2008 Highlander Hybrid review

[JackDodge]

I was originally going to get a couple of tankfuls of driving first before posting this but then things began to occur to me and I'm afraid that I'll forget a lot of it so I'll write it now. Sort of a running log of my experiences with my new Highlander Hybrid. I'll also address some of the negatives that Consumer Reports has made and when they come out with their own review in the next few months, I'll address that as well.

This is written from the perspective of someone who drove a 2005 Prius for two and a half years so bear that in mind, please. If you've not driven a Prius before, some of it may not mean much to you.

First off, what I miss about the Prius:

Mileage, of course, is so obvious that it doesn't need to be stated any further.

1 Secret compartments
2 shifter and park button. One of the great things about the Prius is that the shifter and park button are so easy to work that even someone with severe arthritis can use them with ease. The HiHy has a stick shift that you'd see on many new cars and it's taking some getting used to. I keep reaching to push the park button and it isn't there, darn it.
3 can't shut off the engine without shifting in to park first. From time to time, I'd forget to push the park button on my Prius and hit the start button. The car would shut off anyway. Not so with a "normal" shifter that is on the HiHy.
4 shelves in the top glove compartment and the storage bin in the center console.
5 Digital speedometer readout, the HiHy has the same speedometer gauge that you'd find on any ordinary car.
6 If you forget and leave the lights on, shut of the engine and open the door, the lights stay on, unlike the Prius which shuts them off when the door is open. Eventually, the timer shuts off the headlights, though.

Things that weren't on the Prius that are on the HiHy or things that the HiHy does better:

1 cupholders everywhere, even the doors
2 third row seat (it has cupholders too)
3 Much quieter than the Prius, very little road noise.
4 Economy button. This button is located on the center console, near the shifter. It reduces engine performance and allows the HiHy to move in to EV mode more readily. Economy mode doesn't necessarily improve mileage that much but it preserves the mileage I've attained. This morning, I got the HiHy up to a little over 29 mpg and ended up in traffic with several stoplights and stop and go driving. This is where Econ mode does its best work.
5 EV button. A favorite hack of Prius owners and something that Toyota frowns upon (the hack, that is). The EV button forces the car to stay in EV mode. Unfortunately, the car decides whether or not to go along with your wishes. For example, if the car is cold (first thing in the morning, et al) then the car won't allow EV mode to be used. It will also shut off EV mode, and warn me with some beeps as it does so, if it decides that it can't support it any longer.
6 The HiHy seems to go in to EV mode earlier and easier than the Prius does. It also seems to recover mpg faster. That is, when I first drive in to work, the Prius would take perhaps 15 to 20 miles of slightly dropping mpg before it would start to go back up again. With the HiHy, its early drop off is regained in the first 10 miles.
7 No reverse beep to shut off.
8 the MFD is about a quarter the size of the Prius MFD and it doesn't display the avg MPG as diligently either which is something of a blessing since it doesn't constantly remind me that I'm getter twenty miles per gallon less than when I had my Prius.
9 Adustable driver seat. Enough said about that. Prius owners know what I mean.
10 gauge on the dashboard, directly behind the steering wheel (or in front of it, depending on your point of view) that shows battery charge status. I'll take a picture of that and post it later.
11 door lock button on the rear door is concealed and protected from the elements.

Things that are annoying about the HiHy:

1 The aux jack and compartment for the iPod, when in use, won't allow the little door to close. This means that I can't conceal that I have an iPod the way I can with a Dice unit installed in the glove box. Also, since the aux jack connects to the top of the iPod, it won't charge the iPod and I can't change songs with the audio system's controls. The space for the mp3 player seems to be designed for one the size of an iPod Nano. Too shallow for a regularly sized iPod.
2 the handle on the door protrudes so much that it slightly obstructs access to the window and door lock controls on the door. I have to reach around it which makes it somewhat awkward.
3 the shifter is somewhat vague. When shifting in to park, very often I shift in to 'B' without realizing it, which is at the very bottom of the shift order and park is the next one up. This is probably going to be the biggest irritation that I'll ever have with the HiHy.

Undoubtedly, I'll update this as time goes on.

Currently, there are zero defects and my mpg is 32. One of those things that the HiHy has in common with the Prius, no defects of any kind, anywhere.

[JackDodge]

more to follow

[JackDodge]

Part one, evidently I can only add 5 to one post. The one right after the dashboard shot is my latest MPG which I took much later than the rest of the MFD shots.

[JackDodge]

The last of the MFD shots. I took them in order.

[JackDodge]

Time to let go of the Prius and give an actual review of the 2008 HiHy. It has a 3.3L V6 engine and full-time 4WD ("w/Intelligence"). Standard also includes electronic continuously controlled variable transmission, stability control and anit-lock brakes.

