First Look: 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser

Like the Dodge Nitro and Hummer H3, big tires in big fenderwells are necessary to convey a muscular, capable character. These tires are almost 30 inches tall with an aggressive tread that's as comfortable on snow and sand as on a rocky Arizona trail. Plastic fender lips are designed to catch any thrown mud or debris when the tires are spinning.

Although it makes no sense nowadays, the separately colored white-cap roof (riveted on after the glass was installed) was designed as a lid for the vehicle. Toyota painted all of the lids white, so it wouldn't have to worry about color-matching the roof to the vehicle. Today's FJ Cruiser, to be built in Japan, uses a different assembly process.

Like the original, a full-size spare is mounted to the rear swing-out door of the FJ Cruiser. Although it blocks some of the rearward visibility from the driver's seat, having the spare mounted in the rear will resonate with old and new Toyota 'Cruiser fans.

Almost as important to rabid FJ fans as the rear-mounted spare tire are the round front headlights and Toyota name in the front grille. Jeep owners will say round headlights were their idea, but from the first models back in the 1950s, FJ 40s always have had round headlights.