Toyota Highlander

1103104106108109211

Comments

  • lisafrsandiegolisafrsandiego Member Posts: 12
    I'm assuming that "what are you waiting for" question was directed at me :-) You are right! $600 over invoice seems to be a good deal based on the research I've done

    I couldn't get them to drop any lower on price. I delt with Scott Johnson and Dan Dixon at Toyota of the Desert and they are going to drive it all the way to San Diego (100 miles) for free to deliver it to me tomorrow!

    It is a white 6cyl AWD LTD
    WHOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!
  • dmorelli1dmorelli1 Member Posts: 13
    To jmarouse...How do you like the HL compared to the PF? My PF is an LE fully loaded with all options and an auto car starter.It only has 7000 miles.How did you all get the dealers to take so little over dealer invoice?I was quoted $2000 over d.i.which I won't do.To jrawlinson...how did a fully loaded Ltd come to $30,500? When I do the math I come up with $31,089 dealerinvoice.Also,did anyone else have to pay Toyota advertising?This was an additional charge a dealer told me I have to pay? Is the vehicle skid control and Ltd slip differential necessary?
  • hylndr61hylndr61 Member Posts: 51
    I too had the same rattling noise you described. I was convinced it was coming from the moonroof until I discovered by accident that it was actually coming from the passenger side seatbelt adjuster. This is located near the side door and allows you to adjust the position of the seat belt in relation to your shoulder. I know this sounds crazy but the noise was somehow bouncing off of the sunroof area. I discovered this one day when I accidently slammed the driver's side door HARD. I heard the rattle and kept slamming the door until I isolated the noise. I'm not sure exactly what is rattling inside the mechanism but I adjusted it down a few clicks and haven't heard it since.
  • hylndr61hylndr61 Member Posts: 51
    It is my understanding that the tire pressures are overinflated on purpose to prevent flat spots from forming on the tires while in transit from Japan. The dealer is supposed to lower the pressure to 30 psi before delivery to the customer. I discovered that my tires were severely overinflated (48 psi!) which is beyond the maximum pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire.
  • hylndr61hylndr61 Member Posts: 51
    That is a very good price. I have been happy with my all-weather mats but I should warn you that the front passenger mat fits a little weird. There is a strange cut-out it one of the corners that looks like it doesn't belong. You can view a picture at: http://homepage.mac.com/hylndr61/PhotoAlbum1.html
  • hylndr61hylndr61 Member Posts: 51
    Does anyone know what is going on with the Yahoo! Highlander club? They have been down for some time now. Like the Edmunds club, it was a good source of information on the Highlander.
  • jmarousejmarouse Member Posts: 18
    Highlander Vs Pathfinder (SE). HL smoother ride, more responsive steering/cornering, better gas mileage. PF - better looking, great stereo, better off road - But I do not "plan" to take HL off road.

    Full loaded was 32K - Includes floor matts, gold pkg side air bags and VSC + etc. Remember - the dealer still gets 2% back from Toyota. And as soon as they sell a HL - They get allocation for another one.

    VSC is OK. I tested it 2 days ago in snow. It definitely kicks in. I wish there was a manual override.
  • dmorelli1dmorelli1 Member Posts: 13
    I'm going to the dealer to test drive the HL today. If my math is correct,you were able to get the HL for around $900 over Dealer invoice? According to Edmund,the d.i. is $31,089 with premium stereo,leather,lmtd slip
    diff,sunroof,side airbags,heated seats & skid control. There is nothing listed for mats or gold package?How much more were these? Did they say you had to pay for advertising like they're telling me? Thanks for any advise.
  • nimrod99nimrod99 Member Posts: 343
    I would like opinions from current Highlander owners who have ivory leather interior.

    Any comments on how easy they are to keep clean?

    Thanks
  • camrycoupecamrycoupe Member Posts: 8
    Those of you who bought the VSC with their Highlander, wold you do it again? It seems like a lot of people wish they could turn it off. I am just wondering if it is worth ordering this option.
    Thanks!
  • watchmansusawatchmansusa Member Posts: 10
    Search Yahoo Groups for it.
  • pasqualpasqual Member Posts: 22
    Can anyone tell me if a decent aftermarket maintenance manual for the highlander been published yet? The Toyota one is a bit expensive.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    I have VSC/TRAC/ABS in both my RX300 AWD and my 996 AWD, I could turn it off in the 996 but I just can't imagine why I would ever want to.
  • camrycoupecamrycoupe Member Posts: 8
    I am concerned about Consumer Reports again rating Highlander poorly on emergency handling. This April's issue says "Everyday handling is responsive but can become twitchy at the limits, even with the available stability control system." They say about the RX300 handling is secure at its limits due to the standard stability control system.