Air bags for the driver include one for the knees. Front seats also have seat mounted side and curtain airbags All three rows have roll-sensing side curtain airbags. Other safety features are puddle lamps, tire pressure monitoring (that even monitors the spare) and rear-view camera.

Some features that are really useful:
1. The second row seats fold down when you pull the handles located in the rear (no more pushing a button and then shoving them myself). They also lock down flat which is a nice touch.
2. The center console of the second row can be used for cupholders and a couple of storage compartments or converted in to a cushion so that the second row can accommodate three passengers. The console or the cushion fit easily in to a compartment located in the lower rear of the front console. There are a/c vents for the second row as well.
3. The sunglasses compartment has a mirror built in to it so that you can watch the kids in the back rows. The setting is in the middle of up and down.
4. Pin light that shines down on to the center console. It's very subtle and gives a gentle illumination to the area. The brightness is tied in to the dashboard lights which is a little annoying. I'd prefer that it had its own brightness control so that the dashboard could be very low or off while the center console is as illuminated as possible.

The third row seats can be accessed by simply pulling on a strap behind the second row. Headrests can then be extended. They fold neatly away when the third row isn't needed. The rear privacy screen comes stored in the the shallow storage area in the back. Consumer Reports didn't think that the third row was as convenient as possible since it's a bench instead of one seat folding at a time but that's highly subjective. I would prefer bench when hauling lumber or large objects.

CR also criticized the steering as lacking feedback. They have the same thing to say about the Prius but if that's the extent of their criticism, then fine, I can live with that. The steering is solid just as the car is so feedback is not relevant to me.

Another standard feature is the tow prep package. Essentially, a trailer hitch with plug. The actual towing capacity of the HiHy is 3500 pounds and my bike rack fits in to the hitch quickly.

Also, the telescoping steering wheel is a welcome addition.

The HiHy's V6 engine gives it all the power that it needs and the hybrid system gives it some additional pep.

We had our first real snow not too long ago (I'm typing this paragraph on 12/26/07) where we got close to a foot of snow. I needed some things at Home Depot in the morning, before the plows or even much traffic at all had been on the road and the HiHy handled very well in the snow. The clearance underneath makes it easy to plow right through drifts which made it kind of fun to be out in the frozen tundra.

...more later...

[n8kwx]

Originally Posted by JackDodge

Another standard feature is the tow prep package. Essentially, a trailer hitch with plug. The actual towing capacity of the HiHy is only 1200 pounds, though

What is the source of the 1200 lb figure?

(The Toyota web site quotes 3500 lbs.)

[JackDodge]

Originally Posted by n8kwx

What is the source of the 1200 lb figure?

(The Toyota web site quotes 3500 lbs.)

Looks like you're correct, it's 3500. I could have sworn that the figure was 1200 but 3500 is obviously a lot better. Thanks for clearing that up.

[watersb]

Thanks for the review, Jack!

I'm a new forum member -- and new HiHy 2008 owner.

We just got back from 1000 miles of Thanksgiving road trip: three adults, two kids (in car seats), two large dogs, lots of luggage. Some snow. 2000 feet of elevation change. 1000 miles. 30 miles per gallon.

Two Priuses may have been able to do that with the same fuel consumption. Not sure about the snow, though... anyway it was a great trip.

Originally Posted by JackDodge

The aux jack and compartment for the iPod, when in use, won't allow the little door to close. This means that I can't conceal that I have an iPod the way I can with a Dice unit installed in the glove box

I'm not sure what you mean. I run the cable from the AUX jack to my iPhone via a driver's-side hole in the center console. The hole is right there. Had one in the Camry Hybrid, too. The center console door stays shut when in use.

I'll post a picture later...

Originally Posted by JackDodge

Currently, there are zero defects and my mpg is 32. One of those things that the HiHy has in common with the Prius, no defects of any kind, anywhere.

32 MPG is great. It's getting below freezing now and more than 30 MPG is hard to beat.

I think the Highlander Hybrid is built in Japan, in the same factory as the Lexus RX400h. Toyota has worked very hard to perfect the build quality on this vehicle.


I haven't noticed the actual tow hitch - just the towing prep package: it's wired for towing, and the radiator etc. can handle it. I don't think it has a tow hitch unless your dealer installed one.

The kids love the DVD player. I was skeptical. But it sure gets us going on long trips!

[JackDodge]

That's a drawback to having a brand new HiHy, very few other people have one to compare with. I'll have to check out that hole to run the cable. I still discover little things from time to time about the HiHy that make me like it even more. Now that we're getting real winter weather, I'm finding it difficult to stay at 30 mpg or above. Still, that's really good for a vehicle that size, eh?

[verbiosa]

How comfortable is sitting in the very back? I drove an '08 last week, and it was very comfortable and quiet up front, but I didn't have the kids with me to ride in the third row.