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What's the Highlander like as a general vehicle?
- Thread starter Brad
- Start date
Hi Brad
As I said in your 4Runner thread, I did a lot of comparison shopping, before I finally made the purchase of my 2014 4Runner Trail Edition.
I went into my shopping expedition specifically looking for some type of SUV/crossover with AWD, as I'm moving from South Florida to Colorado, and after going back and forth between pre-owned and new, I decided to go new, and spend a little more on something that would last a long time to come. I've got a kiddo who is very active in sports, and we love our outdoor activities. I started out in the smaller segment, considering something with better gas mileage, and tried out the RAV4, CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Buick Encore, and Ford Escape. One thing that immediately stood out with many of these small crossovers is how many cost-savings corners are cut by the manufacturers. Lots of cheap materials and finishes, and just silly things, like only making the driver's side window powered. Now for some car buyers, they may not really care about lots of convenience features, or nicer finishes. I'm not one for bells and whistles, but it really felt like basic features were just plain lacking. Aside from the Buick Encore, which is pretty feature-packed to begin with, thanks to it being more of a luxury brand, the rest all seem to have very low price points, designed to lure you into the dealership, where you start seeing all the missing options, and start shelling out for entire extra packages (which include features you didn't really want) in order to add those wish-list items back on. So, by the time I added back an option package or two, all of the sudden, these little crossovers jumped to over $32K MSRP apiece. I figured my money was better spent elsewhere.
I was really seeing the quality difference among the various brands, and having come from a Toyota family, I decided to try something bigger in the same line. I then had it narrowed down to a Highlander or 4Runner. It's important to note that the Highlander is based on the Camry platform, and when I got into the Highlander, it felt very much like my dad's Camry. It definitely drives more like a car. Not that this is a bad thing; just for me, I like driving big trucks. When I got behind the wheel of the 4Runner, I knew I had found the perfect car for me. It's big, it sits up high, but it doesn't feel like you're driving a boat. It's a lot of fun to drive, and even the base SR5 has plenty of features, including a backup camera and fog lights, which only come via option packages on something like the RAV4. Not to mention it has plenty of power; something I felt was lacking, when I was test-driving smaller crossovers on the highway. I used to commute in the Southern Ontario winters on the highway in a Civic, so I know those little cars can handle it. It's just not something I wanted to go back to.
So, for about $6K MSRP more, I got more room, more power, and lots of great features, in a car that I am truly happy with. Yes, it does burn more gas, but compare it to some of its closest competitors, and that will give you a different perspective. Highlander vs 4Runner, it's only 1 mpg difference. Ultimately, it boils down to your personal preference, and what you plan to do with the vehicle. Once you figure that out, I don't think you can go wrong with either car. Good luck, and happy shopping
As I said in your 4Runner thread, I did a lot of comparison shopping, before I finally made the purchase of my 2014 4Runner Trail Edition.
I went into my shopping expedition specifically looking for some type of SUV/crossover with AWD, as I'm moving from South Florida to Colorado, and after going back and forth between pre-owned and new, I decided to go new, and spend a little more on something that would last a long time to come. I've got a kiddo who is very active in sports, and we love our outdoor activities. I started out in the smaller segment, considering something with better gas mileage, and tried out the RAV4, CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Buick Encore, and Ford Escape. One thing that immediately stood out with many of these small crossovers is how many cost-savings corners are cut by the manufacturers. Lots of cheap materials and finishes, and just silly things, like only making the driver's side window powered. Now for some car buyers, they may not really care about lots of convenience features, or nicer finishes. I'm not one for bells and whistles, but it really felt like basic features were just plain lacking. Aside from the Buick Encore, which is pretty feature-packed to begin with, thanks to it being more of a luxury brand, the rest all seem to have very low price points, designed to lure you into the dealership, where you start seeing all the missing options, and start shelling out for entire extra packages (which include features you didn't really want) in order to add those wish-list items back on. So, by the time I added back an option package or two, all of the sudden, these little crossovers jumped to over $32K MSRP apiece. I figured my money was better spent elsewhere.
I was really seeing the quality difference among the various brands, and having come from a Toyota family, I decided to try something bigger in the same line. I then had it narrowed down to a Highlander or 4Runner. It's important to note that the Highlander is based on the Camry platform, and when I got into the Highlander, it felt very much like my dad's Camry. It definitely drives more like a car. Not that this is a bad thing; just for me, I like driving big trucks. When I got behind the wheel of the 4Runner, I knew I had found the perfect car for me. It's big, it sits up high, but it doesn't feel like you're driving a boat. It's a lot of fun to drive, and even the base SR5 has plenty of features, including a backup camera and fog lights, which only come via option packages on something like the RAV4. Not to mention it has plenty of power; something I felt was lacking, when I was test-driving smaller crossovers on the highway. I used to commute in the Southern Ontario winters on the highway in a Civic, so I know those little cars can handle it. It's just not something I wanted to go back to.
So, for about $6K MSRP more, I got more room, more power, and lots of great features, in a car that I am truly happy with. Yes, it does burn more gas, but compare it to some of its closest competitors, and that will give you a different perspective. Highlander vs 4Runner, it's only 1 mpg difference. Ultimately, it boils down to your personal preference, and what you plan to do with the vehicle. Once you figure that out, I don't think you can go wrong with either car. Good luck, and happy shopping
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I have to say, it's one of the best looking vehicles I have seen a while. How much do you think this would cost if I was buying brand new?It's not like the 4Runner where you can take it out offroad without many fears (except for sinking in mud or quicksand), but it's a solid all-around Crossover vehicles that all of the manufacturers see to have at least one ...
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