2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser C Package review from North America

Stone chip after 4 months of ownership. No larger than a coin and could be fixed. Windshield crack at base of the windshield after 5 months of ownership. Make sure you have $0 deductibles for comprehensive coverage! Windshield replacement cost me $850 at Apple.

Other than that, nothing.

Overall I'm happy to have a car that sits high up on the road and is unlike any other. It's tall sidewall tires take out the sharp thud out of bumps and makes offroading much smoother. I don't have to slow down for parking lot speed bumps anymore.

Acceleration is great, you can floor it and go from 0 - 100km/h in a little over 7 seconds. However, sometimes the truck feels a little overmatched when going up long hills. Mileage is relatively good for a truck this size, I'm averaging about 19mpg with a slight majority of highway driving.

The FJ has a small wheelbase, which helps out with a tighter turning radius, however it makes for a bit of a bumpy ride as the suspension is somewhat on the stiff side, especially when going over uneven road surfaces.

Wind and road noise is generally pretty quiet, even though the FJ has the aerodynamics of a brick in the wind. You don't really hear the wind until doing 110km/h. But then the FJ sound system is very well done (even without factory sub) as there are 2 thin speakers incorporated into the headliner above you to give you a surround sound effect (in addition to the 2 in the rear).

All of the controls are huge as well as the door handles and mirrors as the biggest buttons on the console is the stereo volume, hazard lights and rear defroster. During winter, the windows are cleared up easily with the HVAC. The three wipers easily clear away rain/snow and the trucks weight, even with the standard Dunlop all-season tires, gives plenty of confidence during any type of inclement weather.

The FRONT seats are extremely wide and comfortable whereas the REAR seats are OK however entry/exit into those seats is dreaded by everyone because of the narrow opening, and can be tricky when parked between two cars in a parking lot. You can actually be trapped because the rear doors open swing out the opposite way as the front doors.

Cargo room is pretty good, the ceiling is high as my 6'4" friend noted without issue and the seats fold down almost-flat.

Visibility is both good and bad. Good in that if you position the mirrors just right, you can see everything, especially in the blind spots, however things can get tricky when backing up due to the spare tire covering some of the rear window, so you MUST get either a backup camera or sensor. Also certain stoplights you can't see due to the narrow windshield, which usually means I have to look at the side window, however not much of an issue there, rather than an annoyance.

Cabin is a bit dark and has a bit of a cavernous feeling to it, this could be remedied by a sunroof of which I may purchase shortly in the future. Also, the vertical windshield seems to act like a giant bug-swatter on the roads, as highway trips and country roads are great places to redecorate your car with an abnormal amount of dead insects.

Overall, I love the car, it's unique on the road, really shines during inclement weather, and has great towing capabilities with an attitude that screams "take me anywhere".