Toyota Highlander

barneygrd

This week I was able to buy the Highlander at 2% above dealer cost based upon a special program to which I belong. Because of this program I got mine fairly loaded - sunroof, leather, larger motor, better radio, etched glass, etc.

I think the car is very sharp looking and drives pretty well. I bought it because I needed to haul cartons for my chains of Health stores and also because of the 40K miles I put on a year, I wanted comfort. I had been driving a Mercury Grand Marquis AS which allowed me to put on 140,000 miles with very little cost of maintenance while hauling as much as thousands of pounds. The Highlander is attractive and the seats are even more comfortable than the Marquis but it is a much carder ride (g. speed bumps). I am going to take it into the dealer tomorrow and have them recheck the tire pressure to see if that softens ride. But main reason is that between 85-90 miles per hour I get a loud whistle that sounds to me like it is coming from something rubbing. Others in the car have thought it might just be unusual wind noise but definitely is something that should not be. Has anyone else experienced this and if so was it correctable.

Thanks for your input.

Gray

cliffy1

There is nothing fishy about what you describe. The Silicon Valley is an area in distress. The high tech industry is in a state of flux and the power crunch is affecting attitudes about the future. I would expect sales to be slow.

Here in the nation's capital, we have a huge number of incoming residents and may of them need cars. We have 5 Highlanders on the lot and all but one arrived this week. The one that has been here longer is a 4 cylinder 4x4. The V6 4x4s fly out of here pretty quickly and I can't get enough of the most expensive version with leather, VSC, side bags etc. Its a regional thing.

ahossa

You are lucky that you can drive at 85-80 MPH. Here in NYC you can't drive over 50 MPH on the highways and 30 MPH in the city. They have a ticket blitz. Never heard of that problem but I'm very interested if the cabin of the HL is loud at 65MPH. I'm very interested in buying an HL but I'm worried about wind noise at around 50 to 65MPH.The dealers in NYC just drive around the block. Don't want to drive on the highway. Some dealers don't even bother to offer test drives. They have enough orders to cover their allotment. I called 2 dealers in Queens County and they don't have an HL to test drive until late Feb. This is an issue I have to take up with Toyota.Test drives sell cars.But it is important that you tell me what the noise level in the cabin is at 65MPH Max.That's the closer for me to get this vehicle.

tonychrys

Why don't you just go over to NJ or up to Westchester to test drive? Lots of close by dealers near highways.

FYI, one reason we went with the RX300 is that it's design and aerodynamics make it extremely quiet on the highway. You can hardly hear any wind noise. It's nice.

TC

jdlaw2

Unless I am wrong, here is how the leather options work:
To get LA (about $814 invoice) you must purchase the LL package.
Nothing else is required to purchase the perforated leather seats (around $1400 invoice).

Just ordered one:
Limited, Leather (LA), Floor mats, Single DC upgrade, Tow Package, Hitch and converter,28K.

I'm smiling

wmquan

If you want to try configuring options or combinations of options, you can use http://carpoint.msn.com. Select Toyota Highlander, and then price it. It has a pretty good configuration tool that lets you select options, and it tells you that an option can't be had in combination with another, or that an option requires another, and asks you if you want to take off/add on the conflicting/mandatory option.

This is assuming their info is correct, but it's usually pretty good, and the tool is generally not as clumsy and slow as Toyota's build-your-own tool can be. It also has invoice pricing.

hhippo

I have 2 unrelated questions for anybody out there:

1. Has anybody obtained the car with the perforated leather seats? It seems as if the regular leather is not available on the 4 cyl models and is a "regional" option, whatever that means.
I have always had the non-perforated type of leather. Can you comment on how the perforated leather looks and feels and how much you like it. Is it "cheap" looking? Is perforated leather better in hot climates? I live in New York and I am not sure whether I can obtain it here. Also, I would like the side air bags and so I hope I can get both on the vehicle.

2. Also, has anybodyr test driven a 4 cyl vehicle with FWD, and if so is the pickup OK
or is it a real slug? The car is for my wife and she is not looking for
a macho rush of pickup that I might like. I just want it to be decent.

drew_

can breathe much easier (in either cold or hot weather actually), so you won't have a sweaty back even with the A/C on.

With the excellent silky smooth, quiet and powerful Toyota/Lexus V6, I can't imagine why anyone would want the inline-4 engine. But, that's just my opinion.


