Honda Element Owners Club banner

fjcruiser vs element

2K views 13 replies 12 participants last post by  jedi 
#1 · (Edited)
went to look at a fjcruiser--could not drive it as it was sold.I have to admit it is very cool looking from the outside.With all the addons it was 27500 and they also attached a 5000 dealers premium taking it to 33500.they said you need to put 1000 down to get on there list when one came in.I love big trucks but soon as I sat in it I knew I did not even want to test drive it.The inside front and back is so small---the windshield is so small almost felt like I was looking thru a peephole.Now just trying to decide to wait for th 07,as I really want a light color,white preferably.sorry---waiting for the 07 element!!!!!!!
 
#2 ·
bfllover said:
...soon as I sat in it I knew I did not even want to test drive it.The inside front and back is so small---the windshield is so small almost felt like I was looking thru a peephole.Now just trying to decide to wait for th 07,as I really want a light color,white preferably.
Welcome.

Not quite sure how to interpret your post. You DIDN'T like the 06 FJ Cruiser you sat in but you want to purchase an 07 when it comes out?!?

..or are you talking about buying an 07 Element?
 
#4 ·
$5000 Dealer Premium??? :shock::shock: Must be nice to be Mr Toyota:rolleyes:
I saw one on the highway, it looked much smaller in person...:|:twisted:
 
#5 ·
jdiane said:
$5000 Dealer Premium??? :shock::shock: Must be nice to be Mr Toyota:rolleyes:
I saw one on the highway, it looked much smaller in person...:|:twisted:
It happens with suddenly popular cars.

I ordered a Mazda Miata in March 1989 as a graduation present to myself (paid sticker). The cars started hitting the street in July and I had the fifth one in san diego. The dealer called me five days after delivery and offered me sticker plus $5,000 for the (now "used") car.
 
#7 ·
bfllover said:
went to look at a fjcruiser--could not drive it as it was sold.I have to admit it is very cool looking from the outside.With all the addons it was 27500 and they also attached a 5000 dealers premium taking it to 33500.they said you need to put 1000 down to get on there list when one came in.I love big trucks but soon as I sat in it I knew I did not even want to test drive it.The inside front and back is so small---the windshield is so small almost felt like I was looking thru a peephole.Now just trying to decide to wait for th 07,as I really want a light color,white preferably.sorry---waiting for the 07 element!!!!!!!
Our local toyota dealer here in Nashua had an even a couple of weeks ago for the official launch of the 07 FJcruiser, they had 6 on the lot for test drives and at least a half a dozen grills going with barbeque. I got to sit in it and drive the FJ. Its got a harsher ride then the E, but has great power and 4wd with lots of clearance. Anyone that complains about the E's rear door would hate those on the FJ, they open at a weird angle and are smaller than those on the E. After driving it it finalized my decision to get an 06 TRP EX-P which i picked up two days ago. If you want to go offroad allot then the FJ may be a better fit. But personally I thought the E was a better car overall, not to mention I only paid $20500 all in for my E. Good luck car shopping

--fc
 
#8 ·
It's really an apples and oranges thing.

The FJ is truck based, where the E is car based.

I've been excited about its arrival. Not because I'm serious about buying one, I just liked the idea of it.

My local dealer is marking them up 3K - and they're selling as fast as they come in.

About the only similarities to the Element are the rear doors, which as said earlier are not anywhere near as functional as the E.

With the E you get urban versatility. Good fuel efficiency, great interior capacity, and a little off-highway ability. By off highway, I'm talking fire-roads, access roads, etc. Anything a car could handle reasonably at a slow and cautious pace.

We're kidding ourselves if we think the E is equipped for trail running, or multi-day off-highway excursions.

Unlike JDaine, I was actually surprised how big the FJ is. For its size, the FJ offers very little interior space. The leg room between the front and rear seats is non-existent. The rear cargo area is very high, and surprisingly small.

I thought the driver's environment was really nice. I like the materials they used for the interior.

Visibility couldn't get much worse (makes the Element seem like it has a glass canopy).

