My FJ buying experience

[Rainier Vermaak]

Did it come with a donut pillow?

Congrats…

[Estee]

Al wat ek nie van die FJ hou nie.

Same issue with the Hummer H3 although, so far, so good......................

[Hedgehog]

Thanks Peoples!!!

First "review" to follow shortly

[Redman]

Baie geluk!

[HugoNotte]

Great stuff. Congratulations and enjoy the FJ!

[Hedgehog]

So to close my buying experience I thought I would do it with a review of the final deal and the initial review of the car

The Deal:

As you see in this thread I was informed of where stock is, and where stock would soon arrive.
I jumped on the phone and the first 4 were already taken, and there were only the 2 FJ's booked by McCarthy left. The first dealership I phoned was Midrand McCarthy and Clive had my order and the OTP done in about 40minutes..

With a promise that I would have my FJ by the end of the next week (this week)

From there he excelled at everything. I did my own financing, but his interaction with my banker was seamless.

I got the car at the start of the week, and not the end.. I was very impressed.
When I picked the car up, he even filled it for me..

I am very happy with how this deal was handled and the way Clive and his team worked to get this car to me.

[WillieJimny]

Baie geluk Andrew.
Dis goed om te hoor dat daar nog handelaars is wat die ekstra myl loop.
Ek/ons het net een versoek.
Moet asb nie een van saai Toyota witnesses raak nie😁

[Hedgehog]

So to close my buying experience I thought I would do it with a review of the final deal and the initial review of the car

The Deal:

As you see in this thread I was informed of where stock is, and where stock would soon arrive.
I jumped on the phone and the first 4 were already taken, and there were only the 2 FJ's booked by McCarthy left. The first dealership I phoned was Midrand McCarthy and Clive had my order and the OTP done in about 40minutes..

With a promise that I would have my FJ by the end of the next week (this week)

From there he excelled at everything. I did my own financing, but his interaction with my banker was seamless.

I got the car at the start of the week, and not the end.. I was very impressed.
When I picked the car up, he even filled it for me..

I am very happy with how this deal was handled and the way Clive and his team worked to get this car to me.

The Car:

To put some perspective on my review I need to explain the base that I am coming from.

Any car review is subjective, and will firstly be influenced by what you just stepped out of before you got into the new car... eg: a guy who drove to a test-drive appointment in a late model S-Class Benz will have a different opinion on how the Fortuner he is testing, drives and handles from the guy who arrived there in a 1980 SFA Hilux the day before.

So my trade was a Ford Ranger 3.2 4x4 XLT.. 2019 model.

As many of you who have driven the post 2015 XLT 3.2 Rangers will know, there is not many, if any bakkie that can compete with the way it handles imperfections on the road, and the way it drives.
In my opinion it has the best steering feel of all the bakkies, and yes, I have driven them all. And I say this without trying to seem arrogant. It's just one of my hobbies, if a new car comes out I like to go take it for a spin, and in my search for a replacement for my bakkie the last few months I have taken all of the available models on my list for a test drive.

All except the FJ.. I never drove the FJ. (Apart from one short off road obstacle at DeWidts that consisted of about 50m of driving)

Now take the fact that my Ranger was modified to be even better at taking and dealing with what dirt roads and rough tar (R30 Rustenburg to Klerksdorp) can give you. Anyone who has driven with me on gravel could account for what I am saying.

So I never had an idea how the FJ drove.... And I was very worried.

[Rainier Vermaak]

A cliff hanger…

I love it.

[Emmie L]

That's not a review. It's a teaser...

[AfricainHD]

That's not a review. It's a teaser...

My thoughts exactly.

Hopefully Andrew is still typing it out

[Hedgehog]

The Car:

To put some perspective on my review I need to explain the base that I am coming from.

Any car review is subjective, and will firstly be influenced by what you just stepped out of before you got into the new car... eg: a guy who drove to a test-drive appointment in a late model S-Class Benz will have a different opinion on how the Fortuner he is testing, drives and handles from the guy who arrived there in a 1980 SFA Hilux the day before.

So my trade was a Ford Ranger 3.2 4x4 XLT.. 2019 model.

As many of you who have driven the post 2015 XLT 3.2 Rangers will know, there is not many, if any bakkie that can compete with the way it handles imperfections on the road, and the way it drives.
In my opinion it has the best steering feel of all the bakkies, and yes, I have driven them all. And I say this without trying to seem arrogant. It's just one of my hobbies, if a new car comes out I like to go take it for a spin, and in my search for a replacement for my bakkie the last few months I have taken all of the available models on my list for a test drive.

