By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
I did have one recall .... the reed" sound from the crosswind. It was corrected in about 1 hour.
We live in snow country, and the AWD is flawless. My previous vehicle was a leased Ford Explorer. It had 4 wheel drive on demand. It did not seem to be as sure footed as the HL, and I am assuming it had to slip ever-so-slightly before it went into all wheel drive. The HL is full time, and I can not detect any slip.
My complaints are few. I wish the sound system in the un-limited was a bit better; I would like to have had an outside thermometer and compass (I installed a third party thermometer and it works well); .... my likes far exceed the dislikes in number and significance. I like the quality, fit, finish, power, quietness, economy, ride and comfort.
Happy HL'ing to all.
If anyone else has any comments pos or neg on the HL, keep em coming!
Thanks again,
Jim
good luck.
I'm really happy with the purchase. Passengers consistently report comfort, I've had zero repair or reliability issues to report, and it is fun to drive. It also handled snow and crud fabulously. And it has enough room to haul stuff, which is the issue that finally pried me out of my Infiniti in the first place.
Having never done anything like this, can a Sears or some other tire place determine whether the wheel itself is OK, or do I have to go to the dealership? (Tires are the one thing I don't have the dealership take care of - same product, gotta go for the best price.) Hopefully I can just put new rubber on there and go, but I want to make sure it's safe.
Also, should I have them check the alignment? Anything else that might have been knocked asunder? There is no body damage, and nothing obviously wrong underneath. Any comments appreciated.
I didn't install mats in the rear.
4 cyl FWD 22/27
6 cyl FWD 19/23 <-this is what I have and I'm getting 21-23 mpg in day-to-day mixed usage
4 cyl AWD 19/24
6 cyl AWD 18/22
assuming 15K miles in a year, fuel cost $1.30
22 mpg $885
19 mpg $1026
18 mpg $1082
worst case is increased fuel costs of $200/year. To me it was worth it!
I don't think anything with regard to the trailer wiring is supposed to happen up in the spare tire well (and as you'll see above, I was just in there!).
I might put a volt meter on the vehicle plug to see if there's power. If yes, return defective harness... if no, take care to dealer to fix vehicle wiring. That's my $0.02.
The worst mileage I've gotten has been 17 MPG and that is lots of stop and go. All highway I've been getting 21-23. Most of the time I get around 18 MPG, with very little highway mileage. I would suggest the V6 because it does really accelerate well. My other car is a Honda Accord 4 cyl with VTEC, and I thought that was fast to accelerate until I got the HL. Now the Honda seems sluggish to me. The HL feels like it has a lot more torque from about 1k to 3k RPM. I have no idea if the Pilot is similar in engine or not, and I am not comparing apples to apples.
Like the other poster said, it comes down to some money per year, but in my opinion I would look at the cost of the 4 cyl to 6cyl against the total amount of money you are spending for the car. I would test drive a 4 cyl model and then immediately take out a 6 cyl for a test drive, using the same route or as simliar as you can get. Your right foot should tell you which one you want. Make sure that if you are going to use AC a lot that you have it on for both test drives. I have no regrets with the 6 cyl and 4wd, for me the difference in price was worth it.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=4792&n=157,181&sid=181
That said, I love the comparisons of the HL to all types of vehicles - from low-$20K to $40+K range - Cute Utes/foreign station wagons/truck-based SUVs/etc. A quick Highlander search on Edmunds and other sites has this vehicle compared to Rav4s, CRVs, VW&Audi SWs, Azteks&Rendezous, ML300s, RX300s, BMW X5 3.0s, Durangos, Grand Cherokees, Envoys, etc.
Many of these vehicles do not directly compete with the HL due to interior size or drive train characteristics, but it seems when researching/buying a newer utility-type vehicle the HL is included in the potential selection debate. It seems that when a vehicle is well-designed/reliable it becomes the benchmark for others to compare to. They are constantly pointing out one or two strengths their preferred vehicle has in comparison to HL(rugged 4WD looks to SW/sedan ride and handling, rock climbing to snow driving, small hard-to-use 3rd seats to flat storage floors, etc), but the HL serves the purpose for most of the tasks that we all are constantly using our vehicles for while including towing capability, reasonable fuel mileage and winter driving security!.