Drew
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ahossa

Hippo:
4 Cyl is good for city Driving.6 cyl really does it on the highway and as Drew says: Why give up the Lexus Rs300 engine ? Toyota is touting the Hl is as good as the Rx300 and they are hoping people buy into that with the ridiculous prices they are asking for the HL.

claimjumper

As a loyal Toyota customer, I was excited about the Highlanders' arrival. However, I was shocked to see the sticker price. I live in Northern Nevada and we recently attended the 2001 Auto show in our area. The sticker price was over $38k!!!

The Highlander was fully loaded with all the options and priced at $35k MSRP. The dealer added over $3k for dealer prep and several accessories worth maybe a few hundred dollars. What a disappointment!

After reading some of the messages on this site, I will not be purchasing a Highlander in my area anytime soon! I am encouraged to hear that some of you are purchasing Highlanders at a much lower price.

Does anyone know the availability of Highlanders in the Northern California area?

cliffy1

You have options. There are several dealers who can ship cars to you and you will still end up paying less than the $3000 over sticker that you were quoted. Send me an e-mail at sclifford@kjtoyota.com and I'll give you details.

jdlaw2

hhippo,
I beleive the reason that you cannot get the regular leather with the 4 cyl is because you must purchase the Limited package to get the regular leather. I don't think that you can get the limited package on a 4 cyl.; therefore, you wont be able to get regular leather with the 4 cyl. (at least from the factory anyway)

I have seen Highlanders with both regular and perforated leather. I ordered a limited and had intended on ordering the perforated leather, until I saw it. It did not look "cheap" at all, just not as "rich" as I thought it should. I ended up saving about $600 by getting the regular leather. Having said that, if I were not getting a limited, I would not hesitate to get the perforated leather.

Hope this helps.

qgu

The recent issue of MT has a review of 3 new SUVs - 02 Ford Explorer, 02 Buick, 01 Toyota Highlander. The first two are 7 passager SUVs. The verdict is Toyota HL is rated LAST overall tied with Buick. Of course there are only 3 vehicles. Geting a last place on MT which is biased towards imports really tells somthing.

dichelle

tonychrys--I know you bought an RX--did you drive a Highlander? I was wondering if you (or anyone else) could say anything about how they think the ride compares in the two vehicles.

We drove a HL again yesterday, and it seemed bumpier and more jolting than we recalled.

wmquan

Did MT mention that the Buick SUV may end up with bad crash test results? Ones that are worse than what the Highlander will probably get?

While neither has been crash tested (nor has the Explorer), results can usually be correlated to the platform the vehicle is based on. The RX300, based on the Camry platform, earns high marks. The Highlander is similarly based so it should also do well.

Meanwhile, the Buick SUV is based on the GM minivan platform (Chevy Venture, Pontiac TransSport / Montana, Oldsmobile Silhouette). That platform has abysmal crash test results (see the link below), so the chances for the Buick SUV having poor crash-worthiness is fairly high.

http://www.iihs.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/96026.htm

tonychrys

Yes I drove a HL even though I was in the process of getting the RX. It's ride is a bit stiffer than the RX, but then again, not much else compares to the RX ride comfort. It is designed for safety and luxury, not crossing stream beds.

But don't take my word for it, you should test drive an RX for yourself even if you are not interested in buying it, most Lexus dealerships are very accomodating.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that Toyota came out with the HL and decided to offer the same safety systems like side air-bags and VSC. But there are two problems I see right now. The fact that dealers are charging MSRP (or above) will cause most folks to buy this vehicle without the safety systems options, hence defeating getting "a good, safe vehicle." The second problem I see due to the pricing is that as soon as Acura ramps up production and meets demand, and the price drops, the MDX will simply corner the market in the low $30K's price range. It's a great vehicle for the money and I would have bought either the RX or MDX. Let's hope Acura doesn't screw up a good thing.

TC

hvan3

I can't imagine why anyone would want to buy over sticker price for HL.. With the economy slowing down, high fuel cost in the summer months, and a flood of new SUVs (Acura, GMC/Chev, Buick, Isuzu, Suzuki, Hyundai) entering the market in the next two months, I see nothing but heavy discounting. It's all about market shares. This year will be a buyers market. These big 5 autos are practically begging you to buy cars/trucks.

