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tattuna
Junior Nomad
Posts: 61
Registered: 1-29-2008
Location: In a van, down by the river
Member Is Offline
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FJ Cruiser?
Do any of you own one of these? Is it a good off road suv for Baja?
I'm considering buying one soon. Sounds like the major issues are the blind spots, small back seats, and that it requires premium gas.
I'd greatly appreciate any owner reviews to help me with my decision. I currently drive a 2-wd F-150. It handles most roads fine, but I'd like to see
a lot more of Baja than it allows me to.
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Baja12valve
Nomad
Posts: 185
Registered: 7-12-2006
Location: Oak View
Member Is Offline
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A friend of mine has one and, if I remember correctly, he mentioned that it has a really small gas tank and driving range. You might want to look into
that aspect.
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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The standard tank is 19 gallons.
The problem is that they only get 15 - 20 mpg !!
Worst case is about 270 miles per tank.
Check your routes and decide if you need to carry a spare can.
Also, I'd carry some octane booster in case you can't find premium but it's pretty readily available.
They're just pretty small for hauling much gear without a roof basket and you will feel pretty "little" in the Toy compared to your Ford !!
But then, personally, I drive an F350 4x4 crew turbo diesel.  
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Another option...?
I have the '05 4 door Tacoma... it is totally comfy and roomy for a truck...
5 speed automatic, 4WD, 4.0 V-6, Regular gas, tons of power.
I did beef up the REAR suspension (at Off Road Warehouse) as the back would bottom out on bumps with a load... Upgraded the Bilstein shocks and added
adjustable air bags... Works great now!
The truck is perfect for all roads in Baja! I have had it for 2 1/2 years and put on 73,000 miles, so far.
Oh, the tank hold 20 gallons and I get 16 mpg daily driving and up to 19 mpg on the highway.
[Edited on 4-26-2008 by David K]
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
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Looking at the web site the specs say a 19 gal gas tank. Looks to be the same 4L engine as the Tacoma which runs on regular gas. I didn't see anything
about using premium gas, maybe I missed it. Milage not great but not bad at 16/20 mpg. A tower co. that does work for me has one and they like it. I
haven't driven it but in looking it over my complaint was the windows seem small, including the winshield. And their are blind spots.
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Capt. George
Super Nomad
Posts: 2129
Registered: 8-21-2003
Member Is Offline
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350 4X4 Turbo Diesel Power Yeah!!!!! Ford Tough..................
"Toy"ota, won't argue their dependability, but still a "toy".....
\"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men\" Plato
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XRPhlang
Nomad
Posts: 111
Registered: 10-12-2007
Location: Central Coast
Member Is Offline
Mood: Taco me.
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I hope this doesn't stray off topic, but does anybody know of a good Baja vehicle that gets upwards of 25 mpg? I like Tacomas but even with the 2x4, 4
cylinder gas milage is not much better than 20 mpg.
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BajaWarrior
Super Nomad
Posts: 2307
Registered: 9-27-2006
Location: Mission Bay, San Diego. Playa Hermosa, San Felipe.
Member Is Offline
Mood: Anxious to get south
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Capt. George
350 4X4 Turbo Diesel Power Yeah!!!!! Ford Tough..................
"Toy"ota, won't argue their dependability, but still a "toy"..... |
How about one of each?
Haven't had a bad trip yet....
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JamesBC
Newbie
Posts: 12
Registered: 2-12-2008
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I have been looking at the FJ for my wife. (I drive a Tacoma access cab, 4x4). We have test driven several. Great for a stock off road rig. Blind
spots are an issue - I haven't heard about the gas either. I saw one come over the road from BOLA to Mision San Borja last month, pulling a trailer
loaded with quads, no less. It was slow, but it did fine. If you know that road, you know that while it isn't too technical, it isn't a cakewalk
either. I'd say it depends on what you want. I'm with David for the Tacoma being best for Baja, but if you don't want to do a truck - the FJ is right
up there. The thing is built like a tank (hence the lower mileage), and its a Toyota - which for some of us is a good thing!
The main drawback for me is I'd really like to see them come out with a version with full size back seats that lay flat when folded down.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Is the FJ wider than a Tacoma???
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TacoFeliz
Nomad
Posts: 266
Registered: 7-22-2005
Location: Here
Member Is Offline
Mood: Exploratory
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Mrs. TacoFeliz has one. Built like a tank, very capable with bulletproof drivetrain and locking rear diff. Highway mileage is 21-22, drops a tad off
the pavement. Limited rear seat room (not for full grown adult type people) Specs call for 91 octane gas but the electronics adjust fine to 86, just
a tad less power. Get some real tires, the ones supplied by Toyota are just to get them off the dealership lot. Also, OEM roof rack is just OK,
better aftermarket ones exist all over the place (good friend Stan has one from GOBI that is excellent, all stainless, powdercoated with excellent
mounting hardware and lower profile than the Toyota one).
