Toyota Highlander Reviews
By
Alfian Adi Saputra
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Monday, May 21, 2018
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Toyota Highlander
Toyota Highlander Reviews
Like the 1986 movie Highlander, the Toyota SUV that shares its name is a crowd-pleaser that cannot inspire fervor amongst movie critics. After greater than 190,000 Highlanders rolled off dealer great deals last year, Toyota's mid-size crossover SUV entered 2017 with a host of modifications aimed at pleasing the masses and also pundits alike.
Notably, 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 discovery as well as automated emergency braking, plus lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, flexible cruise ship control, as well as automated high-beams. Our all-wheel-drive $43,184 Highlander XLE examination cars and truck additionally packed blind-spot monitoring, an attribute inaccessible on the lower-level Highlander LE and also LE And also.
Going along with the 2017 Highlander's numerous security systems is the most recent variant of Toyota's 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The six-cylinder is common on almost the base front-wheel-drive Highlander LE-- which continues to utilize a wimpy 185-hp inline-four-- and also incorporates a host of contemporary innovations, consisting of a straight as well as port fuel-injection system as well as an upgraded valvetrain that enables the engine to operate on the more efficient Atkinson cycle. Ranked at a healthy 295 horsepower and also 263 lb-ft of torque, the changed V-6 makes 25 even more horses as well as an extra 15 lb-ft compared with the previous unit. Gas economic situation is up, as well, with the front-wheel-drive 2017 Highlander V-6 gaining an EPA-rated 23 mpg integrated; all-wheel-drive models attain 22 mpg. Both figures note a 2-mpg improvement over last year's Highlander and placed the crossover within 1 mpg of the four-cylinder Mazda CX-9's mixed fuel-economy figures.
Toyota's 2GR-FKS 6 is a gem of an engine that builds power nearly all the way approximately its 6800-rpm redline. At the track, this Highlander cut 0.3 2nd off of its precursor's zero-to-60-mph as well as 30-to-50-mph times, hitting the marks in 7.0 as well as 3.8 seconds, respectively. Sadly, the 2017 Highlander's 5.6-second 50-to-70-mph passing time was both sluggish for the class as well as nearly a 2nd behind that of its forbear. Condemn the new eight-speed automatic transmission's hesitancy to downshift. No matter, the revised Highlander's V-6 offers plenty of grunt in many real-world driving scenarios. Thanks in part to our examination auto's automated stop-start system, we handled a reasonable 21 mpg during our time with the crossover, 2 mpg better compared to just what we obtained from a Mazda CX-9.
The Aspect of Crossover
If the 2017 Highlander's V-6 powertrain is the matching of Highlander's charming Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos RamÃrez (played by Sean Connery), after that the crossover's spruced up outside layout belongs to the film's handsome but forgettable protagonist, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert). New front and back fascias, updated headlamps, as well as an eye-catching collection of LED taillights give the Highlander a much more natural, SUV-like look. However we still would not put it quite on the very same level of appearance as the butch Dodge Durango or the hot CX-9.
Unlike the exterior, the Highlander's inside has been left greatly untouched. Toyota did include four more USB ports, bringing the overall to 5-- three ahead and also two in the rear. The cockpit features a variety of convenient storage space nooks, consisting of a rack that covers the lower dashboard as well as a massive center-console container that could fit almost a cubic foot of miscellaneous products. Ergonomic faults include difficult-to-grip temperature level knobs for the climate-control system as well as a touchscreen that's as well far away from the chauffeur.
While base-level LE and LE Plus Highlanders feature a common second-row bench seat, the XLE, SE, Limited, and Limited Platinum qualities come with captain's chairs in the center. (The bench seat is a no-cost alternative on the XLE, Limited, as well as Limited Platinum.) Area is plentiful in the 2nd row, however we found that our seven-passenger test auto's container seats were installed too reduced for optimal convenience. Still, the Highlander's moving and also reclining second-row chairs were like a set of La-Z-Boy recliner chairs compared with the slim and also lightweight 60/40 split-folding third-row bench. Legroom in the wayback is simply 27.7 inches, a full 6 inches fewer than just what the Volkswagen Atlas's rearmost row offers. If you routinely carry adequate travelers to value constant use of the 3rd row, consider the Atlas, a Honda Pilot, or a Ford Flex.
Shadow of an SUV
In spite of the Highlander's carlike unibody construction as well as low step-in elevation, this mid-size crossover's managing reminds us of an antique body-on-frame SUV, as its softly sprung suspension enables excessive body coming in turns. On the plus side, the suspension takes in roadway irregularities with nary a shudder, as well as the electrically helped guiding is reasonably quick and also usually well weighted.
At 4560 pounds, our all-wheel-drive Highlander test cars and truck was no lightweight, and also 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 price of $43,184, our Toasted Walnut Pearl Highlander XLE sported $3704 in choices. Of that tally, all-wheel drive includes $1460 and also brings vestigial mud flaps, hill-descent control, and also a display screen setting within the 4.2-inch gauge-cluster screen that reveals torque distribution among the Highlander's 4 wheels. An $1810 rear-seat entertainment system was the most costly alternative, while $434 bought floor mats and body-side moldings. Requirement items consisted of navigation, a distance trick with push-button begin, and also a sunroof, along with abovementioned features such as a blind-spot surveillance system and leather-trimmed very first- and also second-row seats (Toyota cushions the third row in vinyl).
While the Highlander's lifeless handling and cramped 3rd row remain to curb our excitement for the Indiana-built crossover, the upgraded 2017 Highlander's lengthy listing of conventional security and convenience functions, much more powerful and fuel-efficient V-6 engine, and enhanced outside styling will certainly continuously draw in hoards of customers seeking a comfy as well as moderately priced mid-size crossover SUV.