    I am looking for a vehicle that handles well in emergeny situations- basically, icy roads. Am I better off buying a used RX300 or have people found that contrary to reports, the Highland can cope with wet, icy roads, or emergency manoeuvres.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Given that the HL has a slightly larger wheelbase I can't imagine that it isn't more "stable" than the RX.

    I upgraded my RX to 17X8 wheels/tires with spacers all around to enhance stability. Track width is about 3" wider.
  • jrawlinsonjrawlinson Member Posts: 11
    In response to my post of #5240 Donna, it is not fully loaded..I did not get VSC, side airbags, gold pakage etc..I also did not pay for the Toyoguard..I agreed on the price of $30,500 and the car came in with the Toyoguard on it..I told the dealer I didn't want it..and he didn't charge me for it..As far as the Ivory Leather and how easy is it to keep clean..no problem with the actual leather, however, carpet mats do show the dirt..
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Given that the HL has a slightly larger wheelbase I can't imagine that it isn't more "stable" than the RX.

    I upgraded my RX to 17X8 wheels/tires with spacers all around to enhance stability. Track width is about 3" wider.
  • sin21856sin21856 Member Posts: 14
    Hey, didn't think about checking that. I'll try messing around with the seatbelt adjuster thingy as soon as I get off work...thanks for the heads up!
  • tfuzztfuzz Member Posts: 93
    William,

    I have the ivory leather seats in my HL. The light color would not have been my first choice either. However, I have not found them to get that dirty--at least so far. I do wipe them after I carry my dogs in the back. After almost a year and 17,000 miles they still look fine (but don't ask me about the tall grease monkey who backed my HL out of the garage and had grease in his hair he rubbed onto the headliner).

    The floor mats are another story. Mine got dirty within a few weeks. I steam cleaned them, but they got dirty again soon. My solution was to buy the beige rubber mats for daily use. I only put the cloth mats in for special occasions. That helps a lot.

    OTOH, I have the gray mats in my Sienna, and they also show the dirt pretty bad even though they are a darker color. The gray leather in the Sienna seems to show dirt about the same as the ivory.

    My opinion is that light or dark leather really doesn't make all that much difference with normal use. If you have some special concern (my dad is a printer--printer's ink smudges definitely wouldn't look good on the ivory!) then it may be different. My son delivered papers when he was in Jr High. Of course, Mom and Dad ended up delivering them lots of times when the band or baseball team or whatever had an event. Ink rubbing off stacks of newspapers also probably wouldn't look good on the ivory (didn't look good on the beige Forester I had at the time).
  • pasqualpasqual Member Posts: 22
    Thanks hylndr61,went to check my tire pressure on my new H/L read 40PSI.
  • megawattbluesmegawattblues Member Posts: 66
    In the Consumer Reports article, they said: "Emergency handling is not as capable as we'd like, but it's secure enough." Then they go on to say how the vehicle reached it's cornering limits early when pushed hard. They liked, and recommended the Highlander.

    This sounds like dry & wet pavement manuvers, where the tires may have something to do with how soon a car reaches those limits

    Their test car was equipped with Goodyear Integrity tires. The test RX300 had the Bridgestone Duelers, which is what the newer Highlanders seem to be shipping with lately.

    The Passat wagon that was also in the test is a benchmark of handling amongst these types of vehicles. It's also not an suv. The Highlander did no poorer than the MDX, or Rendezvous.

    Everyday, low-speed, handling (steering) is great on the highlander. It tosses into curves and twisties to a point where it's actually fun to drive. But you have to remember that you are in an suv.

    I like cars that handle. But I think in reality, if you want any serious lateral acceleration, or super crisp transient response, then you need somethig more car than suv.
  • jafo2001jafo2001 Member Posts: 98
    I'm only 6 ft tall but I have a terrible time with legroom in my highlander. It's almost as though my leg has to be too elevated to compensate and the thigh area isn't supported so my leg gets very tired.

    The front seat legroom, at 40.7" seems to be about the smallest of any SUV and smaller than most cars.

