We have on 07. Our kids were 5 and 3 when we bought the FJ. The FJ is what momma wanted and we made it work and we still have it. Our youngest who was 3, is now driving it. Its been an extremely reliable vehicle.

My wife wanted a vehicle like this and I found one a couple hundred miles away and bought it for her. When I went to pick it up I had the chance to drive it back home. That drive sold me on the FJ Cruiser so the very next weekend I found another one just an hour drive away so I went and bought it for myself. I couldn’t be happier to have two of these in my driveway. I am sure to keep them properly serviced and expect them to be with me a long time. Reliable, fun and comfortable. My wife’s 2007 with manual transmission remains stock with the TRD from the factory while I have modified my 2014 with suspension and lift, bigger tires, larger roof rack, front bumper with winch and added off-road lights. I’ve taken mine on Jeep trails that I would never have attempted with another vehicle and it never once disappointed me. Love the FJ!

My kid’s not being able to open the door - until I open the door - is a beautiful thing! Specially when dropping them off at school. Keeps them safe. 😊

Wow, the FJ was really ahead of its time huh? Now everyone wants an offroader like this lol.

I absolutely love my FJ! Even though it’s a 2008, it has less than 100,000 miles on it. One of the many reasons I love it is, because it’s not a fancy computerized car, it doesn’t take much to repair it. You don’t have to take half the car apart just to change the battery or a headlamp, for example. Very simple so that even this old lady can do it herself. 😉

Canceled my Bronco order and purchased and FJ today. Drives as well if not better than the Bronco. Makes Jeep look like a tinker toy. I flipping love it!!! Toyota reliability all the way!!!

Just bought a 07 voodoo blue FJ with 51,000 miles on her for 24k. Worth every freaking penny.

Right now is a perfect time for Toyota to bring back the FJ, it will definitely sell well.

Amazing. Back in 2013 I almost bought one of the trail teams editions brand new and it was $37,000. I thought it was way too much for the "faults" of the FJ.

I just bought mine today 08 FJ with 177,000 miles. I feel blessed.. GREAT Vehicle 👍

I saw a guy who bought a Maserati double the price of this fj cruiser and it depreciated in a year let alone being at the mechanic several times. This alone makes me think Toyota is a gem the world need to see.

Crawl Control was added in 2013 as part of one of the offroad packages. That's the same year that Toyota moved the RR DIFF LOCK / ATRAC buttons to the roof (IF equipped with crawl control), so it can be confusing to look at an FJ and not see those buttons below the radio. Then you remember to check for it up top. Having offroaded both the FJ and 4Runner extensively here in Colorado, the main difference is how big the back end of the 4Runner feels. Departure angle, rear quarters all start to feel big on tight trails in our area on the 4Runner.

Where i live you can get a brand new 2022 FJ Cruiser for 14,000 OMR = 37,000 USD 😅

I have a 2013 FJ in Army Green. I bought an immaculate used one, with a 89k well documented miles on it, for $18k in 2019 just before they exploded in value. I'll never sell it no matter how much it goes up in worth. It's the best car I've ever owned. Its such a major improvement in quality over the 2015 Forester I used to drive (which actually died 5k miles outside the warranty). The FJ just feels so solid. And it is an absolute BLAST to drive. It makes me smile every time I get in it. According to this video, people didn't really like the suicide doors when this vehicle was on the market, but for me that was always the biggest selling point. It kept the vehicle short. I live in LA and I don't want to deal with driving a monster 4Runner in the city. The FJ is Toyota's ONLY compact 4x4. A Rav4 simply cannot do what the FJ can do offroad. Between 2008-2019, and until the FJ showed up, your only option for a modern compact 4x4 was a Jeep. Sure, Jeeps are a lot of fun, but they are wildly impractical and their reliability is just horrible. I suppose Land Rover was another option if you wanted to throw down $75-$150k on something even less reliable than a Jeep. The FJ Cruiser just has it all. It's compact, it's unique and fun, it's wildly capable offroad, and it's useful both as a play vehicle and a work vehicle. Toyota desperately needs to revisit this market, which is the compact off-roader. The only thing I could see lowering FJ prices is if Toyota finally released another true 4x4 that fit within the segment. Ford recognized our desire for compact offroaders, and they jumped right in with the Bronco series. Those cars look like a ton of fun and they capture a lot of the spirit of the FJ, but they are also Fords and they have yet to prove themselves as beacons of reliability (I'd easily take them over a Jeep though). The FJ is proven. In fact, it is one of the most solid vehicles Toyota has ever made. To date, there is not a more reliable compact, off-road SUV on the road.