For those who are hungry for HL, I would advise waiting at least 4-5 months. By then, you'll definitely see heavy discounting.

In a recent January sales figure, Toyota saw a large drop in sales. I believe it was 12%, but it was mainly due to slower sales in sedans. Who knows, Toyota will have to offer deep discounting to compete with the influx of new SUVs. Impatience is a virtue if you can wait.

Having said that, I don't know why anyone would go ga-ga over HL. When I first heard about HL, I was excited about Toyota new SUV lineup. After seeing the HL at the LA Auto Show, I was disappointed. To me, it looks a a BIG station wagon. There is no way Toyota is going to convince me that it's an SUV. Once I peeked inside the vehicle, I was disgusted at the layout of the transmission lever. To top it off, what's up with no center console? Why should I have to pay extra $$ to get center console as an option? Imagine driving long distance without resting your elbow on the center console. That would be torture for me.

I have made up my mind that HL is not for me. It doesn't have a rugged look for an SUV. I can see Toyota marketing it towards woman drivers as "car-like" vehicle.

As for me, I'm waiting for the new 2002 GMC Envoy that is coming out next month. It's suppose to be bigger and more powerful then GMC Jimmy/Blazers. When it comes to style and performance, I think GMC Envoy is lot better. But when it comes to quality, nothing is better then the Japanese/Germans.

BTW, I heard a fully loaded GMC Envoy will go for $32K. If a fully loaded HL goes for $35K, that's nuts!! You can get a fully loaded Chevy Tahoe with $5K off from MSRP for mid $30s.

Decisions, decisions.....

stever

U.S. auto sales dip in January. See the Feb 2nd article

Steve
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SUV and Vans Message Boards

rburns

Why is everybody complaining about the Highlander not havi9n g a 3rd seat? You want a SUV or a bus?

wbarnett

I have just acquired and read the Motor Trend rating of the 02 Buick Rendezvous, the 02 Ford Explorer, and the 01 Toyota Highlander. In response to one of the posted questions about that article, the article does not discuss crash test results with the frames of the three Suvs or its predecessors. Regarding the posted statement that the article rates the Highlander last, I do not find that statement to be an accurate representation of what the article says. I find no rating in the article saying that any one of the three Suvs is better than the other for all buyers. While the Verdict section at the end of the article discusses the Ford first, the Buick second, and the Toyota last, the article states that each has its advantages and disadvantages to "different customers." The article does not provide a net ranking of the Suvs, but does provide a Report Card of ranking in 10 different categories, including Value, which I do not interpret to be a net overall ranking.

The article does not alter my intention to buy a Highlander---in two or three months when the market for them reflects the realities of the growing competition. In fact the article rates Engine/Drive train and Noise and Isolation for the Highlander to be the best of the three. In terms of Value, the Ford rates best. What I found to be the most surprising, however, was the fact that the Ride and Handling of the Ford were ranked as a match for that of the Highlander, and the Highlander did not do as well as the other two in the slalom. The Ford Explorer model that was tested was the V6. The V8 would have been quite a different story, as the article implies. I look forward to test driving the Ford Explorer 02 with the V8 engine, when it becomes available at dealers near me.

Clearly the Highlander has very serious competition, and more is on the way. But the article makes clear that the Highlander merits serious consideration from buyers who value its qualities---as I do---at the right price, which I have not yet seen from dealers in my area. The MT article is very informative and fair.

jomabu1

Regarding the post of the noise problem, my wife and I are surprised to hear about it. Our Highlander is a bit noiser than a tested one which we think is attributed to a hood protector (rock guard). Overall we think that our Highlander is a very quiet vehicle especially a SUV. We haven't driven it over 75mph yet but at all other speeds we don't even feel like we have to raise our voices. Dare I say Lexus like! Regarding the ride, I don't think there are very many autos out there that can match the pillow ride of the Grand Marquis. The Highlander is an SUV after all. We think the ride is very good, excellent for an SUV. This is comparing it to a Pathfinder, Tribute, Grand Cherokee, and QX4. What tires do you have on the Highlander? I have Bridgestones. Wish I could be more help.

