Due to the uncertainty of USA economy (more layoffs, profit warnings, chapter 11), I decide to put off the purchase of HL indefinitely. If more people do the same thing as I do, I believe by the end of the year, we can buy a HL with $4000 off MSRP. This is due to demand and supply. The same thing would happen to Acura MDX. Currently, people have to wait for more than a month and pay at MSRP to get that Acura.
I need to replace my falling apart '98 Subaru Forester. Toyota Highlander attracted my attention because it does not look and feel like a truck. But may be my situation calls for a 4Runner or Nissan Pathfinder. Please give me your thoughts on whether or not Highlander is durable enough for my road conditions: 6 miles of a dirt road every day (round-trip), gravel, mud and water in winter, potholes, somewhat steep inclines and downhills. I hesitate to go with Highlander because it is built on a Carry platform and I am not sure that even with modifications it can handle such road. Please help with your advise. My 2nd choice would be Nissan Pathfinder. Thanks.
Extended Warranty=money in a dealers pocket. If you look into Toyotas overall reliability record over the years, it is one of the most reliable brands out there. Most issues that might occur after 3yr/36mos are going to be non-warranty anyhow--brakes, tires, etc. My opinion, you are buying a Toyota for a reason; quality, craftmanship, reputation. If you want to waste money on an extended warranty let me give you a couple manufactureres you should look at--Ford, Dodge, Chrysler. Sound familiar, all American made!!! And no I am not from Asia or Europe, born and raised in the great USA, but will shy away from anything made by the Americans!!
tram10 - I do not question for one minute the personal factors that would make it unwise for you to make a major purchase. However, you state if everyone put off purchases, we could drive the price down. Doesn't that seem to be why we are having layoffs, and economic problems? Where do we draw the line? If we stopped flying, airline tickets would come down; stopped driving, gas prices would fall; let's stop going to the movies, or eating at McDonald's ... think of all we could acccomplish. I suppose the reason I have reacted to your comment as I have, is because I feel the "lower confidence" the media keeps talking about is because the media keeps talking about it ... every 15 minutes (CNN). No, I just bought a new HL because I needed a car. I shopped, found what I wanted, and made my best deal. I really appreciate the quality, fit, ride, power and etc. I did not attempt to make a political and or economic statement. I hope whatever your economic situation is will improve soon, as well as that of the nation.
Living in San diego looking to buy either subaru forester s w/ premium package vs subaru outback h6-3.0 vdc vs toyota highlander 4wd w/ vsc for a move to Wisconsin in few months. I am not likely to need alot of space for my car since no kids but poss occasional need to haul bike and large grocery. I need a car that can withstand alot of snow in northern wisconsin with safety of not skidding on icy roads. It seems subaru outback is little bit too pricy. Any recommendations? and if so any idea what is a good price in San diego? any recommendation of dealerships in San Diego?
Thanks guys (or gals) for all your feedback. It is reassuring to see these comments...fyi, yes the quote of $1500-2000 was in Canadian Dollars (This translates to approx. $950-1300 US Dollars).
I know we are all skirting around this thought, but I'm going to say it, "MAN...I HAVE A FINE VEHICLE!!!"
I would strongly recommend that if you are deciding between a Subaru (I own a '97 OB) and the HL look closely at seat comfort in the Subaru's. I'll most likely be buying an HL once prices come down a bit....just to get out of the lousy Subaru seats!!!
If you hear that Toyota questions the quality of their paint, I would take it seriously. I used to own a black '99 Solara. I discovered after I had my "free" paint protectant applied that the finish was full of little (what they called) pock marks (looked like stone chips) all over the hood, roof, trunk, and sides. The dealer cautioned against repainting because the finish would not be the same and had a special paint guy come out to air brush each spot (took 3 days) but you could still see the indentation when the car was clean. Then, after about 6 months, I started noticing little blisters in the paint, about the size of a pencil eraser. This was also about the time that the driver's side seat started squeeking (really loudly, like the seatback was going to fall off), every time I got in and out, or made any type of turn--especially making a left turn off of the road and into my driveway. Toyota could not find anything wrong with the seat and they would no longer stand by the paint. I traded that thing in real fast--for my Acura.
