2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser: A grown up’s Tonka toy!

You may have seen them around. Some find it beautiful; others are not as fond of the new looks. When I first saw one I thought: either Lego had gotten in the SUV business by trying to reach the parents to buy their new toys or someone must have stolen a concept vehicle out of an auto show’s room.


This week’s test drive has proven me wrong in both instances. Toyota advances both the art and science of the off-road vehicle while recalling its own off-road heritage with the introduction of the 2007 FJ Cruiser sport utility vehicle.

The FJ Cruiser provides optimized off-road capabilities, value and styling clues reminiscent of Toyota's famed FJ40 4x4 utility vehicle, sold in the U.S. from 1960 to 1983. If you have seen one around town, you may think its colors—offset by the always filled white top—are truly a solid trademark, but as an indicator of the vehicle's unmistakable family DNA, several of the FJ Cruiser's available color choices are reminiscent of the colors found on FJ40s.