Hi there! Iβve owned 26 cars over the past 14 years and I am a car enthusiast, home mechanic, and I enjoy all aspects of all kinds of cars. Iβve made my way through many cars and have never held onto a car for more than 18 months until recently.
I bought my 2007 FJ Cruiser in July of 2019 for $14,500. It was a 2-owner pavement queen with 115k miles. I had originally planned for the car to be used in my Turo Rental business (shut down now) but my wife and I fell in the love with the car and we ended up selling our 2017 XC60 and making this her primary car instead.
Highs:
- Interior. Completely rubber, plastic, and waterproof interior. At first, I thought it was just so cheaply built but then I realized it was genius. No carpet!! No sticky surfaces!! Easy cleanup!! We had just moved to Colorado and had never really been off-roading but thought it would be fun. Boy is it fun! Also, itβs extremely messy, whether itβs dirt, mud, snow melt, dust, sand, or animal mess (dogsβ¦.) the interior is so incredibly easy to clean. Iβve learned to truly love it! It just works and I have no fusses. I think the simplicity of the interior is classic looking with all the analog dials and switches, technology wise I replaced the radio with a CarPlay unit, the speakers with some JLβs, and a backup cam and that has brought the tech in the car to the 2020βs for $600. I love the color matched trim to the exterior and all the little hidey holes for your stuff. The cup holders are big enough to fit Hydroflask bottles, WIN!
Also, our joy of off-roading led to a few upgrades - tires, lift, full custom skid plates, sliders/steps, front bumper, winch, and accessories.
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Build quality and thoughtfulness. Iβve had Porscheβs, BMWβs, Mercedes, Audi, and so much more, yet this 14-year-old SUV stands out in terms of squeaks and rattles, in other words, it somehow doesnβt have any. I had to figure one rattle out in the rear interior quarter panel and a little bit of finagling shut it up for good. Thatβs better than my Porsche! I also love Toyotaβs attention to ease of repair and maintenance. Everything is so incredibly easily accessible that this is by far the easiest car Iβve ever worked on (besides maybe the RAV4). Big points for the thoughtfulness on common repairs and maintenance.
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Comfort. The front seats are great for long journeys and bumpy roads, but the back seats are completely lacking in leg room. Our girlfriend
My wife kinda likes them. I think theyβre okay but I wouldnβt buy one. They seem like gas guzzling, off road vehicles.
