The new Bronco is one of the hottest trucks of 2021, but while buyers patiently wait for Ford to actually deliver its retro off-roader, another vintage-inspired SUV has been making waves, this time on the modern classic scene.
A recent article by Hagerty drawing on the insurance company’s valuation data for Toyota’s FJ Cruiser highlights how demand for the 4Runner-based throwback has sent prices crazy over the last few years.
The FJ Cruiser was born out of the same late 1990s, early noughties retro movement that gave us cars like the new VW Beetle, BMW Mini, and 2005 Ford Mustang. It married a capable 4Runner chassis and stout 4.0-liter V6 engine with vintage FJ Land Cruiser styling cues like the wraparound rear windows, front grille, and contrasting roof color. Plus, the front and rears doors opened to reveal clean air where the B-pillar should have been, a nice concept car-style touch.
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Hagerty says that while the FJ Cruiser never sold in huge numbers during its 2007-14 production run, in the years since it’s established itself as a seriously desirable truck. According to Hagerty’s data “median sales prices for the base model more than doubled from about $14,000 in 2019 to $27,500 in 2020 and continued to rise to $30,450 in 2021.”
If you like the idea of an FJ Cruiser and can handle those high prices, Hagerty has some sage buying advice to help you bag a good one. It says the original 2007 cars had weak differentials, though many will have been fixed under warranty, and 2010-on cars swapped the original 4.0 V6 that developed 239 hp on premium fuel for a dual VVT-i version that made 20 hp more but on regular gas. The catch is those later cars will set you back $15k more than an equivalent early model.
It’s difficult to escape the feeling that the FJ Cruiser was ahead of its time. SUVs didn’t dominate the car market a decade ago the way they do today, and with vehicles like the Bronco putting retro SUVs in the public eye again, maybe it’s time for Toyota to take another look.
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