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Why (Not) the Toyota Highlander?

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TrueDelta's "Why (Not) This Car?" reviews of the Toyota Highlander, posted by owners, focus on the information most sought by many car buyers: the reasons to buy (or not buy) the Toyota Highlander compared to other car models.

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Comparisons: Toyota Highlander Preferred

Toyota Highlander: Reasons to buy
Front seat room: Wide seats
Fuel economy: Uses regular gas
Rear seat room & comfort: Third row seating and 2nd row has more leg room than the Murano by about 1".
Available features: Could get moon roof and DVD system
Front seat comfort: 4 cup holders
Cargo capacity & towing: tow package included heavy duty alternator and other towing related enhancements
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Nissan Murano: Reasons not to buy
Fuel economy: Uses Premium gas
Rear seat room & comfort: Slghtly less leg room for 2nd row passenger
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons to buy
Reliability & durability: No issues to date in 2 years of ownership.
Quietness: Stealthy quiet.
Powertrain performance: Extra 50 HP over the V6 with better mileage. Vehicle has NO Problem getting up and going
Fuel economy: For a 5 Adult or 7 Kids vehicle you can't beat averaging 22 mpg daily and still have 270 HP
Materials & workmanship: Toyota quality is there to to bottom.
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons not to buy
Handling: You do get a lot of torque steer when you get hard on the acceleration.
Safety & braking: brakes take a while to get use to. Going from my maxima back to the this car on the weekends, it takes a while to get use to the feel of the brakes
Audio & nav systems: What to costly for what you get.
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons to buy
Interior styling: Nice compact cabin - Limited has comfortable leather seats/steering wheel and OK wood fake trim. Brushed aluminum trim is nice though.
Fuel economy: In a class all it's own - 21-24 mixed driving mpg!
Quietness: Quiet for an SUV - Still a bit noisy though not as much as Dodge or Chevy.
Driving position & visibility: My wife likes to drive it - hated the durango and the silverado but says the highlander is 'just right'.
Reliability & durability: Hopefully - typical Toyota dependability.
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Dodge Durango: Reasons not to buy
Fuel economy: Umm....let's see - 11 mpg city - 15 mpg hwy. What's not to dislike?
Quietness: Road noise was pretty loud - probably has something to do with the 265 series L/T tires that were on it
Materials & workmanship: Plastic bits all over the vehicle (inside and out) broke/chipped/faded/etc.,. Just little annoyances though do appreciate the way it took a 65mph front end collision. Oh....wait....the airbag didn't deploy... more than a little annoyed at that.
Insurance & depreciation: 2002 durango cost 20% more to insure than 2006 highlander. Depreciation? was worth less than 1/5 it's original price after 6 years. Maybe that's not bad?
Color choices: Black, white, blue (2 shades), silver, maroon, forest green, red. All of the typical choices but pretty generic. The body style itself is nice though - I've always liked the looks of the older durangos - the new ones...not so much.
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Comparisons: Toyota Highlander Not Preferred

