2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser Review
There is Nowhere the FJ Cruiser Can’t Go!
Overview
If you are tired of the crossover-SUV mom mobiles that are truly designed for pavement performance and you crave a rugged all-terrain mastering, mudding, trailing machine; then the FJ Cruiser should be at the top of your list. The FJ Cruiser offers a Tonka truck, retro styled exterior that features those round headlights that elicit memories of the older Toyota Land Cruiser, the inspiration for the design of this SUV.
Driving down the highway, the road may be a little rough but this is typical of any SUV that is truly designed specifically for off-road. Quite similar to the Jeep Wrangler, this is a vehicle that thrives on the most rugged terrains. With all its capabilities, the 2014 FJ Cruiser fuel economy suffers a bit reaching 17 mpg city and 20 mpg highway.
Feel daring enough to drive through a small creek? Not a problem when you are driving the 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser with its adaptive water fording limit. This feature equips the SUV with protected electrical components and elevated air intake so the FJ Cruiser can trudge through waters as much as 28 inches deep. Feel confident with your front visibility of the terrain with the daytime running lights. Feel ready with the full-size spare tire because Toyota knows when you are tackling the elements in the event of a flat, a donut simply won’t cut it.
New for 2014
This year model is pretty well a carry-over of the 2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Toyota pulls out a limited Ultimate Edition that is under the Trail Teams packages to mark the last year the FJ Cruiser will be in production. There will only be 2,500 of these special edition models built and they will feature an eye-catching paint job in Heritage Blue with a color-matched roof. Most all of the options that come with the Convenience and Upgrade packages will be featured in this limited edition. The upgraded equipment featured on this model includes a thicker front skid plate, bead-lock wheels, upgraded TRD-tuned suspension and all-terrain tires.
Interior/Exterior Features
Inspired by the classic design of the Toyota Land Cruiser, the FJ Cruiser offers a Tonka truck style with modern day angles and lines. Toyota offers you the experience to get as close as possible to nature and the elements while riding in the FJ Cruiser with the doors off. No need to worry if mud splashes all through the vehicle, with the washable interior it’s safe and easy to hose it down inside and out at the end of the day. The reverse hinged rear doors can only be used after the front door is open and for a family vehicle, this is not a very practical feature along with the small backseat are drawbacks for practicality.
The interior layout is very simple and basic with a lot of hard plastics. There is USB input and Bluetooth audio streaming but Toyota does not offer navigation, a touch screen or Toyotas Entune smartphone integration. Mounted steering wheel audio and Bluetooth controls come standard so that you can keep your hands on the wheel at all times. The blocky and cartoonish design continues on the interior with big gauges and a blocked out design. Spicing up the design are big chunky areas that features the same color as the exterior. The floating ball instrument panel offers you an outside temperature gauge, a compass and an inclinometer.
To climb into the backseat, you will notice that it is on the cramped side and would not be very comfortable for long rides. That being said, all the seats are supportive, yet firm and may not be ideal for the long hauls. You will find no carpet inside the FJ Cruiser, rather a rubber floor that is perfect for washing out the mud.
Performance/Drivetrain Features
This off-road master is definitely not lacking when it comes to power. Under the hood lurks a 4.0-liter V-6 engine that puts out an impressive 260 horsepower and 271 lb-ft torque. Toyota offers either a 5-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission depending on your choice of drivetrain.
The design of the FJ cruiser combined with its weight provides for a lot of body roll and maneuverability isn’t at all nimble. Inside the ride is definitely not quiet, but this is typical for any off-road prowess such as the Hummer, Wrangler or even Nissan Xterra. Standard in the FJ Cruiser is electronically controlled locking rear differential that can be turned on or off with the push of a button and provides maximum traction when you need it most.
Safety/Mechanical Features
Toyota had you and your family’s safety in mind when they designed the FJ Cruiser with 6 standard airbags, car seat anchoring LATCH system, tire pressure monitoring system and side-impact door beams. The 2014 FJ Cruiser also features the integrated Star Safety System, which adds the following features: Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), Brake Assist (BA), Anti-lock Brakes (ABS), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Smart Stop Technology (SST).
Visibility is not a strong point for the FJ Cruiser, the design features smaller windows in the back and this creates huge blinds spots and limits rear visibility. The auto-dimming rear view mirror with backup camera is a great plus for safety and helps with the rear visibility issue. Low range crawl capability and available full-time 4-wheel drive make the FJ Cruiser truly an off-road all-star.
What’s it like to Drive?
Well this depends on where you are driving it. When you take the FJ Cruiser off-road, it performs like a duck in water. You will more than likely find yourself searching out the biggest bumps and dips just to impress yourself with how smoothly it handles all terrain conditions.
When it comes to pavement performance, that is a different story. While the FJ Cruiser is comfortable and smooth enough on the highway, it’s not its strongest area. The cabin is a bit on the noisier side and the seats while supportive, aren’t the most comfortable for the long road trips. Being a big and heavy vehicle, the FJ Cruiser doesn’t offer the best maneuverability and there is significant body roll in the corners.
Specifications
There is Nowhere the FJ Cruiser Can’t Go!