But the FJ has great things going for it. It's a very-capable 4x4. Great engine, Rear electric locking diff, center diff, true transfer case, 6-speed manual tranny, great ground clearance in stock configuration, and an aftermarket parts availability that will be awesome.

If you're into rock-crawling and off-roading, the FJ is great. But for the majority of us, it's lacking all of the great features that made us choose the E in the first place.
 
#9 ·
B Rubble said:
It happens with suddenly popular cars.

I ordered a Mazda Miata in March 1989 as a graduation present to myself (paid sticker). The cars started hitting the street in July and I had the fifth one in san diego. The dealer called me five days after delivery and offered me sticker plus $5,000 for the (now "used") car.
I would have taken that dealers offer in a heartbeat.
 
#10 ·
fcorey said:
Our local toyota dealer here in Nashua had an even a couple of weeks ago for the official launch of the 07 FJcruiser, they had 6 on the lot for test drives and at least a half a dozen grills going with barbeque. I got to sit in it and drive the FJ. Its got a harsher ride then the E, but has great power and 4wd with lots of clearance. Anyone that complains about the E's rear door would hate those on the FJ, they open at a weird angle and are smaller than those on the E. After driving it it finalized my decision to get an 06 TRP EX-P which i picked up two days ago. If you want to go offroad allot then the FJ may be a better fit. But personally I thought the E was a better car overall, not to mention I only paid $20500 all in for my E. Good luck car shopping

--fc
Welcome aboard! Please fill in your profile and location.:)
 
#11 ·
the fj is meant to compete with the wrangler...cute off road trucks

i hardly think the fj is faster than the e (it weighs substantially more)...it might feel faster as it has a much bigger v6 engine in it but the e is lighter and has a lead foot friendly accelerator and a much higher redline

it's like the cr-v 5spd versus the escape v6 auto...the v6 you'd think was faster but several comparisons who the cr-v was quicker than the larger engine escape
 
#12 ·
Sparman said:
It's really an apples and oranges thing.

The FJ is truck based, where the E is car based.
I couldnt agree with you more. I really didnt need to buy a new car, had a 2004 Accord LX, nice but boring. I only bought the accord because I nearly ran my other Accord into the ground and I never planned on keeping it very long. After seeing several posts about deals on the "E" and using Costco or other services I decided to go and drive one. That pretty much sealed the deal, traded my accord with no money down and my payment stayed the same. As I saw it I wanted something with either AWD or 4WD and decent interior room with gas mileage that want going to kill me. I saw the FJ at an autoshow and it looked really cool and I figured it would be on my short list for next vehicle. After driving it, and seeing how much more it was going to cost, there was no contest. I guess I'm a honda person, the "E" makes my 5th honda. I couldnt be happier with it. Its also a very dog fiendly vehicle which helps with 3 large dogs we have. :D
 
#13 ·
Re: fjcruiser vs element. Optional FJ trans

Quote, Sparman, 4/29/06:

"...Rear electric locking diff, center diff, true transfer case, 6-speed manual tranny, great ground clearance in stock configuration..."

Does optional trans allow the driver to lock all 4 wheels into drive as long as the speed is under a certain level?
 
#14 ·
The FJ is a nice concept and it is nice to see a boxy retro vehicle. But it is no Element (annd not intended to be). Honda builds cars. Sure we have the Pilot and Ridgeline but Honda is a car company branching out. Toyota has had a strong truck/suv presence for a long time.

The Element is a wonderful SUV/CUV or whatever. It has some offroad capability (what most people really need) but is not a Jeep.

The FJ is designed to go after the Jeep market.

But the FJ will set you back close to 30k. I would rather have a Pilot for that coin. The FJ has zero rear legroom. The FJ is so retro it has a pretty aweful interior. Business Week even commented that the plastic is so ugly on the interior it made some GM interiors look good. Now that is saying something. The cargo room is lacking and the turning radius is 41'! That is huge.

So while it looks good, it is still a niche. I really like the E better.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top