In reply to sundance_gold's 99 Solara bad experience...
The problem was not due to Toyota's paint quality, but rather the dealer's free paint protectant. Just another example to reinforce the policy of never, never letting a dealership talk you into post-factory packages - paint protection, rust proofing, fabric protection, etc. These are all totally useless, and for sundance an unfortunate experience. You'll never regret saying no to these packages.
I just ordered a black HL limited from a dealer in Gainsville GA. I had to order it because my wife, the Lovely Miss Linda, is a spoiled brat who always gets her way!!!
I would have settled for a red with the ivory leather, but NNNNNOOOOOO!!!!! She insisted on Black (an eight of a mile of our driveway is gravel - wonder how often I'll be washing it).
She also objected to the grey leather, (the ivory was OUT of the question!!), so we have ordered after-market leather in the color Graphite which our dealer said is factory approved, (whatever that means). It will be done by a local firm after the vehicle arrives at the dealership, and is about $125 more than the factory leather.
The Lovely Miss Linda (TLML) also insisted on the side-impact airbags, and the dealer said that these would also be no problem, even with the after-market leather. TLML's justification for the Graphite leather is so when our black Lab Pealr sheads, at about a bushel a day, whatever I don't get up with the vacuum, will not be so visible.
TLML also insisted that we NOT have a sunroof. Her reasoning is that even though I rarely exceed the speed limit by over 5 mph, I will somehow defeat the VSC, (she insisted on that also), an when we skid down the highway for 3000 feet, the sunroof glass will break and get all over us!
The dealer said that we should get our vehicle within the next four months. OH-yes! - They have taken my 99 Miata in trade so that I am going to not have my beloved sports car for some of the best months of the year for top-down fun.
The Lovely Miss Linda (TLML) also insisted on those stainless steel step bars. She says that any proper SUV should have step bars. She thinks that the HL is a real SUV.
Does anyone out there have the step bars? And if so how do you like them.
While browsing through the Highlander US specs I noticed that there is a choice of seven different packages while we here in Canada have a choice of one (Limited). While the base V6 ($36,100) offers quite a few features alloy wheels and a tonneau cover are not one of them. In order to get these standard features these days one has to upgrade to a fully loaded Limited package. Also the centre console is not even available as an accessory in Canada.
Why are these features not standard as is the case with every other manufactures SUV's in this price range is beyond me. At the very least Toyota Canada could have made them available as a third package or as options, I think we can afford it!
As much as I would like a Highlander V6, I am having a lot of difficulty rationalizing the purchase of the vehicle without the features that I require, although I am sure Toyota would love that I upgrade in order to get these features and more. Sorry Toyota its more than I care to pay for (Limited).
And when do you take delivery of the HL? For what it's worth (and comments like this are showing up on this board more often), I think you've selected a wonderful vehicle, and I agree that their light gray interior (I have cloth) is a little too light. But not as light as the beige! I would have had something indelible on that in a heartbeat.
But I would have insisted on the sunroof! Even if it meant more counselling. Walt PS: Thanks for the entertaining note....
We lived at a backcountry ranger station about 40 miles west of Salmon Idaho for 8 years, drove the same kind of roads you describe in a 77 toyota corolla, 2w rear wheel drive. What is most important is the quality the engineering and quality of the materials used how they are assembled. During the same time I drove both a chevy luv and blazer as a work vehicle and they virtually fell apart in one season. The Blazer in particular simply inhaled the dust, and repeatedly had fuel pump problems. So I guess what I am building up to is that the Highlander, driven sensibly, should (I just bought one, it certainly feels like the quality is there) hold up as well or better under the conditions you describe than any other SUV or truck you could buy. I would not buy a Highlander if real 4-wheeling was your passion, its not designed for that
I'm not sure if the price will go down this year. I opted to buy one now since once the demand gets going they will raise the price. They are very hard to find in the dealer lots. Most dealers around here are scrambling to get them in stock.
