Big Dog, New Tricks

Toyota is the 'big dog' in the auto industry today, posting record profits, blowing the sales and quality-ranking doors off Detroit's Big 3 and generally wreaking havoc with the established order of things.

Fortunately, this means they have plenty of money to pour into creating interesting 'niche' vehicles like the 2007 FJ Cruiser, Toyota's first-ever 'retro' vehicle. 

Although the hardware under the skin is strictly state-of-the-art, the FJ's styling takes its cues from the famed FJ40 4x4 that was produced from 1960 to 1983 and is one of the few utility vehicles ever to achieve collectible status.

Styled at Toyota's Calty Design Research Center in Newport Beach, the 5-passenger FJ made its debut - amid sighs of desire from both the media and public - as a concept car in 2003.  The production version is a true truck based on the boxed steel frame of the Toyota Land Cruiser with independent front suspension and a solid rear axle, so be prepared for a sturdy ride.  The engine is a 239-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6 and both 2- and 4-wheel drive versions are offered, each fitted with enough heavy-duty hardware for towing serious loads or traversing serious off-roads. 

All the usual amenities (A/C, power windows, etc.) are standard and interior materials are water-resistant for easy cleaning.  Available audio systems range from the usual 6-speaker AM/FM/CD to the full 400-watt thumpty-thump system with 7.9-inch subwoofer and NXT Sound transducers that convert the ceiling into a giant speaker.

Base price is eminently reasonable, ranging from $21,710 for the 4x2 version to $23,330 for the 4x4, though if you check enough boxes on the options list and add in tax and license and you can walk out of the showroom with your wallet close to $30,000 lighter.

If those $3.35 per gallon signs at the corner gas station have you seeing red, you might want to take a look at one of Toyota's three 'hybrid' vehicles.  The Prius is the oddly-styled-but-popular one that's available only as a hybrid, while the Highlander SUV and Camry are offered in both gasoline and hybrid versions.

What make these different is the fuel economy benefits of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, a system that combines gasoline engines and electric motors in the same vehicle.  Toyota's system is different in that you can operate in gas-only mode, electric-only, or a combination of both.  In any case, you'll travel much further on a gallon of gas than you're used to, and the system operates so smoothly that you'll never know you're driving a hybrid.

You'll pay a premium of several thousand dollars over the gas-engined model, but the hybrid versions are all well-equipped, come with an extensive warranty and are eligible for between $2,600 and $3,150 in tax breaks from the government.  And, if you do the paperwork and get the proper (though really ugly) decals from the state and city, and you can also drive alone in the carpool lane, and park without putting coins in the meter.  Useful new tricks from the Big Dog...

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