Overview
If you are tired of the crossover-SUV mom mobiles that are truly designed for pavement performance and you crave a rugged all-terrain mastering, mudding, trailing machine; then the FJ Cruiser should be at the top of your list. The FJ Cruiser offers a Tonka truck, retro styled exterior that features those round headlights that elicit memories of the older Toyota Land Cruiser, the inspiration for the design of this SUV.
Driving down the highway, the road may be a little rough but this is typical of any SUV that is truly designed specifically for off-road. Quite similar to the Jeep Wrangler, this is a vehicle that thrives on the most rugged terrains. With all its capabilities, the 2014 FJ Cruiser fuel economy suffers a bit reaching 17 mpg city and 20 mpg highway.
Feel daring enough to drive through a small creek? Not a problem when you are driving the 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser with its adaptive water fording limit. This feature equips the SUV with protected electrical components and elevated air intake so the FJ Cruiser can trudge through waters as much as 28 inches deep. Feel confident with your front visibility of the terrain with the daytime running lights. Feel ready with the full-size spare tire because Toyota knows when you are tackling the elements in the event of a flat, a donut simply won’t cut it.
New for 2014
This year model is pretty well a carry-over of the 2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser. Toyota pulls out a limited Ultimate Edition that is under the Trail Teams packages to mark the last year the FJ Cruiser will be in production. There will only be 2,500 of these special edition models built and they will feature an eye-catching paint job in Heritage Blue with a color-matched roof. Most all of the options that come with the Convenience and Upgrade packages will be featured in this limited edition. The upgraded equipment featured on this model includes a thicker front skid plate, bead-lock wheels, upgraded TRD-tuned suspension and all-terrain tires.
Interior/Exterior Features
Inspired by the classic design of the Toyota Land Cruiser, the FJ Cruiser offers a Tonka truck style with modern day angles and lines. Toyota offers you the experience to get as close as possible to nature and the elements while riding in the FJ Cruiser with the doors off. No need to worry if mud splashes all through the vehicle, with the washable interior it’s safe and easy to hose it down inside and out at the end of the day. The reverse hinged rear doors can only be used after the front door is open and for a family vehicle, this is not a very practical feature along with the small backseat are drawbacks for practicality.
The interior layout is very simple and basic with a lot of hard plastics. There is USB input and Bluetooth audio streaming but Toyota does not offer navigation, a touch screen or Toyotas Entune smartphone integration. Mounted steering wheel audio and Bluetooth controls come standard so that you can keep your hands on the wheel at all times. The blocky and cartoonish design continues on the interior with big gauges and a blocked out design. Spicing up the design are big chunky areas that features the same color as the exterior. The floating ball instrument panel offers you an outside temperature gauge, a compass and an inclinometer.
To climb into the backseat, you will notice that it is on the cramped side and would not be very comfortable for long rides. That being said, all the seats are supportive, yet firm and may not be ideal for the long hauls. You will find no carpet inside the FJ Cruiser, rather a rubber floor that is perfect for washing out the mud.
Performance/Drivetrain Features
This off-road master is definitely not lacking when it comes to power. Under the hood lurks a 4.0-liter V-6 engine that puts out an impressive 260 horsepower and 271 lb-ft torque. Toyota offers either a 5-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission depending on your choice of drivetrain.
The design of the FJ cruiser combined with its weight provides for a lot of body roll and maneuverability isn’t at all nimble. Inside the ride is definitely not quiet, but this is typical for any off-road prowess such as the Hummer, Wrangler or even Nissan Xterra. Standard in the FJ Cruiser is electronically controlled locking rear differential that can be turned on or off with the push of a button and provides maximum traction when you need it most.
Safety/Mechanical Features
Toyota had you and your family’s safety in mind when they designed the FJ Cruiser with 6 standard airbags, car seat anchoring LATCH system, tire pressure monitoring system and side-impact door beams. The 2014 FJ Cruiser also features the integrated Star Safety System, which adds the following features: Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), Brake Assist (BA), Anti-lock Brakes (ABS), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Smart Stop Technology (SST).
Visibility is not a strong point for the FJ Cruiser, the design features smaller windows in the back and this creates huge blinds spots and limits rear visibility. The auto-dimming rear view mirror with backup camera is a great plus for safety and helps with the rear visibility issue. Low range crawl capability and available full-time 4-wheel drive make the FJ Cruiser truly an off-road all-star.
What’s it like to Drive?
Well this depends on where you are driving it. When you take the FJ Cruiser off-road, it performs like a duck in water. You will more than likely find yourself searching out the biggest bumps and dips just to impress yourself with how smoothly it handles all terrain conditions.
When it comes to pavement performance, that is a different story. While the FJ Cruiser is comfortable and smooth enough on the highway, it’s not its strongest area. The cabin is a bit on the noisier side and the seats while supportive, aren’t the most comfortable for the long road trips. Being a big and heavy vehicle, the FJ Cruiser doesn’t offer the best maneuverability and there is significant body roll in the corners.
Specifications
- Starting Price: $27,680
- Engine Options: 4.0-liter V-6 260 horsepower
- Fuel Economy: 16 mpg city / 20 mpg highway
- Trim Levels: Base
- Transmission Options: 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic
- Drivetrain: rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive
- Seating: 5 passengers
- Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