The 4-runners increased 8% in value since September 2000. I think that happened because they knew they were filling the price nitch between the Rav and the 4-R. I can hardly see any prices going down unless they lower the price of the Rav too.
toyota is having a BIG EVENT SALE for march and i'm confused. i saw this sale advertised on www.toyota.com so i called the 800-331-4331 to get more info. i was told they had no info and i needed to call a local dealership. the dealership told me there were only lease and financing sales. since i was realy intereted in cash rebated since i'm planning to buy, i forgot all about. yesterday i saw a comercial clearly showing the camry with a sale on lease or $2500 off if buying. i called the 800 number again to get this explained and again they said there are no cash rebates. how does toyota produce a national sale comercial and the customer service computers and dealerships don't have ALL info about the sale???
Wow, waiting 4 months for any car is extreme. I think by waiting so long I woundn't want the darn thing. Yeah, you are right - it doesn't need a step bar. Th car is low enough. I guess you have your hands full with TLML. LOL.
To flaca- Yes I saw a bunch of HLs in Atlanta that would have been fine but remember that I have to deal with TLML and when she says Black limited and we have to order, then, we order.
To thirdsuv - Yes, I am wondering if ultimately the AM-leather and the Side air bags will turn out to be incompatible after all. OH WELL! it was TLML who wanted them - can't imagine what will happen if she does not get her way! I think a tantrum is coming.
To toyotawalt - I forgot to say that I can insist too. And I insisted on the sunroof. However there will be a price to pay for the sunroof. Every time I have the sunroof open on our Camry, there is an incessant skwaking noise from the front passenger seat. I suspect that the HL will have that same skwaking noise. Part of the reason that I got rid of the Miata was an absolutely horrible skwaking and grumbling noise from the passenger seat when I had the top down. The Lovely Miss Linda cannot stand wind in the hair.
I'm debating between the2001 HL4wd 4dr 4cyl or the 2001.5 Passat 2wd 4dr 4cyl Station Wagon. The reviews on the VW have been excellent for a 4cyl but I've read nothing about how the HL 4cyl runs because the review (in Edmunds) says it's only available as a V6. What's up?
To road_runner: There are 3 screws that holds the center console. Remove the console and an ugly hole in the floor matting shows up.
The 4 cyl will not accelerate as smoothly as the 6 cyl. I test driven both. At 50mph and over, cabin noise seems to be the same to me as my 97 V6 camry LE. My first full tank got me only 20mpg. I wonder what my 2nd full tank will give me.
Just had the 2wd v6 we were looking for delivered this week. Great vehicle. Thanks to the informative folks on this site -- really helped in the process. Especially, for someone in Cal, Dianne, whose carsontoyota website will show you exactly what option combinations are available. We got the minimum version, and we got it from Dianne because it did not appear on the dealers' computers in Northern Cal. A good price ($1500 below MSRP) for what is a hard-to-find vehicle in just the colors we wanted, and only $262 for delivery. The internet is a great tool for a car shopper, and kudos to dealers like Dianne and Cliffy who will put out good info on the net. A couple of comments re some recent posts -- #1257 is dead on re warranties being a waste of money. I have a '78 Toyota pickup and an '85 Camry, been all over the West in them and they've never needed a repair that would've been covered. And the Highlander is better made than they are. Read Cliffy's #1243 real carefully. I believe the early model HLs will turn out to be great long-term values because they come from the Kyushu plant. See the review referred to in #1165. When they start making them in Canada, they may not be quite the same ....
Hi all.. Note to Impe: Ah, yes; I have a sister who hates sunroofs, and who tends to ride with me only on days (rare, in MD) when the breezes and the sun seem to scream in unison "open the sunroof!!!!" With her, it's the contact lenses.... But that's the joy of the sunroof, you can always leave it closed when TLML is aboard. Congrats, it'll be worth the grief (4 months from now) having a sunroof.
someone on the owners Bull board had noted a noise when the rear windows only are down. So, I tried it and found the same thing; weird! It goes away when other windows are down and/or the sunroof is open.
That "brake-assist" feature is wild. Anybody noticed it? If you press fairly hard, it does the rest for you; if you find that it's too hard and let up a little bit, it returns to normal function. Took a little getting used to, but I can see it will keep me out of scrapes. It's a BIG vehicle, after all....
