Now Is the Time to Buy a Toyota FJ Cruiser, According to a Master Mechanic
Following a period of rapid growth, Toyota FJ Cruiser prices have crashed back down to reasonable levels – but for how long?
It wasn’t that terribly long ago that Toyota was shocking the world with the debut of the all-new FJ Cruiser, a decidedly retro off-roader that started life as a concept. As has been the case with a few such one-offs in the past, public reaction to the Toyota FJ Cruiser was so strong and positive that the automaker put it into production, where it remained for roughly a decade, at least in the U.S. There, the FJ Cruiser was discontinued – again – roughly a decade ago, and since then, we’ve seen the SUV’s prices climb steadily. However, there’s apparently a bit of a lull in demand at the moment that’s putting downward pressure on pricing, making it the perfect time to buy, according to David Long of the Car Wizard YouTube channel.
Long, who is also the owner of an auto repair shop, recently had a very nice 2012 model in for some work, and that made for a perfect opportunity to discuss the current market for this truly unique vehicle. As Long points out, for a while, the Toyota FJ Cruiser was in high demand, with prices reacting accordingly – with nice examples selling for upwards of $25,000 or even $30k for a pristine model.
That changed dramatically post-COVID, which was the case for many collectible or just plain interesting vehicles, however. Flush with cash, people went out and drove FJ Cruiser prices upward in rapid fashion, as lower-mile examples were routinely selling for $50k-$60k. Heck, even older models with lots of miles were selling in the $20k range, which once again proves that a rising tide does indeed lift all boats.
However, things are beginning to slowly shift in the other direction, with higher interest rates taking their toll on housing and automotive sales in general. Long notes that this also applies to the Toyota FJ Cruiser, as he’s seen prices decline considerably as of late, and even shows us a bevy of nice examples that are now selling in the $30k range – quite a massive drop compared to just a couple of years ago. Heck, he even came across a higher-mile FJ Cruiser that’s selling for a mere $10k.
This is somewhat surprising given the retro style and uniqueness of the FJ Cruiser, coupled with the fact that, well, off-road-focused SUVs in general remain red hot in today’s world, even with the economy stalling. Long notes that he doesn’t think prices will drop much more from their current state, however, and given this model’s seeming lock for future collectible status, means that now might be the next-best time to buy one – aside from before COVID, at least.
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