Toyota Highlander: The Camry of SUVs

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Larger, faster, and more efficient than the SUV it replaces

The Bad: Some features aren't particularly interesting

The Bottom Line: Toyota now delivers in a larger loaf that any car person can feel safe recommending

Reader Reviews

Inevitably, when people find out you're an automotive journalist, they blurt out the question, "So what's the best car?"

What a silly question. Of course, you as the informed readers of TheCarConnection.com know the real truth; there are thousands of choices out there at price points to suit paupers and princes. If my questioner is sincere, I often ask a series of questions to find out what they're truly interested in, and if it's a new main-line middle-of-the-road vehicle, I offer "safe" advice that's unlikely to ever bite me in the butt…I say, "It's tough to go wrong with a Toyota Camry or Highlander."

After reading this, the PR wonks from other manufacturers are scratching me off of their future drive lists, so it's important for to note that I often recommend non-Toyotas. But, I reiterate, that when white bread is what somebody's looking for, Toyota knows how to serve it up.

Case in point is the second-generation 2008 Toyota Highlander. This new SUV is larger, faster, and more efficient than the one it replaces, but before we get into the details, a little history: launched in 2001, the first-generation Highlander helped define the growing class of car-based SUVs?those would be what most call crossovers. (This designation is getting murky as it's being applied to vehicles like the GMC Acadia, a crossover for which there is no car to base it on.)

Offering about the same room as a mid-size sedan in a more rugged looking package, the original Highlander racked up some serious sales. Updated for 2004, sales remained strong thanks to significant upgrades to its powertrains and features. During the maturation of the first-generation Highlander, the market landscape continued to evolve. Truck-based SUV sales waned while crossovers waxed, with the latter overtaking the former in 2006. And as in many car segments, nameplates like the Camry were growing in dimensions to suit the evolving tastes of their owner bodies.

Toyota carefully watches such trends and their overall product line has evolved to match shifting demand. During its 2006 redesign, Toyota 's compact RAV4 grew by over 20 percent inside and gained V-6 power, bringing it awfully close to the dimensions and capabilities of the soon-to-be-extinct generation of Highlander. Within this framework, the changes Toyota made to the 2008 Highlander make perfect sense.

Significantly, the '08 Highlander is bigger. Lots bigger. Inside and out. While Highlander used to be sized closely to the Ford Escape, it's now closer to the Ford Explorer. The Highlander's overall length of 188.4 inches just about matches its arch-nemesis, the Honda Pilot. But, the Highlander's efficient packaging yields an interior space that surpasses the Honda's and actually compares favorably to larger SUVs like the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Ford Explorer, and Dodge Durango.

Inside, the increased room is put to good use. Two rows of seats are standard, but the Limited and Sport models we drove featured three rows of seats. Second-row room proved ample for American-sized men, especially when the standard rear bench seat was configured like individual buckets. (It's two, two, two seat designs in one.) Executive chief engineer Yukihiro Okane explained that a current Highlander customer asked Toyota to design a full-width bench seat that provided a van-like pass-through to the third row. Okane's team developed a feature appropriately dubbed the "Center Stow Seat." ( Toyota felt compelled to trademark this pithy moniker. Go figure.)

When in place, the center cushion provides a spot for a third (small) behind. When stowed (an action that takes less than 15 seconds) in a rattle-free cubby under the front console, the space between the outboard bucket seats is wide enough to provide access to the two-person foldable third-row bench. While an adult wouldn't want to be in the third row for more than a few miles, the space is plenty large for the kids that will be crawling back there for their ride to soccer.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.