Im from Saudi Arabia and have had a yellow 2009 FJ cruiser since 2011- it was a great offer with zero kilometers. Now with almost 200k miles on it (313k Km) and it still drives amazingly. They are still made and sold to GCC countries with some tiny interior changes- But overall it’s the same car. Hassle free, quirky and lots of fun, most importantly it is damn reliable when you need it to be - especially when taking it off road onto the sand dunes. I’ve owned a wrangler jk 2012 at the same time - also loads of fun, but not issue free. I dont think I can ever have to stomach to sell my trusty fj - it’s outlived a lot of cars over the years that were nicer and faster, and it still impresses the hell out of me when I thought I’ve seen everything this car is capable of.

Worth every penny. This will outlast a wrangler and a bronco combined!

Bought a 2011 in 2017. Love it. Everyday driver. Best vehicle I have ever owned.

2013, FJ in quicksand color with only 43k. Stock no add ons or upgrades. I will pass this truck to my son when I’m gone.

My parents got the 2007 FJ brand new and still own it. The only issues they’ve had have been with the trim above the windshield. Other than that, 200k+ miles later it still runs perfectly

I own a 2007 FJ 4x4 Base model with TRD exhaust, factory rock sliders, ATrac, rear differential lock, parking assist, premium sound and a 400 watt power inverter, it’s in better condition then a lot of 2014 models I’ve seen. It’s a great little rig and completely rust free. I will never sell it........ keep the FJ videos coming. 🙂👍🏻

Not the 4Runner, the Prado is nearly the same vehicle and built on the same assembly line. Both are Land Cruisers.

Every review talks about the split doors as a negative. Remember when the first suicide half door for a extra cab trucks was a huge deal. Everyone loved that. Works the same. For me the thing everyone misses is the size of a FJ. It's the same wheelbase and length of a K5 Blazer or original full size bronco. Just 2 inches narrower. It's the perfect size. Great cargo room without folding seat down. Also because of the large rear door and side doors. You can access the roof rack easily. Not all of us need 4 doors. One more thing. Since Toyota still builds the exact same FJ and it still would meet crash standards. Toyota could easily bring them back in. Do a limited run each year. Sell at $50k+ they won't because those people will just buy a 4 Runner. Also have you looked at what old 4 runners bring. They hold their values extremely well too.

Friend has one (2008) on original engine / tranny over 400,000 miles. Runs great. Very smooth. AC is all that doesn't work.

They are being built; they just aren't being sold here. I've heard they're sold at least in the Middle east and in the Philippines. I'd love to see them update them and bring them back to the US.

I absolutely love my FJ, I've wanted one since I was very first starting to drive but needed a truck for towing horse trailers. Now that I am out of that world, I purchased mt FJ last year and I am IN LOVE. It's so safe feeling, easy to drive, sturdy, spacious inside, and so versatile. I love the doors actually, at first I was hesitant but it makes it so spacious when you are opening it up and working inside, or camping in there. As well as the back door opening sideways, love it! Blind spots are easily fixable with extra mirrors and the right sitting position. I love it and I hope I never have to sell it.

I love my FJ Cruiser. My Lexus is in the body shop so its currently my daily driver with all its offroad and camping accessories dangling off of it and its chunky 35s. It gets a lot of approving looks from kids who view it as a giant Tonka toy or disapproving looks from all the Tesla and Prius drivers. I mean how can you hate such an extremely fun vehicle?

Got my 2014 fj and I’m going to keep it forever because I know that it WILL last forever! Can’t say that with many rigs. Lol great video as always!!

BTW, the review nailed it. All the pros and cons from a market/driver perspective. Have a 2015 Rubicon 2dr too in addition to the 2011 FJ. Love the look of the Jeep...very very capable, but.....its a Jeep and sad to say...it feels cheap.

I just bought a 2022 New in the Philippines. Thanks for the cool relaxed vid!

Had a 2007 TRD Special Edition in Black that I ended up putting a 3" Walker Evans reservoir coil over lift on and it was great. Got rid of it with around 200k miles on it still running like new. It was a ton of fun offroad which I did 3 or 4 times a month for the entire time I owned it.

Please do more content with this!! I was so excited to see you guys get one of these and youve made like 3 videos with it lol I'd love to see more!

