Here is how I did my calculations.
I agree @Whitey. That a car profile can dramatically have an affect on motor size needs. Also, I need to remind myself that many (all) fwd fours that I have their exhaust manifolds up front and all four plugs in the back by the firewall. Where is the space savings ? Sixes in my daughter’s Sienna have at least three plugs, filters and fluid checks and fills, all right Up front. I would venture to say that all cars are a comparative nightmare to work on. The Subaru seemed the easiest on earlier models till they decided to add more stuff…even a spare tire to the engine compartment ! A four with a turbo scares me a lot more as far as moving parts and maintenance then a six without which is what many are moving to. A motor compartment is like luggage. Give them a larger space, and they will find a way to fill it with something.
I bought a RAV4 with 6 cyl in late 2012, because I knew Toyota was dropping that engine option in 2013. I do load it up, and driving on busy freeway in California with trucks in the right lane and drivers going 80+ in the left lane made me nervous about passing with a 4 cyl. Compared to my old 4 cyl Subaru, the car is a dream to drive, has reserves of power, and gets better freeway mileage --but worse in the city. So it’s a matter of how you plan to use it. As for the hybrid, be careful, if you plan on any off-roading, Toyota says you can’t get the hybrid wet (stream crossings, for example) and they generally discourage off-road use with the hybrid.
The Highlander was never meant to be an off-road vehicle anyway. It’s a glorified minivan.
Exactly @Whtey. Toyota builds “Camry’s.” Lots of them in all shapes ans sizes. Like other cars of their ilk, the Highlander can go off road only as far as it’s ground clearance takes it. Beyound that, like a Camry, things start breaking. It will go through deeper snow, unlike a minivan. But don’t get carried away. It probably couldn’t keep up with an Outback.
My brother has a Highlander
I’m not sure I’d go so far as to say it’s a glorified minivan
It’s based on the Camry platform
At least it doesn’t have power sliding doors
LOL
I just bought a new (2014) Highlander (AWD). Easier for us to have my son get his own vehicle to get to school and all his other activities (BB, Soccer). So he’s now driving my 4runner. He’s only allowed to drive it to and from School functions and no friends in the vehicle at any time.
The Highlander does not have the off-road capability of the 4runner, but then again I don’t do a lot of off-roading any more. It can tow our camper, but I’ll still use the 4runner to tow for the next few years.
I was going to buy a new 4runner…but they are so much bigger then my 05 4runner. The Highlander is as big as my 05 4runner…and get MUCH BETTER gas mileage. Almost all mid-size SUV’s are now becoming cross-overs.
So far…nice vehicle. Meets my needs.
My wife has always wanted to have a Highlander. But then, she picked out our 4Runner over another truck. We just got the 13 Venza for two reasons. First, it has the same chassis as a Highlander and second, it was hundreds of pounds lighter making it possible to live with the smaller motor. I could not see having two v6 motors we did not need and the four cylinder Hylander was overkill size wise and lacked any gain in economy. When you throw five people and gear in our 4Runner, it’s less noticeable in performance and mileage. When a good friend threw five people and gear in his 4 cylinder Hylander, it was a comparitive gas guzzling, barely get out of your own way dog. In his words, loaded down, 0 to 60 was measured with a calendar. He traded and got a CRV. It’s actually much more functional for him. It was in part, his experienced that soured me on larger SUVs with smaller less powerful motors.
My Son in law will soon be looking at their third minivan. He is campaigning hard for a Highlander instead. It seems he is tired if being the brunt of buddies jokes at the golf course. Besides, the Camry, Sienna, Highlander and Venza are all cut from the same cloth. If and when, Toyota Starts selling the four with direct injection and or turbo charging, a 200 hp plus four could be an alternative to the six in a midsize SUV. Until then, not.
It’s good you bought the Highlander now @MikeInNH. Any new model will surely get even bigger.
"If and when, Toyota Starts selling the four with direct injection and or turbo charging, a 200 hp plus four could be an alternative to the six in a midsize SUV. Until then, not.
It’s good you bought the Highlander now @MikeInNH. Any new model will surely get even bigger. "
The 2014 Highlander is redesigned and is bigger then the 2013. And it has a 6-speed as opposed to a 5-speed in the 2013.
I looked at the new Pathfinder and really liked the way they did their pricing. I’m not impressed with their Hybrid (although I’d never buy - don’t have the right commute). It’s a 4-cylinder supercharged. And all the Pathfinders only have a CVT tranny. I still don’t trust the CVT tranny - especially for towing.
I even looked at the Chevy’s. Wasn’t impressed at all. Again it’s a Cross-over - but it rode more like a truck. The fit and finish was OK. But the Highlander seemed a lot more solid. I did like the more options available with the Chevy.
Back in 1987, a friend of mine bought a new Taurus with the 4 cylinder engine. He claimed that a 4 would get better mileage than the 6 cylinder version. The next year, I bought a 1988 Taurus with the V-6 engine. It got better mileage both in town and on the road than the 4 cylinder version. Part of the reason was that the 4 cylinder Taurus had a 3 speed automatic transmission while the V-6 had a 4 speed automatic with the top speed an overdrive gear. My institution bought some 4 cylinder Taurus vehicles for its fleet. I drove one to a conference 150 miles away and was glad after the trip I had purchased the 6 cylinder model. Ford did drop the 4 cylinder version around 1990.
"I just bought a new (2014) Highlander (AWD."
This is a signal that the world is coming to an end when MikeInNH is no longer driving a 4Runner.
.
We have a few years before Armageddon. I still own the 4runner and will be driving it now and then. Son will just be using it for school (one more year of high-school). Not sure if he’ll use it for College. But it’s nice to have it around when one of kids comes home and they need a vehicle to drive.
