Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I'd try to fill the Highlander consistently (i.e., no partial tanks, fill it just to the first click, and even use the same pump every time if you can), and keep good paper records for the next 2,000 miles. Then you'd have reason to worry that something is wrong if the mileage doesn't approach the EPA estimates.
In the meantime, there's not much you can do about "winter" gas, but these tips may help.
I do city & highway driving. I drive to work and it's about 10 miles round-trip. I only reached 24MPG ONE time since owning the car...and that was after driving highway for close to an hour. I have never, ever been in the 20's other than that day.
:mad:
Doing a little math in my head, if you refilled when the light came on you might have only used 16 gallons or maybe even as little as 15.5 gallons. I've only had my 2010 Limited a couple of weeks and I haven't measured my reserve yet. Anyway, 230 miles divided by 16 gallons equals 14.375 mpg. Not too far off from the 17 they claim.
I had a 1978 Datsun B210 with an engine so tight that it didn't break in until it had 12,000 miles on it and then the gas mileage increased by 50%. I don't think a Toyota will do that well in this day and age, but some improvement is expected.
John
This has included 1 trip per year from Massachusetts to Indiana, and a smaller road trip or two each year (for example, Pennsylvania, Ontario, New York). Otherwise it's a lot of suburban driving with trips several times a week into the city of Lowell, Mass.
Regarding the comment in the earlier post about giving an engine time to break in and mileage will improve, that's not been my experience. After 10,000 miles my Highlander had averaged 25.7 mpg.
Similar experience with an '03 AWD Matrix, a '94 Corolla wagon, an '89 Nissan Sentra AWD wagon, an '87 Chevy Nova, and a couple of late 1970s Hondas. The fuel economy held steady or even declined slightly over the years. I have never had a car that got markedly better gas mileage at 40,000 or 60,000 miles than it did from day one.
I've never seen mpg improve past 5k, 10k or maybe rarely 15k miles and that was primarily in older cars. In the '60s the engines were pretty much worn out by 60k or 80k and using a quart of oil every few hundred miles or so. Sure, some of them lasted longer, but it wasn't a good bet to count on it.
My father wore out a new '53 Chevy engine in less than a year working as a safety officer for a trucking company. The engine was rebuilt at 80k and he put a total of 113,000 miles on the car in 12 months. Went through 24 tires, too. I can't imagine driving that much entirely on the old pre-interstate roads in Virginia, Tennessee and PA with regular trips to the home office in the GM building in Manhattan. He's 88 and misses driving.
John
I beat epa estimates by 4 mpg. so it is possible you can beat epa estimates...
Just finished up a 2000 mile trip of 90%+ driving at 70-75 average, people + cargo was about 700lbs, averaged 21.4 MPG. There were some really strong cross winds and intense rain down south for about 250 miles that affected the outcome somewhat. I accelerated to pass quite a bit. Mileage would have been better with patient use of cruise control.
This is probably half highway and half in-town. Odd thing about this vehicle is that tanks (350 to 400 miles) on the highway rarely hit 28 mpg, and tanks in town even in the winter rarely fall below 22 mpg.
Might even see an I4 with F/awd with the advent of the DFI engine performance improvement. 210HP..??
When TC activates in this manner the engine also gets dethrottled instantly.
The new system "PRO-ACTIVELY" couples a variable (condition dependent) level of engine torque to the rear any time you accelerate from a low speed, below ~25MPH, to a higher speed, or need extra torque to start moving, towing, hill, etc.
Regretably if/when that doesn't work the system reverts to TC braking and full engine DETHROTTLING.
But progress is progress.
6 speed auto, yes, memory seats, HID, there's always Ebay.
Toyota has a vested interest in not "stealing" Lexus Rx sales.
What is the story with the Highlander Hybrid rear wheel, does it send power there normally?
The way I see it, wait until 2011 HL specs come out before doing anything.
I am in the market for a new vehicle but I don't want to spend 49k on a vehicle that may be redesigned and available within a month or so.
No visual difference, except underside.
for a first (partial) look of the 2011 Highlander, the reveal may come @ the Moscow Auto Show on August 25th in three weeks. Reportedly the US version will be virtually the same. Refer to this link:http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/06/first-look-2011-toyota-highlander-to-lau- nch-at-moscow-motor-sho/
Jake
http://highlander.toyota.ru/media/Highlander.pdf
I was waiting for it to go on sale, but I'm going to need a new car by the end of October... They might miss my transaction.
See if you can tap your guy for the base hybrid info;-)
http://www.leftlanenews.com/redesigned-toyota-highlander-to-debut-tomorrow-at-st- ate-fair-of-texas.html
Looks like the base hybrid also gets bluetooth streaming and fog lamps.
Thanks, Jake
When will, if ever, will the HL get the new Sienna's new, more functional, F/awd system..?
And what are the chances of getting both in the same HL..??
That's too bad, I like the split third and blue color.
It appears In Chicagoland area if you want Highlander Hybrid you have to take Limited, woof, $40K+. That's alot of money sitting in the parking lot as fellow employees open their car doors into it.
I can get a Subaru Outback with 4 cyl CVT for a lot less, and back seat can fit three in a pinch, so no need for third row.
And now all kids meet Illinois state rules of 8+ years and 50+ lbs for no car seat. Yes!
Still don't like that Pilot; lots of kids on our block, afraid of hitting them, and to get camera have to get leather.
Dealer inventory always tends to the high end models, but I've found that Toyota dealers are willing to order base models equipped any way that Toyota allows for your region. There's also Carmax in Kenosha that has a new Toyota dealership where we got our Prius at a much lower fixed price than the Chicago dealers wouldn't match. We also got our Outback there back when they had a Subaru new dealership. If only Subaru offered a hybrid or even gave lip service to fuel economy, we might have another one. Instead they re-classified the Outback as a light truck to get around the CAFE standards for passenger cars. Really, unless you are close to the lake like NW Indiana, AWD is pretty unnecessary in most of the Chicago area. I wish Toyota offered the Highlander Hybrid in front wheel drive like the do on the Lexus hybrid SUV.
With the hybrid system if the lateral, stearing, g-forces are substantial enough the front "drive" can be made negligible with the rear wheel providing the major drive force.
An IDEAL F/awd system would have the ability for the engine's ENTIRE drive force to be allocated to the rear with SEVERE lateral forces in play. On an icy, slippery surface it would be desireable to have NO engine drive torque, leasing or lagging, on the front wheels should the stability control system indicate an understearing/plowing condition.