2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Review
>>james: the last toyota highlander sold well,but it had a cramped third row, its interior was unimpressive and it wasn't especiallygood to drive. most competitors were better. not any more. >>james: the 2014 highlander has been completelyredesigned and seriously improved. let's start with the third row. it's a 60/40 split thatfolds into floor, and not only does it have
2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Review, enough room for adults, there are three seatbelts. that means you can load up the highlander with as many as eight people -- most competitorscan only seat seven. >>james: the second row slides and reclines,and provides lots of space. this particular highlander has the captain's chairs, whichare a bit more comfortable, but do lower total
capacity to seven. >>james: the interior itself features a moremodern look and richer materials, many of which are soft to the touch or covered ina leather-like material. there's also an abundance of storage space. this shelf is a handy placeto store your cell phone, while the enormous center bin can swallow a purse. >>james: there are two electronics interfacesthat are more or less the same apart from their size. they're perfectly useable, butother systems are better. some of its surrounding buttons can also be hard to reach. >>james: the base highlander le comes witha 2.7-liter four-cylinder good for 185 horsepower
and 22 mpg combined. that fuel economy isbarely better than the v6 that's optional on the le and standard on everything else.it not only has 85 more horses, but makes the highlander one of the quickest full sizedcrossovers. if you care more about fuel economy, the highlander hybrid returns 28 mpg combined. >>james: the government gave the highlandera five-star overall crash rating, and the iihs named it a top safety pick plus. >>james: the toyota highlander is our top-ratedfamily crossover. it may not be as involving to drive as the mazda cx-9, nor is it as spaciousas a chevy traverse, but it's as well-rounded as it gets.
>>james: for more information about the highlanderand those fellow segment leaders, go to edmunds.com.
Sunday, April 16, 2017