i thought people would find this article interesting. It also has a video showing both vehicles in action on some trails.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=115472

Saw that...
The FJ's premium fuel requirement and the lack of rear doors would be show stoppers for me. The styling is a little bit much, I suspect I would tire of it, kinda hummerish really.
They do have a good reputation for off road manners.

i test drove it before buying an OR and hated it. It had an oddly designed interior and it felt cramped. also, since it was a new car, toyota felt they could charge whatever they wanted for it. im not gonna kiss someones ass to buy a car from them. I went and looked the nissan and bought it that day.

The FJ is ugly, no doubt about it. But there is no doubt either that the rear coils are a better design than the X's leafs. That being said, I don't see the FJ being any better than the X off-road. I really want to see one on a trail some time.

Pretty much sums up my experience too, and I couldn't imagine driving it on a long road trip.

I also didn't need the "OR" ability, so I opted for a Xterra "S".

mitt

I think Toyota hit this one out of the ballpark in terms of exterior styling. It looks better than the new Xterra, IMO. I love the looks of the new FJ, especially after seeing many of them on the road recently.

If money were no object, I would choose the FJ over the X. But if you're not made out of money, the X is the way to go. I don't think I could live with the FJ's high price tag, premium gas requirement and the cramped interior.

I seem to remember we just covered this topic.

Anyways, yes, the fj is more stylish - but so was the pt cruiser a few years back.
My 93 civic which has 0 style when it came out was still a good buy at a 1/3 of the purchase price when I sold it 12 years later. Because fj is toy it will have a good resale value - but it will have nothing to do with the styling - in fact the styling may hurt it.

Yes, the fj is better at offroad slightly than the X - but so are any number of vehicles that are less practical. Practicallity is where it came down to for me. I wanted a car that I could drive offroad - not a offroad vehicle that I would have to use as a car.

Interior on the fj - just give me a break - I do not want to throw up.

Yup, in the "General" section. I cannot believe this thread has been fire resistant this long.

Yeah, can you imagine trying to sell one of those PT things now??

I'm getting queasy just thinking about it.

A buddy of mine has an FJ, and we did some 4 wheeling last weekend. We just farted around on some easy to medium trails, but it was apparent (especially on rugged hill climbs) that the FJ has some prowess... and power.

Here is our off-roading trip:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19305

Unlike some of the one-brand groups, we are a diverse bunch of SUVs. I would love to see a new Xterra out there next time.

didn't realize this link was already posted, sorry bout that

the X needs and inch or two on the ground clearance and then a little better articulation due to the long bumpstops/rear sway bar design. A little lift should make it a good match for most suvs, but of course it wouldn't be bone stock.

I keep telling myself I paid $23k, not $33k and a $500 worth of lift and bumpstops and whatever minor parts will take care of it's deficiency. Of course you won't have bone stock bragging rights.

I also knew I wanted it for road use more than anything. A Big Bear trip would be considered ONLY after a 2 inch lift, but otherwise (with my sliders) it should be able enough.

From a family mans perspective..the Fj is too small, sure it might be a slightly better OR vehicle. Many of us need our trucks for daily use also, so from someone with 2 young kids the Fj will not fit 2 cars seats and baby gear.
Also with only being able to use premium gas the fj becomes unaffordable.

Everything I read prior from 4x4 mag tests and such indicated the traction control system was terrible, so am a little surprised at that. Obviously the suspension on the X is a mess and its way undergeared, allowing the FJ to compete with far less horsepower. But looks? I dont know. But at the car show people were laughing at the cheap, plastic, Tonka toy looking dash ends on the FJ. And the interior is sparce, and not NEARLY well designed as the X, other then maybe the washable floors. Visibility should also be a problem.

This Car and Driver Article article seems a lot less biased (i.e. They don't make a huge deal out of over-sized AC controls).

They did pick up alot of good points. I forgot what a nightmare the backseat and doors are on the FJ. I went back several times going " it cannot be you have to open the front door first, and how will adult or teenage riders fit back there on a long trip"

A lot of things in the article on Edmunds got me fired up...
1. They put too much weight on the difference in fuel economy... Yes the Toy got 1 or 2 MPG better, but, you have to use premuim gas (It's actually cheaper to kill a harp seal and convert it's blood to gas than it is to fill up on premuim all the time).
2. Also they kept saying how much better blah blah blah... It's like the H3, the crappiest visibility on the planet. On the trails you need to be able to see all around you, the FJ's C (?) pillar kills that chance.
3. Everyone is wet panties about the styling... Oh shut it. Your FJ is gonna look like an goofy AMC eagle when you still have 3 years left of payments...

Hey thanks!

It seemed that the Edmund's crew has a Toyota bias. Many of the their subjective ratings favored the FJ with more points than would seem reasonable in an unbiased review. Also, I don't recall seeing any mention of the fact that the roof rack is standard on the Xterra and an extra cost option on the FJ. Have no doubt that Toyota is an outstanding manufacturer and many Toyota owners would have nothing else.

I wouldn't actually have considered the FJ because it isn't a 4 door. My comparisons were more to the 4 runner.

Edmunds is comparing msrp to msrp, but with add on's, toyota sales policy, and lack of rebates, real world price differences are between $7k to $10k higher for the FJ.

if I ever buy a toyota, it'd prolly' be the 4 runner- nice trucks.

Yeah, I owned a 4Runner before the X. It's a great vehicle, and you have to love Toyota quality/reliability. Toyota has emasculated the Runner further and further each year, though. More yuppie mall crawler/soccermommy crap appears on it each year. This year it even has faux chrome outside door handles on the SR5. WTF? Plus the price--f-ing ridiculous. Had no problem buying an X for $7K less than a V6 Runner.