So, do you remember that time I was loaned a 2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser for 5 days?

Yea…that was just earlier this week.

You guys? It was SO cool.

When I put in the request, I told them I’d be happy to try any vehicle from Toyota’s fleet, but when they told me I was getting the FJ Cruiser I was stoked. You see, the FJ has a special place in my heart because it’s modeled after the FJ40 Land Cruiser…and remember? We happen to have not one, but two of those. {and by “we” I totally mean Andy}

I’ve wanted to test drive the FJ Cruiser since they were first released a few years ago.

Not only was it a ton of fun to drive for a few days, it was really neat to compare the 2012 FJ Cruiser directly to Andy’s 1978 FJ40 Land Cruiser.

I’ll go into my time behind the wheel more later on, for now I wanted to share some of the photos I snagged the night before Toyota came to pick up the FJ. And while the FJ40 Land Cruiser I took photos of isn’t stock {Andy’s stock Cruiser still isn’t at our place}, I think you get the idea.

The first thing you notice is the front of the rig…the FJ Cruiser’s grille & headlights are reminiscent of the FJ40 as are the hood and fender contours.

Interior side-by-side…there’s obviously been a lot of technological advancements since 1978, eh?

As a family full of Cruiser lovers, I think it’s safe to say Toyota knocked it out of the park with this one!

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of the Toyota.