The last vehicle I bought new was in 1982, when my wife and I were about to embark on a long driving/camping vacation in Alaska, Yukon and the NWT. We didn't want to trust ourselves to an older or used vehicle and bought a new VW Vanagon camper for the ride. It wasn't fast, but it was extremely easy to live in. Everything mostly worked out fine on that trip, except for when the camshaft broke and the engine beat itself to death near Whitehorse. Following that event, pain and frustration ensued. But I can't complain too much because it did lead to our spending an unexpected week in Vancouver, which is a beautiful place to be marooned while your engine is being rebuilt.
After that new-car experience, we/I focused on well-maintained used vehicles when it became necessary to get into a new ride.
Until Friday. Under the influence of my son-in-law and a bunch of other Orange County Firefighters for whom the Toyota FJ Cruiser is about The Best Truck Ever, I committed to this 2014 model. It's basic on the outside but well equipped where it counts: 4WD, locking differential, upgrade shocks, pushbutton traction and CRAWL controls, decent around-town driving comfort assists like AC, the back-up camera, blackout rear windows, cruise control and rear window washer. The audio package is basic but not bad -- certainly better than my aging ears can fully appreciate. I'm in love.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk176/DCW1000/FJ/FJ_zpsd61796c5.jpg
There is some remote camping potential in this car, just as there is in the 4x4 Ford F150 behind it. But the Ford is mostly a utility take-trash-to-the-dump/bring-home-building-materials vehicle. The FJ is my new daily errand and transport vehicle. Ultimately it will see some serious recreational use.
In time it may get a Gobi roof rack, tow hitch and some rock rails. I tried to buy what Toyota calls the Trail Teams edition of the FJ, which basically has everything on it in the first place, but the 2013s were all gone and local dealers still hadn't seen any 2014s. So I got as close as I could out of all the units on nearby lots. This one, which I had to go to San Diego to get, had the best mix of desired features while remaining free of stuff that I didn't consider crucial but just ran up the cost.
Gotta build some CA-compliant gun transport cabinets for the cargo area.
Or maybe just buy some CA-compliant steel boxes and chain them to the cargo area tiedowns.
Mileage sucks, which you might expect from something that has the aerodynamic qualities of a concrete block. The ride is not bad for what is basically a truck with stiff suspension. There is enough power in the 4L engine to get you in trouble if you don't pay attention to engine revs and speed. The brakes stop you right now. Visibility is a little sketchy, but this is the kind of car where you mostly worry about what is going on in front of and beside you, not back behind. When you do have to look back, it is easy enough to deduce what you can't directly see.
I have had Toyotas before and have not had a single experience that would lead me to say a bad thing about them. I am looking forward to a lot of years enjoying this one.
After that new-car experience, we/I focused on well-maintained used vehicles when it became necessary to get into a new ride.
Until Friday. Under the influence of my son-in-law and a bunch of other Orange County Firefighters for whom the Toyota FJ Cruiser is about The Best Truck Ever, I committed to this 2014 model. It's basic on the outside but well equipped where it counts: 4WD, locking differential, upgrade shocks, pushbutton traction and CRAWL controls, decent around-town driving comfort assists like AC, the back-up camera, blackout rear windows, cruise control and rear window washer. The audio package is basic but not bad -- certainly better than my aging ears can fully appreciate. I'm in love.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk176/DCW1000/FJ/FJ_zpsd61796c5.jpg
There is some remote camping potential in this car, just as there is in the 4x4 Ford F150 behind it. But the Ford is mostly a utility take-trash-to-the-dump/bring-home-building-materials vehicle. The FJ is my new daily errand and transport vehicle. Ultimately it will see some serious recreational use.
In time it may get a Gobi roof rack, tow hitch and some rock rails. I tried to buy what Toyota calls the Trail Teams edition of the FJ, which basically has everything on it in the first place, but the 2013s were all gone and local dealers still hadn't seen any 2014s. So I got as close as I could out of all the units on nearby lots. This one, which I had to go to San Diego to get, had the best mix of desired features while remaining free of stuff that I didn't consider crucial but just ran up the cost.
Gotta build some CA-compliant gun transport cabinets for the cargo area.
Or maybe just buy some CA-compliant steel boxes and chain them to the cargo area tiedowns.Mileage sucks, which you might expect from something that has the aerodynamic qualities of a concrete block. The ride is not bad for what is basically a truck with stiff suspension. There is enough power in the 4L engine to get you in trouble if you don't pay attention to engine revs and speed. The brakes stop you right now. Visibility is a little sketchy, but this is the kind of car where you mostly worry about what is going on in front of and beside you, not back behind. When you do have to look back, it is easy enough to deduce what you can't directly see.
I have had Toyotas before and have not had a single experience that would lead me to say a bad thing about them. I am looking forward to a lot of years enjoying this one.
