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I'm also curious about how to get my Ipod hooked up without using the cassette player option. I was wondering if there was a way to come from the back and have one single wire coming out?
thanks
Steve, Host
Nothing wrong with a sales pitch - that's how I bought my last car. I emailed a friend who owned a creampuff and told her if she was in the market for a new wagon, I'd buy her old one. She took the hint. :-)
Steve, Host
See how good they work.....
Take it back and get a Garmin Street Pilot that will sit on the dash and you can move it from car to car.
From the Motor Trend website:
"2008 Toyota Highlander: Redesigned on the Avalon platform, growing larger in size to make room for the RAV4."
This makes sense from the Highlander Hybrid standpoint as they just introduced it as an '06 model and would be inefficient to redesign it the very next model year.
For this reason I personally would still lean toward the HL if I was trying to decide between these two SUVs today. But that's just me. Specs aside, check out both vehicles in person to see which appeals to you. If size or cargo capacity is an issue then this would favor the HL. If sportiness and pizzazz are what you're after, then go for the RAV4!
HL Rav4
Length 184.6 181.1
Width 71.9 71.5
Height 67.9 66.3
Wheelbase 106.9 104.7
Curb Weight (4cyl) 3516 3300
Curb Weight V6 3935 3655
Cargo volume behind
Ft Seat 80.6 73.0
2nd Seat 39.7 37.2
3rd Seat 10.5 12.3
Leg Room 2nd Seat 36.4 38.3
MPG (4cyl-2wd) 22/27 24/30
MPG (V6-4wd) 18/24 21/28
Visually looking inside the RAV it seemed a "size" smaller than the HL -- similar to the interior size difference between a compact and full-size car. Looking at the cargo volume numbers the RAV is maybe 10% smaller than the HL, so perhaps this is what I was seeing.
It's interesting how the perception of size can be influenced by styling. I worked for a company that made medical ultrasound machines that were about the size of a washing machine. At one point during it's product cycle they gave it a complete face lift -- by redesigning the shape and style of the exterior sheetmetal and plastic panels they were able to make it appear more compact, whereas in reality it was the exact same size -- I didn't believe it myself until I put the two side by side.
Still while specs are an excellent starting point for comparing vehicles you still have to check them out in person. If you're going to use it to cart your family around in, get your whole family in there to see if they fit comfortably, baby seats and all. If you're going to use it for hauling, load up the cargo area with your stuff to see how well it fits. If it's mostly an image thing, then see what the car seems to be saying to you.
Specs are important to me too -- I'm getting ready to replace my Toyota pickup with a Ford, as Toyota doesn't make longbeds anymore -- I looked at reliability data in some detail before making this decision!
Did you like how it looked inside?
http://www.toyota.com/html/tcuv/index.html?s_van=GM_STN_TCUV
If you do not get a Toyota certified warranty, typically you only get the balance of the original 3yr/36 mo basic & 5yr/60,000 powertrain warranty. If those are expired, you only get whatever the selling dealer offers for a warranty which could be nothing, or 30 days/1,000 miles, or something else. Some larger dealers offer their own certified warranty. The factory or Toyota certified warranty are definitely the preferred type of warranty if you travel a lot as they are good at any Toyota dealership. The warranty a dealer offers if usually only good at their dealership. Hope this information helps.
Das Boots
Das Boots
RAV4 41.8/38.3/30.0
HL 40.7/36.4/30.2
even though the RAV4 is shorter. Plus the RAV4 has more cargo space behind the 3rd row:
HL 80.6/39.7/10.5
RAV4 73.0/37.2/12.3
And the RAV4 is smaller on the outside:
HL 184.6/71.9/68.3 (with roofrack)
RAV4 181.1/71.5/69.1 (with roofrack)
Regardless of the style, you have to admit that the RAV4 makes a better use of interior space for it's outside size.
The RAV does make good use of interior space. The HL has a slightly classier feel to it. I do prefer the RAV's exterior styling. I don't like the seat materials in either vehicle. These are just my opinions (so far). Decisions, decisions.
My Highlander's seat back is adjustable as well.(2004)
tidester, host
Sneakers over in News and Views wants y'all to know that a dollar bill is also the amount of lead you have to add to the head of a golf club to change it by one swingweight.
Fascinating Highlander trivia for your weekend ...
Steve, Host
As with all Toyotas, they make my back hurt. Feels like a rod running vertically against my spine. Have noticed that with the Matrix and Highlander that I rented. I have to sit slightly sideways to be even somewhat comfortable.
I don't have that problem with other makes such as GM or Mercury or Infiniti.
There is something fundamentally different about the design of Toyota seats. Lexus seats are better for me, but still not as comfortable as other makes.
Anyone had any experience getting an auto upholsterer to work on the seats?
I tried a seatback pad in the rented Highlander. It didn't help.
Of course I will talk to a couple of local auto upholsterers, but I thought I'd see what you folks have learned.
Thanks!
I initially had some problems getting comfortable in the Highlander but had previously experienced the same problem in a Mercedes I had some years ago. At that time, the back pain became so intense that I required fairly extensive physiotherapy. The attached link takes you to some very sound pointers onhow to configure a car seat for maximum comfort.
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cd/docs_dandt/research/ergonomics/biw/docs/dr- iving_position_guide.pdf
Cheers
Graham
I have taken highway trips in Ramblers, Hondas, Chevies, Renaults, Nissans, Toyotas, Subarus, Buicks, Dodges, VWs, Suzukis, Fords, Pontiacs, Volvos, and probably others that I can't think of right now. I have yet to find a car seat that is truly comfortable for me over the long haul, but with these pillows I can drive 12 or 13 hours in a day and walk away unscathed. For me it's a better solution than the built-in lumbar support adjustments in the seats that I have tried.
Some people have success getting an upholsterer to rebuild their seats with different types of foam. Let us know if you go that route, Curt2005.
Steve, Host
I first thought it was the profile of the Toyota seats along the vertical axis. There is a pronounced convex shape to the seat-back when you look at it from the side. If that were the problem for me, I would have solved it with several pad experiments I made with the rented Highlander, essentially the equivalent of Steve's T-shirt suggestion.
I got it a few blocks and then spent 15 minutes fooling with the seat adjustments. Then drove it in pain to the nearest drugstore and bought a seatback pad, which didn't help despite my trying it in several configurations.
Since I found some comfort improvement with the rented Matrix by sitting slightly sideways of the center of the seat (instead of properly centered) I am thinking now that it is an issue of the horizontal profile of the seat. I.e. the shape of the seat-back as seen from above.
Since I don't have trouble with my current GM car or with a rented Ford or a rented Infiniti, I think that it is some fundamental difference in the seat-back design by Toyota. Hyundai seems to have cloned the Toyota seat, but not 100%. I was not very comfortable in the Azera that I test-drove.
Thanks for the suggestions. Will go to that URL someone suggested and will talk to upholsterers.
Amen. Living with a car for a couple of days is very different from several short test drives. Well worth the money to rent before buying.
For example, the Infiniti G35 sedan was wonderful until I did some short-trip errands and got a splitting headache from the loud "vroom-vroom" engine noise on even the slightest acceleration. Guess it is for "midlife crisis hotrodders!"
In my area, Hertz Local Edition has Camry and Matrix and was able to scare up a Highlander.