05:56 PM PST on Thursday, January 12, 2006

By TOM VOELK / Special contributor to NWCN.com

Have you ever found yourself thinking “Wow! That new Corolla is sure a looker”? Probably not. Toyota is not known for their breakout styling. They have heard the critiques of their designs being vanilla and counter by stating it’s the most popular flavor of ice cream. Point taken. Still, it’s clear the folks in the styling department got a few ya-yas out when you first glimpse the new FJ Cruiser. Using the ice cream analogy this is Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch.

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The FJ Cruiser is large enough to be comfortable but small enough to navigate tight terrain.

In case you miss the message the sheet metal is sending, the FJ Cruiser is not a cute-ute or “soft roader.” The folks at Toyota are marketing the rig as a go-anywhere rock crawling machine. They’re targeting guys. Not just men mind you. Guys with a capital G. My press handout informs me these are males who “shop at Wal-Mart, enjoy off-roading and drink beer…any beer.” Hopefully these Guys aren’t drinking beer while off-roading (or shopping for that matter).

The FJ Cruiser has the look of those daring concept vehicles that never get built. Toyota means to evoke the heritage of the old Land Cruiser FJ40 of the 1960’s but comparing the two is like comparing a trout to a shark. There’s the trademark white roof. The grille is vaguely familiar too. But the FJ40 had a conservative look to it while the Cruiser belongs in a sci-fi movie. Heck, it has three windshield wipers.

The FJ commands attention wherever it goes. People like it a lot. It’s impossible to avoid conversations while fueling up. Ducking out of Starbucks finds a crowd circling for a close look.  Other drivers have nearly run me off the road trying to get a better peek at it. Few vehicles I’ve tested have had this kind of magnetism. The Cruiser makes folks smile.

The interior continues the extrovert exterior theme. Everything about it, from the rubber floor to the girder-like motif of the dash sends a manly message. Seats are breathable but waterproof fabric.

The sound system is iPod friendly. Forget what color you ordered and matching interior panels are there to remind you. I like the overall design but find it a little dark with the machismo a bit too thick. The shiny plastic door panels are low rent. Maybe it’s those body colored inserts that look like stickers.

FJ Cruiser’s credentials are impressive. The fully boxed frame comes from a modified version of the Land Cruiser Prado. That model doesn’t come ashore in America. That platform shows up in US Toyota dealerships as the 4Runner.

Motorhead alert! The next few paragraphs are tech talk for the Guys Toyota is aiming this truck at. The 4.0 V6 that makes 239 HP and 278 ft-lbs of torque when drinking premium fuel is the same as the mill found in the 4Runner, Tundra, and Tacoma. Towing capacity is 5,000 lbs. Engineers stress if regular grade fuel is used, power will drop only slightly.

Suspension? Up front there’s double A-arms with long-stroke coil-over shocks. The back is a 4-link design with solid axel and Panhard rod.

My tester has the 6-speed manual transmission. These models get a full time 4WD system. In addition to the Torsen limited slip differential, there’s low-range gearing and locking differential for intense conditions.

A clutch-start cancel switch lets the Sears shopping driver (apparently he buys his tools to work on his rig there) to start the engine in gear without using the clutch so he doesn’t roll backwards. The 5-speed automatic models get shift-on-the-fly part-time 4-wheel-drive. Notice all the hyphens in that last sentence.

Now, if you’re looking to buy the FJ Cruiser for its gonzo looks (and I suspect many people will), your eyes are probably glazed over with the last three paragraphs of techno-babble. Trust me, I went easy on you. Besides, it’s what gives this vehicle its soul. Toyota is putting this truck up against the Nissan Xterra, Jeep Liberty and the Hummer H3 not Honda Element or Chevy Equinox.

To prove their point, Toyota has brought automotive writers to the rugged terrain outside Palm Springs, CA to run the FJ Cruiser ragged. I’ve even been given a guide- Tom Stovehouse from local outfitter Desert Adventures. He’s a wealth of information about the area and even more importantly, keeps me from getting lost.

Crawling through Fossil Canyon, I find the FJ Cruiser large enough to be comfortable but small enough to navigate tight terrain. The 10 mile trek from Palm Springs was surprisingly refined for a dedicated off-roader. Unlike a Jeep Wrangler, I can see an owner using this as an everyday commuter.

Tom guides me through rocks, sand, hills, brush, and gulleys. The suggested route is rugged but there’s no drama. Seems the only rocky thing this rig can’t handle is a relationship.

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Everything about the FJ Cruiser, from the rubber floor to the girder-like motif of the dash, sends a manly message.

So this Toyota does well in the performance department. Where it slips is in the rear seating. First, there’s the rear hinged back doors (marketers hate the term “suicide doors”). They are a little hard to open until you get used to finding the latch inside the door.

Even with those extra doors, entry and exit can be less than graceful. Once aboard, it’s a bit cramped back there. Do Guys care? No, they’re guys. Those who think this is a family vehicle with serious attitude should think twice though.

Finally, the front seatbelt is connected to those rear doors so you can’t let anyone out without unbuckling and opening the front door to let the rear passengers out. Stay buckled and you’ll get strangled. Tom and my co-driver Larry demonstrate this in graphic detail if you click on the video icon. It’s great fun.

The only other detail that may disappoint an FJ Cruiser owner is fuel economy. EPA estimates average 17 city, 21 highway. This is a press event and three hours of seat time is all I get so there’s no way to check gas mileage. My general rule of thumb is to subtract 10 to 15 percent off the EPA rating to get real-world mileage. It’s usually spot-on.

Modern vehicles have anti-lock brakes, brake assist, electronic stability control and traction control. The FJ get those as standard equipment. Options include a dash activated locking rear differential, Active Traction Control (A-TRAC not 8-Track), and a removable Garmin navigation system. Side and curtain airbags are optional as well.

What will this cost a Guy? At press time Toyota is coy. They hint that the few two-wheel drive units hitting our shores will be in the low 20K range. A fully optioned 4WD rig will be around $30,000. Pricing like this means Guys don’t have to switch to a cheaper brand of beer.

Toyota intends to import 46,000 of these trucks in 2006. Expect the local Wall-Marts to be less full in March when the FJ Cruiser arrives and Guys flock to dealers. With its concept car styling, off-road prowess and reasonable price, get in line now if you want one.