HIGHER GROUND
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Published on Sun, Nov 8, 2009
By: The LACar Editorial Staff
HIGHER GROUND
You also notice the FWD torque-steer on those occasions when you really jam the
throttle down. But hey - the Highlander is not a sports car, and doing what it
does, which is hauling people and stuff in quantity, it is an easy-driving
machine.
More about the inside: above the rearview mirror is a pop-down sunglasses case.
Neat. Neater - a mirror on its surface which is curved to show the driver and
front passenger exactly what shenanigans little passengers might be getting up
to in the seats behind.
Also great is the variety of lights, vents (including rear-seat controls), power
points, and such like which are spread through the Highlander's interior. In
fact, there's not much you could ask for other than what Toyota has already
thought of. The switchgear is nicely turned out, with good surfaces. One
additional goodie is a radio preset up-down and volume toggle on the steering
wheel.
The model I drove, a 4X2 model which stickers at near $30 grand (though I'd
ditch the towing package and hitch and save nearly a thousand bucks), had a
cloth interior and relatively basic stereo, but it was as comfortable as any car
I've driven in lately, and the music was well-reproduced on the sound system.
Mechanically, the Highlander is decent on power (with the noted reservations).
Turning radius is livable, and the only complaint I had in a week of highway and
city driving was that the brakes are a tick slow to react to pressure and the
car itself prone to some front-end dive. They are technically up to snuff, being
four-wheel disks with vented front rotors.
My rear-most passengers also said that they felt every cross-wise freeway seam,
like their heads were bouncing up and down in time to the road. But it's not
often you'll cram six or seven into this thing, at least, not putting adults in
the third row, I don't imagine.
Cargo space is good with the rear seat folded, but almost nil with the
seven-passenger configuration. The space behind the rear seat is about a foot
deep. We put a tiny cooler and a couple of beach bags there, and you could get a
little more in if pressed. Enough, let's say, for that aforementioned day at
Disneyland.
Outside, the Highlander is a little bit stylish - engineers having added a curve
or two to its flanks. It's not pretty, but it's handsome, a nice change from the
Lexus SUV you see everywhere (though of course, that's a Toyota too). I can't
imagine taking a backwards glance at this vehicle after parking it, but I can
imagine giving it a hearty pat to say "job well done" if I had kids to get to
karate and violin. It's big enough for a base fiddle, but small enough to park
at the mall. The perfect multi-passenger hauler.
EPA gas mileage is 20 City and 27 Highway, and you'll remember that those are
new numbers, lower than the old method of testing, which was phased out about a
year ago.
Arguments for:
Easy in and out for the front-seat passengers
Styling that makes a passable attempt at being attractive
Nice gauge appearance and good interior features
Cons:
Slow to downshift when you need power
Soft-feeling brakes
Bouncy in the third seat
SUMMARY JUDGMENT
You probably don't want to commute in this car, since one person doesn't need
this much space. But you might find it the perfect family hauler, especially
around town. Seating for seven is possible, and for four, five, or six, quite
do-able as an everyday option.
For more information about Toyota products, go to
www.toyota.com
SPECIFICATIONS
Name of vehicle:
2009 Toyota Highlander
Price:
$25,705 (base)
$29,285 as tested (includes third row seat, Extra Value Package 2, AM/FM/6 CD
changer, manual rear HVAC, 8-way power driver seat, tow package)
EPA mileage rating (city/highway/combined miles per gallon):
20/27/22
Engine:
2.7 liter dual overhead cam, 16-valve four-in-line with VVT-i
(3.3 and 3.5 liter DOHC V6s optional)
Power:
187 horsepower at 5800 rpm
Torque:
186 pound-feet at 4100 rpm
Transmission:
6-speed electronically controlled automatic with intelligence (ECT-i)
Drive configuration:
Front engine, front-wheel drive (all-wheel drive optional)
Steering:
Electric power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Suspension:
4-wheel independent McPherson struts with front and rear anti-sway bars
Dimensions
Length: 188.4 inches
Width: 75.2 inches
Height: 68.1 inches
Curb weight: 3847 pounds
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