I still have my 2007 TRD with a factory TRD supercharger. I get more looks and comments now than I did while they were still in production. However, in Florida there a dozens of these just sitting in used car lots. Tommy, if you want a nice selection of these to buy for yourself, look at Orange county Florida. Heck, I know of 1 lot on Highway 50 near the 417 with 7 as of yesterday. "Best motors of Florida", you can see a few on google maps right now. Thanks for the video.

I own a 2007 FJ Cruiser. Currently at 275,000 miles. Ive had it since 2010. Thing is a beast! I owned the new ford bronco for 10 months and sold the Bronco because I loved my toyota more. Blind spot is bad and I’ve replaced the windshield 5-6 times over 12 years. Other than that it is solid!

I got the 76th 07’FJ ever sold in the US. It’s a dream

They most likely killed it because of the sales. After the third model year, they never broke 15,000 units a year in the United States. Meanwhile, since 2007 there were only three model years in which the Wrangler sold less than 100,000 units.

Great review! We recently had an FJ trail with us and it performed awesomely. It motivated me finally do a little research on it…and yours was the video I watched! So thank you! Subscribing!

Toyota needs to come out with a follow up to the FJ, huge miss with no direct competitor to Wrangler or Bronco. Take another stab at a retro FJ40

I hit a sheet of ice on a road driving to work and went down a snow covered embankment in my 2007 Voodoo Blue FJ. I was going down through so much snow I couldn’t see out of my windshield. When I eventually stopped, there was no warning lights and the engine was still purring. Contemplating calling for an off-road recovery, I looked up the 45 degree slope, put it in 4-Lo, locked the rear diff, got a little bit of speed where it was flat and charged right back up the embankment. Not a scratch on her and still made it to work on time.

I owned the 6 speed stick shift - all time 4wheel - I loved it - I think Toyota will some day bring it back in the U.S.

He did that whole video in one take! Bravo!

I dig these new video formats, Tommy. Super cool

Dude, you can eliminate nearly all the visibility issues if you'll stick a good size convex mirror on each of the outside mirrors. With your backup camera, you're good to go. That's what I did when I got my '07 in 2009. I learned to go that route when I owned a 350Z with its significant lack of visibility. Of course, I never heard anybody complaining about visibility on the 350. After all, it was a sports car. And the FJ is 10 times the vehicle... and the best vehicle I've ever owned... which is why I won't be selling it.

The lack of B'pillar makes getting kids in and out of a child seat a breeze. Kids love our FJ and I think it makes a great family offroader as the kids ALWAYS want to go ride in it. Fitted a longrange auxiliary tank (which now cost $500 to fill the 190 ltrs) and that's solved the crap range in our 2012 model, which was the only issue I have with it.

I looked at one of these in 2007 but knocked my head on door while getting in for test drive. It also felt slightly cumbersome. Fast forward to 2019(pre Covid)and I found a 2014 with low miles for 25K. Never looked back since then. Any misgivings I ever had were proven wrong(except gas mileage of which I still avg. 18 mpg on 33 KO2’s. Owned every kinda 4 wheeler made and it stacks up pretty damn well.

This is a very, very good video! Never seen anybody talk about the FJ this way. Congratulations!

Please Tommy give us an off-road head to head with your Willys, they literally cost the same for very similar type vehicle 😉

On point evaluation Tommy great job

Met you at the Estes Park games and mentioned I bought an FJ and you seemed stoked to talk about it! Just wanted to say hi again and was cool to see you in the mini cooper.

I bought one in March 2020. Had to look on the various internet sites and found one 700 miles away fitting my criteria. I will say they bring a high price but I LOVE MINE. It's the toughest most dependable vehicle I've ever owned.

The FJ is still sold in our markets to this date. Yesterday I was roaming the showrooms and saw many 2022 FJs. They only added a new after market infotainment system with apple car play and built-in air pump in the rear cargo area. I am actually thinking of getting one for the weekends' outdooring.

Fell in love when they came out in 2007. Not available in Australia until 2011. I drove out and bought one as soon as they were available and that was in 2011. Most favorite car I have ever owned.

