Looking for a Heavy Duty SUV for 2009? FJ Cruiser

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Summary

The FJ Cruiser is a noticeable SUV offering for the 2009 model year. You see it on the road and you will recognize it by its unique style sense. It is a heavy duty SUV and therefore does not fit into everyone's lifestyle but for those that choose it, they will be happy with almost every aspect being capable. It is definitely worth a look for 2009.

Full Review 2009

Toyota's retro-styled FJ Cruiser SUV was designed to carry the 1958 FJ40's original charm and legacy. The FJ competes with similar SUVs, like the Nissan Xterra, Jeep Wrangler and Hummer H3.  The 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser smoothly blends the retro theme with modern power, comfort, safety, and convenience technology. The Cruiser is available in one trim with a choice of three drivetrains.  The FJ Cruiser seats up to five passengers.

The 2009 FJ Cruiser is designed to be the most capable of all Toyotas when the pavement it comes to off road terrain, and that is impressive considering the abilities of the 4Runner and Tacoma.  The front doors on the Cruiser are standard, front-hinged units.  Rear-hinged access doors ease egress to the back seat and cargo area.  Rear access to the cargo area is through a door hinged on the driver's side of the vehicle instead of a typical roof-hinged hatch-style closure.  The 2009 FJ Cruiser adds driver and front passenger active headrests, roll-sensing curtain airbags, a stability control cut-off switch, front map light, and a driver-side vanity mirror as standard equipment.  There are also a few new exterior colors.

Cruiser Features

The 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser comes in just one model.  Standard equipment includes air conditioning, tilt steering, power windows and door locks, eight-way manually adjustable driver's seat, six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio, an engine immobilizer, and P265/70R17 tires on 17-inch steel wheels (with a full-size spare mounted on the back door).Upholstery is water-resistant fabric and flooring is a rubber-like mat.  An Off-Road package includes P265/75R16 BFGoodrich Rugged Trail tires on unique 16-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels; trail-tuned Bilstein shock absorbers; a Cyclone air pre-cleaner; a rear locking differential; A-TRAC; and the multi-information display.

Driving the FJ Cruiser

The Toyota FJ Cruiser is quite capable off road, even more so than the highly capable 4Runner on which it is based.  Still, cruising down the highway or going through the city it is comfortable and smooth.  The FJ offers better approach and departure angles, a shorter wheelbase, and a higher ground clearance.  The FJ Cruiser is rated to tow as much as 5000 pounds, 500 pounds more than the five-cylinder H3 and 1500 more than the Jeep

Design and Style

The FJ Cruiser's look includes a sports boxy styling.  The white roof and wraparound rear-quarter windows are a throwback to the original FJ40. Viewed in profile, the most noticeable aspects of the FJ Cruiser are its upright windshield, tall and protective body sides, short windows and very wide C-pillar on either side of the cargo area.  Though it may look like a two-door, the FJ Cruiser actually has four doors, opening almost French door style on either side to create a good-sized opening for access to the back seat and cargo area.   There is a narrow slot of a second grille built into the front lip of the hood, the trio of windshield wipers at the base of an upright windshield, the round headlights and the metallic-colored enclosure that frames them and the main grille with Toyota in simple gothic letters.   The FJ Cruiser shares much of its under structure with the Toyota 4Runner four-door SUV and Tacoma pickup truck, but has a very unique overall look.  The rear door also opens wide, and features a backlight glass that can be flipper up when the door itself is closed.

FJ Cruiser Cabin

The interior of the Cruiser is designed to handle dirt. It comes only with water-resistant cloth upholstery and rubberized floor and cargo mats. The expectation is that people who drive FJ Cruisers will get them dirty, and want the easy cleanup provided by such materials. A rectangular, truck-like dashboard incorporates a prominent square panel with stereo and climate controls. A compass, outside temperature display, and vehicle pitch readouts are available in an optional gauge cluster that sits above the middle air vents.  There are cup holders in the center console and four doors .A 12-volt outlet is mounted on the switch panel ahead of the shifter; and a three-prong, grounded 115-volt power outlet in the cargo area with a switch for either 100 or 400 watts of output Door inserts and dashboard panels can be matched to the FJ Cruiser's exterior color. Because the FJ Cruiser has wide C-pillars that may interfere with the driver's rearward vision, an optional rear sonar system is available to warn the driver of the proximity of objects when the transmission is in Reverse 

2009 Powertrain

Powering the 2009 FJ Cruiser is Toyota's 4.0-liter V6 engine, a proven motor also used in the 4Runner, Tacoma and Tundra.  The engine pumps out 239 horsepower and 278 pound-feet of torque, the sort of grunt that comes in handy when traveling off-road or when towing.  FJ Cruisers are available in two- and four-wheel-drive configurations.  The Toyota V6 is not only strong, but clean and fuel-efficient as well.  It earns the FJ Cruiser a LEV-II (low-emission vehicle) rating from the federal government and, depending on drivetrain configuration, returns around 15-16 miles per gallon in city driving and up to 20 on the highway. With the manual transmission, the drivetrain is a full-time four-wheel-drive setup with H4, H4L (locked Torsen center differential) and L4L (low and locked) settings. An electronically locking rear differential is available with either automatic or manual transmission, or even in the two-wheel-drive version.

Safety Features

The FJ earned Good results in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests. New for 2009 is a roll-sensing feature that works with the side-impact and side curtain airbags to deploy them in the event of a rollover. Active head restraints are also new; they move forward in a collision to restrict head movement.  Safety features include Toyota's STAR Safety System that combines Vehicle Skid Control to help the truck go where the driver steers, even on a slippery surface; traction control to reduce wheel slip and thus enhance traction; and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist. 

Conclusions

The 2009 FJ Cruiser is capable in every aspect.  Like any heavy duty SUV, the FJ Cruiser isn't for everyone, and not all will appreciate its heritage.  But for those who do, the FJ Cruiser provides Toyota quality at a competitive price and wrapped in a unique design, inside and out. "It's stylish, fun, practical and affordable. Buy one if you want to stand out on the street or trail." says Forbes "What's more important, style or substance? The good news is that the FJ offers both." adds Motor Trend The MSRP for the 2009 FJ Cruiser is $23,320 - $24,910.