2008 Toyota Highlander Review

Specifications

Toyota has a fond place in my heart, and therefore this review may be somewhat biased, but I believe the brand is deserving of its long standing reputation as a leader in the car manufacturing industry. Back in 1986 my mother bought a Toyota Corolla. It was white with a cloth interior and black rubber bumpers (why, oh why did they change to painted bumpers?). That car saw her through almost 20 years of driving in Florida. She never took it on any long trips, so the odometer didn’t reflect its age. She was also meticulous and kept the car looking better than some new cars on the road. When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I moved her up to live with us. I sold the Corolla to one of the mechanics at the local Toyota dealership in Florida where she had religiously had it serviced. He was thrilled to get such a gem, and I was happy that the car would be well looked after in its golden years.

So, when the opportunity came for me to drive a new Toyota, and to that end something a little more upscale than the Corolla, I was anxious to have the experience. And the 2008 Highlander Limited that became my ride for the week, one of the latest developments from this highly regarded car company, immediately stole my attention.

My friend, Bob, is a piano tuner … you don’t meet many of them these days. He loves his Highlander and told me that when he was looking for an SUV, he had difficulty finding one that would fit all of his stuff that he takes when he goes out to clients’ homes to tune their pianos. He also coaches soccer, and he needed a vehicle to transport people and cargo, but he didn’t want to go the minivan route. One of the best features of the Highlander is that it takes care of multitasking in a refined manner. While it lives up to the name “sport utility” with a performance-oriented demeanor, practicality and comfort aren’t left out of the equation.

The Toyota Highlander has evolved since its inception in 2000. The 2008 model is a robust looking vehicle with a longer wheelbase, wider stance and higher ground clearance. Its more distinctive exterior styling gives it a less rugged and boxy appearance with clean lines and an S-shaped profile. Still, there is no mistaking the Highlander for a “chick” car. Inside there is more leg, head and shoulder room, and the towing capacity is now 5,000 pounds. Remarkably, the handling is still so car-like that I never felt I was driving a 4WD SUV at all.

A new 3.5-liter V6 engine replaces the old 3.3-liter V6 and gives the Highlander lots of power. With 270 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 248 lb-ft of torque at 4,700 rpm the lightweight designed engine delivers optimal output, enhanced fuel efficiency and quiet running characteristics.

Convenience and versatility are prominent characteristics of this mid-sized SUV. For starters, the 2008 Highlander is the first vehicle to ever feature a second row fold-away center seat, which allows owners to quickly reconfigure the 2nd row from two captain’s chairs to a three-person bench seat. When not in use, the center portion fits neatly into the rear of the console between the two front seats, and a fold-away console with cupholders fits in where the seat cushions had previously been.

Also handy is the location of the levers near the rear tailgate, which make folding down the 2nd and 3rd row seats a quick and effortless operation, converting the Highlander’s interior to a cargo carrier with a completely flat deck. The Limited Edition comes standard with a flip-open glass hatch to provide easy access when there is not enough room to open the whole back door. I loved this when I was on the ferry, because I needed to grab a bag from the very back, but the cars are always parked with mere inches between them, so opening the rear liftgate wasn’t an option.

On all models, except the basic, you can get a standalone back-up camera. This is a great feature that often comes only as part of a more expensive package. And, one of my favorite convenience features is the power back door with automatic door closer for those times when my arms are full, which seems to be all the time!

There are five models of Highlander, which seems like overkill to me, especially when there are also two additional mid-sized SUVs in Toyota’s fleet – the sturdy 4Runner and the back country FJ Cruiser (the RAV4 doesn’t feel all that far from mid-size either - Ed.). With Highlander being the most “urban-friendly” of the three, I have to wonder why the fit and finish on the Limited Edition that I drove wasn’t as remarkable as some of the competitors’ brands. Where there should be soft-touch material on the dash and panels, there is hard plastic. The wood grain trim is very faux plastique (that’s bastardized French for plastic.) Even the roof lining is sub-par. The fully-loaded Highlander Limited should boast nothing-but-the-best materials, but it falls short in this department.

Notwithstanding its deficiencies in some details of materials and fit and finish, driving the Highlander around the city was a pleasure. A smart key system with push button start means you don’t have to fumble around for the key fob. Comfortable, power adjustable and heated leather seats add to the experience. Automatic HVAC and audio controls are easy to reach and highly visible. The model that I drove was equipped with a navigation package, which was easy to use and saved me on one occasion when I got completely turned around due to construction to the point where I had no idea what direction I was going.

Highway driving is also a breeze. The Highlander is a quiet vehicle with a very solid and safe feel to it. The automatic gearbox (a 5-speed Super Electronically Controlled Transmission) delivers excellent quiet performance and very smooth shifts. Shift-matic controls also allow you to shift manually. There is plenty of power for passing and acceleration is swift and seamless. I would have loved to see how it handled with a boat or a trailer in tow, but I’m sure that with the enhanced power and greater towing capacity there would be no issues. Rack and pinion, speed-sensitive electric power steering combines with a deft fully independent suspension for great cornering performance, delivering a reasonably flat ride for more sedan-like control.

For a family of four, having two captain’s chairs in the 2nd row is a real plus. That is unless your two kids love to sit beside each other without invading personal space. Mine look for every opportunity to annoy each other, so having a neutral zone between them keeps my blood pressure down! The other reason I like this configuration is that when you’ve got extra passengers in the 3rd row, they can see through the middle to the front, making it easier to interact with other occupants and not feel so isolated. The 2nd row middle stow-away seat is rather unique, but I didn’t find it all that comfortable, and with three passengers in that row the friendliness factor had better be high. Although this configuration offers seating for seven, I lied when I volunteered to carpool my daughter’s soccer teammates to an away game and said it only sat six. The thought of having three girls all wet from the rain and smelly from sweating sitting practically on top of each other in the middle row didn’t appeal to me in the least, and I’m sure they wouldn’t have liked it either.

When it comes to price, the 2008 Toyota Highlander is expensive … a lot more so than when it was first introduced in 2000. There are some decent upgrades, but whether they warrant a substantially higher sticker price is questionable. Toyota still has one thing in its favor, however, that will keep customers coming back. Probably one of the most recognized qualities of Toyota vehicles in general is their reliability. This was certainly true of my mom’s old Corolla, and it still is a key factor when people choose to buy into the brand. Toyota’s reputation for quality design and engineering is hard to beat, and it means that the vehicles hold their value – giving Toyota an edge over their competition.

I’d like to see a 2008 Highlander in 20 years to find out if what I have grown to know and love about the brand still holds true. Only time will tell.