kem1

Motor Trend is worthless as an objective reviewer of cars! This is a magazine that rated the Jeep Grand Cherokee the #1 SUV last year. Yet 'real' drivers and owners have reported many problems with the vehicle. For whatever reason, MotorTrend is biased towards american cars. The Explorer rated over the Highlander?! Give me break! Sure, the Ford may be cheaper, but thats because the Ford IS cheaper, poor design and engineering, poor manufacturing standards, and cheap, horrendous - really, interiors. Unfortunately, most of the other car magazines fail to give reviews that really mean anything. They talk about esoteric things that most drivers don't notice, yet they completely ignore the things that do matter, like reliability and overall quality. Case in point: most car magazines gave good reviews to Ford's new Escape. Yet how many recalls has this thing had? They all failed to mention the Escape's horrendous interior (as soon as I opened the door, I said "No way") and incredibly bad positioning of the gear shift lever. Sure theEscape handles better than the Explorer, but if it falls apart on you, who cares? Motor Trend, and the other car magazines, are completely ignoring the FACT that for the last few years (decade?) Japanese auto makers are making far superior cars, for the same price, than any american auto maker. I'm almost tempted to say that the people who write the reviews in most of the car magazines are really just people paid by the advertising companies.

I sat in Highlander this past weekend. Yes, where they have the gear shift lever does look a little odd at first, but from an ergonomics point of view, it is very well placed and functional. The back seat is spacious (much more room than the Jeep GC), PLENTY of room for 3 kids/teenagers. If you are going to haul around full grown adults in the back on a regular basis, you should be looking at a full sized or mini van, and not an SUV. Colorado dealers won't be getting the 4-cylinder engines - unless you special order one (and as a Denverite, I can't figure out why anyone here would want the 4-cylinder). The interior colors are, to me, too light; the charcoal is a very light gray, and the beige color really is 'Ivory'. The Highlander is going at a premium price right now. If you can wait until later in the year, or at least after Jeep releases its new Liberty (to give the Highlander some more competion), wait about 6 months for the Highlander prices to come down to something reasonable. Also, as interest rates come down, financing rates should also be better in about 6 months.

jackflack

One of the posters asked "Why would anyone want the 4-cylinder?" How about (supposedly) 27 mpg on the highway? I've read all of the posts from the last 3 weeks or so, and it seems as if no one cares about mileage anymore! All the more funny given the fretting over the prices on the vehicles. If you buy the 4 and drive 12K miles a year, you'll save a couple hundred $ a year in fuel.

As for speed, I drove the 4 and found the engine to be a tad sluggish, but I'm used to driving a 5-speed Honda, so not a fair comparison. I'll take the non-Andretti route and smile. FYI, plenty of 4's available in central NJ.

kem1

I'm sure the 4-cylinder is just fine for near sea-level, no mountains to climb, driving. I agree about the gas mileage. I just meant to point out that in Denver, at 5,280 ft above sea level, a 4-cylinder engine on a larger car (non-compact, non-Subaru H4) just doesn't cut it here, especially if you go up to the mountains - the Eisenhower tunnel is at 11,000 ft. For most SUVs, dealers in Colorado don't even bother ordering SUVs with a 4-cylinder engine if the car has a 6 cylinder version.

dianne4toyota

Youare right about the limited avialability of the 4Cyl .. even here in SoCal, we get very few 4cyls. They mean to bring these in at a specifically low price point... here in SoCal, they are all the same (QO DR UZ CF) with MSRP's at $25000 or thereabouts. And, as you might guess, they are scarce as hen's teeth. But, for the person who wants a comfy runabout wagon-type car with a hot button for good mileage, here's the ticket.

-Dianne

ssnyder4

Can anyone confirm the availability of an AutoStick transmission for the HL? I saw this as an option on one of the auto sites and have since lost the link. If this is the case, I'm assuming it's a late-availability option. The model for the Asian market apparently has this option if you view the pages related to that specific market.

Also, does anyone know the proper terminology for the type of wood (plastic) dressing used in the HL? I'm asking because I saw that there is a standard brown/black wood and a grey wood, perhaps it's nothing more than just that. I saw the grey inside an ivory interior this weekend---it was pretty neat looking.
Thanks in advance.

wbarnett

The Ford Explorer is cheaper than the Highlander? According to the Motor Trend article, the 02 Explorer Limited that they tested has a Price as Tested of $37,080, and that's with the 6 cylinder engine. With the new V8 engine, the price would have been higher. Regarding the Highlander Limited that they tested, they say that the Price as Tested was $31,500.

