal on them nowadays .... happy shopping!
 
#9 ·
Get one, you'll be glad you did. My FJ is my 6th Toyota and 4th brand new one and it is the best so far. Be sure to post some pics when you get it.
 
#10 ·
I compared the FJ, Xterra, and Jeep Rubicon. Drove them all and the FJ won hands down. I got the Sunfusion. Have to give you the rocket launcher on that one :rocket: . Wasn't too sure on the color at first, but when my insurance guy quoted me $350/year less than I was paying for a 2001 Pathfinder SE for the same coverage I learned to like the color fast. He said it was classed as a safety color. And I never lose it in a parking lot or in the bush. I say go for the FJ, you won't be disappointed.
 
#12 ·
The FJ is my 3rd Toyota. I traded in a 2004 Toyota Tacoma TRD. It is definitely fun to drive and to have.

Sorry, but they no longer make the Black Cherry(maroon) it was "replaced" with Brick Red, but everyone knows that the Voodoo Blue is the best!
 
#13 ·
Get the FJ. My brother -n- law has an x- terra and it beats him to dealth. I rode in the back seat once, and left both my kidneys there!!!
 
#14 ·
Go with the FJ! I've had mine for 9 months and i still get the same feeling every time I drive that I got when I first drove it off the lot. :) I use it for wheeling, but still put on the most miles as my daily driver. Great in both uses. No regrets over here!
 
#15 ·
I like the Xterrra. Its a fairly nice vehicle, but Nissan has terrible customer service and their quality has severely slipped (which is why I sold my 2007 Nissan SE-R with 800 miles on it). That being said. My Family all drives Toyota s. My Grandma has a Solara, My Mom has a Sequoia, My Dad has a Camry SE. All of them are well taken care of and run as if brand new. Toyota is the way to go IMO.

On to why the FJ....

Firstly, the exterior/interior is great. Once inside the FJ you will realize why. Everything in the interior is well layed out, effective, and well built. It is very roomy, even in the back seat. I rode in the back seat (I am a pretty big guy) and was perfectly comfortable. Far better than the competition (Xterra and Jeep JK). The rear cargo area is also pretty large and will suit most peoples need.

Driving it was also pleasurable.The pick up was pretty good with a mean growl (I think the one I looked at had a TRD Exhaust though). It handled well, especially for its class.

The offroad capability is also pretty good. Though Jeeps are well known for their offroad prowess, the FJ is honestly just as capable. Anybody who tells you differently is going to be biased one way or the other, I am a fan of all three of the vehicles afore mentioned.

If you want a very capable vehicle right out of the dealer, with good looks and features, as well as long lasting dependability, the FJ is the right choice for you.
 
#16 ·
Like others have said... RUN away from your Nissan dealer. they used to be really great, not anymore. Mom had a 92 Maxima and it was great. She sold it to a family friend at 120k miles and it was still going strong when it died because said friend wrapped it around a tree (and somehow walked away without a scratch). Mom got a 98 Altima when she sold the Maxima and after around 60 miles things started to go wrong. The engine light kept coming on but the mechanics didn't know why. Eventually the engine just kind of imploded one day. My aunt had a 2000ish Altima, about the same amt of miles now and she's getting the phantom engine light too, mechanics are saying oil is leaking into parts it's not supposed to go and she needs a whole new engine. I drove a 2000 Xterra, but I decided on a Pathfinder because the Xterra was just uncomfortable. I traded my pathfinder for a 2003 Honda Element. A buddy had a 2000 pathfinder also, he still has it and it's falling apart. The plastic bitz in it just seem to be breaking all over. So, if you plan to keep your car for just a couple of years then trade in for something else, Nissan may be OK, but they are not built to last. Not anymore in my experience. Really a shame too, we gave Nissan a lot of business all because of how great that Maxima was.

As for the FJ, I don't have one yet but I plan to get one as well. I've also been looking at the 4 door Jeeps, and the H3, but FJ is on top for me. H3 just seems to be too much, and Jeeps might be cool but I'm not going to be offroading much and Toyota just makes more reliable stuff. I'm also thinking about the new 2009 Honda Pilot, but I think that will cost a lot more. I test drove a FJ and really enjoyed driving it. But I can't buy till I sell my house :(

Anyone wanna buy a split level house outside Philly? It's great, you'll love it I swear!
 
