Test drive Toyota Highlander
Test Drive

Test drive Toyota Highlander

Over the five years from 2007 to 2012, about 100 Toyota Highlander were sold in the United States per year, that is, about 000 units per month. In Russia, the Japanese SUV is not so in demand, but it is also in demand: in 10 it took the second place in its class (000 cars sold). We compared our impressions of the Highlander and tried to figure out the reasons for its popularity. One of them is literally on the surface - he is really very beautiful.

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"Pensioner" - so nicknamed some colleagues Highlander even before he appeared with us for a long test. And after we got the 188-horsepower front-wheel drive version and I was the first to drive, that's what they called me. Here it is - the difference in mentality. In America, by the way, SpongeBob is designed to attract attention to the model, the existence of which older people, if they know, only from their grandchildren.

 

Test drive Toyota Highlander


Initially, I was ready to take the same position. Despite the quite modern, even striking appearance, there are many disadvantages that immediately catch the eye. Modest dynamics, clumsy display graphics, not the most modern navigation, high fuel consumption - not the best set of terms.

 

The secret of this car is that it captivates gradually, day after day. You give it back and you realize that in the car you moved to, the central armrest is not even half as spacious as on a Japanese SUV - here, it seems, it can easily swallow a tourist backpack. Or the trunk on a new car is not so voluminous and narrower - it’s not easy to put a bike in there. Or suddenly you realize that for the twentieth minute you have been trying to fold the third row of seats on a new test car, while on the Highlander this procedure took several seconds: a tug here, a little nudge there, and you're done. Moreover, despite the outdated graphics, the multimedia system collects information that is not available on many other cars. For example, a fuel consumption log for the last five trips, a graph of its change over the last 15 minutes, and so on.

Test drive Toyota Highlander

In general, if I were asked to describe it in one word, I would answer without hesitation: “Convenient”. And this applies to every little thing, every aspect. But, I admit honestly, I would not buy it myself yet. He, of course, is not at all an old man's, but I would still like to drive every day not so much in an incredibly comfortable car as in a dynamic car. And, as Suvorov said, "the more amenities, the less courage." It is the courage that I absolutely lack in such a Highlander. Another question is what the 249-horsepower all-wheel drive version is capable of.

Technique

The third generation Highlander is based on the slightly stretched platform of the Toyota Camry sedan (the wheelbase for cars is the same - 2790 mm). However, the rear suspension is different here: not McPherson, like on the Camry, but a multi-link, like the current generation Lexus RX. From the same machine got the all-wheel drive version of the Highlander and the JTEKT multi-plate clutch, which connects the rear axle when the front is slipping and is capable of sending up to 50% of the torque to it. Crossovers for Russia, by the way, have a slightly softer suspension than their counterparts in the United States.

2014 Highlander: Design Story | Toyota



The car we had on the test was equipped with a 2,7-liter petrol engine with 188 hp. with a maximum torque of 252 Newton meters. The 1AR-FE engine with an alloy block is well known to Toyota lovers from the Venza models and the same Highlander of the previous generation. In addition, it is installed on the most affordable version of the Lexus RX - RX 270. On the Highlander, the power unit is paired with a six-speed "automatic". Up to 100 km / h SUV weighing 1 kg, the model accelerates in 880 seconds and is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 10,3 km per hour.

The top version of the Highlander in Russia is equipped with a 3,5-liter V6 with a capacity of 249 horsepower. Such a car accelerates to 100 km / h in 8,7 seconds. The maximum speed is the same as that of its less powerful counterpart - 180 kilometers per hour. The same engine in the United States has a great return: 273 horsepower. Especially for Russia, in order to reduce the amount of tax, the engine was derated.

Test drive Toyota Highlander


The impressive dimensions of the Highlander and a weight under two tons allow you to feel confident on the track, while the car's maneuverability in urban realities does not suffer. The Highlander has a pretty stiff suspension for a family car, but I personally enjoyed these settings both as a driver and as a passenger. In general, the car surprises with ease of control: it is pleasant to accelerate on it, it is predictable in braking.

