Features

Both guys also liked the interior, with its wipe-clean rubber floors, black plastic door trims and Tonka-esque body-coloured centre console. Jake fired off a load more questions: "Do they do a convertible?" No, not yet. "Do they do it with a sunroof?" No. "Can you get it with bigger alloys?" Yep. Did he still love it? "Hell, yes."

There was not a trace of negativity from either. They thought the FJ was excellent, loved the suicide rear doors, loved the overall shape and were happy that the FJ Cruiser would be reliable. We decided to head to another beach.

Silver Strand is just south of Ventura and is quite hard to find. Once you're there, it's one of the few places near LA where you can drive a car on the sand without a permit. It is also a great spot for surfing and the local lads are very protective of it - if you're new to the beach, be prepared to be cut up on your wave.

On arrival, we were surrounded in minutes. Surfers from all over the beach wandered over. Sergio Rios, 31, with three young kids, had always driven Toyotas and had already decided to replace his 2005 Toyota Tacoma with an FJ Cruiser, even before he was saw one rolling along his beach four months before the on-sale date.

He knew everything about it, even the front ground clearance (9.6 inches), and was "totally stoked" to be given a drive.

Sergio really lives the California life: well-paid job, tows quad bikes and jet skis to places outside LA and often goes for holidays on the Baja Peninsula, where off-roaders are essential. His car before the Tacoma was a Land Cruiser, which he drove for 120,000 miles. It never gave him a problem, just as the Tacoma hasn't.

"Man, the FJ Cruiser is perfect for me. That's classic, right there." What is going on? Do these trendy young people not understand that the FJ is an unimaginitive hack, flaunting the backward falsity of retro style and cashing in on the sacred image of a truly great car?

Every young surfer we spoke to, the ones right in the crosshairs of Toyota's marketing strategy - even Dan Griley who arrived in a Ford Ranger pick-up and admitted he loves Fords - said they loved the look of the FJ Cruiser and would consider buying one. Of the 30 or so guys and girls I spoke to, there wasn't a single negative comment.

And I'll let you in on a little secret - I loved the thing too. Loved it from the moment I set eyes on it - loved its triple-wiper windscreen and tough, blunt nose, its parking lights in the wing mirrors and its incredible ability off-road.

Aping the original FJ40 Land Cruiser's shape has paid dividends with approach and departure angles - this is a very capable off-roader, far more than just a show-off car, and even a punishing run up a steep sand dune didn't faze it. It's tidy and reasonably refined on-road too - the 240bhp V6 giving it enough thrust to keep ahead of traffic, the gearchange chunky and positive. Yes, they sell a 2WD version, but that's Lifestyle for you.

In short, like the coolest dudes in the world - the trendsetting young surf gods of SoCal - this untrendy, overweight, pale-faced Top Gear journo wants a Toyota FJ Cruiser. Now. And he hasn't even been swayed by the Lifestyle Vehicle marketing photos. What he has discovered, though, is an appreciation for strong cheese.

Bill Thomas