All except the FJ.. I never drove the FJ. (Apart from one short off road obstacle at DeWidts that consisted of about 50m of driving)

Now take the fact that my Ranger was modified to be even better at taking and dealing with what dirt roads and rough tar (R30 Rustenburg to Klerksdorp) can give you. Anyone who has driven with me on gravel could account for what I am saying.

So I never had an idea how the FJ drove.... And I was very worried.

The Review:

Anyone who has just got into an FJ for the first time will know what I mean next:

It is a shock to your senses.

Your mind battles to adjust at first, because the perspectives are just waaaay different.. Has anyone been inside an old world war cannon bunker (pill box) and stood away from the edge, and looked out of the bunker hole? Well you get the same sort of feeling when you sat in an FJ.
And, you are sat waaaay on the side of the vehicle. Like an old Defender, but with more space for your elbow
So you have to adjust to where your wheels are, and then there is the steering...

I remember when we first started getting the cars with electric assisted steering, we all complained about the lack of feel, and of it being too light.
The Ranger's steering is spot on, for an electric assisted rack, and I was very happy with the feel and the way it could track straight.

When you drive out of Midrand McCarthy, there is a lot of tight little bends, then, one traffic light and then you get straight onto the N1. There is hardly time to adjust.
The steering felt... strange, too direct, and I kept on over correcting the tracking, and the bloody thing felt too wide for the lanes, and the mirrors..

What freaking mirrors

This was just before 5pm on Tuesday, the day before a public holiday, and that road was PACKED!!!
To get from the off ramp I had to get into a gap, and quickly! So I floored it....

[Woestyn Willem]

Geluk Andrew.

Hoop hy gee vir jou miljoene probleemlose myle.

[Hedgehog]

The Car:

To put some perspective on my review I need to explain the base that I am coming from.

Any car review is subjective, and will firstly be influenced by what you just stepped out of before you got into the new car... eg: a guy who drove to a test-drive appointment in a late model S-Class Benz will have a different opinion on how the Fortuner he is testing, drives and handles from the guy who arrived there in a 1980 SFA Hilux the day before.

So my trade was a Ford Ranger 3.2 4x4 XLT.. 2019 model.

As many of you who have driven the post 2015 XLT 3.2 Rangers will know, there is not many, if any bakkie that can compete with the way it handles imperfections on the road, and the way it drives.
In my opinion it has the best steering feel of all the bakkies, and yes, I have driven them all. And I say this without trying to seem arrogant. It's just one of my hobbies, if a new car comes out I like to go take it for a spin, and in my search for a replacement for my bakkie the last few months I have taken all of the available models on my list for a test drive.

All except the FJ.. I never drove the FJ. (Apart from one short off road obstacle at DeWidts that consisted of about 50m of driving)

Now take the fact that my Ranger was modified to be even better at taking and dealing with what dirt roads and rough tar (R30 Rustenburg to Klerksdorp) can give you. Anyone who has driven with me on gravel could account for what I am saying.

So I never had an idea how the FJ drove.... And I was very worried.

The Review:

Anyone who has just got into an FJ for the first time will know what I mean next:

It is a shock to your senses.

Your mind battles to adjust at first, because the perspectives are just waaaay different.. Has anyone been inside an old world war cannon bunker (pill box) and stood away from the edge, and looked out of the bunker hole? Well you get the same sort of feeling when you sat in an FJ.
And, you are sat waaaay on the side of the vehicle. Like an old Defender, but with more space for your elbow
So you have to adjust to where your wheels are, and then there is the steering...

I remember when we first started getting the cars with electric assisted steering, we all complained about the lack of feel, and of it being too light.
The Ranger's steering is spot on, for an electric assisted rack, and I was very happy with the feel and the way it could track straight.

When you drive out of Midrand McCarthy, there is a lot of tight little bends, then, one traffic light and then you get straight onto the N1. There is hardly time to adjust.
The steering felt... strange, too direct, and I kept on over correcting the tracking, and the bloody thing felt too wide for the lanes, and the mirrors..

What freaking mirrors

This was just before 5pm on Tuesday, the day before a public holiday, and that road was PACKED!!!
To get from the off ramp I had to get into a gap, and quickly! So I floored it....

Now, while I was getting to grips with the car, and in the short time I had to adjust, before the madness of that highway... I had just been pootling along, the engine is super smooth, and super quiet after getting out of the "John Deer like" Ranger.

