Toyota Highlander Colors
By
Herman Syah
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Thursday, March 29, 2018
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Toyota Highlander
Toyota Highlander Colors
Like the 1986 movie Highlander, the Toyota SUV that shares its name is a crowd-pleaser that fails to inspire fervor amongst doubters. After more than 190,000 Highlanders rolled off dealer great deals in 2014, Toyota's mid-size crossover SUV went into 2017 with a host of changes focused on satisfying the masses and also experts alike.
Notably, all Highlanders, from the base $31,590 LE to the top-of-the-line $48,840 Highlander Crossbreed Limited Platinum, now come standard with a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian discovery and automated emergency braking, plus lane-departure caution, lane-keeping assist, flexible cruise ship control, and automated high-beams. Our all-wheel-drive $43,184 Highlander XLE examination cars and truck also loaded blind-spot monitoring, a feature not available on the lower-level Highlander LE and LE Plus.
Accompanying the 2017 Highlander's numerous security systems is the latest version of Toyota's 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The six-cylinder is conventional on all but the base front-wheel-drive Highlander LE-- which remains to use a wimpy 185-hp inline-four-- and incorporates a host of contemporary innovations, consisting of a straight as well as port fuel-injection system and also an upgraded valvetrain that permits the engine to operate on the much more reliable Atkinson cycle. Rated at a healthy 295 horse power and also 263 lb-ft of torque, the revised V-6 makes 25 more ponies and an extra 15 lb-ft compared to the previous unit. Fuel economy is up, as well, with the front-wheel-drive 2017 Highlander V-6 earning an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined; all-wheel-drive designs achieve 22 mpg. Both figures mark a 2-mpg renovation over in 2014's Highlander as well as placed the crossover within 1 mpg of the four-cylinder Mazda CX-9's consolidated fuel-economy figures.
Toyota's 2GR-FKS six is a gem of an engine that builds power nearly all the means approximately its 6800-rpm redline. At the track, this Highlander shaved 0.3 2nd off of its precursor's zero-to-60-mph and 30-to-50-mph times, hitting the marks in 7.0 and 3.8 seconds, respectively. Sadly, the 2017 Highlander's 5.6-second 50-to-70-mph passing time was both slow for the course and virtually a second behind that of its forbear. Blame the new eight-speed automatic transmission's hesitancy to downshift. Regardless, the modified Highlander's V-6 uses a lot of grunt in most real-world driving situations. Many thanks partly to our examination automobile's automatic stop-start system, we managed a reasonable 21 mpg throughout our time with the crossover, 2 mpg better than what we obtained from a Mazda CX-9.
The Element of Crossover
If the 2017 Highlander's V-6 powertrain is the matching of Highlander's captivating Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos RamÃrez (played by Sean Connery), then the crossover's revamped outside design belongs to the film's handsome however forgettable protagonist, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert). New front and rear fascias, upgraded headlamps, and also an eye-catching set of LED taillights provide the Highlander an extra natural, SUV-like look. However we still wouldn't place it fairly on the exact same level of appearance as the butch Dodge Durango or the hot CX-9.
Unlike the outside, the Highlander's interior has been left greatly unblemished. Toyota did include 4 even more USB ports, bringing the overall to 5-- 3 ahead as well as two in the rear. The cockpit features a variety of useful storage space spaces, consisting of a rack that covers the lower dashboard and also a massive center-console container that could fit nearly a cubic foot of various things. Ergonomic mistakes include difficult-to-grip temperature level handles for the climate-control system and also a touchscreen that's too far away from the vehicle driver.
While base-level LE and LE And also Highlanders include a standard second-row bench seat, the XLE, SE, Limited, and Restricted Platinum grades come with captain's chairs in the center. (The bench seat is a no-cost option on the XLE, Limited, as well as Minimal Platinum.) Room is plentiful in the second row, however we discovered that our seven-passenger examination auto's container seats were placed also reduced for optimal convenience. Still, the Highlander's gliding and also reclining second-row chairs resembled a pair of La-Z-Boy recliners compared to 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 less compared to just what the Volkswagen Atlas's rearmost row deals. If you consistently haul sufficient guests to advantage frequent use the 3rd row, think about the Atlas, a Honda Pilot, or a Ford Flex.
Shadow of an SUV
Despite the Highlander's carlike unibody construction and also reduced step-in elevation, this mid-size crossover's dealing with reminds us of an antique body-on-frame SUV, as its softly sprung suspension enables extreme body coming in turns. On the plus side, the suspension absorbs road irregularities with nary a shudder, and also the electrically helped guiding is relatively fast and usually well weighted.
At 4560 pounds, our all-wheel-drive Highlander examination car was no lightweight, as well as the excess mass made itself understood when applying the brakes, as the Toyota required 181 feet of tarmac to stop from 70 mph-- 11 feet more 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 as well as brings vestigial mud flaps, hill-descent control, and also a screen setting within the 4.2-inch gauge-cluster display that shows torque circulation amongst the Highlander's 4 wheels. An $1810 rear-seat home entertainment system was the most pricey alternative, while $434 gotten floor mats and also body-side moldings. Criterion things consisted of navigation, a closeness key with push-button beginning, and a sunroof, as well as previously mentioned functions such as a blind-spot surveillance system and also leather-trimmed initial- as well as second-row seats (Toyota cushions the third row in plastic).
While the Highlander's drab handling and also confined third row continuously curb our enthusiasm for the Indiana-built crossover, the updated 2017 Highlander's lengthy list of basic safety and security and also ease features, extra powerful and fuel-efficient V-6 engine, and also boosted exterior designing will certainly continuously draw in hoards of consumers seeking a comfortable as well as fairly valued mid-size crossover SUV.