Test drive Toyota Highlander
Test Drive

Test drive Toyota Highlander

In the Old World, they don't know about the big Japanese crossover. But there he would actually be very useful ...

What is good for a Russian is uneconomical for a European. Liter turbo engines, Euro-6 diesel engines, manual transmissions on business sedans - if we have heard about all this, it is mainly from the stories of friends who took a ride on rental cars in Germany. Europeans, in turn, do not know what an SUV is in a metropolis, huge gasoline engines and fuel for 60 cents. Even in the Old World, they have not heard of the Toyota Highlander - a large crossover, which in our base is sold with front-wheel drive and a long list of standard equipment. An atypical European SUV would actually come in handy there.

The German Toyota configurator is significantly different from the Russian one. There is, for example, the Auris station wagon, the Avensis, the Prius in three modifications (only one is sold in Russia), as well as the Aygo subcompact. At the same time, there is no Camry and Highlander - models that remain the locomotive of sales of the Japanese brand on the Russian market. If the absence of the first can still be explained by the complete dominance in the Volkswagen Passat segment, then the reluctance to sell the Highlander in the presence of Prado and LC200 is a mystery.

Test drive Toyota Highlander



Understanding the purpose of a front-wheel-drive crossover is not easy. A ground clearance of 200 mm, huge wheels on 19-inch disks, off-road suspension moves - with such a set, it pulls to conquer a blurred forest primer. But the base Highlander has completely different priorities and opportunities, thanks to which the crossover seems like a winning buy against the backdrop of the all-wheel drive Venza and next to the prestigious Land Cruiser Prado.

The Highlander is, first of all, a car for a large family. The crossover has a very roomy and attractive interior, albeit not as comfortable as that of its European classmates. But from an everyday point of view, there is complete order here: a huge number of niches, cup holders and compartments for small items. In the doorway there are large niches for one and a half liter bottles, and under the dashboard, like in a minibus, there is a continuous compartment for small luggage.

Test drive Toyota Highlander



You can find fault with the quality of materials, but you cannot blame the interior for fragility. Here are branded "Toyota" rectangular buttons, wheels that are responsible for adjusting the heated seats, and outdated multimedia touch buttons. But you stop noticing all these archaic decisions when you plunge into ideal ergonomics. In terms of dimensions, the Highlander is comparable to many of its classmates. For example, "Japanese" is only slightly inferior to the largest representative of the segment - Ford Explorer. But if the American SUV gives the impression that there is too much free space around, then the interior of Toyota seems thoughtful. Every centimeter is involved, so there is no feeling that the wind is blowing through the cabin.

The basic Highlander modification, which is offered in Russia, does not fit into the concept of European importers selling cars with a minimum of standard equipment in the initial configuration. The cheapest Highlander (from $ 32) comes with tinted windows, roof rails, leather interior, LED running lights, three-zone climate control, cruise control, rear parking sensors, electric boot lid, touch-controlled infotainment, Bluetooth and rear view camera.

Test drive Toyota Highlander



Already in the base, the crossover has a seven-seater salon. It's not so easy to squeeze into the gallery, but you can go there, albeit not very long: your back gets tired. The view from the third row is useless: all you see around you is the tall back of the second row and the rear pillars.

The second level of equipment called "Prestige" (from $ 34) differs from the basic one in several options. Among them are blind spot monitoring, wood trim, rear window shades, ventilated seats, front parking sensors, seats with memory settings, and a multimedia system. Of the entire set of additional equipment, the front parking sensors will certainly come in handy: when maneuvering in a narrow yard, there is a risk of not noticing a small flower bed or a fence behind the high hood.

Test drive Toyota Highlander



Europeans love very bright and distinctive cars. The presentation of the new Renault Twingo, which can be ordered in a multi-colored body, a year ago aroused genuine interest among local motorists. And the new Alfa Romeo Giulia was presented only in red (Rosso) - it accounts for the largest share of sales in the entire history of the Italian brand. The Highlander's appearance is also one of his trump cards. When the car debuted on the global market two years ago, its design seemed radically different. Toyota has taught us the correct body features, and here is the Highlander with a bulging radiator grille, "sharp" head optics and aggressive stern. Only 2 years have passed, and almost all Toyota models have already been made in a similar style, starting with the Camry and ending with the Prado.

That, because of which the Highlander is not yet imported to Europe, is hidden under the hood - there are voracious gasoline aspirated engines. The main difference between the base Highlander and the top-end version is in the motor and the type of drive. On the move, the differences are extremely noticeable: these are two completely different cars. The initial version, which we had on the test, is equipped with a 2,7-liter gasoline engine. The atmospheric engine develops 188 hp. and 252 Nm of torque. The indicator for a crossover with a curb weight of 1 kg, as they say, on the verge of a foul. In fact, the Quartet turned out to be very high-torque at low revs, thanks to which the SUV accelerates from standstill to 880 km / h in an acceptable 100 seconds. But the Highlander keeps cruising speed on the highway reluctantly, constantly going down a notch when climbing. We have to fix the gear by switching the selector to manual mode.

Test drive Toyota Highlander



Something similar is observed in the city: to smoothly accelerate, you need to work with the accelerator pedal, otherwise the six-speed "automatic" will convulsively change gears, optimizing acceleration. And it would be fine if Toyota really did better, but no: with such starts, fuel consumption instantly reaches 14-15 liters. During a week of operation, I understood the Highlader hint: an extremely smooth set of speed is not only safe, but also cheap. If you constantly deny yourself the sharp changes and accelerations, you can call in to the gas station no more often than the owner of a Venza with exactly the same engine.

You forget about all these liters, acceleration to "hundreds" and horsepower right there, as soon as you leave the Volodarskoye highway onto the concrete road leading to the Domodedovo airport. While the upstream neighbors are choosing the best road and crawling in first gear, I skip all potholes, cracks and other defects at 40 km / h. On 19-inch wheels with a 55-profile you don't feel all this, and the Highlander has such a margin of safety that I am ready to go out and share it with other motorists who decided to go around the Sunday traffic jam almost off-road.

Test drive Toyota Highlander



I did not notice the drawback in the form of a monodrive for three months of operation: the Highlander mostly drove within the city. Europeans, with rare exceptions, also do not need an all-wheel drive crossover - they do not attach any importance to technical features at all. For example, a recent BMW poll showed that most of the Bavarian brand's customers do not know which drive they are driving.

The Highlander climbs onto a high wet curb, especially without straining - the large curb weight affects. Yes, and the sandy country road of the SUV tampers just as confidently, without annoying the driver with the traction control system.

The initial Highlander is, by and large, an off-road minivan, and this form factor is very much appreciated by Europeans. Storming off-road with front-wheel drive, albeit with a decent geometric cross-country ability, is possible only in case of emergency. The crossover has a very roomy seven-seater interior, a huge number of security systems and a large trunk - its volume reaches 813 liters with the third row unfolded. It is possible to transport on Highlander not only long items, but also bulky and very heavy furniture. With a trip to IKEA, as our operating experience has shown, the crossover copes without much difficulty. It is a pity that the Highlander has not yet been seen in Europe.

Roman Farbotko

 

 

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