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toyota highlander
Any opinions on the toyota highlander 4wd vehical? Was thinking about one for the little misses?
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toyota highlander
I turned in a Camry (1996 V6) w/ 247,000 miles in Feb. The BEST car-- the absolute pinacle of practical engineering.
I got a 2005 V6 highlander AWD--VERY DISAPPOINTING
1) Transmission has a 2 second power lag when you stomp on the accelerator.
2) Cruise control STINKS-- very jerky on the slightest grade
3) Full time AWD is just stupid-too much drag-- 19 MPG on flat interstate highways AT BEST.
4) I am a salesman and neded to carry some samples so I opted for the highlander over a minivan thinking that it's "Camry like". It ain't!!! These mini SUV's are just impractical little yuppiefied stationwagons for suburbanites who see themselves as "rugged individualists" driving "trucks" BUNK. Swallow your ego and get a minivan. They ride a heck of a lot better, carry more and with a good set of European REAL snow tires are just as good in snow.
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toyota highlander
We live in the sticks and bought a highlander two weeks ago. My wife mostly drives it and hasn't complained about the hesitation but I know many owners have that problem. I believe there is a NHTSA investigation on this problem and toyota has been stonewalling on it for several years.
Some misc. impressions.
1. It does fabulously well on our five mile gravel logging road. AWD and stability control kick in and it's almost like you're on pavement.
2. The seats are too short for drivers 5' 10" tall or taller
3. My 5' 8" wife complains that the steering wheel position blocks the instrument panel
4. The radio reception sucks. Seriously, it's the worst radio in any vehicle we've owned. It's a common issue apparently and Toyota won't do anything about it. We'll have to replace it with an aftermarket unit.
5. Too much body roll in turns.
6. They need to offer a stick transmission
7. This is funky. My wife reports that you can get locked IN the highlander. If you are sitting inside and lock the doors with the remote you can't manually unlock them. I haven't verified but it seems that would be a safety hazard. What if the battery died or it caught on fire?
8. Very roomy, lots of nice storage nooks and crannies
9. Lots of road noise, might be tires
10. Speaking of tires, the OEM Bridgestone Dualler tires on ours have an incredibly thin 9/32" of tread. I'm sure they will last about a year before requiring replacement. Toyota cheaped out here.
11. If you drive on dusty roads be sure to get the rear spoiler. It REALLY helps keep dirt build-up off the back window. The window still gets dirty but it doesn't get 1/2" of dirt piled high which is what we got before the spoiler was installed.
It's been reliable so far but it's only been two weeks.
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toyota highlander
Forgot to mention, our HL came with daytime running lights which are a ~$50 option. My wife hates them because every time she is in traffic and her lights are reflected back at her from the car ahead she automatically thinks she left her lights on. Took it to the dealer to disconnect them and they said Toyota won't tell them how to reprogram the computer to disable DRL. WTF? It's an OPTION not a federal requirement.
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toyota highlander
Ken:
Should'a bought the Explorer. My daughter has had her 2004 for about 15 months. Today it is in for a rear end leak. Atleast it's covered by warranty. Everything has problems some time or another.
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toyota highlander
I'm being picky, but we're happy with the Highlander so far. As long as it stays reliable we'll have it for the long haul. I'll replace the radio and tighten up the suspension with better shocks, thicker sway bars and better tires. I hope the dreaded hesitation problem doesn't strike our HL. Toyota has let that problem go on for YEARS. Seems to affect the V6, not the 4 cyl and the scuttlebutt is that it's related to the "fly by wire" throttle. Give me a throttle cable any day.
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toyota highlander
Have you guys read the warnings about sludge in Toyota V6 engines?
I wouldn't expect the Highlander to get the same mileage as the Camry due to the larger frontal area and greater weight.
BTW, my 4 cylinder Camry gets 33-35 mpg of the road.
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toyota highlander
Ken,
Perhaps the problem is not the radio but the antenna? Is it a glass mount?
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toyota highlander
I know about the Toyota V6 sludge problems. Supposedly Toyota redesigned them to solve the problem. I'm not taking any chances, after break-in it's getting nothing but synthetic oil.
Dennis, it does have the mast antenna. Others on Edmunds have complained about poor reception as well. When we had it in to get the spoiler installed they gave me a tacoma loaner which had much better reception than the HL. The dealer says it's normal (of course) but I put in a complaint with Toyota and have an appointment on the 23rd to meet with the dealer rep. I'm not expecting much out of it though. She supposedly will drive a highlander for the next two weeks and see if the reception is poor.
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toyota highlander
I bought a 2007 Highlander Hybrid. It gets around 27 mpg. The only complaint that I have is the lack of gears. I tow a 1,100 lb trailer and when it is loaded to max (3500 lbs) I have difficulty going up my hilly drive at low speeds. I don't recommend it as a tow vehicle if you have over 2500 lbs. Towing mpg is around 17 mpg. Other than that I think that it is great. I bought it to replace a truck, but it doesn't. I bought a 2008 Tundra and love it.
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