Toyota Highlander: Reasons not to buy
Cargo capacity & towing: Non-splitting 3rd row is plain stupid and was a deal breaker.
Rear seat room & comfort: Only two seats in the 2nd row, very small leg room in the 3rd row.
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Volkswagen Routan: Reasons to buy
Ride smoothness: despite it's bulk (it's a big vehicle after all), the ride over bad pavement, etc. was luxury like
Driving position & visibility: the Routan has a ride height that was 'just right' - not sports car low or full-size SUV high, just high enough to scout traffic ahead and little to no blind spots (backup camera was also a nice touch)
Quietness: when compared to the Toyota Highlander, the Routan had much more sound deadiner from outside road noise -- very easily noticeable
Front seat comfort: we have the higher line SEL with Nappa leather seats, just the right amount of padding and thigh support for long trips
Fuel economy: not great around in stop n go traffic, but we use it as our long trip car so 27+ on the highway is quite acceptable. we think this is due to the 6 speed automatic as it turns low RPM's at highway speed
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons not to buy
Driving position & visibility: too high - rear end has blind spots
Fuel economy: didn't want to speed 40K+ on the hybrid so without it -- not as fuel efficient for the type of driving I expect to do
Quietness: lots of tire and wind noise
Price or payments: VW was offering a sizeable discount on the Routan, a similar Highlander was from 8 to 10K more
Dealership practices: the particular Toyota dealer was a high volume one so didn't appear very interested in my business versus the VW one who was very attentive -- night and day experience
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GMC Acadia: Reasons to buy
Rear seat room & comfort: 3rd row is big enough for adults, leg room & head room, comfortable bench seat; 2nd row captains chairs were an option that I chose; easy to get around 2nd row and into 3rd row. I believe the Acadia was 11" longer than the Toyota Highlander.
Cargo capacity & towing: Cargo capacity - there is room behind the 3rd row seat for 2 small suitcases; Also, the 3rd row is a split fold (about 30/70) for the flexibility of cargo & passenger storage.
Exterior styling: Looks sharp, lower than an SUV and long; some say the front is boxy, but I disagree.
Interior styling: Comfortable, controls are laid out very well. There are a LOT of cotrols on my model, the SLT2 & I didn't even get the HUD or Nav system.
Audio & nav systems: Disclaimer - I'm not an audiophile; So from an amateur's POV, love the sound (6 speakers?), back seat can listen to separate music (part of DVD option that I have?); radio controls on steering wheel - nice; 2 wireless headphones w/DVD; XM nice
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons not to buy
Rear seat room & comfort: 3rd row seat not for adults - children only, not comfortable, not easy to reach the 3rd row; 3rd row seat optional - without it, it's just a giant 4-5 passanger car.
Cargo capacity & towing: With 3rd row seat, no room behind for cargo (maybe a set of golf clubs?). The 3rd row folds down, but no split like 50/50 or 40/60. Not flexible enough, this killed it as an option for us.
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons not to buy
Interior styling: 3rd row seat is full bench seat and individual side can not be raised or lowered independently.
Cargo capacity & towing: 3rd row seat is full bench seat and individual side can not be raised or lowered independently. Limits cargo capacity when up.
Price or payments: Over priced because was new model at time I was looking. Configured with unwanted trim and features vs competition.
Available features: 3rd row seating.
Rear seat room & comfort: 3rd row seat is full bench seat and individual side can not be raised or lowered independently. Access and available room much less than MDX.
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Hyundai Santa Fe: Reasons to buy
Available features: I wanted a navigation system in the new vehicle, but I didn't want to pay excessively for it. The value of the features on the Santa Fe compared to the cost is very good. I could get a lot of features for free that others charge for.
Interior styling: The Santa Fe feels roomy, yet sporty. They made some very good improvements as to the location of things such as cupholders and power plugs as compared to their earlier models.
Exterior styling: I liked the external styling of the earlier models of the Santa Fe, but the new one is also nice.
Past personal experience: I was in a rollover where I was knocked into a concrete barrier traveling over 55 mph. The Santa Fe protected the passenger cabin while the rest of the vehicle was crushed. I walked out of the wreck with only a scratch on my head.
Safety & braking: The Santa Fe continues to do well in crash tests. After the wreck I wanted to make sure I bought a top safety pick from the NHTSA.
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons not to buy
Dealership practices: Even though Toyota allows navigation to be included with the Sport model of the Highlander, the Gulf States Toyota group does not allow it. I could only get Navigation on the Limited model which came with too many pricey bells and whistles.
Available features: The Sport model was limited on what features could be included and the Limited model drove like a boat. Toyota allows good combination of features, but as stated before Gulf States Toyota sets the available packages with little room to maneuver.
Price or payments: Because you had to purchase features you did not want, the vehicle was much more pricey than others with the same features. They charged a premium for basic features included with other makes of cars.
Handling: Model with navigation drove like a boat.
Exterior styling: Too Large
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Single Vehicle Reviews: Toyota Highlander Pros and Cons

Toyota Highlander: Reasons to buy
Powertrain performance: Engine was quiet and felt powerful; transmission shifted smoothly
Fuel economy: rated fuel economy is impressive -- assuming it's matched by real-world experience
Handling: The Sport model cornered well, considering the vehicle size and type . . . not too much body lean
Brand reputation & image: Toyotas are reputed to be bulletproof and that was our experience with a 1994 Previa minivan
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons not to buy
Cargo capacity & towing: despite being rated higher in interior volume than the Pilot; the shape of the cargo area made it seem smaller
Interior styling: front dash and center console seemed way overdone
Front seat comfort: seats were hard and flat. Even top of the line luxury model seats were a big disappointment . . . one of the principal reasons we did not choose this vehicle
Materials & workmanship: The "leather" or whatever it was on the seats seemed hard and uninviting.
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons to buy
Safety & braking: Many Airbags, Drive height
Ride smoothness: Firmer suspension on sport model makes a difference
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons not to buy
Price or payments: you pay for the reputation.
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons to buy
Fuel economy: Tremendous, how 2.8 tons of weight use as much as 7L/100km - outstanding!
Reliability & durability: No reports of any problem yet
Powertrain performance: Quiet, strength, streightness - and economically too
Rear seat room & comfort: The widest seats of all Midsize SUVs (X5, Q7, Tourag, Cayenne, etc.)
Quietness: Nothing comparable on the market - the quietest car of all
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons to buy
Interior styling: Well thought out. Lots of storage, controls are easy to reach and use, confortable seats in first and second rows.
Past personal experience: As stated above, had a 2001 Highlander and it never gave me one bit of trouble. Dealer has been exceptional and easy to work with.
Reliability & durability: It just goes and goes. I had a 2001 and got this one and have not been disappointed. Never had a problem - just oil changes and routine maintenance.
Ride smoothness: Rides like a sedan not an SUV.
Materials & workmanship: Fit and finish are first rate. Paint jobis exceptional. Leather seats are sturdy and should hold up under rough usage.
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons not to buy
Handling: Steering is "vague" and not as reponsive as I would like.
Discounts & incentives: Still a bit over priced when I bought but have recently been more reactive to the market.
Price or payments: Price is still higher than comparable vehicles.
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Toyota Highlander: Reasons to buy
Reliability & durability: I am confident that the vehicle is well made and is a good investment for my money
Safety & braking: Standard equipment for the Limited includes front, knee and side curtain air bags. Vehicle Stability Control, ABS, Downhill Assist and good crash test ratings.
Available features: Auto lift gate, seating positions and configuration. Outside heated mirrors, heated seats, Drivers seat thigh support for long legs, lumbar support and comfortable seating position.
Insurance & depreciation: Lower cost to insure than most other SUV's. Holds it value well.
Materials & workmanship: Trim and fit is well executed. Controls are well positioned for easy reach and intuitive use.
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