1989 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80 4.5L V6 5MT (215 HP)

Vehicle Overview

The FJ80 was one of the best Land Cruiser vehicles ever made, and its legacy continued decades after it was withdrawn from the market.

With the introduction of coil-spring suspension, the Land Cruiser suddenly became a much more comfortable vehicle despite using rigid axles on both cars’ ends. And don’t get distracted by the more rounded design; it was still a competent off-roader but much more refined than its predecessor. No wonder it was one of the most sought-after vehicles from the Land Cruiser lineup. Yet, its price was way above other SUVs on the market.

Toyota introduced the Land Cruiser at the 1989 Tokyo Auto Show and in 1990 for other markets. Its rectangular headlights were the only sharp-edged parts of the vehicle. The rest was dominated by shaved corners and curved body panels. That made the big SUV look smaller, even though it was wider and longer than its predecessor. The slightly tilted and curved windshield and the tall side windows provided a luminous cabin. Yet, the flared wheel arches showed a muscular look for the vehicle, which was not for nothing.

Inside, the J80 was roomy and comfortable. It was available with standard cloth seats, while leather upholstery was available on higher trim levels. The low-mounted dashboard featured a raised area that covered the instrument cluster and the center stack, while the center console hosted the gear selector and the lever for the low-range transfer box.

While the diesel versions were named HZJ or HDJ, the gasoline-only models wore the FJ/FZJ badges. The spark-ignited Land Cruisers were powered by inline-sixes of 4.0 or 4.5-liter, fuel-injected engines. For the 1991 model-year, the FJ80 could barely break the speed limit in a quarter-mile sprint. Yet, in off-road sessions, it was helped by its low-range gear, the all-wheel drive system, and the center differential lock.