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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: 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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Replying to: sebemismnusa (Jan 18, 2007 9:55 am)  . This is exciting! The hard steering is normal VDIM behavior. It will try to favor one side over the other by making it hard to steer. This is most obvious on highway when I want to change lane and accelerate at the same time. If I simply turn hard (to LEFT) and press down the accelerator, nothing happens, the VSC (or VDIM) will hold off power until the steering angle is much less. The steering also becomes very heavy to the side that has the potential to cause a roll-over. Steering is easy and power returns quickly when I steer the other way (to the RIGHT) down the lane. So, unlike gas-engine car, I have to press down gentler but continuously if I want to switch lane and take off. It is a nice safety feature once I got used to it. The car has so much power, gentler accelerator work still gets it moving real quick. Are you bringing along the shed, stove, drill, reel and rod ????
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Replying to: cdptrap (Mar 15, 2006 6:12 pm)
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Replying to: pnrjr (Mar 27, 2007 4:41 pm) Proper credit must go to "Gazguzler" who first posted the "needle in the stripes region" technique here. The word "Feather" was coined by Khdspyder who posted the technique here too. I simply took all that and put them into an organized note. Should have given them due credit in that note. |
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Hello fellow HH owners: We are about to pick up a new Highlander Hybrid LImited 4wd-i vehicle. We've browes the various CarSpace forums for hints on how to drive/maintain the vehicle. Does anyone out there have some do's and don'ts for the first few hundred miles? If so, you might want to reply directly to our e-mail address to get info to us ASAP: mallardcove  earthlink.net. Thanks in advance. We are excited about this car! Don and Linda |
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| We currently have a Subaru Outback and use it for skiing and snow conditions. We are looking at purchasing a toyota highland hybid and need to know if anyone has experienced how the car handles in bad weather, snow and ice conditions. And especially how it compares to the superior handling of the Subaru. | |
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Replying to: lucy10 (Jun 12, 2007 7:30 pm) |
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Replying to: lucy10 (Jun 12, 2007 7:30 pm) http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/traction2006.htm Popular Mechanics did an emergency avoidance test and published the video but I cannot find the link anymore. Anyway, the HH handled amazlingly well in the slalom. When we researched a new car in 2005, the final choices were indeed the Outback against the HH. My wife wanted the HH and that was that. So far though, no regrets. On plowed road, on 4-6 inch snow, with real snow tires, the HH has been wonderful. I have not encountered iced-over condition as Canadian Driver did so no experience there. Note Toyota says to NOT put chains on the HH. if you look under the rear wheel well, at least in the 2006 version, the coil spring has extremely tight clearance with the tire. So chains will not work in the rear tires. We opted for four snow tires in the winter and that has worked very well. There are chains (Sppike SPyder) that attach only to the outside half of the tires but they cost an arm and a leg. We bought a set just in case. Have not really had to use it yet. The HH is also competent on dry dirt road conditions *EXCEPT* when conditions warrant a real-life 4x4. I will not repeat our dirt road experience here. If you decide to go for the HH, make sure the tires are truck tires or tougher SUV tires. Our 2006 came with cheap Goodyear minivan tires, horribly squishy and soft and even Goodyear rated it as mediocre in snow condition. Couldn't believe Toyota would go so cheap. A four season tire worth considering is the Nokian SUV WR which has the snow-flake designation. I believe it is the only 4-season that has the snow-flake badging. Good luck!
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Replying to: cdptrap (Jun 12, 2007 8:37 pm) |
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