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Toyota Highlander Hybrid

3943 messages, Last post on Nov 02, 2009 at 9:19 AM
You are in the Toyota Highlander Hybrid Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer
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| I believe that the hybrid hl is gonna be great but the only thing im om worried about is that its already 4 years old and that it may get a redesign in the next 2 to 3 years. Also does anybody know if the sienna will be available with the hsd? | |
| Other posters on other boards say that Toyota sells a hsd Sienna in Japan. | |
| I just spoke to the owner of a Chicago suburban Toyota dealer and it seemed that he knew less about the Hybrid HL than I did (and my info is from this board and Toyota's own website and press releases.) He said I was the first person to call about getting on any list to buy the vehicle and that he didn't think he would have any materials or info on the vehicle for another 6 months. | |
| chazzcage, at the web teleconference last Sunday, the honcho at Toyota said the hybrid HL would be available in both the regular and expensive "Limited" versions. I hope this means that there will be a cheaper option than $30K. Plus, at that price range, they're getting close to competing with the same market for the Lexus SUV hybrid which makes no marketing sense. | |
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> they're getting close to competing with the same market > for the Lexus SUV hybrid which makes no marketing sense ...until you compare it with the marketing success of Ford & Mercury. The same situation existed with those two product lines from the same company. Remember, LEXUS and TOYOTA dealers & service are entirely different entities serving different consumer markets. JOHN |
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| is called the Estima in Japan. More of a Previa that lost the egg shape. Pretty nice looking. If you go to Toyota of Australia's website, they'll have something like the Previa or tha Toyota Tarago, which is similar to the Estima only minus the hybrid. | |
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Lutz basically thinks only fringe environmentalists are interested in this. Unfortunately, only environmentalists and technophiles may even be aware of hybrids. All we can hope is that as more and more hybrid models get out there, they gain mindshare and greater consciousness. Increasing gas prices will help the cause, not that any of us necessarily want to see that. But it might not be the worst thing for the environment, even if it hurts the wallet. |
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| would help. Not that I want high priced gasoline, but that would be the only way it would get the Excursion driver in the other lane to think twice before leasing another one. | |
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Interior changes: rcasel (#18) is relieved that little is changed in the interior on the HL Hybrid. The report is that the tachometer will be gone. Presumably there will be a Hybrid Synergy Drive display not unlike the one in the Prius where the tach used to live. Has to go somewhere....the Nav. system display is the other place to put it, but if the Nav. system is an option package then the tach has to go. Design basics: Here is an Edmunds/NY Times press piece on the approach Toyota is taking: http://autoshow.edmunds.nytimes.com/news/autoshow/articles/100916- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - /page063.html So how do they do it without "adjusting" the vehicle very much? Being a Camry with a tall body the engine is a little low, relatively speaking. So they can stack up the Synergy Drive gear in there without having to move any sheet metal. As for the hybrid batteries, well let's just say we should not expect a 3rd seat version of the HL Hybrid. The spare tire got bottom-mounted in 2004 so the 3rd seat could be squeezed (and I do mean squeezed) in. What a nice rectangular place for a battery pack instead. Look at this slideshow from the same source. Engine bay is now full, no sign of a third seat, but the HL Hybrid looks just like a HL. Only the rear badging and what looks like a new slot along the upper front bumper will distinquish it from its non-hybrid siblings. http://autoshow.edmunds.nytimes.com/news/autoshow/articles/100916- /page021.html?tid=nytimes.e.autoshow..leftnav.22.* One can expect the pricing premium to be significant unless they really gear up the output. After all, if you could get this version for just $1000 over the non-Hybrid V6, who would want the other one? Look for $3000 premium, and they will probably option it up, too. Both this and the RX400H (Lexus RX Hybrid) are aimed not at the Prius end of the market, these are aimed at the FX45 end. Power, power, power. Only with politically correct fuel economy, too. Why did they not do a Hybrid number on the 4 cylinder HL? That could probably deliver almost 200HP and the mileage would be about 40City/38Hwy. We like our power and I think Toyota read the market just right by doing the V6 Hybrid. For those who think a $3K Hybrid price premium is a bad thing? Imagine what our old HL will be worth if Toyota prices the HL Hybrid about the same as the regular V6? Imagine our HL V6's being seen as gas guzzlers someday. I guess the HL 4-cyl owners already think that. So how much gas do we have to save to overcome the price premium? The key is the volume Toyota sets up for. Go over to the Prius "Prices Paid and Buying Exper." board at Edmunds. It is not pretty in Praying-for-My-Prius-to-Arrive Land. Toyota would love to build them faster but either the factory or the suppliers have them stuck at the current build-rate and it is too slow. So put your money down now and prepare to bend over in a year. And like it. Prius owners do grin a lot. |
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