Toyota’s fun vehicles: Alphard and FJ Cruiser

Toyota’s poster boy for fun motoring is the 86 coupe, a car codeveloped with Subaru. But for everyday fun that bears the “T” badge, look no further than the Alphard MPV and the FJ Cruiser SUV.

The Alphard aims to be the ultimate family van, with all the accouterments of a business jet and power to spare. The exterior continues the current Japanese trend of flashy, larger-than-life vans.

The huge vertical chrome grille can frighten a Chihuahua, and the side even has the audacity to incorporate the trademark metal “L” seen in the Lexus LFA.

The Alphard even contains the shape of the luxury brand’s spindle grille. A complex sculptural fold is on the front and side doors, helping to make the sides more interesting and likely adding rigidity as well.

The doors power open to reveal a pair of massive seats. Clad in cream leather, the captain’s chairs feature power adjustment for seatback and the ottoman. The seats slide manually fore and aft.

Adding to the business jet atmosphere is a wood-inlaid folding table. With the Alphard’s length, even with the middle chairs positioned well back, the rear row still has adequate legroom. It also helps that the rear seat can slide fore and aft as well.

Key to the Alphard’s utility is the sliding rear seat, which easily allows for additional luggage for a trip to the airport. The rear seat can also split fold and be stored sideways, a la Innova. It was a pain to fold up, though—it’s easier to just slide it forward.

The Alphard’s ride is plush to perhaps a fault, resulting in barge-like motions on bad roads. The 3.5-liter V6 is silent throughout and the power is simply delightful on long drives.

Opposite

In many ways, the FJ is the opposite of the Alphard—a two-plus-three passenger car instead of a seven-seater, and a challenge to enter.

The FJ has two normal-size doors and two rear-hinged doors, similar to the setup on the defunct RX-8 sports car. The rears can only be opened after the fronts. Although the rears can open 90 degrees, the door opening is still small.

The rear window is small and fixed, resulting in a rather claustrophobic ride in the rear. The mailbox feeling is also shared by the driver, as the windshield and side windows are fully upright. The FJ even has three windshield wipers because of the unusual glass size.

Like the Alphard, the FJ is powered by a large V6, in this case a 4-liter unit. The FJ is quick to reach 100 kilometers per hour. As speed starts to climb to 140 kph, though, the car begins to feel unsettled. The tires and suspension are set up for low-speed offroad work.

The FJ proves its worth whenever a typhoon visits town and turns streets into streams. The 224-millimeter ground clearance, which makes the car rather difficult to climb, then becomes endearing.

For family motoring, the Alphard is a money-no-object choice, while the FJ Cruiser is a more personal vehicle, a childhood toy brought to full life.