Before choosing which to buy, the MDX or HL, I drove both extensively on the hiway and in the city. I drove the MDX first and was very suprised with my experience. The MDX didn't seem 'tight', was creaky, rattled and was noisy on the hiway. I left the test drive perplexed considering all of the hoopla surrounding this car. It just didn't seem to have the quality or feeling of an Acura. When I drove the HL, I had the exact opposite feeling. It was tight, silent, not a creak and had about the smoothest engine/tranny that exists; felt like a Lexus. The HL was a demo with about 9,000 Kms while the MDX had only 300kms on the odometer! With that experience under my belt, I bought the HL fully loaded. It is a pleasure to drive and I am totally enjoying it. Waiting for the centre console & cargo mat (saw it at the auto show). Both items are on back order. I was wondering whether other people on this site who drove the MDX had similar reactions.
Yes, I drove the MDX too, and found it "truck-y." The funniest part was while driving on a back road, rounding a curve at a fairly rapid pace; when the salesman said, "See, no lean at all," while it was leaning dramatically. Drove the Lexus, found it great but overpriced (from which the local dealer would NOT budge). Then the Highlander came out. It had the Lexus feel and quality, but at a lower price. Powerful engine, smooth transmission, as you noted. Great visibility (better than the RX300 OR the MDX). And no annoying big-screen in the middle of the dashboard. Sold.
What kind of gas mileage are owners of the 4-cylinder FWD getting? I am looking for a little something better than 20 mpg. I saw one post where the 4 is only getting 20 mpg. The 4 should definitely get better than 20. Does anyone know the final axle ratio for the 4-cylinder FWD HL?
Hello everyone, I have been follwing this thread for quite a bit. I am real interested in buying the HL. What kind of prices are people getting in So. Cal? I want the V6 2wd...nothing fancy.. no leather, no moonroof. Just mats, center console and cargo cover. I will look forward to all responses. Thank you....
Interesting, I recall reading sometime ago that the reason why the Mazda Tribute has a column-mounted shifter, is because the Japanese market prefer a pass through between the front seats and a centre console was added for the North American Market.
Contradicting this belief, the Highlander has a nice build in console in Japan and no console in North America except for a cheap looking accessory add-on. Go figure.......
Just went and looked at the Highlander. I thought the carpet looked "thin" and the radio knobs and some other parts looked cheap. I think it was designed without a console for two reasons: 1)Toyota is driving to keep the price down so they are not blown away by the MDX and 2) the RX 300 has one and there needs be an obvious difference between the two (besides the Lexus's far superior interior quality).
My unlimited does not have a center console. I had promised my wife we would look into buying and installing one. Now, after several weeks driving the HL, we are not sure we want one. She bought a small plastic container that fits just right; we have found the cup holders completely adequate; the space between the seats is ideal for her purse, or my briefcase, or other material we may be using. We have an Acura sedan with a console, so we were accustomed to a console, but we do not miss it in the HL. It is interesting how we all view things differently (and that is good). I do not find the knobs "cheap" looking, however, we were first considering a Ford Escape .... now that is "cheap" looking. It is all a matter of perspective. I do not doubt the Lexus has a higher quality interior .... but we could not afford the Lexus, therefore, it does not bother me. I am just grateful for the quality of the engine, transmission, handling, assembly and etc. I am absolutely delighted with the fuel efficiency, ride, quietness, and comfort. As I have previously stated, I wish the speakers were a bit better, but maybe I can make a change there at some time in the future. The HL is amid a very competitive market, with new models coming out all the time. For my circumstances, I do not believe I could have done any better at this time. Maybe when the 2002 and 2003 arrive, I will see something I like better ... I hope not, because the HL is going to need to be my wheels for a number of years. Happy Motoring!!
If you want to buy the center console from Japan there are several ways to do that. You can have your local dealer install it for you. I have a friend in Japan with a Kluger ( highland), he says that there are alot of accessories available.