 

I liked the Highlander salon - no frills and bells and whistles, everything is simple and clear. I would even call it stylish. In some interior design solutions, the focus is on the American consumer: large buttons, wide seats, a long shelf right in the dashboard. It's even hard to imagine how much nonsense can be placed there. The trunk is just huge, and that's very American too. When I worked in the United States as a student, I often watched locals stuffing the trunks of their SUVs with tons of supermarket bags. Going on a short weekend trip, they carry with them a bunch of things, some of which remain in the car after the trip. If I were a mother of several children, I would be delighted with the Highlander trunk: a stroller, a children's tricycle bike, a scooter and a bag of toys can easily fit in here. The situation, of course, will change dramatically if you expand the third row of seats. But by sacrificing luggage space, you can get full-fledged seats for passengers.

 

Test drive Toyota Highlander

Prices and the

The initial version of Highlander - "Elegance" - costs $32. For this money, the buyer gets a car with a 573-liter engine, front-wheel drive, seven airbags, ABS, EBD, emergency braking assistance, ESP, traction control and hill start assistance, 2,7-inch wheels, roof rails on roof, leather interior, leather-trimmed steering wheel, fog lights, headlight washers, LED headlights with LED daytime running light, rain and light sensors, cruise control, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, power mirrors, driver's seat and fifth doors, heated all seats, windshield, side mirrors and steering wheel, three-zone climate control, rearview camera, multifunctional color display, six-speaker audio system, full-size spare wheel.

Test drive Toyota Highlander



Initially, I was ready to take the same position. Despite the quite modern, even striking appearance, there are many disadvantages that immediately catch the eye. Modest dynamics, clumsy display graphics, not the most modern navigation, high fuel consumption - not the best set of terms.

The secret of this car is that it captivates gradually, day after day. You give it back and you realize that in the car you moved to, the central armrest is not even half as spacious as on a Japanese SUV - here, it seems, it can easily swallow a tourist backpack. Or the trunk on a new car is not so voluminous and narrower - it’s not easy to put a bike in there. Or suddenly you realize that for the twentieth minute you have been trying to fold the third row of seats on a new test car, while on the Highlander this procedure took several seconds: a tug here, a little nudge there, and you're done. Moreover, despite the outdated graphics, the multimedia system collects information that is not available on many other cars. For example, a fuel consumption log for the last five trips, a graph of its change over the last 15 minutes, and so on.

In general, if I were asked to describe it in one word, I would answer without hesitation: “Convenient”. And this applies to every little thing, every aspect. But, I admit honestly, I would not buy it myself yet. He, of course, is not at all an old man's, but I would still like to drive every day not so much in an incredibly comfortable car as in a dynamic car. And, as Suvorov said, "the more amenities, the less courage." It is the courage that I absolutely lack in such a Highlander. Another question is what the 249-horsepower all-wheel drive version is capable of.

The impressive dimensions of the Highlander and a weight under two tons allow you to feel confident on the track, while the car's maneuverability in urban realities does not suffer. The Highlander has a pretty stiff suspension for a family car, but I personally enjoyed these settings both as a driver and as a passenger. In general, the car surprises with ease of control: it is pleasant to accelerate on it, it is predictable in braking.

I liked the Highlander salon - no frills and bells and whistles, everything is simple and clear. I would even call it stylish. In some interior design solutions, the focus is on the American consumer: large buttons, wide seats, a long shelf right in the dashboard. It's even hard to imagine how much nonsense can be placed there. The trunk is just huge, and that's very American too. When I worked in the United States as a student, I often watched locals stuffing the trunks of their SUVs with tons of supermarket bags. Going on a short weekend trip, they carry with them a bunch of things, some of which remain in the car after the trip. If I were a mother of several children, I would be delighted with the Highlander trunk: a stroller, a children's tricycle bike, a scooter and a bag of toys can easily fit in here. The situation, of course, will change dramatically if you expand the third row of seats. But by sacrificing luggage space, you can get full-fledged seats for passengers.



For me, Toyota Highlander is the perfect family car: safe, roomy, comfortable. It is comfortable to drive it yourself or give it to your husband to steer, comfortably seated nearby. And for management in the city, perhaps, this configuration will be enough. But if the plans are to test the Highlander in off-road conditions, then, of course, it is worth paying extra for all-wheel drive and a more powerful engine. This will add a little more excitement to driving the Highlander. After all, even on a harmonious family car, sometimes you want to fool around a little.

