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Hybrid Vehicles Toyota Highlander Hybrid Toyota Highlander Hybrid Driving Tips & Tricks
428 messages, Last post on Oct 16, 2009 at 6:44 PM
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Replying to: cdptrap (Jan 08, 2007 12:11 pm) I now worry about the Camry in normal snow conditions as I don't change over to snow tires in the winter. I will be extreemly careful about pulling out in front of cars knowing that if it's slick my car won't be moving. I just could imaging getting a HH and the first time I'm off road on some slick grass that it would just sit there. Surely 4wd, 4000+ pounds and a better tire would give it some traction.
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Replying to: wvgasguy (Jan 08, 2007 12:28 pm) I have a 4WD HH, so I was talking from that angle. I have NO CLUE what happens with a FWD-only HH even with Traction Control. At 4000+ lbs, 4WD and a good set of tires, our HH has done a lot. It actually has replaced about 80% of the work our Chevy used to do at our place. Why use the 4x4 when a 4WD will do and at lower gas consumption? Crawling along in a Chevy V8 on our ranch roads at today's gas price will burn a hole right through our pockets straight through to China  ! One rule of thumb we use here is whenever we drive the HH and see an area that makes us want to lock the axle and shift to 4Lo, we avoid that area. Other than that, the HH has done well. In the 4WD HH, on an uphill, the traction control kicks in with a sudden but control "powered" feeling. We would feel a tire slip, normally either with a splash of mud and junk or a groan, the steering then feels strong and tight and the car continues to track straight at where we point. After that, the steering lightens up and we are back to normal driving. Downhill, it gets more exciting . Tires will hit something slippery, they will groan or begin to spin a bit, steering will tighten solid with good feel of control, car continues to track where we steer BUT it seems to slow down automatically. After it gets by, things go back to normal. All these were at low speed, no faster than 30-mph. We have not had any situation yet where it refused to move. Good luck in your research.
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Replying to: cdptrap (Jan 08, 2007 12:42 pm)
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Replying to: wvgasguy (Jan 08, 2007 2:08 pm)
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Replying to: jfeeliy (Jan 08, 2007 3:45 pm) I do live on a steep hill and many times I've had to "spin" my way to the top. I'm guessing I won't even try that with the TCH. Hopefully the HH won't need to spin to find traction. It is a weird feeling though when you're on a slope and the gas is floored and nothing is happening. I guess you may eventually slide backwards until the tires grip and then move forward again.
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Replying to: wvgasguy (Jan 09, 2007 6:11 am) The 2004 Prius had the problem of the TC causing the car to shut down in slippery conditions, but I was not aware that the Camry Hybrid had that issue. I think that the Prius got an update to allow the TC to be shut down. If you are using the vehicle for business, get a regular 4X4 SUV. The expenses are deductible anyway, and the vehicle will always function off road.
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Replying to: stevedebi (Jan 09, 2007 12:15 pm) It is important to clarify this statement. It all depends on the definition of "Off-road". It could mean a simple unpaved gravel road or the Rubicon. The HH is not meant for the Rubicon, but it can certainly handle a gravel road or a patch of dirt. There are backcountry dirt trails in Death Valley that cars and vans can handle and then some that require higher clearance vehicles but not 4x4 and then some that require a true 4x4. The HH can handle everything that cars and vans can handle. The HH has enough clearance to handle the other non-4x4 dirt tracks. When the condition requires locking the axles and 4Lo, then the HH is way out of its league. As a specific example, if you have been to Johnson's canyon in Death Valley, you will know of the nasty wash-board that leads to a "wash" via which one can approach the canyon mouth. I have driven a Ford Escort to the mouth of the wash and then backpacked on foot to the mouth of the canyon. Only a true 4x4 can make it through the wash to the mouth of the canyon. If the Escort can handle the wash-board to at least the wash, the HH can. That is about as close to off-road most SUVers will get. Another example is that if you are in CA SF Bay Area and you want to drive the Hollister Hills 4x4 course, then the HH is the wrong car. When we drive our HH onto trails and dirt tracks, we *never* assume it is a 4x4. Even the 4WD capabilities is limited. We just assume the car is a FWD and drive accordingly. So when we come upon places that looks like real 4x4 "country", we avoid them or turn-around.
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Replying to: cdptrap (Jan 09, 2007 4:46 pm) The HH AWD is intended for very limited use. A non hybrid AWD will not cease engaging the rear wheels after a short time, because they are mechanical drives, rather than electric motors. So yes, if you keep to roads that a FWD can handle, the HH is OK. However, the original post was talking about going into fields and such, where the earth would be wet and the wheels would spin.
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Replying to: stevedebi (Jan 11, 2007 10:24 am) Test: My sister's driveway, with an estimated 20 degree slope, was recently completely ice covered. I drove up from the level public road. I then tested the traction control. One front tire would spin; then the traction control would shift the power to the other front tire and back and forth. This continued until I tired of doing this testing after about one minute. I had on the factory supplied M+S tires. If I had on snow only tires, I might had been able to drive up this driveway. These snow tires grip much better. When I stopped this testing, as this driveway was so icy then, the HH slowly slid backwards down the driveway. I had similar experiences when driving away from ice/snow covered roads at stop signs and stop lights here in Minnesota. I can easily accelerate from ice covered roads at stop lights and signs. This is due to the nice traction control in the Toyota HH FWD. When I had a 1998 Chevy Blazer LS, with 4x4, and no limited slip rear differential, in these conditions, a back tire would spin and spin. In the Chevy Blazer, I let off the accelerator, put the Blazer in 4 wheel drive high, and accelerate from the stop sign or stop light. When stopping at these stop lights and signs, the ABS would also automatically engage on the Blazer. The ABS also works in a similar way on the Toyota HH at this stop lights and signs. End |
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Test date: January 17, 2006 Location: Parking lot just east of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA Vehicle: 2006 Toyota Hybrid Highlander with 22, 500 miles, front wheel drive only I was able to "test the Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicle dynamic integrated management (VDIM) on Wednesday evening, January 17 at an ice and snow covered, unused parking lot just east of the Mall of America. There were even the orange cones in the lot. I think these cones are used when parking new cars in these lots. VDIM worked fine at 15 to 20 MPH with a few inches of snow on a paved lot. I had the standard Toyota M+S tires with 22,500 miles. When VDIM is working, the traction control light comes on along with a ding ding ding sound. Steering became difficult during one steering maneuver around the orange cones. This is a known feature of VDIM. I do not know how VDIM compares to the VSC or the vehicle stability control found in Toyota Highlanders. Next step: As the lakes are finally frozen thick enough this winter to support cars and there is only a few inches of snow on the lakes (it has been unusually warm in Minnesota this year), I may try a higher speed test on a nearby shallow lake. I would like to feel how the VDIM works at 50 MPH. I accidentally rolled and totaled a 1998 Chevy Blazer on Minnesota state highway 61 near Schroeder, Minnesota on Sunday, November 26, 2006 (at highway 61 mile marker 72 just across from Satellite Inn & Cabins to be exact). I really want to know how this Toyota HH would handle in similar conditions. End
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