I just picked up our HL last Thursday so it is a little over a week old. After Driving GMC Jimmy's for the last 5 years, the HL feels like a luxury sports car. I must tell you that while at the Toyota Dealership(in Yonkers NY) I was looking at the specc's on the 4Runner and HL and was amazed to find out that the HL is larger(in length and I think width). My wife and I are just thrilled with the vehicle and finally enjoy driving. Can't wait until we hit 1,000 miles to really air it out. Now for the pricing... We did not want the leather so we asked for a non-limited 4WD, V6 and that was it. Naturally, our dealer could not find one without extensive options so we settled on one with a bunch of them including the moon roof. We got very little discount ($850 under MSRP)and it was very hard for them to find one. It took them a week to locate one and it was not a color that we really wanted. We wanted Gold or White and ended up with the Sundown Red Pearl. After living with it for a week we now like the unique color. This is our very first Toyota and we are very impressed with the quality and thank everyone at this BB for helping us decide on the HL. We were originally set to but a Hyundai Sante Fe which I also loved but there are none to be had in the 4WD, V6. Good luck to all and I will check back in in a couple of weeks...
Test drove Highlander and looked at Rav yesterday. The gray leather seats and console were much nicer in the the Rav. Can we get the gray leather seats like the Rav in the Highlander?
Help ! I have a 3 week old Highlander which I love & adore.The problem is a really old guy squeezed in about 6" from my door and made a little white mark scratch on the side strip that goe's down the side of the highlander!!!!! Is there any way to get the white mark out ! My husband wanted to kick in the guy's door on the Buick Park Ave. he had !!!!! Doe's anyone know how to make fix it? THANK'S
I am considering the 4 instead of the 6 mainly because I like less initial price and really like superior mileage....I will get tow package with boat of 1300lbs (well within 4 cyl tow range)....Edmunds said the 4 had "surprising verve"....I know the 6 has more pop, but I am looking for utility and trying to avoid $lippery $lope of adding more and more "stuff"....anyone with good experience with the 4 cylinder....I can't find one nearby to test drive....thanks
If it is paint, try hairspray -- it works for me. Unfortunately, I need a lot more than hairspray to fix the $6000 damage on my 3wk old HL. Got sideswiped big time.
This is the first time I have used a bulletin board, but it helped me alot with our purchase of the HL, so I thought I would share experiences. First, kudos to Dianne4 who debunks many myths with her honesty and obvious knowledge of the dealer process.
Secondly, to those looking for info about Texas dealers. We bought ours in Houston. Had a friend who bought a RAV4 and they jerked all over Texas with lies about pricing and availability. We expected the same and were pleasantly surprised. We were willing to pay full price in return for a few things. Give us the options we want and nothing else, don't give us any of the options that Gulf States Toyota adds that we felt were of negative value(especially pin striping), and try not to lie to us.
We ordered a bluestone (yes they are available) with limited package, 2WD, JBL stereo, all of the mats, and leather interior. Left off the sunroof due to the heat of Houston and road noise when the slide is back. They told us 2-8 weeks and we got it in 3. It came from LA and did not have the Gulf States add ons. It had a towing package and we told them we didn't want it so they gave it to us for nothing. So far we love the truck, but we only have 350 miles on it. It is comfortable, very roomy, tight and quiet. (We test drove a Sienna that was quieter, but this was one of the quietest SUV's we test drove). As for gas mileage, 20MPG in the first tank. I don't expect alot better than that driving in Houston, since it entails city driving and alot of 80 MPH highway speeds. (You want the truck, you pay for the gas).
So to answer other questions I have seen. You can get Bluestone, you can get the options you want, you can get a vehicle in "Gulf States land" without the Gulf States option, you just have to be willing to wait. The drawback is that while you wait, the price may drop. But take it from a guy who used to agonize over how much he paid and if it was fair; get the car you want, negotiate the best you can and never look back.
Dianne, my only comment to dealers is this (and maybe you do this, its never happened to me), if dealers were up front about the extra charges like advertising fees, etc. people would buy more new cars. You can argue the point, but my dealership exeperiences are always negative - not because I think I get ripped off - but because I always have little things added that I wasn't told about. Tell me about them first, I still buy the car, and I am a much HAPPIER buyer and come back for more, more often. Some dealer group or manufacturer should do a study on that one.
In total, my experience was generally positive, we love the Truck/car and are looking forward to seeing more highlanders out there.
