Mother Proof's view

Do you ever have those days where you just feel harried and you look totally disheveled? Recently I ran into an old boyfriend at a music store in my sweats and a ball cap. I am happily married and secure in myself, but I still had that feeling of dread when he noticed me and ran over to give me a hug! Here is a piece of advice: do not, I repeat, do not go out of the house in anything resembling sweats when you are driving Toyota’s new FJ Cruiser. This car is a man magnet! Literally every time I pull into a gas station or parking lot men saunter over and ask me, “How do you like the FJ?” or “Cool car, what is it?” This happens at just about every stoplight as well: People (mostly guys) rubber-neck from the next car over. Needless to say, I make sure I am put-together and presentable every time I jump into the FJ. What a hoot!

Speaking of jumping, the first thing I notice in the FJ Cruiser is the high stance. It is a good hop to get into the car. My kids have to push themselves up with their arms and swing their legs up in order to get in on their own. My youngest, at 5, thinks this is fun, but if he were much smaller, I would be picking him up and putting him in the car each time. This lofty position is great for getting a commanding view of the road, but more importantly, it puts me eye-to-eye with the barista at the Starbucks drive-thru window.

The big tires make it feel like I am driving around on balloons. It is pretty obvious that the purpose of the FJ Cruiser’s design is for off-roading, not navigating the mean streets of the suburban jungle. During my week’s test I get to take it off on some deserted dirt roads and skid around a bit but, alas, I cannot report driving up any dry rocky creek beds (although one of our reviewers did take it off-roading in the San Andreas Fault – seriously).

Toyota has really stuck to a theme with this vehicle: rugged. It doesn’t sport a lot of creature comforts. It has the basics, electric windows, door locks, and mirror adjustment, but that is about it. The interior is pretty bare bones. Cloth seats and rubber floors are the order of the day. This is very utilitarian and I find it super easy to clean up after my kids. One of my favorite things about the FJ Cruiser is a feature that almost seems unintentional. The windshield sits almost at a 90 degree angle to the dash. The result is that sun glare is almost entirely eradicated. I don’t even have to lower the visor when driving directly west into the afternoon sun. It never feels as if the sun is baking us through the windows, a great feature, deliberate or not.

From the exterior, it appears as if the FJ only has two doors. In reality two half-sized doors open towards the rear of the car to provide access to the rear seat. For getting children in and out of the car the “suicide” doors are better than having kids climb over the seats, but that is about as positive as I can be. Each time I want to let kids out at the car pool lane I must get out of the car, open the big door and then open the small back door. These doors are even more cumbersome in a parking lot. When parked between two other vehicles I get the front door open, then the back door and then the kids and I are stuck in a triangle made by the two doors open to the edge of the car next to us. The kids have to crawl under the door to leave enough room for me to move out of the way and get both doors shut. This is not very convenient to say the least.

The other item of concern to me is the massive blind spot in the FJ Cruiser. There are tiny porthole windows (they don’t open) for the back seat passengers followed by nearly two feet worth of wall. Each time I change lanes on the highway I have to check the mirrors several times, look over my shoulder and then make the move on faith because honestly I cannot see a thing.

This car is a blast to drive; I would call it a lot of things; fun, fresh, cool, hip, and stylish. However, I would not call the FJ Cruiser practical for family life. Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped my husband from scheming about how to get one as his weekend adventure vehicle.

*For more information on the Toyota FJ Cruiser and its safety features visit Cars.com.

LET’S TALK NUMBERS

LATCH Connectors: 2

Seating Capacity (includes driver): 5

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Fair

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Groove On