Decreased Valuation

Yes Mick I did read that, great report, I just come across this, I know its advertising but seeems they had fun doing it
http://www.toyota.com.au/fj-cruiser/discover?WT.ac=VH_FJCruiser_HPB_OWIOWO_StartTheJourney

AU Falcon
Ford Taurus
Subaru Vortex...... the list goes on!

hey Bruce,
not sure they are ruining any sales figures if what i read on LCOOL is correct.

Quoted from someone who was one of the first to receive his FJ Cruiser here in Oz...........

"Local dealer tells me Vic alone is taking orders for 60 a week +, when Toyotas target was 60 a month, for this model.

And on Sat there was 8 available in Vic, all yellow or blue, except 2 brick red ones.

Some colors are an Aug to Xmas delivery time now."

Hi Rumpig,

My trouble is I am old school so am biased when it comes to design. When I was a young bloke we were messing around with all sorts of vehicles from the 20s up.
So I have seen, sat in, driven a lot of those vehicles at vintage car rallys and many a hot rod. Used to own a couple of hot rods once.

What I would like to know is how much of that dealers comment is hype and how much is fact.
Dealers will only tell you whatever sells the product. My nephew works for a Toyota dealership and some of the stories about the 200 series would surprise you but they are sworn to secrecy and must not confide in the customers. However Toyota are 150% behind their product so there is nothing to worry about in that regard. If a problem developes with an engine they pluck it out and put in a new crated engine straight from Japan and send the problem back to the lab in Japan for testing to get to the bottom of any problems. That is why I say that at least the FJ is a Toyota.

From what I read on these pages many another manufacturer cannot boast that.

But, time will tell with the FJ.

A good way to increase sales is to limit supply. Take the early valiants back in the late 60s, waiting list was a about a year initially, according to some reports I had at the time and so everybody wanted one because if the waiting list is that long they must be good.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

Cheers, Bruce

That bullbar limit bulletin is Toyota being Toyota.

ARB have been making bullbars for 5 years for the FJ in the US and no similar limit exists in the US. It is a Prado Chassis after all. Watch that 20Kg limit get removed as soon as the Toyota branded Bullbars are ready for sale,

:-)

Hi Capt, they certainly are available to view to the public, just been to Penrith Toyota and looked at one, they have two in stock at the moment but as demos only, Cant give an time/date on delivery so he is going to ring me back with one when he finds out. Still not sure I like the rear cargo door opening the oposite way to the prado ?? Quit functional inside and suprisingly comfortable............150 is way out of my price range anyway and I do like the flares on the older 120. few friends have them (150's) (mate got the last one 2 weeks ago) had no choice in colour or he had to wait untill next delivery which might not be untill feb next year so he ended up with blue, he did want white lol big difference. I dont mind the electronic things I think its some thing we are just going to have to get used to as its the way they are all going, I remember my old man saying that when they bought out fuel injection and when my mum wanted a fully automatic washing machine, he was still going to buy her one of the older ones that you had to put the wet clothes from one side to the other to spin (twin tub I think they called them from memory), the look from her was enough for him to get the fully auto one lol.................

So is it better than your Jeep?

Yes, but don't tell him. His head is already too big as it is ;-)

Hi there Chris, there is a spot under the bonnet on drivers side for another battery already has plate there just the power steer reservoir and an aircon pipe need to be relocated (same as 150 V6) and a clamp for the battery same as my old 90 diesel. Very comfortable and the windscreen feels a mile from your scone, interesting point about the guards/body cracking will have a search after, only thing if you fit a dual battery then you wont be able to fit up a nudge bar for lights or anything due to weight. Looks like it has dual breathers already under bonnet, I presume they are for both diffs ?? They had no brochures on them yet.Rear Cargo area is no where near the prado (120) but there is room under the rear for another tank, I would say roughly 80L possible.They are not full time 4wd (I thought they were) same transfer as hilux (salesman told me). 2 month wait for delivery (roughly) probably till you put your order in and they have your deposit then it will change ?? I like the fact you can turn all the electronic aids off if you want including traction control, but also comes standard with rear diff lock............

Hi Chris,
So could a person deduce from this that once again a product which has failed in one market overseas is about to be dumped onto the Australian market.

Would not surprise me if that was the case.

Cheers, Bruce.

Personally I put it down to the rediculous anti-pollution laws. New pollution targets are continuing to be placed on the auto industry that technology cannot advance fast enough for. One way to to comply is reduce weight, the FJ is around 250kg lighter than the Prado, how did they gain this weight reduction? Chassis?
A lot of people also carry on about the electronics, common rail high pressure fuel systems, high rev'ing engines etc. all of which reduces long term servicablility. All this is to meet unrealistic pollution targets that again, technology has not advanced enough for. Take the 3.0lt Nissan engine, contrary to popular belief these are a very good reliable engine (discounting the 2000 model), the problem is/was with the computer program trying to keep up with emission laws.
Australia is normally one or two Euro standards behind the latest, which allows manufactures to dump older stock or older technology diesel engines which would not be accepted in other counties. This also puts the latest engines released in Australia, that comply to the latest Euro standards, at a disadvantage compared to engines which are only released in Australia using older technology therefore more durable.
Is the D4D Euro 6 compliant? this may be why a diesel FJ will not be released, and Nissan are struggling to realease a diesel Patrol, as it is not worth the expense of developing Euro 6 compliant diesel 4x4's that would only sell on a very limited Austalian Market. How much longer will Toyota be able to keep the V8 cruiser viable before it needs to comply with the latest Euro standards?
My thoughts anyway
Chris