03/17/2001 Day I Bought My HighLander V6 4WD 2001 Limited..... Great CAR!!! or SUV!!! Ahhhh... I bought it at City Toyota in SF, 300% in customer satisfaction, Great People to deal with, very friendly, easy to talk and deal with, Yes Yes Yes to City Toyota. MSRP $33485, they asked for $36565, plus Fees, but I learned my car buying skills at www.carbuyingtips.com, ha ha... I offer them only $30K plus FEEs, I almost walked out with my family, but they chased me back in, then I offered $29K (To Joke Around with them), but I paid $30K plus Fees. ahhaha... anyhow, Great Day yesterday.... I got a Great Deal on a Brand New Highlander V6 4WD Limited, Vintage Gold, Top of the Line Model, except without VSC (which I can add later for only $850), anyhow, drives like the Lexus RX300, but the exterior looks way much better. Front light looks very similar to the IS300. Very Very Powerful car 220 HP VVT-i Engine. Smooth and quiet acceleration. Loved the car, in the matter of fact, I'm going to cruise around again...... Fun Fun Fun......
BTW, Never goto Melody Toyota in San Bruno, CA, very bad customer service, Sales with attitude problems, and unfriendly managers. Totally a waste of time there!
Comments
I suppose the reason I have reacted to your comment as I have, is because I feel the "lower confidence" the media keeps talking about is because the media keeps talking about it ... every 15 minutes (CNN).
No, I just bought a new HL because I needed a car. I shopped, found what I wanted, and made my best deal. I really appreciate the quality, fit, ride, power and etc. I did not attempt to make a political and or economic statement.
I hope whatever your economic situation is will improve soon, as well as that of the nation.
Happy walking.
I'm not sure there's anything that's right for you personally. If you are driving too fast on those rutted roads of yours anything is prone to break.
I know we are all skirting around this thought, but I'm going to say it, "MAN...I HAVE A FINE VEHICLE!!!"
Congratulations to all HL owners!!!
ps...otherwise the Subaru is a great car.
The problem was not due to Toyota's paint quality, but rather the dealer's free paint protectant. Just another example to reinforce the policy of never, never letting a dealership talk you into post-factory packages - paint protection, rust proofing, fabric protection, etc. These are all totally useless, and for sundance an unfortunate experience. You'll never regret saying no to these packages.
I would have settled for a red with the ivory leather, but NNNNNOOOOOO!!!!! She insisted on Black (an eight of a mile of our driveway is gravel - wonder how often I'll be washing it).
She also objected to the grey leather, (the ivory was OUT of the question!!), so we have ordered after-market leather in the color Graphite which our dealer said is factory approved, (whatever that means). It will be done by a local firm after the vehicle arrives at the dealership, and is about $125 more than the factory leather.
The Lovely Miss Linda (TLML) also insisted on the side-impact airbags, and the dealer said that these would also be no problem, even with the after-market leather. TLML's justification for the Graphite leather is so when our black Lab Pealr sheads, at about a bushel a day, whatever I don't get up with the vacuum, will not be so visible.
TLML also insisted that we NOT have a sunroof. Her reasoning is that even though I rarely exceed the speed limit by over 5 mph, I will somehow defeat the VSC, (she insisted on that also), an when we skid down the highway for 3000 feet, the sunroof glass will break and get all over us!
The dealer said that we should get our vehicle within the next four months. OH-yes! - They have taken my 99 Miata in trade so that I am going to not have my beloved sports car for some of the best months of the year for top-down fun.
PS- TLML always hated the Miata.
Does anyone out there have the step bars? And if so how do you like them.
Why are these features not standard as is the case with every other manufactures SUV's in this price range is beyond me. At the very least Toyota Canada could have made them available as a third package or as options, I think we can afford it!
As much as I would like a Highlander V6, I am having a lot of difficulty rationalizing the purchase of the vehicle without the features that I require, although I am sure Toyota would love that I upgrade in order to get these features and more. Sorry Toyota its more than I care to pay for (Limited).
And when do you take delivery of the HL?
For what it's worth (and comments like this are showing up on this board more often), I think you've selected a wonderful vehicle, and I agree that their light gray interior (I have cloth) is a little too light. But not as light as the beige! I would have had something indelible on that in a heartbeat.
