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Hybrid Vehicles Toyota Highlander Hybrid New Toyota Highlander Hybrid Owners - Give Us Your Report
143 messages, Last post on Nov 19, 2009 at 10:23 AM
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Replying to: stuartbonia (Jan 07, 2007 4:25 pm) |
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We took delivery of our 2006 HH FWD in July 2005, and it's been a great vehicle - though it's now in the body shop with almost $7000 in front end damage thanks to a fool driver who made a left in front of my wife. Good news is the vehicle took the damage and she was uninjured - not even stiffness and pain the next day - in other words, the HH did its job. I suspect the stability control helped to keep the accident from being worse. Here's the new experience - we just returned from a week in Jackson WY where - to my surprise - the rental agency had all Toyotas. We were booked for a compact (Corolla) but there was a HH 4WDi there that looked lonely, and I figured it was worth a shot to see if they would give a deal, and for $15 extra a day we upgraded (the rates were the best in town to start with). Nothing like driving the vehicle you know. For those in forums asking about cold weather - it was -27 F several nights in Jackson (high about -4 to 0 F every day up to yesterday where the high was a balmy 10, all temperatures from the vehicle thermometer and consistent with the weather service). The HH started up each day, no problem, even after it sat probably 30 hours (we walked around town - quickly! - and adjusted to the air and altitude for a day before doing several days of cross-country skiing). In every way it performed as expected, including on snow packed and somewhat icy surfaces. The best (?) test was when a pack of wolves dashed into the road at dusk - stopped straight and true from 55 mph with no sense that it wouldn't perform. While not trying to push to the limit (just what we would have needed, another accident) I drove normally. I reset the mpg about the third day and for the rest of the week we averaged about 22 mpg according to the dash (it read 25 before resetting), not bad considering we were doing mostly small hops (5 minutes some, 20 minutes most of the others) in VERY cold weather, not ideal conditions at all for an HH (we usually get 26-27 at home in Philly these days). First startup of the day was no problem, ever (and most of the vehicles at the motel, especially the bigger SUVs and and 4X4s all had block heaters plugged in over night). A couple of notes - this was a 2007 HH non-limited but with the upgrade package (JBL speakers, sun roof, fog lights, etc.) plus 4WDi that in most respects was identical to our FWD 2006 without the package. The dash indicator has added the MPG average setting (useful but I've been keeping mileage notebooks for years so not that big a deal) and the headlights appeared (from my memory) slightly different, but little else. The JBL system sounded slightly muddier than the standard when listening to radio (we didn't bring along CDs) so other than it having a changer didn't really have anything over the standard, at least to my hearing. The strangest thing was adjusting to the extreme lag in the LCD displays on the dash and radio due to the cold. It was a pleasant surprise to be able to rent an HH, made the driving comfortable and secure. Sorry to return home to a (not to be mentioned but domestic) rental car until our HH is fixed. - John |
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Replying to: nsxwes (Jan 04, 2007 8:17 pm)
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Replying to: desertfox1 (Jan 30, 2007 11:54 am) $89.95  Will watch my MPG for the next month or so and see if it goes back up.
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Replying to: desertfox1 (Feb 01, 2007 1:34 pm) |
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Replying to: hh_newbie (Jan 02, 2007 9:41 am) I travel quite a bit for work, and while I'm gone my 06 HH AWD Limited sits in the driveway of my house under a carport to keep the leaves off of it. It's exposed to fairly mild weather (mountains of northern California). There's nobody to start it when I'm gone. I just came back after 17 days overseas, and the HH started perfectly the next morning, as it always has when I've left it. Apparently some of you have had other experiences, but I haven't had any troubles due to lack of use of the car. The battery isn't new--the car was delivered to me in March 2006 so it and the car are now 14 months and 20,000 miles down the line. |
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| Just a note to all thinking about buying a Highlander Hybrid. We are in New Brunswick Canada and ordered a new HH months ago. We ordered a base model and after investigating options, ordered the Navigation system for it's voice activation and hands free telephone capability. Vehicle arrived without a roof rack, which renders our Yakima Rocket Box useless, navigation system isn't voice activated and Bluetooth hands free phone capability non existent, because there was no microphone installed...Apparently, dealer installed NAV systems don't have the capabilities factory installed systems do...but no one at the dealership mentioned that when we ordered, apparently we were supposed to be aware of that complication. We also ordered the comfort package which is supposed to include an integrated garage door opener, that was missing as well. Toyota dealer won't do anything says it is a Toyota Canada problem. Toyota Canada won't return my calls...to make matters worse, the NAV system installed by my dealer came complete with someone's personal phone numbers already entered, so it appears they installed a used Nav system in my brand new vehicle and charged me new. In 3 days I am returning the vehicle to the dealer and demanding my money back. By the way, the vehicle is a beautiful machine to drive, above listed disappoints excepted. | |
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Replying to: hh_newbie (Jan 04, 2007 9:34 pm) Two questions - 1) what do I need to ask the dealer to do to get the mileage up on the vehicle??? I am a new owner (purchased in Dec. 07) and assumed that the mileage we were told was just a lie - now I read that it should be closer to 30 MPG - I am thrilled if that is in fact the case. 2) you state that the only thing installed in the car was an after market DVD - did Toyota install this for you? B/c if so, that is the exact same thing for me. And let me tell you - after the first time of the car not starting I check everything in the car before I leave it for any period of time, so at least for this second time, I KNOW that there was nothing on in the car (no lights, not even my cell phone charger plugged in), yet it still died on me. Any advice? Is this perhaps a manufacturers defect that should be recalled?? I am about at the end of my rope, so any advice would be extremely appreciated - thanks!!
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After filing a report with Toyota regarding the issue of no power after leaving the car off and untouched for a few days, I was told by Toyota that all who have experienced this problem should call Toyota at 800-331-4331 to report it, as if it is indeed a widespread problem, they need as much info. as possible in order to report back to the dealers and possibly issue a recall. Thanks!! |
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Replying to: llbonner (Mar 17, 2008 4:35 pm) In the '06 version, whenever the little 12V battery is disconnected or loses power, the idle speed controller loses parameters it needs to more efficiently run the engine. There was a tech bulletin asking shops to reset the controller if they touch the 12V. A shop will reset the controller so it can relearn the characteristics of your specific engine and adjust various parameters to run at what it believes to be maximum efficiency. During this time, your mileage will start out poor and progressively improve as it learns. Another possibility to the low mileage is break-in. We babied our HH for a long time and the mileage kept improving over the first 2000 -> 5000 -> 7000 -> 12000 miles. It has now settled to 25-26 MPG given our normal driving style, our terrain and our traffic characteristics (lights, stop signs, traffic volume). If I am extra careful, I can get 27-28 MPG. Hilly and mountainous terrain, lots of lights and short stop signs, lots of fast moving traffic requiring a lot of jack-rabbit start and stop or heavy acceleration are all factors that can impact efficiency. Tire pressure can also be a possible cause if they are too low. Tire type too if they are too heavy. Cold weather and use of Winter definitely impact mileage. I understand the '08 version has the "EV" button that changes engine performance to favor fuel efficiency? May be try that mode? The '06 HH is not a magic car that can instantly get stellar mileage. The '08 HH is much better, from what I have read so you should theoretically see better mileage as things break in, weather warms and so on. Good luck. |
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