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Hybrid Vehicles Toyota Highlander Hybrid Toyota Highlander Hybrid
3943 messages, Last post on Nov 02, 2009 at 9:19 AM
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I myself drive a FEH, which can be bought for under 30K (and gets over 30 MPG in town, but I digress), but watching the prices paid forums has brought a question to mind. I have been noticing that people are paying late 30's and even lower 40's for their HH. I observe that the Lexus RH400 has been selling for 46K or so. Isn't it a better idea to put in the extra 4-6 K and get a Lexus instead of the HH? It seems to be that it will have better luxury and hold it's value better.
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Replying to: stevedebi (May 15, 2008 2:23 pm) Resale value makes sense if we switch cars every 2-3 years. I keep our cars until they "die", so resale is less important to my family. The 2006 400h and the HH share identical HSD and safety technologies and near identical performance, so I used the HH Limited as the baseline for the 400h. That means the price difference between the two is strictly about additional luxuries. I could not justify the added cost. May be if there is additional safety like a force-field or night-vision overhead display or emergency personal locator service or laser-guided cruise control or collision avoidance system or daily English Tea Service  . Others will disagree of course. The last time I looked in 2006, the 400h had less trunk space and was heavier than the HH. The weight pushed the MPG rating down. For suburbanites who carry few things but people, the 400h is a nice cruiser but I often stuff four large backpacks into the trunk for extended back-country trip; the 400h wouldn't work. The HH can remain relatively inconspicuous when left at a remote mountain trailhead for 10 days, I would not be comfortable leaving the 400h in such places for that length of time. The HH can sustain some dings slogging through a logging road but I would not want to scratch up a luxury-class 400h. In terms of driving comfort, the HH is smooth and relatively quiet with a good set of tires. It handles very well for such a tall heavy car and steering response, while not as nimble as the BMW, is certainly good enough for me. It is not a roadster after all. I drove the 400h way back in 2005 and it was not much different than the HH. Our HH returns about 26 mpg per tank using summer gar and 24 mpg using winter gas. Not bad for a large car that carries a bunch of people with a pile of things stuffed in the trunk. We are happy with its gas-mileage. So in the end, it seems personal needs will help decide whether the 400h is a better choice. |
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Hi- We are currently looking to purchase a new 2008 Highlander Hybrid and were told by one dealer that Toyota is slowing production on the Highlander Hybrid so that they can use the batteries to produce more Prius's. By doing this, the availability of the Highlander Hybrid will go down, therefore increasing the price. Has anyone else heard about this? Also, will the 2009 models be any different from the 2008's? I've heard the 09 price may go up as well...we just want to try to get the best deal we can - what's your opinion? Thanks! |
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I've read a couple 2008 reviews on the Internet stating the 08 Highlander Hybrid isn't the best 4WD because of of the modifications of the Hybrid system... "Though the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is a four-wheel-drive vehicle, it is not very well suited for harsh road or weather conditions." or Edmunds "Bear in mind that this setup differs significantly from the 4WD/all-wheel-drive system on the regular Highlander: There's no center differential and the V6 engine never provides power to the rear wheels. The upshot is that buyers shopping for a serious snow vehicle may not find the hybrid Highlander robust enough to meet their needs." For the people that have driven in snow, how would you rate the experience?
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Replying to: tld (May 22, 2008 9:42 am) The 2008 HSD is identical to the 2006 HSD mechanically. Software likely changed due to the EV mode and other modification for better mileage. So I will assume our experience in our '06 HH will apply for the '08. For "off-road", you have to define "off-road". I wrote a long post way back on this so will keep it short here. The HH, like many other SUV, is an on-demand AWD vehicle, not a true 4x4. The HH kicks in the rear wheels ONLY when power is needed or traction is needed. So a front-drive on-demand AWD vehicle is really a simple front-two-wheel-drive most of the time. The rear kicks in only when needed, as determined by the on-board drive computer. A true 4x4 allows me to lock the axle so that all four wheels will get power ALL the time regardless of whether it is necessary. This gives a whole ton more flexibility in all sorts of challenging terrain. HH is not in this league. On-demand AWD vehicles are NOT suitable for boulder-crawling. 4x4 with locking diff and Lo is, within reason. On-demand AWD high clearance vehicle can handle any dirt road that a normal two-wheel drive vehicle can handle. On-demand AWD high clearance vehicle can handle some challenging dirt road that a normal two-wheel drive sedan and van cannot handle. The key is common sense and safety-first. If you come upon a stretch of forest service dirt road that looks like you will get stuck, trust your instinct and back off. If you ever feel like you need to lock the differential and shift to Lo but you are in the HH, it is time to back off. Our HH has handled many dirt roads now. We have hit many that are poorly maintained but nothing that requires a real 4x4 and Lo gear. Its high clearance lets me go where I have to go for work and for camping. Its AWD capabilities helps maintain stability over some muddy slipper patches. We have not encountered a forest service dirt road (in CA), in dry weather, we cannot conquer yet. We also have no direct experience with hard sheet-ice. We have driven over about 6 to 8-inch deep slush and loose thin icy chunks without problems. 2 to 4-inch (?) packed based with loose fresh snow on top without problems. Uphill w/o ice was not a problem, neither was downhill. On slick surface due to rain and fallen debris, the safety system kicks in and AWD lets us maintain control. Again, we have not encountered a big layer of ice yet, no help there. There were two posters reporting that on icy steep slope up their driveways, the car actually would stop spinning the tires resulting in their HH slowly sliding backwards. One let it slid to the bottom of the hill, gunned the engine and got back to the top. Another advised installing dedicated snow tires. Many of us are using the Nokkian SUV WR for winter driving. It is an All-Season tire with the "Severe Service" emblem. Hope this is useful.
