2007 to 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser: “FJ” equals fun journey

Perhaps you have heard of Hell’s Revenge. This 14-mile trail in Moab is rated as “difficult” — such that even seasoned off-roaders are required to tap into their skills if they decide to tackle it. The path can take up to four hours to complete, but it offers some of the best views of the La Sal Mountains in the region. 

The trail is so gnarly, in fact, that most Jeep rental agencies have it blacklisted from approved trails. You’ll need your own vehicle to traverse this famous Utah obstacle course, and a Toyota FJ Cruiser might be just the ticket.

Model history

In order to set the stage for the modern-day FJ Cruiser, we travel back to 1960 when the original Land Cruiser FJ40 took to the streets — and the trails — as a full-size SUV, with a variety of wheelbase lengths and engine offerings. 

The versatile model lived for over two decades, until it was phased out after 1984 without a direct replacement in the United States market. Overseas markets, on the other hand, saw the introduction of a new 70-Series model as a successor.

Meanwhile, the Land Cruiser nameplate in the United States became affiliated with larger, more luxurious four-door SUVs, and Toyota saw an opportunity to supplement the lineup with a vehicle that went back to the original FJ’s roots. That’s where the FJ Cruiser came in. Product planner Dave Danzer envisioned the FJ Cruiser as a rugged, capable utility vehicle with retro styling.

The new FJ Cruiser was sold between model years 2007 and 2014 in North America. Its design was unique for a variety of reasons: The FJ came with squared-off shapes in an era when many SUVs and crossovers were decidedly round. It had an upright windshield with triple wipers, and it offered rear-hinged rear doors (albeit small) for ease of access to the rear passenger compartment. At a starting price of $24,385 in 2007, it offered a compelling value proposition in its segment.

Shop 2007-2014 FJ Cruiser models.

Engineering: Powertrains and off-road chops

Mechanical equipment for the FJ Cruiser was shared with Toyota’s other models such as the Tacoma, Tundra and 4Runner. The keystone of the powertrain was a 4.0-liter V7 called the 1GR-FE. At its launch, the FJ Cruiser was rated at 239 horsepower, but thanks to incremental engineering updates in variable-valve timing technology, by 2011, the motor had been souped up to 260 horsepower.

The two-wheel drive FJ Cruiser came exclusively with a 5-speed automatic transmission, while four-wheel drive versions could come with either the 5-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual. Four-wheel drive FJ Cruisers offered 9.6 inches of ground clearance in addition to optimized approach and departure angles. All of that equipment gave it an edge on technical terrain like the trails of Moab.

Off into the sunset

Over the years, various special edition FJ Cruiser models were made available. Coinciding with the imminent discontinuation of the model, Toyota sent the FJ off with a last hurrah in the form of the Ultimate Edition for the 2014 model year exclusively. 

This FJ Cruiser came in a Heritage Blue paint color with a white grille, and it offered a Bilstein-tuned off-road suspension, a taller ride height, a model-specific skid plate and unique identification. There were only 2,500 Ultimate Edition units produced.

Shop 2007-2014 FJ Cruiser models.

Join the family

Did you know that Utah has a strong community of FJ Cruiser owners? In fact, there is a Facebook group called FJ Cruiser Owners of Utah with over 700 members in it. The strong community surrounding these vehicles is just one of the many reasons why you might want to give this SUV a closer look. And now that the FJ Cruiser has been discontinued for nearly 10 years, well-kept models are becoming increasingly difficult to find. 

Your next steps are to explore the listings on KSL Cars for Toyota FJ Cruisers for sale, and then hit the trails of Moab exploring the great outdoors!

*KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.