#17 ·
FJ is the only way. Had 3 Nissan's is the past. My FJ takes me where the Nissan's couldn't. FJ just hooks up and goes. Went up to the snow last week Chevy 4x4 got stuck. We got him out. I decided to take his same path. Wife said I was nuts. But we went right threw it with no problem. I will only but Toyota now. Tacoma is next in line to sit next to the FJ in the drive way.
 
#18 ·
My $0.02:
The first car I ever drove was a 1986 Nissan 300ZX and the second was another 1994 Nissan 300ZX (both non-turbo, 5-speed). In 2004, I bought a brand new VW GTI 1.8T 5-speed and got away from Nissan primarily because of the cost of maintenance on the older Z's. While I was clearly a Nissan fan, I started to stray...

Recently when I got married and we considered getting an SUV, I looked pretty much exclusively at three:
Honda Pilot
Nissan XTerra
Toyota FJ

The FJ was the obvious first choice, but seemed out of range because of the cost. While we really wanted the Pilot, it was expensive and auto (both me and my wife do NOT like auto). We both liked the look of the XTerra and were focusing more on it because of the cost. The more I looked at it, test drove it, talked to people who owned it, etc., the more I didn't like it. It turned out that I had an opportunity to finance a portion of the FJ at an excellent rate through my Insurance/Finances company and as an added bonus, they had a new car buying program which allows invoice cost purchasing. That was all we needed... Marginally higher cost than the loaded XTerra we wanted and about a zillion percent more vehicle. Honestly, coming from a big Nissan fan for life, this was the car to get for EVERYTHING.
-2JFJ
 
#19 ·
I don't have too much to add to this conversation, but I'll throw in my slice of a cent. I am not impressed by Nissan's conduct in any matters, especially this one: Nissan .
Just doesn't instill the image that Nissan has ethical motives.
 
#20 ·
By all means, DO NOT BUY A NISSAN!

I bought my wife a 2004 Nissan Pathfinder and we have had nothing but trouble with it since day one. Everytime we bring it back to the dealership, they blame it on us, bad gas, or some fluid needs to be changed!?!? All the problems are off the wall too, like all the power goes off while driving down the street. No power steering, no lights, not even the radio. Then it comes back on. Nissan looks at it and tells us nothings wrong, and we must be imagining it!

I love my FJ. I slowly find my wife driving it more than me!!!
 
#21 ·
I have to agree with the group on this one. I too was thinking about purchasing a Nissan, having owned a '98 Maxima SE. I tell you what, since I that Maxima, I have had nothing by horrible experiences setting foot on the Nissan dealership. Whether it was the buy now high pressure sales, or the fact that they wouldn't listen to any of my requests, it just wasn't good.

My FJ buying experience was a dream. The FJ fits in with a niche market of buyers and it sells itself, so all the sales guy has to do it let you drive it and then negotiate. Another word of advice is that Toyota has deemed the FJ a "limited production" vehicle, so there aren't any rebates or dealer discounts.

Good luck and happy buying!
 
#22 · (Edited)
My first Toyota was a 1st generation 4runner, when all they offered was the 4 cylinder engine. I loved that truck and put over 100,000 miles on it. Then I bought a full sized chevy pickup (Z71 silverado) and loved it for the horsepower and load capabilities. But it didn't affect me like the 4runner did.
I bought another chevy after my other one was stolen and totaled in a high speed police chase - way cool after the whole my truck was stolen thing.

The FJ came out and I knew I had to have one. got rid of the chevy and bought the FJ. Once again, driving is fun. The vehicle provides excitement. And this is one year later, so it isn't a passing fad.

The only complaint - once you start down the dark side and begin doing mods, it's all over. It's like a combination of really good sex and addicting drugs - no way you're going to stop!

Give in to the peer pressure and buy an FJ!
 
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