It's kind of an updated FJ-40 with lots of creature comforts. Still trucklike and tough, still kind of small to camp out of. We take our 4x4 Tundra
with poptop camper on long backcountry runs, but either one will get us down the trail and back. Spend some time inside one and see how you like the
windshield/pillars/sightlines. Some folks don't like the blind spots in the back. We've done multiple long trips with it and wife commutes 75 miles
round trip daily to work, still loves it after two years. We got hers the first month they were available.
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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"Mrs. TacoFeliz has one..."
reading "between the lines"...
does this mean it's a "girls car"???
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Bajagypsy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1416
Registered: 8-31-2006
Location: BahÃa Asuncion BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Living the dream
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We had a 1981 FJ Toyota Landcruiser, and It totally rocked for baja travel, fit all 6 of us, and our gear, and two dogs. Really can't be stopped by
anything!
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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You also might want to check out the Nissan X-Terra "off road" model. I have had my 2007 for a year now, and it is impressive after you upgrade the
inadaquate suspension. It has an electric rear locker, bilstein shocks, and is VERY capable and comfy. It too gets 16 to 21 MPG (auto tranny).
Barry
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Capt. George
350 4X4 Turbo Diesel Power Yeah!!!!! Ford Tough..................
"Toy"ota, won't argue their dependability, but still a "toy"..... |
That 350 is good for hauling your house down the road but not too good for exploring the dirt trails I usually get on and with diesel at $4.50 a gal
or higher it doesn't make for a good daily driver.
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6346
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
Member Is Offline
Mood: TEQUILA!
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 My wife Jana and I took a three week cruise to Cabo from Big Bear Lake, Ca.
this past Thanksgiving in her 07 FJ. We got about 21mpg. We drove about 3000 paved miles and about 800 off-road miles, and never were in any danger of
running out of gas. The longest off-road run was 120 miles one way. And the longest gas run on one tank was from El Rosario to Guerrero Negro, where
we were very close to running out because of severe head winds. We just went where the road took us and let's-see-what-we-find-when-we-get-there. The
fishing camps were out of this world, and we ate so much free lobster that after 6 days of it we got sick of it. The bays we thought were
one-of-a-kind, until we got to the next one. Met dozens of Surfers and fellow kayakers. The FJ was the best off-road vehicle we ever took! We had
previously driven in a variety of different jeeps. The ride was like riding on a cloud. The FJ has two speeds that one can drive over rough
terrain...either under 15MPH or over 45mph. We chose the 45-60MPH route and were extremely satisfied. We stayed where we ended up if the day was
running too long. The rest of the time we hoped we would end up at a motel of some kind. Basic accomodations (bed & bath) cost $25-$35 where
available. We would highly recommend the FJ to any one considering purchasing one. We traded in a Subaru Outback Eddie Bauer on the FJ (we also took
it on many thousands of miles in Baja). The Subaru had softer seats which tired us out at the end of the day. The FJ's firmer seats were more suited
to longer travel in Baja. This is the first Baja trip that we took that we felt totally refreshed when we returned home. We did not feel like we
needed to take a few days off just to recuperate from the trip.
I would like to attach some photos of the trip but don't know how to do it. I can privately send you some if you want. I would also like to attach a
photo under my name, but don't know how to that either
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
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PIX Posting
Picture must be under 50K. Click on the reply button and add text and to attach the pix click on the browse button at the bottom above the post reply
button.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Hey, if it gets you off the pavement, doesn't get you stuck, and doesn't suck, then go for it.
Tom West of JustRuns 4WD club in San Diego bought one after unloading his Jeep Cherokee,
and he is much happier. I have read in 4WOR Magazine that the clamshell doors rattle when
off road.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8946
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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| Quote: | Originally posted by whistler
What year are you looking at? |
They're discussing the FJ Cruiser. The newbie 4WD SUV that's based off of the Toyota Tacoma.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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FJ in trouble
Drove over a concealed mine shaft adit
From a fellow desert explorer:
I made a wide turn, just a few feet from the trail, when all of a sudden, the ground started to collapse. I had driven over a long forgotten
mineshaft, which had been covered up with wood, and then dirt, so it was completely hidden. It seemed to happen in slo-mo. The front started to sink,
I tried to shift into reverse, but just as I hit the gas, the rear lifted up, the front shot forward, then it tipped upside down. At first, I thought
I had rolled into a ditch, but then I noticed the gapping black hole I was staring down.
My friends bolted out the passenger door, scared out of their wits, but I waited, worried too much movement was going to make the FJ go all the way
in. When my friends had gotten out, I then unbuckled my seat belt, walked on my dash, and exited. I stepped out of the FJ, onto the front passenger
tire, then to safety. Only later did I discover that that very wheel was the only thing that kept us from falling 60ft.
The next morning, we called the tow truck, two actually came out. Two winch lines went on the rear, and the flipped it right side up. Then one guy
lowered himself into the shaft, and th hooked up a third line to the front end, and winched the FJ out. Thanks to Paul and Sons towing in Ridgecrest
for saving my FJ.
[Edited on 4-27-2008 by bajaguy]
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