What happened next after flooring it, I will never in my life be able to convey to someone else... That thing made a strange sound and the gearbox went like: "Oh here we go!!!!!" and then changed down 3 gears in quick succession and then that thing buggered (but with an F) off!!!

Straight past the gap.

Luckily there was another gap open in front of the car that was supposed to be in front of me, but was now behind me.

I have driven vehicles with the 4.0v6 engines in before, the Hilux and the 79 but never in anger... And the V6 new Prado I took for a drive, felt way slower than this thing.
The thing is very much faster than what I thought it would be, It is like it is in "SPORT" mode all the time, if you compare it to the Prado.
It is strong for a NA petrol engine. I was worried that it will feel flat and torqueless after the Ranger, but it is more than good enough for me.

And that gearbox, is waaaaay better than the Ford's. Super smooth when cruising and very quick when rushed..

I am happy with the power and drivability.

Lets get on to the ride:

[Estee]

The Review:

Anyone who has just got into an FJ for the first time will know what I mean next:

It is a shock to your senses.

Your mind battles to adjust at first, because the perspectives are just waaaay different.. Has anyone been inside an old world war cannon bunker (pill box) and stood away from the edge, and looked out of the bunker hole? Well you get the same sort of feeling when you sat in an FJ.
And, you are sat waaaay on the side of the vehicle. Like an old Defender, but with more space for your elbow
So you have to adjust to where your wheels are, and then there is the steering...

All I know is that the first time I sat ''in'' and drove an FJ I knew I wanted one

All my LRs you kind of sit ''on'' (except the L322s which is half half)

The H3 is a similar experience, you kind of wear it. Like an extension of yourself with a blind spot where your spectacles dont cover or the spectacle frame is in the way

[Francois Theron]

It is quite startling to drive a reasonably powerful petrol engined vehicle after you've been driving a diesel for some time. No matter how advanced the diesel, a good petrol engine just immediately impresses with its smoothness.

And yes the FJ delivers in this regard!

[Hedgehog]

The Car:

To put some perspective on my review I need to explain the base that I am coming from.

Any car review is subjective, and will firstly be influenced by what you just stepped out of before you got into the new car... eg: a guy who drove to a test-drive appointment in a late model S-Class Benz will have a different opinion on how the Fortuner he is testing, drives and handles from the guy who arrived there in a 1980 SFA Hilux the day before.

So my trade was a Ford Ranger 3.2 4x4 XLT.. 2019 model.

As many of you who have driven the post 2015 XLT 3.2 Rangers will know, there is not many, if any bakkie that can compete with the way it handles imperfections on the road, and the way it drives.
In my opinion it has the best steering feel of all the bakkies, and yes, I have driven them all. And I say this without trying to seem arrogant. It's just one of my hobbies, if a new car comes out I like to go take it for a spin, and in my search for a replacement for my bakkie the last few months I have taken all of the available models on my list for a test drive.

All except the FJ.. I never drove the FJ. (Apart from one short off road obstacle at DeWidts that consisted of about 50m of driving)

Now take the fact that my Ranger was modified to be even better at taking and dealing with what dirt roads and rough tar (R30 Rustenburg to Klerksdorp) can give you. Anyone who has driven with me on gravel could account for what I am saying.

So I never had an idea how the FJ drove.... And I was very worried.

The Review:

Anyone who has just got into an FJ for the first time will know what I mean next:

It is a shock to your senses.

Your mind battles to adjust at first, because the perspectives are just waaaay different.. Has anyone been inside an old world war cannon bunker (pill box) and stood away from the edge, and looked out of the bunker hole? Well you get the same sort of feeling when you sat in an FJ.
And, you are sat waaaay on the side of the vehicle. Like an old Defender, but with more space for your elbow
So you have to adjust to where your wheels are, and then there is the steering...

I remember when we first started getting the cars with electric assisted steering, we all complained about the lack of feel, and of it being too light.
The Ranger's steering is spot on, for an electric assisted rack, and I was very happy with the feel and the way it could track straight.

When you drive out of Midrand McCarthy, there is a lot of tight little bends, then, one traffic light and then you get straight onto the N1. There is hardly time to adjust.
The steering felt... strange, too direct, and I kept on over correcting the tracking, and the bloody thing felt too wide for the lanes, and the mirrors..

What freaking mirrors

This was just before 5pm on Tuesday, the day before a public holiday, and that road was PACKED!!!
To get from the off ramp I had to get into a gap, and quickly! So I floored it....