    Has anyone else got this problem?
  • barkasy1barkasy1 Member Posts: 44
    Hi All,

    I have the same concerns as jafo2001 concerning leg room. I am 6'2" and drive 25,000 to 35,000 miles per year. I'm afraid a test drive is not long enough to make me uncomfortable. Any comment from any 6' plus HL owners out there?

    One of my local dealers just made me a great offer on a fresh import that is not even out of Jacksonville (the Southeast Import Center for Toyotas) yet. I almost can't refuse it. He said I could have it for Invoice. The dealership does have a $ 500.00 dealer paper work/administration fee (then taxes, battery/tire, & registration) which I thought was high.

    Should I jump on this offer or am I missing something? The seats concern me also.

    Please, please help.

    Thanks Bunches, Dave ;^)
  • ofc53ofc53 Member Posts: 2
    I'm 6'1" and I'm very comfortable driving my HL. The range of motion and the 8 way power seat more than accomodates my frame. I just did a drive from the Bay Area (California) to Los Angeles to Sacramento and back to the Bay Area and it was great.
  • tommyg12tommyg12 Member Posts: 158
    from the New York Auto Show if anyone is interested.

    The Pilot pictures are supposedly of the full production version. The Highlander is much more attractive but I do like the rear A/C vents in the Pilot.

    The Murano is more pre-production so I expect that the final version will change some.

    It will be interesting to see how Honda and Nissan structures their prices vs. options. I expect the Honda to come in two or three levels with only dealer accessories as options. The Highlander is my first Toyota and I love it, but Toyota should really look at adding more items as standard, especially safety items such as side airbags.
  • cmcardlecmcardle Member Posts: 71
    I'm 6'5", and the leg room is pretty good. Can you stretch your legs out straight, like I could do in my '79 Firebird? No. But, the HL also has a back seat. I have just over 2,000 miles logged, and I've been quite happy with it. (Of course, I had been driving a Civic since coming out of grad school in '96, so I may have a warped view going from a car I needed, to a car I wanted.)
  • jimmymagickjimmymagick Member Posts: 12
    I seem to remember that there was a trick to installing the hood protector. Instead of discarding the weatherstripping as the instructions state, you reinstall it--I assume over the hood protector.

    Anyone know how?

    Thanks.
  • sbell4sbell4 Member Posts: 446
    Many people are buying HL at or near invoice everyday in different regions across the US. Have you tried looking outside of Gulf States Distributor for the price in NC,SC,GA,AL or FL? Some people will consider driving 3-5 hours to save over $1000.00
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    There is no need for an LSD on the GS300, nor ANY lexus with TRAC. For a RWD vehicle as long as both rear wheels have a reasonably close or equal, level of traction, the open diff'l will deliver equal torque to both rear wheels.

    TRAC only comes into play if one rear wheel begins to slip and then TRAC will instantly apply, release, apply, release, etc, the brake to that wheel, using the on/off cycling of the brake to modulate the frictional coefficient of that wheel such that it's rotational rate roughly equals that of the opposite wheel.

    If this condition persists for more than a few hundred milliseconds and the operator does not react quickly and lift the throttle then the TRAC ecu will itself dethrottle the engine.

    The Sequoia, ML, and I think the new LC, AWD systems work the same way except TRAC will use the brakes on any wheel or wheel to alleviate wheelspin.

    Three open diff'ls with TRAC to insure true AWD operation on most surfaces, dry, slippery, snow, ice, etc.

    The Sequoia only locks the center diff'l in L4 and with the transmission shifter in "low", otherwise it uses TRAC to apportion torque in AWD mode if slippery conditions are encountered.
  • stevostevo Member Posts: 37
    Installed the rear spoiler yesterday. It went on fine. I don't care for the one riveted snap connector on the left side (it also has one bolt on the left side). It would be easier/better with four bolts/studs. I'm guessing that they made it like this so that it takes only one person at the distributor to install the spoilers. They can snap one side down and then open the hatch and install a nut on the other side and not worry about the spoiler falling. I can't think of any other reason.

    Anyway...

    I also ordered the fog lamps from my local dealer. Two fog lamp with four new clips and two plastic snap in "bearings" (as mentioned in an earlier post - for the adjusting screws) for $200. This did not include any wiring or bulbs. I installed the lamps but will not wire them up right away (I sealed the openings on the back of the lamps for now). In my opinion, for $200, the look of my HL has been greatly improved. I would recommend it to anyone.
  • lisafrsandiegolisafrsandiego Member Posts: 12
    I purchased my Highlander AWD LTD at Toyota of the Desert (conact Dan Dixon or Scott Johnson 760-328-0871)using a fax attack and they delivered the next day for free. Service was great and I can recommend them.