I can't imagine anyone buying a car or SUV solely because Motor Trend (which conspicuously accepts advertising money from auto manufacturers) told them to do so, and I have owned nothing by Japanese cars for the past 20 years. But I do intend to test drive the Ford Explorer V8 or Mercury Mountaineer V8 when they become available at dealerships. I will likely end up buying a Highlander anyway, although I expect that the 02 Explorer/Mountaineer will have a larger combined market than the Highlander will to those people who will want what those extensively improved Ford products will likely have to offer.

Regarding the areas in which Motor Trend finds disadvantages for the Highlander, some people might find those areas to be relevant to them, and that article contains the first test data results that I have seen published for the three SUVs that they tested. For example the rather modest Highlander results in the slalom: This is consistent with the fact that Consumer Reports rates the Lexus RX300 as below average in handling, and the Camry (which I now own) as average in handling, and the fact that people who value handling over the soft Japanese ride quality tend to prefer European vehicles, such as BMWs, over Japanese vehicles. If I lived in Colorado and drove mountain roads with frequent switch backs, I might be more interested in European than Japanese vehicles. But where I live, that is not a concern, so I prefer the Japanese side of that trade off.

jjgittes

I liked the Highlander, but, as usual with Toyota SUV's/Trucks, they are $5000 more than they should be. Yeah, they have good resale, but you pay for it through the nose up front. I'll wait till prices come down, or I lose the Toyo urge....

atcstephen

It's very early on since we bought our Highlander this past weekend, but so far the vehicle is an absolute dream! We got the Limited and both my wife and I are very happy with all the options, the room and most importantly, the ride. It's very smooth in acceleration, quiet and really rides like a car instead of a truck-like SUV. For those of you in Socal, we bought ours at Carson Toyota which is about 90 minutes away for us but it was well worth the drive. Dianne (who posts here regularly) was the nicest person you could ever want to deal with.

tek4life

I am currently interested in purchasing a Toyota Highlander after comparing it with the Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute, Chevy Blazer, Lexus RX300, Toyota 4Runner, Nissan Xterra, and the Subuaru Forester.

I am wondering if anyone has yet to be able to purchase this vehicle for under MSRP? I am hoping to pick it up for about 6% over invoice which is about 1600-2000 below sticker... Any insite as to if this is a possibility at this time or not?

grplavloff

"Motor Trend is worthless as an objective reviewer of cars! This is a magazine that rated the Jeep Grand Cherokee the #1 SUV last year. ..."

They were "objective": they were evaluating SUVs, not "vehicles that look like SUVs, and sorta behave like SUVs, but are meant to turn on fella lawnmower riders" :-)

lindau

I am looking at the Highlander in Conn. and find at least one dealer who adds $5000 "premium" as they "have a limited production". Is this typical?

rsholland

Run (don't walk—RUN) from that dealer as fast as you can!

Bob

wbarnett

Motor Trend's SUV of the year this year is the Acura MDX---a Japanese SUV. Whether you agree with that choice or not, it could be worth your time to read the results of their test drives of various SUVs, including the Highlander (which was not included in the group considered for best of the year, since that comparison was in an earlier issue). No one accuses MT of falsifying the numbers from their tests. But of course they rarely are eager to say anything really very bad about a vehicle produced by a company that advertises in their magazine. So making your own choice is best, but seeing the numbers from test drives can provide relevant information.

dshenmdyn

It is absolutely misleading to conclude the "HL rated last" (compare to Buick/Ford SUVs) from the article published in Feb 2001 MotorTrend as stated in message#616.

Motor Trend sometime does those comparision tests and rates test cars by *explicit* position. In those cases, they usually gather a fairly large number of different models and set up criteria that have to be meet in order to be considered in the test to get it fair. Each model then will get a final score and rating.

This is *NOT* the case for the article comparing FORD/BUICK/Toyota. It clearly stated at the end that each of those SUVs has its own virtual and depending on what you want, they may suit you differently.

Totally agree with wbarnett that one can always gether relevant info from MT and make their own informed decisions.

atuzai

Someone told me that the price for order car will be lower than take one from dealer's lot because dealer will get full amount of hold back money. Is this correct?

