Toyota Highlander Interior
Toyota Highlander Interior
Like the 1986 film Highlander, the Toyota SUV that shares its name is a crowd-pleaser that fails to motivate fervor amongst doubters. After greater than 190,000 Highlanders rolled off supplier whole lots in 2015, Toyota's mid-size crossover SUV went into 2017 with a host of changes aimed at satisfying the masses as well as pundits alike.
Especially, all Highlanders, from the base $31,590 LE to the high-grade $48,840 Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum, currently come standard with a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection and also automated emergency braking, plus lane-departure warning, lane-keeping aid, adaptive cruise control, and also automated high-beams. Our all-wheel-drive $43,184 Highlander XLE examination cars and truck also packed blind-spot monitoring, an attribute not available on the lower-level Highlander LE and also LE Plus.
Coming with the 2017 Highlander's countless security systems is the latest version of Toyota's 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The six-cylinder is typical on all but the base front-wheel-drive Highlander LE-- which continues to use a wimpy 185-hp inline-four-- and includes a host of contemporary technologies, including a straight as well as port fuel-injection system and an upgraded valvetrain that allows the engine to work on the extra effective Atkinson cycle. Ranked at a healthy and balanced 295 horse power and 263 lb-ft of torque, the changed V-6 makes 25 more ponies and an extra 15 lb-ft compared to the previous unit. Fuel economic climate is up, too, with the front-wheel-drive 2017 Highlander V-6 earning an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined; all-wheel-drive designs accomplish 22 mpg. Both numbers note a 2-mpg renovation over in 2014's Highlander and placed the crossover within 1 mpg of the four-cylinder Mazda CX-9's combined fuel-economy figures.
Toyota's 2GR-FKS six is a treasure of an engine that builds power mostly all the means approximately its 6800-rpm redline. At the track, this Highlander cut 0.3 2nd off of its precursor's zero-to-60-mph and also 30-to-50-mph times, hitting the marks in 7.0 as well as 3.8 secs, respectively. Regrettably, the 2017 Highlander's 5.6-second 50-to-70-mph passing away time was both slow for the course as well as almost a second behind that of its forbear. Blame the new eight-speed transmission's hesitancy to downshift. No matter, the changed Highlander's V-6 provides lots of grunt in the majority of real-world driving situations. Thanks partly to our examination cars and truck's automatic stop-start system, we handled a reasonable 21 mpg during our time with the crossover, 2 mpg far better than 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 lovely Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez (played by Sean Connery), after that the crossover's spruced up outside style belongs to the film's good-looking yet featureless protagonist, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert). New front and rear fascias, upgraded headlamps, and also an attractive set of LED taillights provide the Highlander an extra natural, SUV-like appearance. But we still wouldn't place it quite on the same degree of appearance as the butch Dodge Durango or the hot CX-9.
Unlike the exterior, the Highlander's inside has been left greatly unblemished. Toyota did include 4 more USB ports, bringing the overall to 5-- three in front as well as two in the rear. The cockpit includes a number of helpful storage space nooks, including a shelf that covers the reduced control panel and also a huge center-console container that could fit almost a cubic foot of various things. Ergonomic faults consist of difficult-to-grip temperature level handles for the climate-control system and a touchscreen that's also far from the vehicle driver.
While base-level LE and also LE Plus Highlanders come with a standard second-row bench seat, the XLE, SE, Limited, and also Minimal Platinum qualities include captain's chairs in the center. (The bench seat is a no-cost option on the XLE, Limited, and Restricted Platinum.) Area abounds in the second row, yet we located that our seven-passenger examination automobile's pail seats were placed as well low for optimal convenience. Still, the Highlander's moving as well as reclining second-row chairs were like a pair of La-Z-Boy recliner chairs compared with the slim as well as flimsy 60/40 split-folding third-row bench. Legroom in the wayback is just 27.7 inches, a full 6 inches fewer compared to just what the Volkswagen Atlas's rearmost row offers. If you consistently transport sufficient passengers to advantage constant use of the third row, consider the Atlas, a Honda Pilot, or a Ford Flex.
Shadow of an SUV
Despite the Highlander's carlike unibody construction as well as reduced step-in elevation, this mid-size crossover's dealing with reminds us of an old-fashioned body-on-frame SUV, as its softly sprung suspension permits extreme body coming in turns. On the plus side, the suspension absorbs roadway irregularities with nary a shudder, as well as the electrically assisted steering is relatively quick as well as usually well heavy.
At 4560 extra pounds, our all-wheel-drive Highlander test vehicle was no light-weight, and also the excess mass made itself known when using the brakes, as the Toyota required 181 feet of tarmac to quit from 70 miles per hour-- 11 feet greater 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 alternatives. Of that tally, all-wheel drive adds $1460 and 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 amongst the Highlander's 4 wheels. An $1810 rear-seat amusement system was the most costly alternative, while $434 purchased floor mats and body-side moldings. Requirement things consisted of navigation, a proximity secret with push-button begin, as well as a sunroof, as well as aforementioned attributes such as a blind-spot tracking system and also leather-trimmed initial- and also second-row seats (Toyota cushions the 3rd row in vinyl).
While the Highlander's lifeless handling as well as confined 3rd row continuously suppress our enthusiasm for the Indiana-built crossover, the updated 2017 Highlander's lengthy list of conventional security and benefit features, more effective and also fuel-efficient V-6 engine, and improved outside designing will remain to attract hoards of buyers looking for a comfy and moderately valued mid-size crossover SUV.