I like the six speed set up. The thing I find myself doing is running in S mode so I can keep it from hunting in 5 or 6 till the interstate. I never looked at the 2014 Highlander…so they are bigger now?
I am still turned off by the newer 4Runner…too big and too expensive, too gas hogish without standard Awd feature, only available for a gazillion $$$$$.
When neighbor finally changed over her 4Runner, instead of getting over priced new one, she got crew cab Tacoma which is what we may do when we replce ours. My area demands ground clearance where I take the truck and the Chevy’s and Fords are terrible underneath as far as protection and off road design. They can put all the designates they want but are good for plow trucking only. That’s because the parts are more available when they break.
I like the idea of CVT, but until Toyota uses them in trucks, I’ll pass too on Nissan. The new Pathfinder sounds like a “car based” SUV like a Highlander then.
My wife now owns a 07 Lexus ES-350. Her previous vehicle was a 96 Honda Accord 4-cylinder. The Lexus has a better EPA gas mileage rating. And from our records they both get about the same mpg. Slight advantage goes to the Accord on highway trips. But the extra 1mpg we got with the Accord is offset by the much better ride of the Lexus. And the Lexus weighs about 800lbs MORE then the Accord.
Many years ago GM made the 2.8l V6. It was a total dog of an engine. The Chevy Blazer with the 2.8L got WORSE gas mileage then the 4.3L V6 the put in in later models. The transmission didn’t change. The reason was the 2.8L was so anemic that it was constantly down-shifting even for the slightest of hills. Where the 4.3L could stay in the higher gears longer for lower RPMs (thus better gas mileage). The 2.8 was fine for the Fiero or even the Camaro…but not for a bigger vehicle like the Blazer.
"The new Pathfinder sounds like a “car based” SUV like a Highlander then. "
It is. Nice ride. When I was looking I checked with this transmission place that I use for tranny fluid changes. They are very very good. He told me they were seeing a lot of Nissan CTV’s in there for service. And they are VERY EXPENSIVE. He says there are still a few years before they have all the bugs worked out yet.
I never looked at the 2014 Highlander…so they are bigger now?
Interior - is BIGGER then my 05 4runner. Exterior is a little smaller. Not as high. A little less ground clearance. But the ride is so nice. And very very quiet. I got the base model (HL) and it has all the features I need - except tow package. I’ll have to add that later.
@MikeInNH–When Mrs. Triedaq gives up her 2003 4Runner, I know that the end of the world is near. She did sit in the newer generation of the 4Runner when we bought the 2011 Sienna. She thought it was too big. The 2003 4Runner that we own has been great. The 2003 was a new generation that, for us, was much better than the earlier version. When we purchased the 4Runner, we also tested a Highlander, but she preferred the 4Runner.
The 05 4runner is a good size. I don’t know why they made it so much bigger. It just felt too big and bulky.
I didn’t care for the 1st generation Highlanders. They were way too small. The 2nd generation is fine…and now the 3rd generation is much better. And I got the Highlander for about $10k LESS then the comparable equipped 4runner. I gave up a few things like off-road capability (which I do far less then I did just 5 years ago). But I think I gained much more.
We went to the dealer looking to replace wife’s RAV ( the short bouncy one) with a new RAv that is much quiter and rides better. We were using the 4Runner for trips and I need to get 5 to 10 more years out of it.
We tried this used 2013 Venza out for $6k less then a new RAV. Big mistake. All of a sudden the new RAV didn’t ride so well either. I never thought about a Venza as I hated the huge wheels and extra winter rims and tires seemd like a nightmare. But, after a bit of encouragement and a reminder that Outbacks are just across the river, the dealer threw in four steel 18 inch rims, a wind screen and a trailer hitch and we couldn’t pull the trigger on a RAV instead.
Venzas do not sell as well as they are way over priced new, try to compete with the less expensive Outback and are little more them an Awd Camry wagon. Well, I like Camrys so it was an easy sell for me. The appointments are better then any south of $30k new car I have seen. This made me forget about the RAV. It still has over 8inches of ground clearance. I make no pretence that it has the traction of a Subaru. But, I make no pretence that Subaru drive trains were as reliable as my Toyotas either. Now I wish I had those windshield wiper deicers on the 4Runner. Will never consider the newer 4Runner.
When we went looking for an SUV back in 2003, we tested a Ford Escape. My wife thought the ride was rather choppy. We also tested a GMC vehicle about the size of the 4Runner (I don’t remember the model name), but we liked the 4Runner better. I did drive an Escape Hybrid from my institution’s fleet to a conference and I suppose it was a 2008 or thereabouts. It was much quieter and better riding than the one I drove in 2003.
I have heard criticism of the 4Runner that it was too “truck like”. I prefer vehicles to be more “truck like” than “car like”. I know that there are vehicles that get better mileage than our 4Runner and Sienna, particularly around town. I figure that I paid my dues years ago driving Ramblers and a Ford Maverick. I think at 72 I have earned the privilege to drive what I like and best serves my needs.
@Triedaq
A little truth telling. I buy exclusively Toyotas for the same reason I bought Chevys, , Fords, Hondas and Subarus years ago. Where I lived before, the Mall and car Dealer strip were just a couple miles away and these dealerships were easy to get to on my way to work and the golf course. In the last 20 years, on this side of the river, only a Toyota dealership is on my way. I am innately lazy. Thinking about buying another Subaru, Ford or Honda and having to troup 10 to 15 miles for warranty work and being late for my golf matches, dance classes, sailboat races or therapy appointments are more then I can bear. I buy Toyotas because they are close by and convenient and I’m lazy. All the while, I contrive the other reasons…that’s the real truth. I think I am saving time and money…I think.