by Brian Scotto

DESPITE A HUGE “TOYOTA”WRITTEN ACROSS THE GRILLE,MANY WILL QUESTION IF THE FJ Cruiser is a Hummer. Upon correcting them you will be asked what FJ stands for. Sadly, it’s nothing cool like “Fetching Jumpoffs,” it’s just an old engine designation code. But it sure beats the original Cruiser’s name—the BJ.

While many will just rim it up and roll it at two miles an hour so everyone can see them, the FJ is at home like someone on house arrest when 4WD mode is selected. Unlike many pseudo-uties, the Cruiser won’t wince when you plow through two feet of mud, storm a 45-degree dirt hill or even cross a river. Okay, this might not be the type of driving you do in your hood. But let’s say you wanted to drive over medians, through ya neighbor’s bushes and up a flight of steps at the park...not a problem. Well, except that you will be spotted. Push the FJ fifty feet and folks will be hawking. While the round headlights and white roof nod to the original FJ Land Cruisers of the ’60s and ’70s, it doesn’t suffer from trying too hard, like most retro rides nowadays. But it’s not boring either. Its straight-off-the-concept-floor style makes it stand out like a pink-and-purple shirt.

The 4.0l V6 is potent, both on and off your neighbor’s lawn. Mash the throttle and a comfortable cruising speed of 85mph is not far away. The seating position, especially the steering wheel tilt, may take a little time to get used to, and so will the almost-vertical windshield. What you may never get used to is the color-matched center stack surround. You’ll either love it or hate it. Guess that’s the game Toyota is playing.

The rest of the interior, while not baller-spec is comfortable. Some of the “my first Jeep” plastic parts will get tired real quick. Toyota could have toned down the guts; the skin is stunning enough. Once you get past the interesting dash layout, you will find an AUX-in for your iPod and much-needed parking sensors—the FJis harder to see out than a paper bag. But the best feature is the tilt meter, which lets you know how close you are to putting the FJ on its roof as you traverse City Hall’s steps. Tread lightly!

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