But I would have insisted on the sunroof! Even if it meant more counselling.
Walt
PS: Thanks for the entertaining note....
So I guess what I am building up to is that the Highlander, driven sensibly, should (I just bought one, it certainly feels like the quality is there) hold up as well or better under the conditions you describe than any other SUV or truck you could buy. I would not buy a Highlander if real 4-wheeling was your passion, its not designed for that
The 4-runners increased 8% in value since September 2000. I think that happened because they knew they were filling the price nitch between the Rav and the 4-R. I can hardly see any prices going down unless they lower the price of the Rav too.
aftermarket leather on a seat with side airbag.
Who do you sue when the bag doesn't come out?
yesterday i saw a comercial clearly showing the camry with a sale on lease or $2500 off if buying. i called the 800 number again to get this explained and again they said there are no cash rebates.
how does toyota produce a national sale comercial and the customer service computers and dealerships don't have ALL info about the sale???
thanks
To thirdsuv - Yes, I am wondering if ultimately the AM-leather and the Side air bags will turn out to be incompatible after all. OH WELL! it was TLML who wanted them - can't imagine what will happen if she does not get her way! I think a tantrum is coming.
To toyotawalt - I forgot to say that I can insist too. And I insisted on the sunroof. However there will be a price to pay for the sunroof. Every time I have the sunroof open on our Camry, there is an incessant skwaking noise from the front passenger seat. I suspect that the HL will have that same skwaking noise. Part of the reason that I got rid of the Miata was an absolutely horrible skwaking and grumbling noise from the passenger seat when I had the top down. The Lovely Miss Linda cannot stand wind in the hair.
Thanks for listening
Impe
which seems to be the exception in our area
Anyone know how the console is installed and if it can be removed
without leaving a "scar"
http://www.carsontoyota.com/index.htm
The 4 cyl will not accelerate as smoothly as the 6 cyl. I test driven both. At 50mph and over, cabin noise seems to be the same to me as my 97 V6 camry LE. My first full tank got me only 20mpg. I wonder what my 2nd full tank will give me.
A couple of comments re some recent posts -- #1257 is dead on re warranties being a waste of money. I have a '78 Toyota pickup and an '85 Camry, been all over the West in them and they've never needed a repair that would've been covered. And the Highlander is better made than they are. Read Cliffy's #1243 real carefully.
I believe the early model HLs will turn out to be great long-term values because they come from the Kyushu plant. See the review referred to in #1165. When they start making them in Canada, they may not be quite the same ....
Note to Impe: Ah, yes; I have a sister who hates sunroofs, and who tends to ride with me only on days (rare, in MD) when the breezes and the sun seem to scream in unison "open the sunroof!!!!" With her, it's the contact lenses....
But that's the joy of the sunroof, you can always leave it closed when TLML is aboard. Congrats, it'll be worth the grief (4 months from now) having a sunroof.
someone on the owners Bull board had noted a noise when the rear windows only are down. So, I tried it and found the same thing; weird! It goes away when other windows are down and/or the sunroof is open.
That "brake-assist" feature is wild. Anybody noticed it? If you press fairly hard, it does the rest for you; if you find that it's too hard and let up a little bit, it returns to normal function. Took a little getting used to, but I can see it will keep me out of scrapes. It's a BIG vehicle, after all....
http://www.toyota.co.jp/Showroom/All_toyota_lineup/KlugerV/
no leather, no moonroof. Just mats, center console and cargo cover. I will look forward to all responses.
Thank you....
http://www.tribute.mazda.co.jp/
Contradicting this belief, the Highlander has a nice build in console in Japan and no console in North America except for a cheap looking accessory add-on. Go figure.......
It is interesting how we all view things differently (and that is good). I do not find the knobs "cheap" looking, however, we were first considering a Ford Escape .... now that is "cheap" looking. It is all a matter of perspective. I do not doubt the Lexus has a higher quality interior .... but we could not afford the Lexus, therefore, it does not bother me. I am just grateful for the quality of the engine, transmission, handling, assembly and etc. I am absolutely delighted with the fuel efficiency, ride, quietness, and comfort. As I have previously stated, I wish the speakers were a bit better, but maybe I can make a change there at some time in the future. The HL is amid a very competitive market, with new models coming out all the time. For my circumstances, I do not believe I could have done any better at this time. Maybe when the 2002 and 2003 arrive, I will see something I like better ... I hope not, because the HL is going to need to be my wheels for a number of years.