I absolutely love it! It's so quirky looking and the fact that it's combined with Toyota reliability, makes it really desirable. I think it looks really unique, especially with the three wipers. No other car really looks the same, and I think that makes it special. It also is a very good offroader, which is a very popular market segment right now. I think that it's unique style and Toyota badge name is why it's so expensive

First test drive, it reminded me of my army days in hmmwv, so I passed. A few years later, I was still attracted to them so I gave it another try. Love it. I have 290k with no repairs other than maintenance. I added heated seats and it’s great it in the snow and even towing a respectable 5000#. Great vehicle that stopped deprecating in about 2015.

Tommy does such a good job with these commentaries.

I have a 2013 FJ with 70,000 km (43,000 miles). Some features standard in the Australian market but not the US are the 160L (42 gallon) fuel tank and the sat nav head unit. Awesome car, even in 2023. Mine is even still covered by Toyota extended warranty to 2027 can you believe 😂

EVERYONE gets the idea of the secondary doors wrong- it’s not meant to compete with a four-full door vehicle. That’s the 4Runners place. The FJ is a two door SUV that has those half doors to add to its usability. Compare it to having to squeeze between the tilted front seat and the B-pillar of a two door Jeep or car- that’s where it makes sense. It’s not meant to be a four door mommymobile; it’s a two door suv that has easier access to the rear seat.

I have a 08 that's still stock and I've run it all over Idaho with no problems at all.

In 2008 I paid $24,700 brand new. Still driving it today.

I own the 2013 FJ Cruiser. Love it in deep snow. Only problem is the blind spots and narrow windshield. Have to be careful when approaching traffic lights suspended above. Have to distance a bit in order to see it. Still, I love this vehicle. Everyday commuting, hunting and camping.❤

In Laguna Beach there is a ridiculous number of FJ's. They must have been huge sellers around here when they were new. Love seeing them. So much more stylish than the Escalades and Yukons that are also everywhere here.

I really wish I'd have bought one back when they were new! They're so ridiculously cool!

I have to say you videos are amazing. great content. very knowledgeable review

I like the machined OEM wheels on your rig. Mine is a 2010, the same color, and has a dealer installed sunroof but has a set of 17' 4Runner wheels. I also have the OEM 16" 5 spoke 285/75 all terrains that will go on in a month or so since the ones on the 17's are Blizzak winter tires.

That motor is amazing. FYI the 2015 and older Tacomas have the same motor. These are bullet proof vehicles unlike newer Toyotas including new Tacoma.

2022 models still available in South Africa we love them here.

We bought a new 2008 in October of 2008. Because of the market crash and gas prices at the time it was marked down from its 32K window sticker to 24K. I had a 3 inch lift put on it, the Toyota bumper lights and replaced the radio with Kenwood Nav unit. We own 4 vehicles and it's our favorite. It's been 4 wheeled in California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. It's our weekend driver and only has 54,000 miles on the odometer. I'll never get rid of it.

I was gonna buy a blue w/ white top in 2010, or an 09. The FJ was pre-owned... they wouldn't budge on the asking price. I Went to another dealership, found a Pearl White '10 4RUNNER SR5 ...on the showroom floor. I Bought it instead of getting hosed!... and paid less than a Pre-owned FJ? The 4RUNNER was more vehicle with full 4 doors...no little flippy doors! I liked the FJ, I wanted it. But not more $ for pre-owned vs Brand new SR5...nope! Also love the moonroof & rear window which rolls down!

Love my 2012 Trail Teams. Great review. Totally agree with pros and cons.

Best feature button IMHO is the “RSCA Off” button - rear-side curtain airbag off. Because these airbags go off at 30 degrees side angle which was possible in this vehicle. Heritage Blue in 2014 TT Ultimate Edition was awesome. Manual gauges including the accelerometer lol. 6-speed Manual V6 and that thing could NOT get stuck. Everything but CRAWL control in the TT Ultimate Ed because it was a stick.

I own a 2010 Trail Teams Edition that I bought new in 2010. I only have 37,000 miles on it.

Superb video! Thanks!

First want to say the constant narration even when diving, then getting out in one continuous conversation was pretty darn cool. We had an '08 I convinced the wife to get (because I wanted one). It was that sand color and it reminded me of watching National Geographic as a kid. After having kids the suicide door was an issue getting car seats in and out so we sold it. I regretted it and looked around at other cars and a couple years later grabbed the 2014 UTT before they left the states and I love the thing. Now that my kids are a little older they love riding in my car because I put the Dukes of Hazzard theme on and every huge puddle gets FJ'ed and certain (light) offroad shortcuts. :D

I started seeing a lot of these in DFW last year. Never really seen them before but I love them. Wish they’d start making them again!

