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Toyota 4Runner vs Toyota Highlander

74 messages,  Last post on Jan 30, 2009 at 10:13 AM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Highlander, Car Safety, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), SUV

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#35 of 74 Never... by wwest Mar 19, 2003 (10:40 am)
been a quiter!   Still trying to head off Bush's war, even today.
#36 of 74 peace rallies by nippononly Mar 19, 2003 (10:10 pm)
are promised nightly here in San Francisco...   Loved that post about the asphalt/concrete comparison...even though no-one has laid concrete around here in 50 years due to the cost, so that what there is left is cracked and buckling, causing that rough ride that highlander owner posted about....   Of course, concrete doesn't last as long.   And some AWD is better than no AWD, even in mid-priced Toyota crossovers! LOL
#37 of 74 Car&Driver article.... by brad_22 Mar 20, 2003 (1:31 pm)
...recently gave the Highlander a "9" out of 10 when compared against the off-roading capability of some other cross-over SUVs. I know this doesn't qualify the HL as a boulder-basher, but they did have some nice comments about the Highlander's performance in the snow.   That "AWD" has to be good for something! : )
#38 of 74 Never mind... by wwest Mar 20, 2003 (1:40 pm)
I suppose the X5 and ML aren't crossover vehicles.   "concrete doesn't last as long..."   IMMHO concrete will last a lot longer than asphalt provided the under-layment is properly prepared.
#39 of 74 yeah, sorry by nippononly Mar 21, 2003 (5:33 pm)
that was what I meant to say: asphalt doesn't last as long.   Soon you will need a hummer just to traverse the supposedly-paved roads of California...
#40 of 74 Bad roadbeds by wwest Mar 21, 2003 (5:53 pm)
It would really help a lot if we could outlaw studded tires or even put a surcharge on them based on the number of days they were not needed in each county.   Surcharge would be dedicated to repairing the roadbed damage by stud useage.
#41 of 74 Can't loose by afmsc89 Mar 23, 2003 (10:43 am)
Reading through the messages, everything boils down to preference. My wife has a 02 HL Limited with AWD V6 and I have the 4R Limited V8. I had the opportunity to drive the HL to Columbus OH from SA,TX and to handled and performed as well as my 4R. If you're a person mover I would go with the HL if you do outside activities and want a more eclectic SUV I would pick the 4R. Either way, they are both worth the $$$ Both SUVs provide the quality and dependiblity I have expected and come to appreciate for over 25 years.
#42 of 74 The difference is... by wwest Mar 23, 2003 (11:40 am)
Your 4R could have made that trip safely in the worse snow/ice storm of the century, the HL wouldn't have gotten more than a block fromyour home.   If the HL is as comfortable and reliable as my 01 AWD RX (it is, close anyway) then you made the right choice for a fair-weather drive.
#43 of 74 WAS at the dealership for a Highlander... by sistercrystin May 07, 2003 (3:03 pm)
I'd just finished test-driving the Pilot EX-L/NAV (eh...*hand see-sawing back and forth*...bit overrated, I thought) and, since the Toyota dealership was just down the road, stopped by to test drive the HL Limited.   I wasn't all that impressed with the Highlander, either, and my hubby and I agreed that we needed a bit more cargo room. With two dogs and plans for me to do a bit of travel nursing in Phoenix and Seattle, we knew we'd need AWD or 4WD and a NAV.   I'd taken a few peeks on-line at the 4Runner, and my brother (a mechanic back home) couldn't praise it enough. Decided to take a V6 out for a spin...and LOVED it. My chest was pushed back into the seat when I gave the accelerator a less-than-gentle nudge, the cargo room was just what we needed, and though the 'Runner's turning radius will never beat my Accord's on-a-dime nimbleness, it still hung a u-turn in less space than I expected.   Four and a half hours (and much negotiation 'tween me, the sales manager, and my brother on my cell phone) later, I was taking my new "baby" home. By the way, the NAV's been a Godsend; I'm not afraid of getting lost anymore.
#44 of 74 hey wwest - about our "not AWD" AWD Highlander :-) by stevtec Jun 16, 2003 (7:12 pm)
You see that black pickup truck all the way out near the water across the deep sand?     Our "not AWD" Highlander made it all the way through 5-6 in deep sand out to the water near where that truck was without much of a problem. Our "not AWD" Highlander also made it all the way up the 2-3 mile sand road which also had some deep stuff to cut through as well without much of a problem.   Our "not AWD" Highlander also made it through the DC blizzards this past winter which had schools shut down for over a week. It got my fiance to and from the hospital she works at everyday without a problem. It also made it through a blizzard from the DC area up to Pennsylvania and back over Christmas. When the HL started slipping and sliding a bit, the VSC/TRAC system did its thing and kept it on the road when other vehicles were sitting in ditches.   Here's my car....     It took almost two hours to dig that sucker out of nearly 2 FEET of snow.   Now here's our "not AWD" Highlander...     We used our rear bumper and the "not AWD" system in combination as a "shovel" and I had that thing out and ready to get my fiance to the hospital in about 2 minutes. You see how clear it is around it? Thats all thanks to our "not AWD" system working.   By the way, there was a 2WD Rodeo stuck in the middle of a halfway plowed road on the way back from dropping my fiance off at the hospital she works at. To get around them, I drove our "not AWD" Highlander around them THROUGH A SNOWBANK without a problem. After I parked in our parking spot which was only shoveled with our "rear bumper" and only somebody with a AWD system could get into it, I went back and helped PUSH the people with the stuck 2WD Rodeo to get them going.   And whereas I have to be extremely careful and light-foot it in my Maxima during wet/rainy weather when pulling out, especially on an incline, you can simply stomp on it in our "not AWD" Highlander without a care in the world and there is always plenty of traction.   Yeah, the HL doesn't have any locking differentials. We don't need one. It doesn't even have a limited slip besides the center diff - VSC/TRAC replaces that and then some. And no, it doesn't have a low-range transfer case. We don't need that either. But for a "not AWD" AWD system, the HL sure does do a pretty damn good job of doing things and going places where 2WD's can't get!   Thank you, drive through.   - Steve

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