Now, while I was getting to grips with the car, and in the short time I had to adjust, before the madness of that highway... I had just been pootling along, the engine is super smooth, and super quiet after getting out of the "John Deer like" Ranger.

What happened next after flooring it, I will never in my life be able to convey to someone else... That thing made a strange sound and the gearbox went like: "Oh here we go!!!!!" and then changed down 3 gears in quick succession and then that thing buggered (but with an F) off!!!

Straight past the gap.

Luckily there was another gap open in front of the car that was supposed to be in front of me, but was now behind me.

I have driven vehicles with the 4.0v6 engines in before, the Hilux and the 79 but never in anger... And the V6 new Prado I took for a drive, felt way slower than this thing.
The thing is very much faster than what I thought it would be, It is like it is in "SPORT" mode all the time, if you compare it to the Prado.
It is strong for a NA petrol engine. I was worried that it will feel flat and torqueless after the Ranger, but it is more than good enough for me.

And that gearbox, is waaaaay better than the Ford's. Super smooth when cruising and very quick when rushed..

I am happy with the power and drivability.

Lets get on to the ride:

The Ride:

The first thing you notice is the weight, after driving it home I looked, and it says they weigh 2024 kg That is only 100 odd kgs more than the Ranger is stock, and I had a few things bolted onto the Ranger, so by and by the Ranger as I had it weighed more.

But the FJ gives an impression of weight..... in the steering, in the gear knob, in the buttons.. and in the way it just flattens every bump..
It is very smooth, and once you ar up to highway speeds everything settles down and becomes nice and quiet.

On the way home, I tried not to stomp on the accelerator again, and I still wonder if that was out of fear or just me being disciplined..

What bothered me was that steering....

I just could not get the car to track straight, and the steering needed constant corrections, quite a concern on a busy highway and a car wider than a tank...

I was wondering if it might be my adjustment, or the shorter wheelbase, or wheel alignment.. But I drove some 180km with a roundabout route home, and eventually it became sort of ok, and I could cope with it.

I only arrived home after dark, and got some food going then to bed.. Still worried about this steering issue.

The rest of the stuff I was happy with.

The next morning I drove to work. The road is not as smooth as normal highways, and I thought I felt some bumps, more than what I thought I should. (In my mind I started thinking of what aftermarket shocks to buy the next day)

After work I thought let me fill up again, to check what the initial fuel use was, and then just to be sure check that the tyre pressures where ok.

Well I got two surprises...

The fuel consumption worked out to 8.8km/l and the tyres were pumped to 3.7 Bar

yes... 3.7 Bar

[lekhubu943]

...yes... 3.7 Bar

Why do dealers do this? I experienced the same with my Hilux, Prado and Fortuner.

Nice write-up though Hedgehog. I love FJ's. If they only they came in diesel...... sorry (spit). I digress.

[Hedgehog]

The Car:

To put some perspective on my review I need to explain the base that I am coming from.

Any car review is subjective, and will firstly be influenced by what you just stepped out of before you got into the new car... eg: a guy who drove to a test-drive appointment in a late model S-Class Benz will have a different opinion on how the Fortuner he is testing, drives and handles from the guy who arrived there in a 1980 SFA Hilux the day before.

So my trade was a Ford Ranger 3.2 4x4 XLT.. 2019 model.

As many of you who have driven the post 2015 XLT 3.2 Rangers will know, there is not many, if any bakkie that can compete with the way it handles imperfections on the road, and the way it drives.
In my opinion it has the best steering feel of all the bakkies, and yes, I have driven them all. And I say this without trying to seem arrogant. It's just one of my hobbies, if a new car comes out I like to go take it for a spin, and in my search for a replacement for my bakkie the last few months I have taken all of the available models on my list for a test drive.

All except the FJ.. I never drove the FJ. (Apart from one short off road obstacle at DeWidts that consisted of about 50m of driving)

Now take the fact that my Ranger was modified to be even better at taking and dealing with what dirt roads and rough tar (R30 Rustenburg to Klerksdorp) can give you. Anyone who has driven with me on gravel could account for what I am saying.

So I never had an idea how the FJ drove.... And I was very worried.

The Review:

Anyone who has just got into an FJ for the first time will know what I mean next:

It is a shock to your senses.

