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 ordered my HL March 27 and expect deliver within sixty days from now. If the Center console I order is not there when I pick up the car I will be dissapointed.
I hope I can find a after market console if I can get one to fit.
I previously owned a 93 Lexus SC400 with only one cup holder. Enough people complained and there it was on the 94-two cup holders.
I am having a difficult time securely fastening the car seat in the center position of the rear seat. It appears that the seat belt receiver in the center position is longer than the two side positions and that is why I can not tightly secure the seat.
Another contributing factor may the the firmness of the rear seats. Difficult to compress when tightening the belt.
Has anyone had similar experiences? Not sure if this makes a difference in seat firmness/belt design, but we have leather interior.
As far as the console goes, I happen to have one but wish I didn't. For those complaining that they don't, and can't get one, IMHO you are fortunate. I don't much care for the Toytota console in the HL. I personally like the Toyota floor mounted cupholders better (my Sienna has them) and also prefer not to have the console in the way, although storage for CDs, etc. becomes a problem. Some of the aftermarket consoles look like a better deal to me, though I haven't tried any of them. Toyota definitely needs to redesign the factory console.
Someone asked about an add-on adjustable cupholder that can fit in the HLs console. I saw one at Walmart recently, but haven't tried it. It had thumb-screw adjustable wedges on the bottom to fit into a cupholder and clamp tight, but could also be used to clamp on to something. It appeared to be pretty versatile. The top bezel rotated easily to adjust the cupholder size. It even had a little LED light so you could see where to set the cup at night. I am not sure if it will fit into the HL console's fold down cupholders (which are pretty small), but if it does it might be the answer. One problem would be that if you use it I am sure it would cover the second cupholder, so you would only have one available. Has anyone tried one of these?
It came with a center console installed which the salesman claimed it's from Toyota.
One problem I have is this somewhat high pitched noise from the front area of the car when the ignition key is inserted without starting the engine. When I turn the key to "ON" position, and turn back to "ACC", the sound stops with a clicking sound. It sounds like it has something to do with the electrical system being activated. The sound will continue as long as I have the key on "ON" position.
Once I start the engine, it's hard to tell whether the noise stop because of the egnine sound. Does anyone know if this is normal?
look at sam's club.
http://www.canineauto.com/seatcoverssgc.htm#st
As for Canadian pricing (pchiu). I did a lot of research and had to do alot of bargaining but I got the LTD (in Canada this is fully loaded) for
cost - 40 438$
5% mark up - 2022$
PDI/Frieght - 1000$
Air tax - 100$
Tire tax - 15$
Total - 43 575$ (plus I paid extra for a cargo net, bike rack and hood deflector).
I hope this helps.
John
Any info would be appreciated.
I live in New England, and paid a little short of MSRP, but that was several months ago ... I think the price has fallen some since then.
I bought from Autobytel.com and was well satisfied with the arrangement, although another Toyota dealer was closer to home. But he was totally unwilling to deal at all.
I suspect a big factor is if the dealer has the vehicle you want in stock. They will make a much better offer on one in stock, rather than find another, arrange a trade, and transport two vehicles.
Good luck ... you cannot go wrong.
As you read other post, you will see that some have "fretted" about the center console(or lack there of), "popping" sounds, and a high speed, cross wind "buzz." Of the three, the buzz is the only issue I am interested. My V6, 4WD, unlimited does not have a console and I like that just fine. Living in New England, it has yet to become hot, so I have not heard the popping sound. I suspect that is expansion and contraction. Otherwise, I think the HL is a wonderfully engineered and constructed vehicle. I am completely satisfied with Toyota's fit, finish, performance and economy.
Happy HL'ing to all.
My parents are looking to get a Highlander and we live in Canada. Did you subscribe to any of the services that give the invoice and/or actual dealer prices (CarcostCanada, APA, etc...)? How did you approach it with the salesman?
Thanks,
Lyall
FYI, I got the invoice prices from CarCost Canada and am confident that the $40 cost to get 6 quotes saved me at least 10 times that over the best deal I would have had without the invoice prices (it's cheaper to get fewer quotes). It's amazing what an official printout with the "CarCost Canada" logo and a little homework can do!
Good Luck!
Oh by the way, when I test drove the 2WD 4 cyl HL, I loaded up 830 lbs of people and cases of water, turned the A/C on high, and went up a 6% grade at 130 kp/h on cruise without any sluggishness or the tranny kicking down. I could even accelerate and pass people on the way up while I went up to 140 kp/h (all in the interest of automotive research of course..)This powertrain setup (2WD/4 cyl) is under-rated and more than adequate for urban/suburban driving needs if you can admit to yourself that you're buying an economical, tall station wagon and not a boulder basher 4x4.
includes 895 Fr&PDI
100 tire tax
400 gas tax (Ontario)
GST
PST
Probably not the greatest, but a good starting point.
Thanks again,
TOPIC: Tues., May 29th "Cell phones: are hand-held bans enough?"
Any comments by those people having problems with that annoying wind whistle.. as stated in my previous post, I believe it is coming from the front driver corner of the moon roof. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!
To get the best deal I went out of toun (1 hour drive) where the dealers are more anxious to deal than the ones in the city. I live in Ottawa.
I calculated that i only got ~2000 less MSRP but no bogus charges.
A Nebraska dealer in a previous post says the noise appears to be from the door seals. We had a strong wind today, so I got the howl constantly coming home from work. Opening the moonroof didn't stop it. Opening any window but the driver's window didn't stop it. Opening the driver's window just a crack changed the pitch but didn't stop it. Opening the driver's window all the way stopped the howl. I concluded that the howl seems to come from the seal at the top of the driver's door. I think I may try lubricating the door seal tomorrow to see if that has any effect.
