The Toyota FJ Cruiser is designed to be the most capable of all Toyotas when the pavement gives way to gravel, sand, and rocks. That's saying something, given the capability of the 4Runner and Land Cruiser, not to mention the Tacoma pickup.

The FJ Cruiser seats five. The front doors are standard, front-hinged units. Rear-hinged access doors ease egress to the back seat and cargo area. 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.

An Off Road option package further enhances the FJ's capabilities, with BFGoodrich Rugged Trail tires, trail-tuned Bilstein shock absorbers, a Cyclone air pre-cleaner, and a rear differential lock that works in conjunction with Toyota's A-TRAC off-road traction control system. With this setup, the FJ Cruiser can hang with the Jeep Wrangler crowd.

We found the FJ Cruiser superb in rugged terrain yet comfortable on the road. Its V6 engine delivers more power and torque than the Wrangler's V6; and the same power but more torque than the Hummer H3's standard inline-5.

Changes for 2009 focus on safety. 2008 models included front seat-mounted side-impact airbags and full-length side-curtain airbags as standard equipment. For 2009, both the seat-mounted and curtain airbags can be activated by a roll sensor, which first communicates with the standard Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) to try to stop the rollover before it starts. Also new for 2009 are active front headrests as standard equipment. Also new for 2009: a rear backup camera and auto-dimming rearview mirror.