Happy Motoring!!
Jimmy's for the last 5 years, the HL feels like a luxury sports car. I must tell you that while at the Toyota Dealership(in Yonkers NY) I was looking at the specc's on the 4Runner and HL and was amazed to find out that the HL is larger(in length and I think width). My wife and I are just thrilled with the vehicle and finally enjoy driving. Can't wait until we hit 1,000 miles to really air it out. Now for the pricing... We did not want the leather so we asked for a non-limited 4WD,
V6 and that was it. Naturally, our dealer could not find one without extensive options so we settled on one with a bunch of them including the moon roof. We got very little discount ($850 under MSRP)and it was very hard for them to find one. It took them a week to locate one and it was not a color that we really wanted. We wanted Gold or White and ended up with the Sundown Red Pearl. After living with it for a week we now like the unique color. This is our very first Toyota and we are very impressed with the quality and thank everyone at this BB for helping us decide on the HL. We were originally set to but a Hyundai Sante Fe which I also loved but there are none to be had in the 4WD, V6. Good luck to all and I will check back in in a couple of weeks...
Love the Highlander though-great drive!
What was the name of the Phili dealer?
You can email me at hipponyc@aol.com
Thanks
I have a 3 week old Highlander which I love & adore.The problem is a really old guy squeezed in about 6" from my door and made a little white mark scratch on the side strip that goe's down the side of the highlander!!!!! Is there any way to get the white mark out ! My husband wanted to kick in the guy's door on the Buick Park Ave. he had !!!!! Doe's anyone know how to make fix it? THANK'S
Unfortunately, I need a lot more than hairspray to fix the $6000 damage on my 3wk old HL. Got sideswiped big time.
Secondly, to those looking for info about Texas dealers. We bought ours in Houston. Had a friend who bought a RAV4 and they jerked all over Texas with lies about pricing and availability. We expected the same and were pleasantly surprised. We were willing to pay full price in return for a few things. Give us the options we want and nothing else, don't give us any of the options that Gulf States Toyota adds that we felt were of negative value(especially pin striping), and try not to lie to us.
We ordered a bluestone (yes they are available) with limited package, 2WD, JBL stereo, all of the mats, and leather interior. Left off the sunroof due to the heat of Houston and road noise when the slide is back.
They told us 2-8 weeks and we got it in 3. It came from LA and did not have the Gulf States add ons. It had a towing package and we told them we didn't want it so they gave it to us for nothing.
So far we love the truck, but we only have 350 miles on it. It is comfortable, very roomy, tight and quiet. (We test drove a Sienna that was quieter, but this was one of the quietest SUV's we test drove). As for gas mileage, 20MPG in the first tank. I don't expect alot better than that driving in Houston, since it entails city driving and alot of 80 MPH highway speeds. (You want the truck, you pay for the gas).
So to answer other questions I have seen. You can get Bluestone, you can get the options you want, you can get a vehicle in "Gulf States land" without the Gulf States option, you just have to be willing to wait. The drawback is that while you wait, the price may drop. But take it from a guy who used to agonize over how much he paid and if it was fair; get the car you want, negotiate the best you can and never look back.
Dianne, my only comment to dealers is this (and maybe you do this, its never happened to me), if dealers were up front about the extra charges like advertising fees, etc. people would buy more new cars. You can argue the point, but my dealership exeperiences are always negative - not because I think I get ripped off - but because I always have little things added that I wasn't told about. Tell me about them first, I still buy the car, and I am a much HAPPIER buyer and come back for more, more often. Some dealer group or manufacturer should do a study on that one.
In total, my experience was generally positive, we love the Truck/car and are looking forward to seeing more highlanders out there.
BTW, Never goto Melody Toyota in San Bruno, CA, very bad customer service, Sales with attitude problems, and unfriendly managers. Totally a waste of time there!