- I love the open space between the seats and probably would not be tempted even by a "serious" center console.
- After breakin period, I took a 400 mile trip which included high-speed interstate (75-80 mph) and about 50 miles of sometimes rough dirt road. Gas mileage (figured both manually and by HL computer) was almost 24 mpg.
- Vehicle feels incredibly stable even at high speed and in very strong cross winds.
- Have not experienced the loud high-speed whistle, even in very strong head and cross winds. Sometimes I do hear a very quiet whistle between about 30-40 mph only. Can only hear it if all windows are closed while on a very quiet street. If the sunroof is open, the whistle is a bit louder.
- The HL ride is outstanding on all surfaces, and the seats are very comfortable even on long trips.
- My son complains that there is not a reading light built into the rear seat area (he likes to read on long car trips) like in the Explorer we traded, but otherwise he gives the accommodations a thumbs up!
- My 80 yr-old parents think getting in and out is easy and that the backseat legroom is wonderful.
- I wish the front map lights masked any other light coming into the cabin, so that if the passenger needs to read a map or directions, etc. the light would not bother the driver
- I wish the window controls were lighted.
- My wife loves driving the HL compared with the Explorer. She says it feels much more controlable and comfortable.
- The most difficult thing is to look at the HL parked in the garage, because it begs to be driven.
Regarding the availability of 2wd or 4wd HLs, generally the 2wds are more prevalent in the southern states where weather conditions usually don't warrant the need for a 4wd vehicle.
If anyone is thinking about buying one, I highly recommend it. It also significantly reduces the amount of bug splatter on the windshield at highway speeds. I have not noticed any significant reduction in milage either. Plus, the "smoke" colored plastic looks great on my black HL.
notice both front tires wearing on outer and inner edges, scuffing-saw tooth patterns around 1500 miles, dealer checked the alignment and tell me to go see the bridgestone tire dealer, Tire dealer says its an alignment problem go see the toyota dealer and request a printout of the alignment readings, notice another highlander this weekend with the same tire wear problem on the front tires, Anyone else seeing this problem with their highlander?
The travel rate for certain models, ie. 4WDs vs 2WDs vs Limited vs. 4cyl vs. V6 lightly equipped vs. loaded... all of that is an indicator to the dealers bestowed with the decisions of what to order of precisely that: what to order! They have to do this a few months in advance so fine-tuning a model and features takes time at the introduction of a car.
-Ret
As soon as I heard it I opened the moonroof, noise continued. I then opened the windows, still got the noise. You will know when you hear this noise because it gets your attention. It only seems to occurr during cross winds and it sounds like it's coming from the top of the windshield. I read the post about the door seals, but I don't understand how the door seals could be the problem, since they are flush and not part of the "A" pillar or top of the roof like on some other models. I have a little over 2200 miles on my HL (Limited V6 4WD) and other than this noise, I have no complaints.
We bought a 4WD 6cyl Limited HL on a Saturday with 8 mis on it in the Pacific Northwest. By the time we got it home with 30 mis on it, there was a definite problem with smoke coming in the vents of the passenger compartment, and oil coming out the bottom. Called dealer Sunday, no response. Called Monday, they towed it back. I said, "new, different car please", they said, "no we'll fix it, we never replace". They diagnosed it as a bad filter seal requiring a new cylinder head. (As an aside here, my previous experiences with dealer-based Toyota mechanics have been just awful) The Service (and customer satisfaction rep.) said the GM was the only person who could authorize a replacement. It took a couple of days, but the GM eventually agreed to replace after he confirmed he would not lose any money because the original car could be sold as "new" if a Toyota mechanic replaced the defective part with an original Toyota part. I don't know if the car went back to Toyota (what the GM was trying to orchestrate) or is out on a lot.
The dealer ordered a replacement car, which I didn't wait for because he found a match locally much sooner. Had a new car 10 days later. The dealer then insisted on using the old (now backdated) paperwork. The original deal occured in a previous fiscal quarter, so I see their incentive for a collateral exchange rather than new paper. After getting no, no, no, on requests to not pay (a very minor) financing fee during that 10 day period, the GM relented.
Speaking of financial matters, check your paperwork carefully before you sign... the finance rep. originally presented us with papers with a price more than $2K over what was negotiated.
I learned a few important things along the way. First, I came extremely close to picking up a car outside my region... didn't because of a good trade-in scenario. This problem would have been resolvable with a car shipped to me, but harder. Second, the maxim in cars that if you drive away with a signed contract "it's yours" is not quite right. Under the uniform consumer code, you have a right of rejection if operation is required to make a reasonable inspection. Operation is required with mechanical aspects of cars to "inspect" them. The grey area is how long an immediate "inspection" can last. Third, the timing of turning both of the "no's" to "yes's" coincided with the dealer receiving a complaint number from Toyota of America regarding my inquiry about how to proceed with them. If you have troubles, especially early on, I'd recommend you call Toyota's customer service # and write down your case #. The issue is forwarded immediately to your dealer. The dealers apparently don't like having these unresolved.
My impression is that the dealership (and Toyota) know they're at the bottom of the barrel in customer satisfaction ratings of dealers. Whereas the dealer's instincts are to rely on the cheezeball approaches that earned them that distinction in the first place, I think they are genuinely trying to improve the perception. It's not entirely natural for them yet. It worked to work with them... but I was never sure.
Now a couple weeks later, I'm happy to say I've got a great car with no problems and no regrets.