Hi Rocco, yeah not sure they will be built for touring like we do prados ?? Cargo area visually seems alot smaller then when I had the 120 next to it, but may be deceiving ?? Been petrol will certainly limit the distance between fuel stops, but possibly with a 2nd tank might be a different story. Couldnt find anything on a duel tank for them today on google. They are definately better on fuel then even the current prado, which I would put down to been 2 wheel drive instead of AWD. Your probably right about been pimped up like a baby hummer. lol

Gidday kimba

sounds like you are keen ... and I'll bet your wife is a good sort too!

Cheers

Hi there rocco, whats my wife go to do with what I drive ??

Kimba

In my experience a wife has everything to do with what car a man drives, particularly the colour! . Obviously you are a better judge than me of (a) women and (b) cars which is why I don't have either (a) a wife or (b) a Toyota!

Cheers

LOL Rocco, na my wife's pretty easy going (she must be I have had in the vicinity of 50 cars no exaggeration, only 7 4wd's 2 bikes the rest whatever took my fancy at the time, been happily married for 12 years) I'm only 42. She reckons we would have paid the house off by now with the amount of $$ we have spent on cars and RTA transfer fees. (she's probably right but I wont tell her that), She pretty much leaves it up to me when it comes to buying for her as well. I sold the commodore we bought new when it was 5 years old and come home with a new Toyota for her she new nothing about it, happened over 2 days, she missed the commodore/power (VX S pack supercharged) but didn't miss the fact of where she was allowed to park it (lowered,mags blah blah blah) didnt have one dent in it when we sold it, must have rubbed off as she still parks next to poles etc when in car parks and parks on the uphill side of any car park that is sloped so no dents from runaway trolleys and doesn't park next to cars with baby seats even though we have one LOL BUT, BIG BUT she still cant understand how I can get a nice 4wd then take it off road and scratch down the side of it and think nothing of it ?????? that has her stumped. She just informed me there will be no FJ cruiser as she is due for an update before I have another one lol. She wants an Toyota Aurion TRD next (told her it will be 2nd hand as they don't make them new any more, she said that's fine) Told her unless its white there wont be one (don't think they made them in white lol).....................

So the plastic roof of the original FJ didn't bother you Phil but the plastic guards on the new model do? After owning a Wrangler for a while now all I can say is real 4x4's should have plastic guards as if you dint or scratch them they can be repaired easily or replaced for a fraction of the cost of panel beating. (Leave the metalic painted guards to the soft roaders)
As for the diesel it certainly would be nice to have that option but doubt Toyota were really marketing this vehicle towards "old school" drivers with a perception that still think a decent four wheel drive must be diesel, manual, leaf sprung & running split rims :-)) I suppose when this FJ is getting real life fuel figures just 1 Litre per 100 more than many diesels then some may just pay that to get a 200kw engine that will have a cheaper initial purchase price.
This vehicle certainly is challenging the stereotype of what a 4x4 should be.
Cheers Craig.............

I don't know a lot about the FJ so I cannot comment about the plastic roof. Maybe I even have my cars screwed up. Remember I am only new to modern 4WD. Had a lot of years in 2wd with family commitments etc. ie NO MONEY.

But I don't like the plastic look whether it's on a 4WD or a billycart. Too much like a model toy car look for us. The rearward section looks like an add-on. An afterthought.

Like tyre wear, fuel consumption is not at the top of my list. That aside; I just remember what I heard as I passed a bloke standing in the middle of Nolans on our trip to Cape York. He and a few mates had trouble getting their petrol fuelled cars through. He said "Bloody diesels" just as we ambled past him. I am also guessing they had petrol. We pulled two out of five out.

Just an opinion mate. And I agree it is "challenging the stereotype of what a 4x4 should be". A risky move.

Phil

Funny you should say that Pebb as on the Jeep Forum they are bagging out on it big time yet with over 60 replies & 1500 views in just a few days there is certainly alot of underlying intrest. I think you're right in that Toyota are attracting young new owners like Jeep do who will get attached to the brand.
Cheers Craig...........

Yes and I think they are the sort of vehicles that fill the gap between the SUV and a big 4x4 very nicely and especially with the younger owners.

We do own a Wrangler which we brought last year, but my Husband is a Toyota man thorough and through (or was??? :D). We've had a troopy, 80 series, several utes. However as you know that FJ is very polarising and we're both in the "dislike" camp even if it is based a lot on looks.
In a lot of ways the Jeep is more Toyota like than even the new FJ (in a traditional squarish looks and agricultural feel kind of sense).

When we brought the Wrangler we were replacing a 79 series ute for a more family friendly fourby (have 2 kids). If Toyota did have a vehicle that was indeed like the old FJ maybe with some updated tech and seats for 4 / 5 then I'm sure it would have been our next car (providing it was affordable enough too).

Yeah the Wrangler isn't perfect either, it seems a man always wants "more power" lol.