Well, This Is Awkward - 2014 Toyota Highlander Limited Long-Term Road Test
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Well, This Is Awkward - 2014 Toyota Highlander Limited Long-Term Road Test
Back in July Matt reported that his hands were too large to be able to reach the USB port in our long-term 2014 Toyota Highlander. It's hidden away in this tiny space behind the shifter.
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They could have put it somewhere easily accessible but I also like that it's hidden. If you forget to take your device with you, it's concealed from potential thieves. Plus, you only need to attach the cord(s) once.
Yep, a problem for a road tester, not much for an owner...
But it's not hidden; it's recessed enough to make it hard to manipulate, but open on the console (depending on your perspective) in front of or behind the shift lever. Those traction control switches and blanks for whatever other options would become usually inaccessible if the recess were covered. The only way it might be more convenient as an owner is if you have a spare cable you can plug it in once and fish it through that hole above to the narrow tray that runs along the dash--but that tray is also not covered or concealed. It's a little strange to me because the Toyota Venza I drove did have the aux inputs inside the armrest. Here it could at least be easier to operate if the plug with the inputs were rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise.
you can get a extender cable for the usb and audio 99 cents and you only have to fool with this one time and then move on with your life.
It wouldn't be the first time that I have had to use a pair of needle nose pliers to plug in a cable. That said is this a poor design? Yes Is it something that would really bother a single owner often? No not really. In either case Toyota didn't do a good job here and it shows.
What are you all talking about? Including and especially you Donna?! They clearly put it there with the intention of people placing their phones on that shelf, or did you forget about that? lol. Center console? Uhm, no. Think about it for a second.