Toyota Highlander Specials
By
Herman Syah
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Friday, March 30, 2018
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Toyota Highlander
Toyota Highlander Specials
Like the 1986 movie Highlander, the Toyota SUV that shares its name is a crowd-pleaser that fails to influence fervor among movie critics. After greater than 190,000 Highlanders rolled off dealer great deals in 2014, Toyota's mid-size crossover SUV got in 2017 with a host of adjustments targeted at satisfying the masses and also experts alike.
Significantly, all Highlanders, from the base $31,590 LE to the high-grade $48,840 Highlander Crossbreed Limited Platinum, currently come conventional with a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection and also automated emergency braking, plus lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and also automated high-beams. Our all-wheel-drive $43,184 Highlander XLE test cars and truck likewise loaded blind-spot tracking, a function inaccessible on the lower-level Highlander LE as well as LE And also.
Going along with the 2017 Highlander's numerous safety systems is the current variation of Toyota's 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The six-cylinder is basic on all but the base front-wheel-drive Highlander LE-- which continues to make use of a wimpy 185-hp inline-four-- and incorporates a host of modern-day technologies, consisting of a straight as well as port fuel-injection system and an updated valvetrain that enables the engine to operate on the much more reliable Atkinson cycle. Ranked at a healthy and balanced 295 horse power and also 263 lb-ft of torque, the revised V-6 makes 25 more horses and an added 15 lb-ft compared with the previous system. Fuel economic situation is up, also, with the front-wheel-drive 2017 Highlander V-6 gaining an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined; all-wheel-drive designs achieve 22 mpg. Both numbers note a 2-mpg enhancement over in 2015's Highlander and placed the crossover within 1 mpg of the four-cylinder Mazda CX-9's mixed fuel-economy figures.
Toyota's 2GR-FKS six is a gem of an engine that builds power nearly all the method approximately its 6800-rpm redline. At the track, this Highlander cut 0.3 2nd off of its predecessor's zero-to-60-mph as well as 30-to-50-mph times, hitting the marks in 7.0 and 3.8 secs, respectively. Regrettably, the 2017 Highlander's 5.6-second 50-to-70-mph passing away time was both sluggish for the course as well as almost a second behind that of its forbear. Criticize the new eight-speed transmission's hesitancy to downshift. Regardless, the changed Highlander's V-6 offers lots of grunt in most real-world driving situations. Thanks in part to our examination automobile's automated stop-start system, we took care of an affordable 21 mpg throughout our time with the crossover, 2 mpg far better compared to just what we got from a Mazda CX-9.
The Component of Crossover
If the 2017 Highlander's V-6 powertrain is the matching of Highlander's lovely Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos RamÃrez (played by Sean Connery), after that the crossover's revamped outside style is akin to the movie's handsome however forgettable lead character, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert). New front and back fascias, upgraded headlamps, and also an eye-catching set of LED taillights offer the Highlander an extra cohesive, SUV-like look. However we still wouldn't put it fairly on the exact same degree of attractiveness as the butch Dodge Durango or the shapely CX-9.
Unlike the exterior, the Highlander's interior has actually been left greatly unblemished. Toyota did add 4 even more USB ports, bringing the total amount to 5-- three ahead and two in the rear. The cabin features a number of useful storage nooks, including a shelf that covers the lower dashboard and a massive center-console bin that could fit nearly a cubic foot of assorted items. Ergonomic faults consist of difficult-to-grip temperature handles for the climate-control system and also a touchscreen that's as well far away from the chauffeur.
While base-level LE and also LE And also Highlanders feature a basic second-row bench seat, the XLE, SE, Limited, as well as Restricted Platinum qualities feature captain's chairs between. (The bench seat is a no-cost alternative on the XLE, Limited, as well as Minimal Platinum.) Area is plentiful in the second row, however we located that our seven-passenger test vehicle's bucket seats were placed as well reduced for optimal convenience. Still, the Highlander's sliding as well as reclining second-row chairs resembled a pair of La-Z-Boy recliner chairs compared with the slim and also lightweight 60/40 split-folding third-row bench. Legroom in the wayback is simply 27.7 inches, a full 6 inches less than just what the Volkswagen Atlas's rearmost row offers. If you consistently carry sufficient guests to merit frequent use of the 3rd row, think about the Atlas, a Honda Pilot, or a Ford Flex.
Shadow of an SUV
Despite the Highlander's carlike unibody building as well as reduced step-in height, this mid-size crossover's dealing with reminds us of an antique body-on-frame SUV, as its softly sprung suspension enables too much body coming in turns. On the plus side, the suspension takes in roadway abnormalities with nary a shudder, and the electrically helped guiding is relatively fast as well as generally well heavy.
At 4560 pounds, our all-wheel-drive Highlander examination vehicle was no lightweight, and the excess mass made itself understood when applying the brakes, as the Toyota required 181 feet of tarmac to quit 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 options. Of that tally, four-wheel drive includes $1460 and also brings vestigial mud flaps, hill-descent control, and also a screen setting within the 4.2-inch gauge-cluster screen that shows torque circulation amongst the Highlander's 4 wheels. An $1810 rear-seat enjoyment system was one of the most costly choice, while $434 gotten flooring mats and body-side moldings. Standard items consisted of navigating, a closeness trick with push-button begin, as well as a sunroof, along with previously mentioned functions such as a blind-spot monitoring system as well as leather-trimmed initial- as well as second-row seats (Toyota cushions the 3rd row in plastic).
While the Highlander's lifeless handling and also confined 3rd row continue to suppress our excitement for the Indiana-built crossover, the updated 2017 Highlander's long listing of basic safety and security and also benefit attributes, more effective and fuel-efficient V-6 engine, as well as improved exterior designing will continuously bring in hoards of buyers searching for a comfortable and also moderately priced mid-size crossover SUV.