Your mind battles to adjust at first, because the perspectives are just waaaay different.. Has anyone been inside an old world war cannon bunker (pill box) and stood away from the edge, and looked out of the bunker hole? Well you get the same sort of feeling when you sat in an FJ.
And, you are sat waaaay on the side of the vehicle. Like an old Defender, but with more space for your elbow
So you have to adjust to where your wheels are, and then there is the steering...

I remember when we first started getting the cars with electric assisted steering, we all complained about the lack of feel, and of it being too light.
The Ranger's steering is spot on, for an electric assisted rack, and I was very happy with the feel and the way it could track straight.

When you drive out of Midrand McCarthy, there is a lot of tight little bends, then, one traffic light and then you get straight onto the N1. There is hardly time to adjust.
The steering felt... strange, too direct, and I kept on over correcting the tracking, and the bloody thing felt too wide for the lanes, and the mirrors..

What freaking mirrors

This was just before 5pm on Tuesday, the day before a public holiday, and that road was PACKED!!!
To get from the off ramp I had to get into a gap, and quickly! So I floored it....

Now, while I was getting to grips with the car, and in the short time I had to adjust, before the madness of that highway... I had just been pootling along, the engine is super smooth, and super quiet after getting out of the "John Deer like" Ranger.

What happened next after flooring it, I will never in my life be able to convey to someone else... That thing made a strange sound and the gearbox went like: "Oh here we go!!!!!" and then changed down 3 gears in quick succession and then that thing buggered (but with an F) off!!!

Straight past the gap.

Luckily there was another gap open in front of the car that was supposed to be in front of me, but was now behind me.

I have driven vehicles with the 4.0v6 engines in before, the Hilux and the 79 but never in anger... And the V6 new Prado I took for a drive, felt way slower than this thing.
The thing is very much faster than what I thought it would be, It is like it is in "SPORT" mode all the time, if you compare it to the Prado.
It is strong for a NA petrol engine. I was worried that it will feel flat and torqueless after the Ranger, but it is more than good enough for me.

And that gearbox, is waaaaay better than the Ford's. Super smooth when cruising and very quick when rushed..

I am happy with the power and drivability.

Lets get on to the ride:

The Ride:

The first thing you notice is the weight, after driving it home I looked, and it says they weigh 2024 kg That is only 100 odd kgs more than the Ranger is stock, and I had a few things bolted onto the Ranger, so by and by the Ranger as I had it weighed more.

But the FJ gives an impression of weight..... in the steering, in the gear knob, in the buttons.. and in the way it just flattens every bump..
It is very smooth, and once you ar up to highway speeds everything settles down and becomes nice and quiet.

On the way home, I tried not to stomp on the accelerator again, and I still wonder if that was out of fear or just me being disciplined..

What bothered me was that steering....

I just could not get the car to track straight, and the steering needed constant corrections, quite a concern on a busy highway and a car wider than a tank...

I was wondering if it might be my adjustment, or the shorter wheelbase, or wheel alignment.. But I drove some 180km with a roundabout route home, and eventually it became sort of ok, and I could cope with it.

I only arrived home after dark, and got some food going then to bed.. Still worried about this steering issue.

The rest of the stuff I was happy with.

The next morning I drove to work. The road is not as smooth as normal highways, and I thought I felt some bumps, more than what I thought I should. (In my mind I started thinking of what aftermarket shocks to buy the next day)

After work I thought let me fill up again, to check what the initial fuel use was, and then just to be sure check that the tyre pressures where ok.

Well I got two surprises...

The fuel consumption worked out to 8.8km/l and the tyres were pumped to 3.7 Bar

yes... 3.7 Bar

This in summary.. after deflating the tyres to 2.2 bar

It is everything I had hoped it to be, and more.

Comfortable
Strong
Smooth

With good off road ability, straight from the shop.

[HugoNotte]

I have driven vehicles with the 4.0v6 engines in before, the Hilux and the 79 but never in anger... And the V6 new Prado I took for a drive, felt way slower than this thing.
The thing is very much faster than what I thought it would be, It is like it is in "SPORT" mode all the time, if you compare it to the Prado.
It is strong for a NA petrol engine. I was worried that it will feel flat and torqueless after the Ranger, but it is more than good enough for me.

And that gearbox, is waaaaay better than the Ford's. Super smooth when cruising and very quick when rushed..

I am happy with the power and drivability.

Lets get on to the ride:

Remember, the Hilux, Fortuner and 70 series got the single VVT-I engine that makes some 176(?) KW. Your FJ got the dual VVT-i 202 KW motor, like the Prado 150, but is a good 300 kg lighter.