Toyota FJ Cruiser. Who's got one?

[WolfeMacleod]

And I'd like you to tell my wife, seriously, about it's fuel ecomony, insurance costs, etc. (Just how much does a tire cost?)

She's been hounding me for months because she wants one. Well, she finally found one she has the opportunity to buy for $27,000.
She makes $15/hr. And has $7000 credit card debt.

She's sick and tired of her job, and wants to quit.

She wants to move into a larger place.

I just bought a car. Because *I* can afford it and intend to pay it off quickly. And I could pay it off much more quickly, if I didn't have to give her $4k for a down payment.

We don't have room for another vehicle, for one. We don't need to haul large items, or people. We don't need a tow vehicle, and we don't go offroading.
She drives long distances for work, all over Washington state. She was in Eastern Washington just yesterday.

She has a 6 year old Saturn w/ 60,000 miles. It gets great gas mileage, and has been very reliable. It took her all five years to pay off the $15k 0% loan.

We keep our purchases like this seperate.

Although this is a used vehicle with only a couple thousand miles on it, IMO, she should wait another year or so and let the depreciation truely hit and drive the cost down even further, while saving up to buy one outright, or put a huge Down on one.

Someone, anyone, please tell her this is a [b]bad[/i] idea for her to do.

[Shuie]

Just show her the gas prices.

My wife wanted one also. After seeing them in person she changed her mind.

[HardDrive]

Originally posted by Noah
Sounds like a real catch.

Not a very nice thing to say.

[KFC911]

Originally posted by WolfeMacleod
[B] Someone, anyone, please tell her this is a bad[/i] idea for her to do.

It's a fantastic idea Wolfe, wtf are you thinking

[Jims5543]

I have one. I initially purchased it for my use but after 2 bad "incidents" with the Audi. The wife refuses to drive it any more and took over the FJ.

I can tell you this. Its a great truck, I took it to Tellico plains in Tennessee off roading and it is VERY capable.

As a family hauler its o.k. the suicide rear doors can only be opened when the front is opened and the front seatbelt is off.

Gas milage is not good.

We get 17 MPG city and 18-19 MPG highway. It has the aerodynamics of a brick so the highway milage is pretty bad I was hoping for 24 like my brother gets in his Tacoma with the same engine.

It is rubber inside, it is noisy inside at highway speeds, hell, at low speeds it noisy. It drives like a truck because it is a truck it handles like a truck. Keep this in mind, Toyota kept this vehicle pretty raw. There is nothing luxurious about it at all.

Hope this helps. Ask away I am glad to give input.

Have you looked for a used one? I ask because I expected there to be tons of them on used lots bacause of all the above reasons.

I like mine it is exactly what I wanted it is raw and very capable off road and will climb up to my house in North Carolina if we ever get a big snowfall.

Edit - I bought a set of 16" TRD rims for it with Bridgestone Revo A/T tires the tires ran $160 each for it, that would be a typical tire cost for this vehicle.

[Super_Dave_D]

Give her what she wants instead of coming up with all the reasons why you dont want her to have one - how long have you been married??

Happy Wife = Happy Family
Un-Happy wife = gets a BF with a FJ

[dd74]

Originally posted by Noah
Sounds like a real catch.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally posted by Noah
Sounds like a real catch.

Hey, if it wasn't for her support and patience in the beginning, my business would have floundered. She's a hardcase to deal with, and kicked my ass into shape when I had no direction.
She's currently the regional Auditor for Blockbuster, so it's not like she's working some fast-food or peon/lackey job.
She's severely underpaid.

Dave, we've been married roughly 3 1/2 years. Hell, I don't remember. We got married on Halloween. That's all I remember.

Jim...the one she's looking at is a used one. Only a couple thousand miles. The seller boughtthe TRD version, and parcked this one. The one for sale is basically fully loaded.


Shuie: I haven't even been able to get her to TEST DRIVE one yet. She's looked at them, but won't even go sit in one. I just know she'll buy it, and hate it.