Good review, would love to get one, but mpg is my main concern since gas price keep going up almost daily.

My 2013 FJ has Crawl Control and it's awesome. I'm often out there 4x4ing alone. Crawl Control has made life so much easier.

Whatever about the quality of the FJ Tommy - that was all in one take. Impressive!!! You should start a “one-take” series. I can see it now - Tommy’s one-take on ......”. Great job guys. I always enjoy the videos all the way over here in Ireland.

Awesome review. thanks so much

Even though I don’t want you guys to because the value will go up, you should pick up a manual 2005+ Xterra Off Road. They are so undervalued it’s sick.

I have a 2014 Ultimate edition with 125k miles, I love it, its built like a tank, but I'll sell it for the right price

I was at my friends house and seen their neighbors FJ for the first time! After that I promised myself I’ll get one someday! 👍

I have a 2008 RWD I bought in November with 81K miles. Had all the fluids changed, new front brakes, alignment because of inside tire wear, and a power steering hose blew. So really nothing major except I had to have my roof sealed up professionally because of rain getting in. So praying for the best and a few hundred thousand more miles on it.

Got my 08 FJ sittin in the breeze outside because the Hummer H1 takes up my garage spot. Maybe I should swap them out :P I bought my 08 at the height of the gas price crisis, it was the last one on the lot and the dealer just wanted to get rid of it because "nobody was buying SUV's" lol. Got it with the offroad package, nav and convenience package for $23k. Could probably get that much now with 153k on the odometer.

I recently purchased a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser for 15k. It has a new engine with 98k miles on it. I’m in love! She’s going to need some work but it’s in really good shape

Toyota still makes these things, they're just not for sale in the North American market

Just a nice man speaking about how much he loves the FJ for 12 mins ❤

I bought my fj Aug 23rd 2006. Traded my cobra svt mustang and a lit of money. Best thing I ever did. I still have it. 185000 miles and nothing but normal maintenance. Now I dont know what to do. Fix it up and keep forever, sell and buy something new, or buy something new and keep it forever. Lol

Probably the most over engineered off road sports utility vehicle ever made just get underneath one and look they are unbelievable. They are worth every penny and more if you have one don't ever sell.

Toyota did make an official statement back in like 2019 or 2020 and essentially said if the upcoming Ford Bronco is a big hit, we will seriously consider bringing back an updated FJ Cruiser. Well I think we all know how popular the Bronco is... so lets hope they have something in the works. 1 of these but with a modern hybrid powertrain would be epic.. tons of extra torque + respectable MPG / range for long trips

Great review!

I bought my '07 from a guy that had lost his job and was relocating to another area. While it is VERY capable off road, it wasn't serviced regularly and I have experienced issues with it. That is attributable to the previous owner. Fuel mileage isn't all that hot and interior space inside isn't either for the size vehicle it is. Leaks in the roof panels don't help either. I wouldn't sell it though.

I bought a yellow 07 manual in January with 165k. Put 20k on it with no problems. Only complaint is the trim above windshield. Sometimes it whistles. Redid CV axles and upper ball joints for peace of mind light off road use. Also coated the entire frame with surface shield and the bits of rust have basically disappeared. Thing is a beast. I hit a deer in March and paid out of pocket almost 5k to have the front end put back together because I just couldn’t let it go.

I have owned 6 Jeeps (Wranglers/GC/Commander) and my 2011 FJ MT is my forever rig. It does everything- ave 18 mpg, tows a 21 foot boat, snow beast! Easy to work on. The doors only suck in a paring lot when someone parks next to you.

The FJ kept the 2 door look which I like , I did not even know about the back doors until I went to buy one

Glad you mentioned the Xterra, definitely an underappreciated gem

I drove the FJ once on a rental from DFW to Boise ID, and I definitely agree the blind spot is HUGE. Biggest thing I remember about it. Too bad I didn’t get to take it off road though….

The price of the new 2022 full option in Saudi Arabia is 40k💰

Because it looks like a Bronco, but runs like a Toyota. LOL.

Hey Tommy I have news for you. This FJ cruiser is still selling brand new in very few countries and one of those is here in Colombia (south America) and you can go to the Toyota web page and buy a 2022 FJ cruiser.

I have kids and you're right about the clamshell doors. That's the only reason I never considered one. Otherwise, I love them.

I just bought a 2014 green one last month!!! I love it ... I know it was expensive but worth it