    Came equipped with
    FE, SR, BE,TO, UQ,VD,LL,EJ,LA,HD,CF
    Invoice price: 31,542+ Plus $600 over +tax+lic+doc+tire fee =$34,937

    Got a great deal and love it already!
  • pdalpsherpdalpsher Member Posts: 136
    is easy to reinstall. When it is removed, one of the holes where it is fastened is used to install the hood protector. To reinstall the protector, you just skip over that spot.

    This is working with the toyota hood protector. I don't know how other protectors are installed but the toyota one makes this process very easy.
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    Could several owners of the HL 4-cylinder 2WD give me the mpg one could expect with approximately 75/25 (highway/city)? I sure would appreciate several responses. Thanks in advance.
  • bohresbohres Member Posts: 1
    fredvh,
    We've had our Highlander for about 10 months/10,000 miles. We live in the Panhandle of Florida where it is very flat. It looks like we're settling out about 20-21 MPG around town. Our highway MPG has been going up and was about 27 on our last trip. I'd estimate that we would get about 25-26 MPG for your scenario.
  • art4242art4242 Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone noticed a delay in downshifts sometimes? I have a 2002 Limited V6 AWD, just over a month old now. 4th to 3rd is fine, but at times when going from 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to 1st there seem to be some delay before the shift. For instance, I stomp on the gas, the engine revs, but the transmission doesn't actually downshift for a second or so. I saw some posts about abrupt 2nd to 3rd upshifts but nothing about downshifts.

    Sometimes I even lurch forward for a second before it catches gear, which is of course very disconcerting (punch the gas and deccelerate?). This is most noticeable when cruising near the shift points, i.e. around 30-40mph and 50-60mph and hammering the gas hard. It almost seems like the engine is over-revving or the transmission is slipping a bit before engaging. Is this just me or has anyone else noticed this? My wife's older Camry definitely doesn't shift like this. Thanks.

    -art4242
  • jafo2001jafo2001 Member Posts: 98
    I should clarify where I found the legroom short.

    With a car so tall, unless you are Michael Jordan you will be able to fit your knees under the steering wheel.

    What I've been finding is that since there's less legroom that I'm used to (and at 40.7", the Highlander has less legroom than any other car I can find out of the 30 I've searched so far) I find there's not a lot of thigh support so my legs get really tired after 20 minutes.

    Anyone else find this?
  • hylndr61hylndr61 Member Posts: 51
    Does anyone know what the proper torque value is for the oil drain plug on the V6 engine (1MZ-FE). I can't find it listed anywhere in the Owner's Manual. Thanks.
  • emmaemma Member Posts: 5
    What is anyone using to carry cargo on their roof racks? We will be driving our daughter back from college and will need to use the roof racks.
    I saw some lightweight polyester bag that weighs only 5 lbs that holds 13 cubic feet. Any ideas or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
  • bigorange30bigorange30 Member Posts: 1,091
    The same question was asked on the RX300 board today and got this reponse:


    http://www.packasport.com/home.html


    with this dealer:


    http://www.rack-n-roll.com/index.html

  • lasrerlasrer Member Posts: 9
    hello

    we have a hl limited that has heated mirrors. How /when do they come on and how would one know they are working.

    tried both fr and rear defrost and there was no sign of wrmth or evap of liquid. it was about 50f outside.

    thanks for your feedback

    ed
  • tfrank3tfrank3 Member Posts: 5
    Has anyone tried to fit three car seats in the back seat of a Highlander? In the near future we will have a four year old, 2 year old and an infant all needing to be transported in our Highlander. My wife wants to make sure we can fit all three car seats back there.

    Has anyone sucessfully tried this?
  • b717b717 Member Posts: 38
    The mirror heat is controlled by a separate switch located on the dash to the left of the steering column.
    It is identified by an odd pictogram of a mirror and lights up when switch is cycled on. They work rather well.
  • lasrerlasrer Member Posts: 9
    i guess i missed that in the manual. I swear i read it though.............

    thanks much

    ed
  • barkasy1barkasy1 Member Posts: 44
    Hi All,

    Does anyone know what the differences might be regarding factory installed leather vs. port installed leather?

