Toyota Highlander Review
By
Alfian Adi Saputra
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Saturday, May 26, 2018
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Toyota Highlander
Toyota Highlander Review
Like the 1986 movie Highlander, the Toyota SUV that shares its name is a crowd-pleaser that cannot inspire eagerness amongst critics. After greater than 190,000 Highlanders rolled off supplier lots last year, Toyota's mid-size crossover SUV got in 2017 with a host of modifications aimed at pleasing the masses as well as experts alike.
Especially, all Highlanders, from the base $31,590 LE to the top-of-the-line $48,840 Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum, now come basic with a pre-collision caution system with pedestrian detection as well as automated emergency braking, plus lane-departure caution, lane-keeping aid, flexible cruise control, and automated high-beams. Our all-wheel-drive $43,184 Highlander XLE test cars and truck also loaded blind-spot tracking, a feature unavailable on the lower-level Highlander LE and LE Plus.
Coming with the 2017 Highlander's countless safety and security systems is the most recent version of Toyota's 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The six-cylinder is common on all but the base front-wheel-drive Highlander LE-- which remains to utilize a wimpy 185-hp inline-four-- and includes a host of contemporary technologies, including a straight and also port fuel-injection system as well as an upgraded valvetrain that enables the engine to work on the much more reliable Atkinson cycle. Ranked at a healthy 295 horsepower as well as 263 lb-ft of torque, the modified V-6 makes 25 even more ponies and an extra 15 lb-ft compared to the previous device. Gas economic climate is up, as well, with the front-wheel-drive 2017 Highlander V-6 earning an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined; all-wheel-drive versions achieve 22 mpg. Both figures note a 2-mpg enhancement over in 2014's Highlander and also put the crossover within 1 mpg of the four-cylinder Mazda CX-9's combined fuel-economy numbers.
Toyota's 2GR-FKS 6 is a treasure of an engine that constructs power mostly all the way as much as its 6800-rpm redline. At the track, this Highlander cut 0.3 second off of its predecessor's zero-to-60-mph as well as 30-to-50-mph times, hitting the marks in 7.0 and also 3.8 seconds, respectively. Regrettably, the 2017 Highlander's 5.6-second 50-to-70-mph death time was both slow for the course and also nearly a second behind that of its forbear. Condemn the new eight-speed automatic transmission's hesitancy to downshift. No matter, the modified Highlander's V-6 offers a lot of grunt in most real-world driving circumstances. Thanks partly to our examination automobile's automatic stop-start system, we took care of a practical 21 mpg during our time with the crossover, 2 mpg far better compared to just what we received from a Mazda CX-9.
The Element of Crossover
If the 2017 Highlander's V-6 powertrain is the equivalent of Highlander's captivating Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos RamÃrez (played by Sean Connery), then the crossover's spruced up exterior style belongs to the film's good-looking however featureless protagonist, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert). New front and rear fascias, upgraded headlamps, and also an eye-catching collection of LED taillights offer the Highlander an extra natural, SUV-like look. Yet we still would not put it quite on the same degree of appearance as the butch Dodge Durango or the hot CX-9.
Unlike the exterior, the Highlander's interior has been left mostly unblemished. Toyota did include four even more USB ports, bringing the total amount to 5-- three ahead as well as 2 in the rear. The cabin features a variety of handy storage space nooks, including a rack that extends the reduced control panel and also an enormous center-console bin that could accommodate nearly a cubic foot of various items. Ergonomic mistakes consist of difficult-to-grip temperature level knobs for the climate-control system and also a touchscreen that's too away from the vehicle driver.
While base-level LE and also LE And also Highlanders feature a standard second-row bench seat, the XLE, SE, Limited, and also Limited Platinum grades feature captain's chairs between. (The bench seat is a no-cost option on the XLE, Limited, and also Limited Platinum.) Area is plentiful in the 2nd row, however we found that our seven-passenger test car's pail seats were installed as well low for optimum comfort. Still, the Highlander's gliding and also reclining second-row chairs resembled a pair of La-Z-Boy recliner chairs compared to the slim and lightweight 60/40 split-folding third-row bench. Legroom in the wayback is just 27.7 inches, a complete six inches fewer compared to just what the Volkswagen Atlas's rearmost row offers. If you frequently haul sufficient travelers to quality frequent use the 3rd row, consider the Atlas, a Honda Pilot, or a Ford Flex.
Darkness of an SUV
In spite of the Highlander's carlike unibody construction and low step-in elevation, this mid-size crossover's managing reminds us of an old-fashioned body-on-frame SUV, as its softly sprung suspension allows extreme body coming in turns. On the bonus side, the suspension takes in road irregularities with nary a shudder, and the electrically aided steering is reasonably fast and generally well weighted.
At 4560 pounds, our all-wheel-drive Highlander examination vehicle was no lightweight, as well as the excess mass made itself understood when applying the brakes, as the Toyota needed 181 feet of tarmac to quit from 70 miles per hour-- 11 feet more than a 161-pound-lighter all-wheel-drive GMC Acadia Denali.
With an as-tested cost of $43,184, our Toasted Walnut Pearl Highlander XLE showed off $3704 in alternatives. Of that tally, four-wheel drive includes $1460 and brings vestigial mud flaps, hill-descent control, and also a display screen setup within the 4.2-inch gauge-cluster display that reveals torque circulation amongst the Highlander's 4 wheels. An $1810 rear-seat enjoyment system was the most expensive choice, while $434 purchased flooring mats and body-side moldings. Requirement products included navigating, a proximity secret with push-button start, and a sunroof, as well as previously mentioned features such as a blind-spot surveillance system and leather-trimmed very first- as well as second-row seats (Toyota drapes the third row in plastic).
While the Highlander's lifeless handling and confined third row continuously suppress our excitement for the Indiana-built crossover, the upgraded 2017 Highlander's long list of conventional safety and security and convenience functions, more effective as well as fuel-efficient V-6 engine, and also enhanced exterior styling will certainly remain to bring in hoards of shoppers looking for a comfortable and also reasonably valued mid-size crossover SUV.