Toyota Highlander for Sale
By
Herman Syah
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Sunday, April 1, 2018
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Toyota Highlander
Toyota Highlander For Sale
Like the 1986 film Highlander, the Toyota SUV that shares its name is a crowd-pleaser that cannot motivate fervor among doubters. After more than 190,000 Highlanders rolled off dealership lots last year, Toyota's mid-size crossover SUV went into 2017 with a host of adjustments targeted at pleasing the masses and pundits alike.
Significantly, all Highlanders, from the base $31,590 LE to the state-of-the-art $48,840 Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum, currently come standard with a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection and automated emergency braking, plus lane-departure caution, lane-keeping help, adaptive cruise ship control, and automatic high-beams. Our all-wheel-drive $43,184 Highlander XLE test automobile likewise loaded blind-spot tracking, an attribute inaccessible on the lower-level Highlander LE and LE And also.
Accompanying the 2017 Highlander's various safety systems is the most up to date variant of Toyota's 3.5-liter V-6 engine. The six-cylinder is conventional on just about the base front-wheel-drive Highlander LE-- which continues to make use of a wimpy 185-hp inline-four-- and includes a host of modern technologies, consisting of a straight and port fuel-injection system and also an updated valvetrain that permits the engine to work on the extra effective Atkinson cycle. Rated at a healthy 295 horsepower and also 263 lb-ft of torque, the modified V-6 makes 25 more ponies and an additional 15 lb-ft compared to the previous unit. Gas economic climate is up, too, with the front-wheel-drive 2017 Highlander V-6 gaining an EPA-rated 23 mpg combined; all-wheel-drive versions accomplish 22 mpg. Both numbers note a 2-mpg improvement over last year's Highlander as well as placed the crossover within 1 mpg of the four-cylinder Mazda CX-9's consolidated fuel-economy numbers.
Toyota's 2GR-FKS six is a gem of an engine that constructs power mostly all the way approximately its 6800-rpm redline. At the track, this Highlander cut 0.3 2nd off of its predecessor's zero-to-60-mph and also 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 nearly a second behind that of its forbear. Condemn the new eight-speed transmission's hesitancy to downshift. No matter, the revised Highlander's V-6 offers a lot of grunt in many real-world driving circumstances. Thanks partially to our test vehicle's automated stop-start system, we managed an affordable 21 mpg throughout our time with the crossover, 2 mpg much better compared to exactly what we obtained from a Mazda CX-9.
The Aspect of Crossover
If the 2017 Highlander's V-6 powertrain is the equivalent of Highlander's lovely Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos RamÃrez (played by Sean Connery), then the crossover's spruced up outside style is akin to the movie's handsome yet forgettable protagonist, Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert). New front and also back fascias, updated headlamps, as well as an appealing collection of LED taillights provide the Highlander a more natural, SUV-like look. Yet we still would not put it quite on the same level of appearance as the butch Dodge Durango or the hot CX-9.
Unlike the exterior, the Highlander's interior has been left greatly untouched. Toyota did add four even more USB ports, bringing the overall to five-- three in front and also 2 in the rear. The cabin features a variety of useful storage nooks, including a shelf that extends the lower dashboard and a substantial center-console container that can accommodate almost a cubic foot of various things. Ergonomic mistakes consist of difficult-to-grip temperature handles for the climate-control system as well as a touchscreen that's too far from the motorist.
While base-level LE and also LE And also Highlanders feature a standard second-row bench seat, the XLE, SE, Limited, as well as Restricted Platinum qualities feature captain's chairs in the center. (The bench seat is a no-cost alternative on the XLE, Limited, and Restricted Platinum.) Room is plentiful in the 2nd row, but we discovered that our seven-passenger test vehicle's bucket seats were placed as well reduced for ideal comfort. Still, the Highlander's moving as well as reclining second-row chairs were like a set of La-Z-Boy recliner chairs compared to the slim and lightweight 60/40 split-folding third-row bench. Legroom in the wayback is simply 27.7 inches, a full 6 inches less compared to exactly what the Volkswagen Atlas's rearmost row deals. If you routinely carry adequate travelers to advantage frequent use of the third row, consider the Atlas, a Honda Pilot, or a Ford Flex.
Shadow of an SUV
Even with the Highlander's carlike unibody building as well as low step-in elevation, this mid-size crossover's taking care of advises us of an antique body-on-frame SUV, as its softly sprung suspension allows excessive body roll in turns. On the bonus side, the suspension takes in road irregularities with nary a shudder, and also the electrically aided steering is relatively quick as well as usually well weighted.
At 4560 extra pounds, our all-wheel-drive Highlander examination car was no light-weight, as well as the excess mass made itself recognized when applying the brakes, as the Toyota needed 181 feet of tarmac to stop from 70 mph-- 11 feet greater than a 161-pound-lighter all-wheel-drive GMC Acadia Denali.
With an as-tested cost of $43,184, our Toasted Walnut Pearl Highlander XLE showed off $3704 in alternatives. Of that tally, four-wheel drive adds $1460 as well as brings vestigial mud flaps, hill-descent control, as well as a screen setup within the 4.2-inch gauge-cluster screen that reveals torque distribution amongst the Highlander's 4 wheels. An $1810 rear-seat entertainment system was one of the most expensive alternative, while $434 bought flooring mats and also body-side moldings. Standard items consisted of navigating, a distance trick with push-button start, and also a sunroof, in addition to previously mentioned features such as a blind-spot tracking system as well as leather-trimmed initial- and also second-row seats (Toyota drapes the third row in vinyl).
While the Highlander's drab handling and confined third row remain to curb our excitement for the Indiana-built crossover, the updated 2017 Highlander's lengthy list of standard safety and also ease functions, more powerful and fuel-efficient V-6 engine, and also enhanced exterior designing will continuously bring in stockpiles of consumers searching for a comfy and moderately valued mid-size crossover SUV.