We’re in the market for a new car. I’ve been over the whole minivan thing for years; especially being a Mom of only two kids! I’ve been on the hunt for the right SUV for us for awhile as I’d like to trade in our minivan. I know I still want a third row and still need plenty of storage space since we road trip a lot.
So when I got an email from Toyota about trying out one of their cars for a fall activation, I was definitely game. I asked for an SUV or bigger car and mentioned how I was in the market.
They loaned me a Hybrid Highlander for the week. Hubby was especially jazzed up about trying the Hybrid as he’s very eco-friendly driven. The Hybrid Highlander gets27/28est. mpg2 – a heck of a lot better than my minivan.
Here are a couple of looks at the car:
I loved it. It drove so smoothly, I questioned a few times if it was even running at all. Hubby explained the nature of the Hybrid and how it goes into Eco mode. Check out this gauge on the dash of the Highlander:
The car was often in the CHG or ECO mode when I was driving. The only time I saw it hit the PWR was if I was accelerating or on an uphill. This Highlander being a Hybrid, it of course had this extra feature of saving gas whenever possible. I can certainly appreciate that.
I also liked how solid it felt and how easy of a drive it was. I don’t want an SUV that drives like a truck but one that drives like a car and Toyota’s Highlander certainly fits that bill.
The other bonuses were all great features: a built-in Nav system, XM radio and a Blu-Ray player for the second row folks.
While I drove it all week, the highlight was a trip to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm out in Lancaster, PA. It was great to have a chance to drive the car for more than a half hour and I enjoyed it on the road trip. I took Cole (8) when he had a random in-service day off from school with a few of his friends and we had a blast.
I was definitely bummed to give the car back at the end of the week and a Highlander is certainly in the running for our new car. Unfortunately, the day after we handed the Highlander back, hubby was rear-ended while driving our minivan. The damage was pretty extensive so we’re on hold with shopping for a new car since we can’t trade in a crashed up minivan!
I have a 2004 Highlander and it has been the most reliable car I have ever had. I love it. Although 11 years old, I have no interest in giving it up. Love the way it drives, the solid feel, the room, the reliablility. Not sure, will have to check, but believe I am up to 80,000 miles. Just getting started!