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Greetings All, The HiHy made it back on my list recently with fuel prices topping $4. I am within a year of purchasing a new vehicle and I need some information from owners. Two main concerns I have with buying this vehicle right now - first, settling on an acceptable price. This in a vehicle that already comes at a premium, but it is of MUCH greater concern to me now with gasoline prices doing what they are. Secondly, I have heard some nightmare rumors over routine maintanance items ($1000 brake jobs on the Prius) and such that would essentially KILL whatever meager savings might be accumulated month to month. I have basically calculated that this vehicle would save me about $720 (optimistic prediction) per year over the competitor. Not sure if this is for me or not. Can any owners tell us a little about your routine mantainance - brakes and such? -TG
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Replying to: tourguide (May 24, 2008 10:02 pm) . Standard maintenance is no different than any other car. We do the normal oil, filters and tire rotation. Additional work is on topping off the hybrid coolant and check the 12V and that is it. After 40K miles, we still have over 3/4 of the brake pads left. You can do all this yourself just like any other car. Toyota hybrids use regenerative braking to recharge batteries so it uses the mechanical brakes much less than normal cars. The brakes should last longer and it seems to be proving out on our HH. If these brake pads last 100K miles, $1000 for replacement is acceptable. Our '94 Sienna brake pads are still the original set and that car has 105K miles. May be it is because we do not do "jack rabbit" start and stop. Please note that while the HH is expensive, the price includes the "luxury class" safety system called VDIM. Only Mercedes, BMW, Volvo, Lexus and Acura offer something similar. So the "premium" in the pricing is paying for the HSD, SULEV II rating, the VDIM safety system and more "luxurious" appointments in the car, not just for gas savings. It is almost impossible to compare the HH to the standard Highlander by just the HSD alone. As you figure in gas savings, don't forget the extras. Think of it as an entry-level Lexus car without the Lexus price. Have fun!
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Replying to: tld (May 22, 2008 9:42 am) I think the mistake some drivers make with the VDIM system is trying to give it more "gas" when they run into a problem. If the system detects wheel spin, it applies the brake to that wheel. If all of the wheels are spinning, it cuts the power. Simply backing off the throttle a little to allow the tires to regain traction will usually get you through. |
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Replying to: cdptrap (May 25, 2008 11:14 am) Cargo space is also a compromise but that is a bit down the list for me since we get along OK with the current Hi. Thanks for your response. How has your 06 been for reliability? Is it typical toyota?
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Replying to: tourguide (May 25, 2008 7:59 pm) 50K is too much? I read a few posts here of prices around 40 to 42? I may be wrong on info. My two biggest gripes were smallish trunk (on the 06 model) and lousy tires. The trunk, even with 3rd row folded, was just a tad small. If we could do away with the intruding wheel wells and third row hand-rests, it would help a lot. I have learned to live with it. Ours came with cheap single-ply side wall van tires. This on a 2+ ton SUV? We ended up changing them after losing one to side wall cut. A minor gripe is front seat leg and head room. I am a larger 6-ft male and it took a while to find a good comfortable position for long distance driving. Now that I have worked out a position, it is comfortable. Very good lateral support for a Toyota. May be the 08 has more front seat room. I thought the 08 has back-up camera? Is that similar or same as sonar+camera? Reliability has been excellent. At 40K, not one single problem and only normal maintenance. With good tires, the car runs smooth, relatively quiet and feels glued to the road. It takes turns with solid stability. Steering response is quiet good though not nimble like a BMW. The VDIM is nice. I used to enjoy the cushy cruiser-like ride of our Sienna on long trips but its imprecise control makes high speed driving (70-75 on I5 in CA) a bit tiring. The HH's better control (with good tires) make hi-speed long distance driving easy. The ample power and handling also makes mountains and winding road easy. Overall, a much less fatiguing car to drive than our van. Your preference may be different of course. Good luck with the research!
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