You probably already know that Toyota FJ Cruisers are formidable machines when it comes to venturing off the beaten path. I’d wager it only took about 30 minutes from the time the first of these SUVs arrived in 2006 to realize that they have the off-road chops to back up their rugged looks – that being how long it took those first owners to find a trail after leaving the dealer lot.
Through the years the FJ Cruiser has gained a fervent following of off-road enthusiasts, many of them with happy memories of the original Toyota FJ Land Cruisers from the 1960s that inspired this one. That being the case, there is no shortage of after-market upgrades for this vehicle.
But there’s never been one quite like this. Behold the Xplore Adventure Series Toyota FJ Cruiser. Think of this as the ultimate FJ Cruiser.
While this particular model will be auctioned on eBay starting Sept. 2, with proceeds going to the National Park Foundation, such a vehicle can be bought from a Toyota dealer, including Power Toyota in Irvine and Tustin Toyota. The automaker has joined forces with Xplore Vehicles, which turns ordinary off-road vehicles such as Jeep Wranglers into expedition-grade machines ready to tackle the harshest environments. Xplore, in turn, is working with the National Park Foundation, to which it donates a percentage of sales proceeds of each vehicle.
The idea, says Xplore program director Ron Flint, is for these vehicles to give owners and their families a chance to step away from urban life and experience the great outdoors.
“This gives you the opportunity to do it,” he said while visiting the Register and giving a tour of the vehicle before handing me the keys to it for a few days. A car such as this, he said, is meant to be “an escape machine for the family.”
In other words, these things are built for adventure, and I’m not talking about a trip to Macy’s for a door-buster sale.
This particular FJ is the kind of vehicle that’s made for days-long outings. You could live in this thing. Really.
Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of this FJ is what appears to be an enormous backpack on its roof. It’s a tent. Yes, a full-on, pop-up tent that would make VW Westfalia owners blush before puttering off in the other direction. It sleeps two and is actually quite comfy up there.
Like many of the other upgrades on this FJ, the accessory comes courtesy of ARB, long known for offering after-market parts to four-by-four owners.
Then there is that snorkel. Really, when was the last time you saw a vehicle with a snorkel? Like the rest of this FJ, it isn’t just for looks. In addition to enabling the vehicle to forge waterways, the breathing device helps keep out dust when caravanning across dirt roads.
Among the other upgrades on this FJ and available through Xplore is a winch in front that could probably pull down a building, a refrigerator/freezer in back for your burgers and beer, massive BF Goodrich wheels and the kind of lights that could illuminate a football stadium.
All told, this FJ’s estimated price tag was about $60,000. For those who want fewer goodies – not to mention the ability to actually fit the vehicle in a garage by nixing the tent – the Xplore series FJ can be ordered in one of four stages. Starting around $2,100, a Stage 1 gets you some embroidered logos and, like others in the series, an annual pass to the national parks and monuments. Stage 2, around $9,000, adds upgraded tires, shocks, exhaust and more. Go all the way to a Stage 4 and you get something more like … this.
The adventure-mindedness even carries over into the interior, where the seats are covered in suede. That, Flint said, is “and old desert runner’s trick to keep you from sliding around.”
I couldn’t wait to see what this thing could do on a muddy, dirty road.
For my own mini excursion, I headed toward the nearest national forest I could find, Cleveland, which straddles the Santa Ana Mountains across Orange and Riverside counties. I’d always wanted to tackle the trail leading to Holy Jim Canyon and see its fabled waterfall, but never had the chance and/or nerve to do it with any previous four-by-fours I’ve tested.
The FJ more than handled the job. It was more like overkill for this trail, which requires a $5 forest day pass to access.
The Xplore FJ had absolutely no problem with even the most severe ruts, bumps, dips and muck this trail could throw at it. I often felt like it was saying, “Really, is this all you’ve got? I was built for adventure!”
That said, the Xplore FJ also felt very comfortable on the road, something I was not expecting.
Those massive tires and generous suspension travel soaked up bumps and made for a smooth ride, akin to sitting atop a big ‘ol marshmallow. Once I had the mirrors adjusted, I didn’t even have a major issue with the FJ’s notorious blind spots.
Back on the trail, the FJ more than did its job. When I drove about as far as I could into the canyon, I hiked the few miles into Holy Jim.
Along the way I had the pleasure of meeting some of the friendliest hikers of my life; relished the crisp, clean air; and got the kind of workout nature intended. Then, finally, I came face to face with Holy Jim’s 18-foot waterfall.
It all made for an unforgettable experience that I never would have had if not for this vehicle. And that, apparently, is what Xplore is all about.
For more information on the auction, go to xplorevehicles.com.
GUESS WHERE: Do you know where this photo of the Xplore Adventure Series Toyota FJ Cruiser was taken? Go to ocregister.com/cars and leave your guess in the comments area of the online review. The correct answer to last week’s photo of the 2011 Volvo C30 was taken in parking lot by Duke’s and the Huntington Beach Pier.
