Toyota Highlander 2008 for Sale
By
Pusahma satu
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Monday, April 30, 2018
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2008 Toyota Highlander
The Highlander makes the grade on all counts, though it doesn't excel in any kind of one area. Given it can keep its impressive resale worth as well as integrity, it ought to show a smart-- otherwise particularly captivating-- selection for several years ahead.
Base, Sporting activity as well as Limited trim degrees come with front- or 4x4, and all can seat five or seven, depending upon the configuration. Costs range from roughly $27,000 to $40,000 with choices.
I evaluated all three trim levels of the regular Highlander at a Toyota occasion in Michigan.
Toyota Highlander 2008 For Sale
Edgier Designing
Toyota's The golden state style workshops sculpted the outside, which is larger in all major measurements than the old Highlander. To my eyes, Toyota's smaller RAV4 SUV looks better-proportioned, with just sufficient contours to balance out the angles. With its creased fronts lights, showy grille and also characterless bumper, the Highlander seems a bit also glossy-- like a corner store buyer that won't take off his sunglasses.
The rear bumper has lumpy reflectors on each side, as well as many trim degrees have a glass hatch that opens up independent of the liftgate. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels are standard; the Sporting activity and also Limited have 19-inchers that fill in the wheel wells well. The Sporting activity has a dark silver grille and also smoked-out headlights. The Limited has plainer fronts lights as well as chrome outside moldings.
At 188.4 inches long as well as 75.2 inches vast, the Highlander casts roughly the exact same darkness as a Honda Pilot, Subaru Tribeca or Hyundai Veracruz. The Mazda CX-9 and also Saturn Overview are both regarding a foot longer.
The Within
Toyota has actually invested years building a credibility for high quality, as well as missing any type of severe competitors, the brand-new Highlander may have maintained that requirement. The competition is absolutely nothing otherwise severe, however, as well as SUVs like the CX-9 and Veracruz flaunt some remarkably upscale interiors. In contrast, Toyota drops a little bit short.
The Highlander shares bases with the existing Camry, and also the control panel births much of the car's taste. The center controls are the natural centerpiece, with extra-large handles for significant features within simple reach. Sport as well as Limited models have a 3.5-inch display atop the stereo. It shows gas mileage, outside temperature and more. It additionally shows setups for the optional automated climate control system, which can divide the cabin into as several as 3 temperature level zones-- two front as well as one back. The environment manages sit below the stereo, and they're terribly messy. I counted 13 switches between the two temperature level knobs; that's a lot of ground to cover when you're referencing a readout some 10 inches away. In contrast, the common manual air conditioning is easy.
Cabin high quality is simply ordinary. The home window switches, turn signals as well as center controls might go straight into a Lexus, as well as the chrome accents as well as electroluminescent gauges look fantastic. Many areas are trimmed in difficult plastics, however, and also the textures lack the appeal of the stuff in numerous competitors. Worst of all is the ceiling's headliner, which is several of the cheapest mouse fur this side of an economic climate automobile.
Moms and dads will value the storage space alternatives. The center console in between the pole positions has four cupholders and also a large storage space container. Neglect laptops; the glove box could fit a small computer. (Possibly not the monitor, though-- let's not get carried away.).
Three typical rows of seats accommodate up to seven, though you could go down the 3rd row in order to save a little cash, minimizing seating capacity to five. The front seats provide lots of space, with a trick extender in the Highlander Limited that expands the pillow under the vehicle driver's thighs. Great touch.
The second row is just as commodious, with reclining backrests as well as seat pillows that adjust backward and forward. The facility seat has Toyota's brand-new Facility Stow attribute. It's essentially a jump seat, which guests could switch for a plastic facility console, transforming the 2nd row right into 2 captain's chairs. The unused portion-- either the middle seat or console-- stores in a flooring compartment in between the front seats. After a couple of practice runs, I was able to make the change in around 25 secs.
The jump seat is light sufficient for very easy installment. Its convenience is trial and error, even for a center seat; the bottom padding is substantial, yet I could conveniently feel the hinges under the back-rest padding. The plastic console is lighter still, and also both pieces have durable installment hooks that should endure a lot of thrashing from overenthusiastic kids.
Depending upon where the second row is positioned, the third row can be surprisingly adult-friendly. I'm 6 feet tall and discovered headroom a little bit tight, however with the 2nd row progressed a couple of inches-- preserving a lot of legroom for a lot of grownups-- the third row's legroom was such that I could tolerate a short trip.
Bigger Engine, Better Gas Mileage
All Highlanders get the 3.5-liter V-6 from the Camry, Sienna and a number of various other Toyotas. In the Highlander it makes 270 horse power and also 248 pounds-feet of torque. Both are substantial gains over in 2014's V-6, which made 215 hp as well as 222 pounds-feet of torque. A five-speed transmission is typical. In 2015's base four-cylinder engine has actually been dropped.
Acceleration is adequate off the line and stronger as the engine revs. The transmission helps things along, holding gears as well as seldom moving prematurely. Hard acceleration can prompt some sudden changes among reduced equipments-- better for velocity, even worse for comfort-- however a lot of the time the changes are smooth adequate to pass unseen. The drivetrain feels ideal on the freeway, where it downshifts with very little equipment searching. 3rd equipment is specifically powerful for 50-to-70 mph passing away.