    Thanks, David ;^)
  • jafo2001jafo2001 Member Posts: 98
    I must have missed it in the manual. Where's the switch to dim the instrument panel at night?
  • rfhourfhou Member Posts: 47
    The dimmer is a thin knob in the bottom right hand corner of the tachometer window on the instrument panel. It turns left/right. A trick from the owner's manual - you can roll up and down the driver's window from outside the car by inserting the key in the door handle and holding the key in the up or down position.

    Port Leather: I have it and all I can say is ----Don't do it!!! It is the same style as the factory leather, but I don't think it fits as well or is the same quality. I have had three repairs related to the port leather. The latest involved the dealer trying to super glue the door handle back on - I caught it and the entire door panel had to be replaced.
  • 1davidn1davidn Member Posts: 3
    For an earlier question about So Cal dealers -

    Met a terrific salesman at Toyota of Irvine (junction of the 5 and the 405) today. Very knowledgeable. Haven't purchased yet but, might. His name was Brian Hansen or Hanson.
  • brgsmithbrgsmith Member Posts: 14
    We purchased an '01 Ltd AWD V6 Vintage Gold last May and have been extremely satisfied. When I noticed that factory running boards were available, I purchased the kit from my dealer ($575) and finally installed them.

    First, if you are not mechanically inclined and have not used drills and self-drilling screws on metal substrates and are not familiar with or inexperienced with mechanical hand tools, have the dealer install it. I've been a "clutchhead" for 35 years and it took about 2.25 hours lying on my back under it including prep and cleanup.

    A couple observations:

    The kit is very well made, color is an exact match, all hardware and one required drill bit was included. The self-drill screws are and some of the other fasteners are coated with corrosion-resistant coating, and some of the other hardware is bright zinc electroplated. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, with decent illustrations. It is an easy one-person job for the experienced. The existing front molded splash guards are replaced with new ones as part of the running board assembly.

    The potentially difficult part is drilling the holes in the chassis for the front bracket. The instructions recommend a right-angle drill motor. I didn't have one, but I did use a very short-length older Black & Decker 3/8" drill motor that just barely physically fit in the space needed to get the holes drilled. The kit-supplied drill bit is fairly short in length and this helped. The instructions recommend drilling one hole and installing a self-drilling screw in that hole to hold the bracket while using the other three bracket holes as a template for drilling the remaining holes. This procedure works very well. The holes drilled with the bit are only pilot holes for the self-drill screws that attach the brackets. You must use a drill motor and hex drive socket to install the self-drill screws since trying to install them with a hand ratchet did not work; the self-drill screws just spun on their tips in the pre-drilled holes. With the hex drive socket in the drill motor the screws went in just fine, and I torqued them with the hand ratchet to finish. The middle and rear brackets are very accessible for drilling; it's only the front brackets that are kinda tough. The running boards themselves have lots of adjustability to aid in alignment which went quickly. All in all, a straightforward installation and a tremendous improvement in looks and protection for the lower body side finish.

    Hope this helps.
  • brgsmithbrgsmith Member Posts: 14
    Having had three Explorers prior to the Highlander, I can say that the Highlander handles like a dream. It is much more car-like and corners with a far more "confident" feeling as compared to the older style Explorer. We live in northern PA and before winter I put a set of Bridgestone Winter Duelers on it (SUV version of Blizzak) and they were absolutely terrific in concert with the AWD and the VSC. Regarding the VSC, I "tested" it in an empty parking lot one evening and found it to be very responsive and effective. No offense, but I suggest that some of those who don't like it might not be using it correctly, like those that try to pump the brake with an ABS system (Don't do it! Mash on the brake and let the system work!). Knowing what the VSC does when activated lets one know what to expect in a situation when it does activate. Also, VSC is no substitute for "over-driving" or aggressive driving in poor conditions. Take it easy!

    As far as CR testing of the Highlander, well, I don't subscribe because I find their testing to be a bit more subjective than they would lead people to think. If I recall from reading the library copy of the test, the test Highlander had Goodyear Integrity tires, and tires and tire pressure play a large part in handling. CR also sometimes fails to get vehicles in a given test equipped similarly for apples-apples comparisons.
    Now you got me started . . .
  • jafo2001jafo2001 Member Posts: 98
    Isnt the knob to the right of the tach the trip odometer reset knob and not the panel dimmer?
Sign In or Register to comment.

Your Privacy

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.