In a car with the same engine, but in the "Prestige" version, a lane change assistant, decorative wood-like interior inserts, sun blinds on the rear doors, front parking sensors, ventilated seats of the first row, memory of the driver's seat and side mirrors will be added to the list. navigation system. Such a car costs $ 35

A Highlander with a 3,5-liter engine in the Elegance and Prestige trim levels will cost $ 36 and $ 418, respectively. However, the version with the top engine has a "Lux" equipment option. It differs from others in the presence of systems for keeping the car in the lane, assistance when descending from the mountain and high beam control, a more premium audio system with eight speakers and costs $ 38

Test drive Toyota Highlander


On the go, the Highlander didn't disappoint either. A moderately heavy informative steering wheel, a minimum of longitudinal vibrations and just a very comfortable suspension - Toyota lulls you to sleep only where the highway ends and what we call "the road from dacha to dacha" begins. You rush along all the potholes without looking back - Highlander feeds courage not only thanks to the commander's landing, but also the omnivorous suspension. "Bang, boom" - this is a "motorist's kit" flying around the trunk, which, by the way, is Velcro. Wheels and plastic in the cabin, at least that: no crickets and no squeaks. Break the suspension? Yes, you are joking!

 

It’s a pity that we didn’t manage to travel around snowy Moscow - in the wrong season we took the Highlander for a long test. So it was not possible to dispel the myth that there is no funnier farce than mono-drive crossovers in combat conditions. But in any case, I have not seen such dachas in the European part of Russia, so that one could only get to them in a UAZ Patriot or Land Rover Defender. So I prefer not to listen to all this talk about the uselessness of large front-wheel-drive crossovers.

History

For the first time, the Toyota Highlander (in Japan and Australia, the model is called the Kluger) was presented at the New York Auto Show in April 2000. In fact, it was the Highlander that became the first mid-size SUV. Until 2006, this particular model was Toyota's best selling SUV (the crossover ceded this title to Rav4).

Test drive Toyota Highlander



On the go, the Highlander didn't disappoint either. A moderately heavy informative steering wheel, a minimum of longitudinal vibrations and just a very comfortable suspension - Toyota lulls you to sleep only where the highway ends and what we call "the road from dacha to dacha" begins. You rush along all the potholes without looking back - Highlander feeds courage not only thanks to the commander's landing, but also the omnivorous suspension. "Bang, boom" - this is a "motorist's kit" flying around the trunk, which, by the way, is Velcro. Wheels and plastic in the cabin, at least that: no crickets and no squeaks. Break the suspension? Yes, you are joking!

It’s a pity that we didn’t manage to travel around snowy Moscow - in the wrong season we took the Highlander for a long test. So it was not possible to dispel the myth that there is no funnier farce than mono-drive crossovers in combat conditions. But in any case, I have not seen such dachas in the European part of Russia, so that one could only get to them in a UAZ Patriot or Land Rover Defender. So I prefer not to listen to all this talk about the uselessness of large front-wheel-drive crossovers.

In 2007, the second generation of the car was presented at the Chicago Auto Show, which was initially sold only with a six-cylinder engine with a capacity of 280 hp, a version with a less powerful four-cylinder unit (such was the first Higlander) was removed from the line, but again appeared in 2009. The production of the second generation SUV was established not only in Japan, but also in the United States and China. From 2007 to 2012, more than 500 Highlander were sold in the United States.

Finally, the third and last generation of the car was presented in 2013 at the auto show in New York. The model has significantly increased in size (+ 70mm to the length, + 15,2mm to the width). In the USA, the Highlander, in addition to the same engines that are available in Russia, can also be bought with a hybrid power plant.

Test drive Toyota Highlander


For those who thought this Highlander was handsome enough to be a Lexus, it really is. The model has very similar dimensions to the Lexus RX, but, in my opinion, the Highlander is more "sexy" than the current generation RX.

 

The dark side of this model is the name. Highlander (translated from English) for most Russians of a certain age is a film and television series from the 1980s in which an incredible number of people were killed. In addition, Highlander sounds like the name unimaginative marketers gave to supermarket Scotch whiskey. These whiskeys are cheap, taste terrible, and do the job they were created for, without any grace or beauty.

The Highlander's biggest disadvantage is the ride. This is especially true for the corners: the Highlander is a typical SUV here. He staggers like a fat child wearing Mom's stilettos, and this gives rise to unpleasant sensations in the stomach. However, if you never use your car to pick up other people's kids from the party, and you always treat yours to a seasickness pill before boarding, this is a great choice. By the way, if you are against feeding your children any kind of chemistry, choose an interior in four shades of gray: any dry cleaner will assure you that this one gets along much better with children.

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