[Super_Dave_D]

Originally posted by WolfeMacleod
Hey, if it wasn't for her support and patience in the beginning, my business would have floundered.

So show her your appreciation and get her what she wants even if you know she wont like it.

Then again your talking to a guy who replaced his carpet with that Pergo crap (telling her she wouldnt like it). 1 month later - We pulled it all up and shizit canned it then bought new carpet but hey - shes happy!

Latest example - wife wants to tile the kitchen walls. The tile floor we have is discontinued (1 year old) and she cant match it. I joking said just rip it up and replace it (referring to the carpet fiasco). The guys come new week to replace the tile. At least shes happy

[Jims5543]

I paid 27K for mine brand new. She might want to shop around a little, maybe look out of state. I am seeing them on used car lots everywhere now.

I would not pay 27K for a used one.

[craigster59]

I'm w/ Super Dave on the "keeping her happy" thing. If you continue to make your large purchases "seperate" from each other, you could end up always with the nice guitars and cars while she drives the "clunker" and has no nice "toys". Not bad for you, but she'll eventually resent you for it.

Break down and get her something nice but used, even if it's not the FJ. Believe me, life will be MUCH nicer.

[scottmandue]

Originally posted by WolfeMacleod

She's sick and tired of her job, and wants to quit.

She wants to move into a larger place.

Maybe you could parley those two points and get her to delay the purchase as in... "dear if we could think about moving if you would hold off on the FJ" or "should you really be making this purchase if you want to quit"

Hmmm, logic and women.... let her buy the FJ and relish all the "I told you so's" when she complains about "it's noisy - handles like a truck - gets crappy mileage"

Sorry bro, I feel your pain.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
I paid 27K for mine brand new. She might want to shop around a little, maybe look out of state. I am seeing them on used car lots everywhere now.

I would not pay 27K for a used one.

How loaded is your FJ, Jim?

Jim, I think it's this one:
http://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/car/335084503.html

SOmeone please buy it before Friday!

[silverwhaletail]

Originally posted by WolfeMacleod
She makes $15/hr. And has $7000 credit card debt.

She's sick and tired of her job, and wants to quit.

She wants to move into a larger place.

TELL her (don't ASK her) that she will immediately stop ALL discretionary spending and put every cent of her $15/hr toward paying off that credit card debt.

Pay all of her bills, including her lunch and gas money, out of your own pocket during the time that it takes to pay off that debt (As Bill Clinton would say, "feel her pain"). Take her out for a nice dinner and movie EVERY Saturday night during the pay down period. Constantly encourage her and tell her how proud of her you are.

When the credit card is paid off, let her quit her job OR buy her a bigger house.

3.5 years into this marriage, you better hope that it is not to late to Re-Program her....

p.s. Send her parents a Thank You card for failing to teach her about money.

[vash]

7k credit card debt is kinda high. that would make me nervous. i am not married, so i dont know how to handle the rest of the situation. good luck. i like the FJ.

[mattdavis11]

Personally I think the FJ comes across much like the older CJ Jeeps. In 1987 they changed them way too much. The toughness got sucked right out. Same thing with the FJ, it's nowhere near the caliber of what an FJ40 once was, and still is.

On the otherhand, it's a not a Land Cruiser, so buy em up and wreck em. It's a damned fine vehicle, but it isn't the cats meow.

[masraum]

I think they look pretty good, different, but I hate the way the tail light reflectors stick so far out of the corners. Seems like broken tail lights waiting to happen.

[craigster59]

Originally posted by masraum
I Seems like broken tail lights waiting to happen.

I was reading a car mag (Road & Track?) where they report on their test vehicles every 10k miles or so. They hadn't been able to report on the FJ in awhile because they had been waiting 2 months for a windshield. The angle just loves to "take on" the stones and is very prone to breaking.

[Nostril Cheese]

My dad used to say to me about women

"You can be right, or you can be happy"

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by Nostril Cheese
My dad used to say to me about women

"You can be right, or you can be happy"

Or you can be single and happy...