2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser

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Interior - What the Auto Press Says

The 2009 FJ Cruiser gets mixed reviews for interior comfort and style. The back seat is cramped and difficult to access, and the interior materials leave something to be desired.

• "Like the exterior, the cabin exudes simplicity, echoing the feel of the earlier FJs with cloth seats, a body-colored radio surround and large, easy-to-operate controls." -- Road and Track
• "A rectangular, truck-like dashboard incorporates a prominent square panel with stereo and climate controls. A compass, outside temperature display and vehicle pitch readouts are available in an optional gauge cluster that sits above the middle air vents. Door inserts and dashboard panels can be matched to the FJ Cruiser's exterior color." -- Cars.com
• "We do approve of the interior design, which stays true to the original FJ philosophy by being straightforward and functional rather than overly stylized and littered with gimmicks." -- Edmunds
• "The interior isn't quite as retro as the exterior aside from a dashtop-mounted trio of gauges - a compass, an inclinometer and an outside temperature gauge - but it's functional and fairly comfortable." -- Left Lane News

Seating

There are conflicting reports about the comfort of the 2009 FJ Cruiser's rear seats.  

• "More good six-footer headroom [in the rear], but three adults are squeezed for shoulder space and feel closed-in by thick roof pillars and small side windows. Legroom is tight with the front seats set far back. Ditto entry and exit passages, even though FJ's access doors swing out 90 degrees." -- Consumer Guide
• "While the opening to the cabin is wide, getting in the backseat could be a lot easier." -- Cars.com
• "Don't plan on taking a crowd. The back seat is almost insufferable for adults, just OK for kids. It's reached via a small, rear-hinged door that forces some squirming and twisting to get in or out." -- USA Today
• "Headroom is an astounding 40-plus inches in the FJ, but three adults in back sit closely. And everyone -- front and back -- has a bit of a climb to get inside the 6-foot-tall FJ." -- MSN
• "The back seat is small relative to exterior dimensions, but the suicide-style mini-doors make getting in and out a breeze for a two-door." -- Left Lane News

Interior Features

Reviewers often complain about the cheap plastics in the FJ Cruiser's cabin. On the plus side, its features are easy-to-use and durable. Some standard features include air conditioning, an AM/FM CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability and six speakers, water-resistant seats and dual sun visors.

Toyota's voice-activated navigation system is not available with the 2009 FJ Cruiser. Check out our GPS reviews to learn about the best inexpensive GPS devices from Garmin, TomTom and Mio.

• "Even if it did keep the price down, the car is clad with way too much cheap-feeling plastic -- what's with the flimsy plastic bumpers anyway? -- and it has a cloistered, gun-turret feeling inside." -- San Francisco Chronicle
• "The old Land Cruisers had few creature comforts, but the FJ Cruiser has plenty of standard comfort and convenience items. They include air conditioning, a tilt wheel, a manual height-adjustable driver seat, console with cupholders, an AM/FM/CD audio system with 6 speakers, skid plates and power windows and door locks. Three windshield wipers sweep almost every inch of the glass." -- MSN
• "Most controls are simple, handy, and large, despite a dashboard that's a show of box-shaped modules. Pushbuttons for various secondary functions are buried low and ahead of the shift lever, however. The main gauges are fine, but legibility of the extra-cost compass, thermometer, and inclinometer are compromised by their small size and dashtop placement." -- Consumer Guide
• "The 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser adds active front head restraints and roll-sensing side curtain airbags. An optional backup camera and auto-dimming electrochromatic mirror are added to the Convenience Package." -- MSN

Cargo

According to Toyota, cargo capacity for the FJ Cruiser is 66.8 cubic feet behind the front seats and 27.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats.

• "Maximum cargo space in back, with the rear seats folded, is 66.8 cubic feet, which is comparable to that in many SUVs." -- MSN
• "Given the FJ Cruiser's size and weight, there's not much cargo room inside." -- Autoweb
• "Rear access to the cargo area is through a door hinged on the driver's side of the vehicle instead of a typical roof-hinged hatch-style closure." -- New Car Test Drive
• "Useful cargo bay, but volume is subpar for the midsize-SUV class. Rear seatbacks won't fold flat without the seat cushions removed. The cargo door opens from the curbside, but feels heavy and clumsy with the weighty bolt-on spare tire. The tire greatly hampers loading through the opening window. Ample in-cabin storage." -- Consumer Guide