5 Toyota Vehicles Powered By The FJ Cruiser's V6 Engine

The Toyota FJ Cruiser was introduced for the 2007 model year and stuck around until 2014. While the majority of FJ Cruisers are still well under 20 years old, this unique Toyota SUV has already become a cult classic, with a strong collector following — and it isn't hard to see why.

The FJ Cruiser was part of the auto industry's retro trend in the 2000s, a movement that brought us cars like the new Mini Cooper, the 2005 Ford Mustang, and the Chrysler PT Cruiser. As its name and styling suggest, the FJ Cruiser drew inspiration from the classic FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser of the 1960s, combining an eye-catching retro 4x4 look with the capability and refinement of a modern Toyota SUV.

The FJ's fashionable styling was a big deal at the time, but it's the proven Toyota SUV DNA that's kept the FJ Cruiser desirable and relevant today. The FJ Cruiser wasn't known for its performance, but the 4.0-liter 1GR-FE V6 that powered all FJ Cruisers is an essential part of the SUV's popularity and continued longevity. The FJ is far from the only Toyota vehicle that used this beloved engine, though. Below, we've gathered five other global SUV and pickup models that also use this popular V6.

Although the FJ Cruiser had a distinct look, beneath its retro-styled body sat Toyota's proven and widely used F2 body-on-frame platform. The F2 platform also underpinned a range of other vehicles, including the fourth-generation Toyota 4Runner SUV. Debuting for the 2003 model year, the fourth-gen 4Runner was the first American-market vehicle to use the new 1GR-FE V6, which is part of the broader Toyota GR V6 engine family. 

Rated at 245 hp, the '03 4Runner's new 1GR-FE was a state-of-the-art engine by early 2000s standards. It was Toyota's first aluminum truck engine, making it the perfect engine for the new FJ Cruiser when it arrived a few years later. The 1GR-FE was also a massive upgrade from the 183-hp 3.4 V6 that powered the previous generation 4Runner.

The fourth-generation 4Runner is also notable for being the only 4Runner to offer a factory V8 engine, but the base V6 was absolutely nothing to scoff at. In fact, the 4.0-liter V6 actually made 10 more horsepower than the V8, albeit with less torque. The fourth-generation 4Runner ceased production after the 2009 model year, but the venerable 1GR-FE would stick around in the 4Runner long after that, with some updates along the way. 

SUVs weren't the only vehicles to use the 1GR-FE engine. The redesigned second-generation 2005 Toyota Tacoma marked a big evolution in the Tacoma's history, with both the truck and its engines getting larger. The new 1GR was a big part of this. Unlike the 4Runner, the 4.0-liter engine was an optional upgrade in the Tacoma, and it was a worthy one, elevating the truck's performance far beyond its predecessor. 

Speaking of performance, the second-gen Tacoma also became one of the most enthusiast-oriented applications of the 1GR-FE when Toyota introduced the unique Tacoma X-Runner. Although the V6 was the same, the rest of the truck changed significantly, with a lowered stance, wider wheels and tires, and more aggressive styling. More importantly, the X-Runner had a six-speed manual transmission, making it a cult favorite among sport truck fans. Fittingly, both the X-Runner and the FJ Cruiser are now among the most desirable Toyotas of the late 2000s.

While the 4Runner continued to use the 1GR-FE well into the 2020s, Toyota switched out the Tacoma's V6 as part of the truck's 2016 redesign. The 2016 to 2023 Tacoma's 2GR-FKS engine comes from the same engine family, and though it has a smaller 3.5-liter displacement, its 278 hp is a substantial bump from the 4.0-liter 1GR.

In North America, the 4Runner is one of Toyota's best-known 4x4 SUVs, but in other international markets, you'll find the somewhat similar Toyota Fortuner. And, much like how the 4Runner and Tacoma are related, the Fortuner is essentially the SUV counterpart to the legendary Toyota Hilux pickup.

Introduced to the Toyota lineup in 2004, the Fortuner is a mid-sized, body-on-frame SUV built from the same rugged DNA as the Hilux and is sold primarily in Southeast Asia, South America, and parts of the Middle East. Though it may sound a lot like the 4Runner on paper, the Fortuner is smaller inside and more utilitarian than its American-market cousin. While many Fortuners have diesel engines, Toyota has also offered the 4.0-liter 1GR-FE V6 in the SUV. 

While Toyota has recently replaced the naturally aspirated V6s of the Tacoma and 4Runner with a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, other markets still offer the Fortuner with the tried-and-true 4.0-liter V6 today. With some people expressing concern about the reliability of the new turbo engines, it would be interesting to see how many 4Runner or Tacoma buyers would choose the old V6 if given the option.

When you think of the full-size Toyota Tundra pickup, you probably think of large, powerful engines, like the 4.7-liter and 5.7-liter V8s that helped the first- and second-generation Tundras bring the fight to their domestic pickup competition. For many years, though, the 4.0-liter V6 actually served quietly as the Tundra's base engine.

The 1GR debuted with the first-gen Tundra's 2005 update and continued in the engine bay when the larger second-generation model debuted for the 2007 model year. Not surprisingly, in a segment known for favoring V8 engines, V6-powered first- and second-gen Tundras are fairly rare, with Toyota limiting the V6 to certain lower-grade trims and configurations. 

Even so, the second-gen Tundra kept the humble base V6 engine until the 2015 model year. The 1GR-FE isn't the powerful, robust, and ultra-reliable V8 many associate with the Tundra, and few would prefer the V6 over the V8 in this particular application. However, the fact that Toyota even offered the 1GR in such a large pickup truck certainly says something about the engine's capabilities. 

Toyota may have stopped selling the FJ Cruiser in 2014, but the engine that powered it didn't go anywhere. Through the 2010s and well into the 2020s, the vehicle most commonly associated with the 4.0-liter 1GR-FE engine is the fifth-generation Toyota 4Runner. 

The fifth-gen 4Runner debuted for the 2010 model year, with its 4.0-liter V6 receiving substantial improvements that boosted output to 270 hp, a noticeable boost over the earlier version. The 4Runner's updated V6 was a strong performer by 2010s standards, and Toyota kept the engine around for quite a while. In fact, to say the 4Runner's 1GR engine stuck around for a long time would be a huge understatement: Toyota sold the fifth-gen 4Runner for 15 model years without any major changes to the 1GR V6.

Toyota only introduced a fully redesigned sixth-generation 4Runner for the 2025 model year, replacing the old V6 engine with a new turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder. Performance- and efficiency-wise, the high-tech turbo engine seems like a big improvement over the outdated 4.0, but some longtime 4Runner owners and enthusiasts doubt whether the new engine will match the old V6's outstanding long-term reliability.