Toyota FJ Cruiser Review

The Toyota FJ Cruiser is one extremely fun vehicle. If you are looking for an SUV with a bit of an attitude, this is the car for you. It is practical, decent on gas, and it has great looks. The standard stereo in the FJ is great. It can be customized in all ways. You can change the color of the screen and buttons. You can even change the text that displays when you turn on your FJ. Right now, mine says "Thank you for riding in Adrianna's FJ!"

The FJ also comes in some fantastic colors. Voodoo blue, yellow, silver, black, tan, and now a special edition all white FJ. If you are going to get the FJ, make sure to get the sub woofer along with it. It sits well in the back and makes a huge difference in the sound system. Another feature I love is the captain's armrests up in the front seats. Those are a must. The only thing is, they are kind of short. If you are a taller person (I am 5'10"), you will probably be a little bit annoyed by the arm rests but you'll get used to it. The FJ has three windshield wipers that are great in the rain. You can opt for the 4wd pkg (which I did). You can add on rock rails, skid plate, running boards, and a roof rack.

Some cons in the FJ: The tiny mirrors in the visors. You'd be lucky if you can even see your face in that thing. It is so small! Also, I wish the rear seats would fold completely flat without having to take out the back seat bottoms. It gets the job done for me and my 90lb bulldog Bam Bam, but I would just prefer if they would lie completely flat instead of with a slight incline. I wish there were more storage compartments around the FJ. There is an awesome compartment up front above the steering wheel on the dash (it is for the GPS Navigation unit if you'd like to purchase for $799). I keep all kinds of stuff in there. People don't even know that compartment exists. The glove compartment sure could have used a light. Also, the interior lighting in the FJ is horrible. There is only one TINY light between the front and the back seats. I am going to install an overhead console with maplights in order to compensate for this. I know people have also been changing the bulb in the interior light to an LED bulb that they claim works great. I may have to invest in that one.

You may read reviews of people complaining about blind spots in the FJ. I think most cars have blind spots. if you use your mirrors, you will not feel there is an issue with blind spots. If you don't use your mirrors, once you get in the habit of this, driving the FJ will be a breeze. There is a problem with visibility behind the FJ. When in reverse, you cannot see directly behind you. The rear window is pretty small. I am going to invest in a back-up camera and that will take care of it. That is the only major necessary thing missing from the FJ in my opinion. With rear visibility, the camera should be an option. The FJ has rear back-up sensors that beep as you get close to objects, but I'd rather not take my chances. Installing the back-up camera will be a great investment.

The ride in the FJ is perfectly smooth. If you cruise along at 65-70mph you'll have no gas issues. Once you get to speeding, expect that gas to just whither away! I always make sure I leave with plenty of time to spare so that I can cruise around in my FJ. The seats are made of an awesome water repellent material. I have had so much dirt in there; I clean it with water, and it looks like I have a brand new vehicle! You can also opt for leather seating as well. Overall, it is a fun, smooth SUV. There are rumors of a convertible FJ coming out in the near future. I sure hope that is true! You will not regret purchasing an FJ. Pricing is around $25-33,000 depending on options and well worth it.