The optional four-wheel drive is transparent to the driver. It includes a facility differential to divide power 50/50 in between the front and also rear wheels all the time. Four-wheel-drive models have a downhill help feature. Press a control panel switch, as well as it will slow the SUV to a crawl down steep grades. The attribute appears a little bit insincere: There is no reduced equipment for offroad rock crawling, which means you should probably stay clear of anywhere treacherous enough to need the downhill aid.
All Highlanders have a hill-start aid that holds the brakes for approximately three seconds from a stop to prevent the SUV from rolling backward prior to you have time to hit the gas.
Making use of the EPA's more realistic 2008 ranking system-- which usually causes reduce numbers-- gas mileage is ranked at 18/24 mpg (city/highway) for two-wheel-drive versions and 17/23 mpg for those with 4x4. These rankings lead most midsize SUVs by 1 or 2 mpg. They additionally defeated the old V-6 Highlander by about 1 mpg (adjusted using the EPA's brand-new computation)-- an excellent task, provided the new Highlander has even more power and also considers some 300 pounds a lot more. (Four-cylinder followers won't miss much: The old four-cylinder Highlander obtained simply 1 mpg more than the brand-new one does with the V-6.).
Trip & Handling
The unibody building and construction pays for a comfortable trip, with none of the underbody shimmying that pestered the previous Highlander (which was likewise unibody) as well as several body-on-frame SUVs. The four-wheel-independent suspension is sport-tuned in the Highlander Sporting activity, however I could not identify a distinction in flight suppleness amongst the base, Sporting activity and also Limited. All 3 have a bit extra suspension sound over major bumps than I've concerned anticipate in a midsize SUV.
Wind noise is marginal. Given a smooth stretch of asphalt, the tires are fairly silent. The Sport and Limited's 19-inch wheels and also P245/55R19 tires release a minor hum at freeway rates, which I could not detect with the base version's 17-inchers and also thicker P245/65R19 rubber.
All designs currently feature electric power steering. These systems save a bit on gas usage-- a little low-hanging fruit to meet the federal government's fuel economic climate standards, I presume-- yet they frequently lead to lifeless, artificial guiding feel. Expectedly, the Highlander guides with a light touch, never providing much in the way of feedback or transforming precision. The CX-9 fares better here, but few other competitors stand out. The same is true for body roll: Like many SUVs, the Highlander leans away in curves, advising vehicle drivers it's not to be caught swiftly.
Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are conventional. The pedal offers mushy reaction, yet the brakes clamp down hard when required.
Freight & Towing
With all three rows installed and increased, freight space in back is a meager 10.3 cubic feet. The third row folds flat into the flooring, and the second row folds nearly level. Highlanders without the 3rd row instead include a relatively large storage area under the rear flooring.
With all seats folded up, optimal freight quantity is 95.4 cubic feet, which compares much more favorably with the crowd.
When properly furnished, the Highlander can tow approximately 5,000 pounds.
Safety.
In Insurance Coverage Institute for Highway Safety frontal crash examinations, the 2008 Highlander scored the highest possible score, Good. IIHS has not tested the Highlander for side impacts.
Toyota really did not skimp on security attributes. All Highlanders come basic with four-wheel-disc anti-skid brakes, traction control as well as an electronic security system. The stability system currently works with the electric power guiding, which improves the power aid when the driver is guiding to remedy a skid. It additionally assists combat steering pull under difficult braking in order to help the Highlander stop in a straight line. (Toyota states the system can not steer the SUV by itself, as some innovative systems now do, so if you steer the upside-down in a skid, do not expect any added power aid.).
7 air bags are common, including the needed twin front air bags, a chauffeur's knee air bag and side-impact air bags for the front seats. There are also roll-sensing side drape airbags for all 3 rows, which deploy during a rollover to prevent owner ejection.
All seats have head restraints, and also in Sport and Limited models, the front ones are forward-adjustable for far better whiplash security. Energetic head restraints are basic on the pole positions of all trims. The 2nd row consists of Latch child-seat supports in the outboard seats, with easily obtainable top-tether supports midway down the seatback.
Attributes & Pricing
Excluding the location cost, the base Highlander with two-wheel drive starts at $27,300. A Highlander Limited with a complete bunch of alternatives runs around $42,000. Four-wheel drive on any type of trim adds regarding $1,500. All trim levels have three rows of seats, though a third-row erase option on specific models can save $740.
-For $27,300, the base Highlander includes 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless access, a CD stereo with an auxiliary MP3 jack, a/c, cruise ship control, as well as power home windows, mirrors and door locks.
-For $29,950, the Sport includes dark outside elements, 19-inch wheels, haze lights, a power motorist's seat, a multifunction steering wheel, a back-up camera and also six-CD audio.
-For $32,700, the Limited includes a keyless start-up system, automatic climate control, leather upholstery and a power traveler seat. A lot of these functions are optional on the Sport. Options on both trim levels include a navigation system, JBL costs sound, a rear seat DVD gamer, a moonroof, a power tailgate as well as warmed pole positions.
Highlander in the Market
Competitors from GM, Mazda as well as Hyundai will certainly offer the Highlander a run for its loan. Its largest opponent, the Honda Pilot, is due for a redesign in the next year or 2, and Toyota's key resource-- its track record for high quality and integrity-- has actually been slipping lately. The car manufacturer has promised to enhance its efforts, and also its newest SUV needs to show that.
The brand-new Highlander has lots of textbook sensibilities, like good gas mileage and also tons of safety features, however there's absolutely nothing exceptional regarding it. If it proves as bulletproof as its predecessor, though, stability will become its defining characteristic, which is a book draw a lot of customers could support.