I purchased mine for driving in Chicago and suburbs, hauling lots of 'stuff' from Chicago to northern (rural) Wisconsin vacation property in all types of increment weather, and towing 3000lb+ of boats and snowmobiles. I can accomplish this while still having an almost sedan-like ride. If I drive reasonably around town I get 19-20MPG, and have seen 23+ mpg on highway if I do not exceed 72 mph (per speedo).
The only real competitor is the new Pilot, and I think it is a worthy competitor once the MSRP+ hip subsides. I was able to purchase my loaded HL last August(during HL hip period) for $2900 under MSRP, and got the dealer to throw in (i.e. free) an installed Class III hitch and gold trim(nonessential but looks great on Electric Green paint.
There is a old subject thread on Edmunds that sums it up well - Highlander verse Godzilla! The moderators quickly shutdown the thread as too far-fetched, but I do not think Godzilla could do all the things I do with my Highlander!
Perhaps in the future some auto manufacturer will develop a worthy successor to the HL, but currently only the Pilot (at higher selling prices) comes close to the versibility of Toyota's "AWD station wagon on steriods"! Sorry for the long message, but I get a smile on my face every time I see the HL compared to another vehicle.
If it's an aftermarket company, is it superior to the Toyota brand?
Thanks in advance!!
Gary
I have no feedback on aftermarket protectors, but I have installed both OEM hood and sunroof protectors - installation was a breeze(pun intended!).
I have no chips on hood but one rock did chip the windshield - do not know if I can blame protectors wind currents or not? I know the real culprit was the gravel truck 1000 feet in front of me.
Sunroof protector really cuts down the wind noise at highway speeds!
Dan
Thanks
Q
Thanks
Q
In my Sienna there is sticker with "Side airbag ..." stuck in both the driver and passenger side seats bottom.
John
If they want me to change my oil and filter on some shortened basis then they need to step up to the plate and start writing checks for expenses I didn't expect to encounter when I purchased my RX.
Just another dealer gouging routine IMMHO.
I go 7,500 on my Nissan and I drove my last Toyota 17 years (114k) mostly on "deferred" maintenance. :-)
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
As for myself I do notice that the oil I drain from the RX is quite a bit dirtier than anything I have drained from the 92 or 95 LS, or the GS300.
Thanks for the opinions thus far.
Q
"BAD" oil at 2400 miles can only be the result of a very highly flawed engine or one that is deteriating to that status rapidly.
Or someone used recycled (not re-refined mind you) oil to begin with.
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/
Costs about $20.
Also oil change: also have a Previa 92 LE since birth a 4 banger that I changed oil EVERY 3-4.5k and always used Toyota's $2.99 oil filters, still going strong with 245000 miles, oil is cheap insurance.
Kamel Jakey
There has been quite a bit of discussion on the sludge board (now read only) about the design of this engine shearing the oil which reduces the protecting properties of it. Just sharing my experience. The only way to be sure you have the right service interval for your driving and conditions is to test the oil.
My dealer took the sample, and graciously had it tested for me (at no cost) by an independent lab. I've now got a kit from the folks at Blackstone and will use them from now on (at my expense). If there is a problem with the engine, periodic testing of the oil will show the problem developing.
I was following the sludge discussions closely and decided that what people were saying was hard to translate into my driving, maintenance and environment. The only way for me to get the knowledge about my engine is to do the testing.
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com
No, not a chance !
We also have a 2002 Highlander Limited which doesn't have the option and I have no plans to add one.
If I were to add one I would put in the one with compass the readout.
Here's the website of the manufacturer of most of the OEM units. http://www.donnellye.com/products.htm
There is a very good explination of how they work.
And yes they do need power.
So far I'm pleased wth the performance. I only wish I had gotten the outside temperature feature wth it!