Another question is the roof rack will give a lots of noise when drive at 70miles?

Thanks!

jomabu1

atuzai, I haven't noticed any significant wind noise on our Highlander. It is very quiet at 70 mph and we have the roof rack. The hood protector does add a little wind noise but it is barely noticable.

tek4life, where you buy and the local economy probably has more to do with the price you would have to pay. I paid significantly less than msrp. Run from dealers who are putting an adjustment onto msrp.

hislander

JOMABU1: you're right about running away from dealers who put "'adjustment" onto msrp,
but practically you can't unless you want to run two or three states away from where you
are. In TX, Gulf State controls the ad-ons, not the dealers; can't even order HL without
port options. Therefore, I have to run to either East coast or West coast like you said...
hate it but nothing can be done...

cliffy1

You would be correct if any dealer personelle were paid on the holdback, but most are not. Yes, the owner gets more money, but he isn't the one making the deal. Also, for every "fresh" car we sell, it means we have something else on the lot accumulating floor plan interest.

rsholland

There is one thing you can do: Don't be the first on the block to buy one. If possible, wait six months or so. Then the supply vs. demand issue will likely be more in your favor.

If you absolutely can't wait, or are unwilling to go out of state—you're stuck.

Bob

gstroganov

Dealer demands doc. fee of about $190 (on top of the registration fee) EVEN if I am myself to register a vehicle! What is your experience?

macmac

Dove a highlander this past weekend. Great ride for the price range its in. But the RX300 is a far better ride. Thats why its a higher price.
Does anybody know what the CF option code is? and does anybody know if you can add the fog lights with out getting the limtted package.

andrec8513

I just ordered a fully loaded Highlander for around 35k. I got $2,400 off sticker. End result was about 32,600.

liz25

Most local dealers in my area (Northern NJ) were quoting $3,000 over sticker. We walked in at the end of the month and wound up with a loaded Indigo Ink Pearl/Ivory leather for $34,000. $600 under sticker. We were told the wait would be 6-8 weeks and the Indigo was a rare color. One week later I am driving my new Highlander and I love it. I had my heart set on a RX but needed more room. This was an excellent choice!!! I highly recommend Caldwell Toyota in NJ.

jomabu1

The CF Option code is for carpet/cargo mat set List here in Seattle is $170 cost $104. Hope this helps.

HISLANDER- good luck getting a Highlander. Sure sounds like the dealers in your region have lined the pockets of the lawmakers.

txags

I picked up my HL on 1/31. It is black with Limited PKG and Leather. It doesn't come with VSC and Side Air bags. I got 1K off the sticker. I have 200 miles on it since then. It rides great just like RX300. One thing I did notice during the test drive was that Steering Wheel was off centered. Dealer had it fix before I pick it up.

PS: I have problem finding the center console and hood pretector in the Bay area. I was told my three dealers that these parts will not be available for another two months.

svec7186

what dealer is selling the HL at $2400 below MSRP?
in my NY area, my 2 toyota dealers are asking for MSRP. please provide dealers name, phone number, website so i can check them out.

any NY, NJ, CT dealers on this list selling the HL below MSRP???

thanks

michanth

I attended the Houston Autoshow last weekend and I was able to sit in both a cloth and leather versions of the Highlander. And IMHO the cloth seats felt more comfortable and I usually choose leather like in my Avalon. Naturally I miss the center console which as I understand can be an order option. IMHO, the Highlander looked more attractive in both the silver and white at the show. Of course the Lexus exhibit was next to Toyota so I then looked looked at the RX300-very nice including the price but IMHO the Highlander felt larger on the inside. And then there was the Acura MDX, very nice, and then there was the MB, BMW etc.....which brought me back to the Highlander. I think I will be a little patient wait for prices to level.

Best Wishes

Michael

andrec8513

I ordered mine at Toyota of Newburgh, in New Windsor , N.Y. 845-561-0340. Part of the reason, I think I got off MSRP is that that this is the 5th car from this dealer and 4th from the same salesman. Website is Toyotanewburgh.com.

lfd440

With a low ceiling and garage door opener it would be necessary to remove the two roof rack bars in order to clear the garage door opener.
Is this possible to do and is it a 3-5 minute job.? This is one determining factor in deciding whether to purchase a Pathfinder or Toyota Highlander.Thanks out there....