They may have done away with that feature in the redesigned 2008-up Highlanders. I know that the RAV4’s have the option to lock the center diff though. But on the newer Highlanders I haven’t seen an button or lever (like old the old RAV4’s had) to lock the center diff. I even combing through the owners manual and could find nothing mentioning it.
I have had outstanding service from a 2003 4Runner. I have the V-6 with selectable 4 wheel drive. It can be driven in rear wheel drive or 4 wheel drive high all the time. There is a 4 wheel drive low range which is really low–it could probably stretch fence wire in 4 wheel drive low. There is also a switch to lock the differentials so that all 4 wheels turn if one is really stuck. It also has a grade retard feature that slows it on downgrades when switched on. It is the most versatile vehicle we have owned. I find it comfortable for road trips and can average about 22-24 mpg on interstate driving. Around town it gets 15-17 mpg.
The V-8 that was available in 2003 had full time 4 wheel drive. Also, that V-8 had a timing belt that had to be changed periodically. I found the power of the V-6 more than ample for our needs. I am not sure that the V-8 was even offered in later models.
@FoDaddy
Neither can I. In the forums, the only thing mentioned is that the Highlander drive train is different then the RAV with this feature. You are right then my man.
What I still struggle with is, most people buy a new car for themselves, and hand down their car to the kids. Now we have to come up with a vehicle that only costs$14k for the kids to run around with, and down the road which could happen anytime, is handed up and becomes a family car replacing a Sequoia ? It’s one of those impossible dreams !
@FoDaddy
This afternoon heading into town on a errand, I stopped at a Toyota dealer and checked the 2014 model. It had a lock switch. According to them, they skipped it on the previous generation.
Consider a SILVERADO 1500,not the best mileage but dependable and strong,dont think the the old Cherokee is a good idea,if these things are properly maintained they will rival a Toyota for durability(personal experience and I’m not even a chevy man,the X-Cab has plenty of room for 2 people and 4 persons in a pinch-if you can find a good deal at least give them a gander-Kevin
@kmccune
Good idea. There are a bunch of decent trucks out there in 4 wd and one in a crew cab or even extended cab could offer everything they want.
My parents had an 02 4runner. Was a great vehicle, till mom had a rollover accident. Just scrapes and bruises. Excellent vehicle.
Thanks for confirming that. Odd that they omitted for a generation. I guess they figured that soft-roaders like the Highlander wouldn’t need an option to lock the diff. But then again 95% of people who have the option to lock the center diff don’t know or care what it does
@FoDaddy
Funny too, the a use Highlander had down hill assist, some thing my 4Runner has. Personally, if I were to buy a car based med size SUV, it would be a Pilot. Our road is miserable and it does everything our 4Runner does. I would not rock climb with it but it is rated to tow just as much.
The newer highlanders have a full time 4wd system with no mention of a locking center diff, it’s more of a light duty system than say a 4runner or FJ cruiser
@OlyDoug
http://www.toyota.com/about/news/corporate/2013/03/28-3-Highlander.html
Of course it s lighter duty, but they do have a lock. It was missing in the previous generation.
watch out for jeep’s 3.7l v6 it has its share of problems.
@Triedaq “There is also a switch to lock the differentials so that all 4 wheels turn if one is really stuck.”
I wish that’s what it did. I don’t believe that the lock button does anything but lock the center differential (singular) alone. What it also does is deactivate the stability control which cuts the throttle but allows the excellent traction control system to still work, giving you a quasi limited slip differential on both axles. It’s not a true one, but real ones work better when new and can get worse as they age. This does as decent a job getting torque to all four wheels as you could hope for with this system.
While trying to pull my neighbors 3/4 ton plow truck out of the ditch, I put mine (4Runner) in low range/lock. I couldn’t budge him because of the weight but I did manage to dig 4 equally deep ruts under each of the tires. All the wheels were getting a good amount of torque but without any locking axle differentials. The 4Runner stayed perfectly straight while kicking up all that ice and snow with all 4 wheels turning at once…Now that was impressive, at least to my feeble little mind.
@Dagosa I was looking at the info for the pre-2014 highlander, the PDF that i have which compares the different types of 4wd systems used by Toyota is a year old or so and makes no mention of a lock for the center diff.
That generation, with @FoDaddy’s help, we concluded, does not have it. When I asked a “gifted parts man”, the only guy there I trusted, he said they skipped a generation. The 2014 has it.
@Dagosa they must have had some requests then, I’m more familiar with the 1st generation than the later ones.
@OlyDoug
The parts man did jokingly say, they were “trying to make the Highlander more sporty”. In reality, the 4Runner has gone so far in the other direction from mine, people actually want a car based SUV that can handle a little light off roading and towing. The 4Runner only offers awd in the $40k plus range. AWD car based SUVs are showing up more and more pulling trailers and rough roading it. Toyota will loose sales to Pilot if it doesn’t at least pretend that it’s “sporty”.
The highlander has always had a decent tow rating, the Durango and Explorer have gone to being less truck-like than in the past.
I occasionally have conversations with a Toyota rep. When I asked him why Toyota went so far in the other direction with the 4 gen 4Runner, he said Toyota felt there was too much overlap in potential sales with the Highlander. Why buy a Hylander when you can buy a 4Runner with a full frame that rides nearly as well, has switchable awd, has a more powerful motor both six and eight…and cost the same or less ? So, the latest 5th gen 4Runner has a truck part time 4wd until you get well over $40k and the 3rd gen Highlander is a little more “sporty” to fill the void. Merchandizing.
I’d recommend the newer 4Runner for the safety and reliability factors. Like a 2004 or 2005 or something like that. It may cost you a bit more upfront, but you’ll recoup a lot of that, maybe all of it, in lower repair bills and fewer towing charges. The safety factor for the 4runner is all upside.
BTW, it is critical you give some instruction and commonsense advice on the use of this vehicle to your teenagers. They’ll be tempted – or their friends will coerce them – to put it “through the hoops” as soon as they get it, see how it performs, like trying to climb the steepest dirt hill around, or see how fast it will go, and that is very dangerous for a newbie 4-wheeler. 4x4’s appear to be more stable than they actually are. Sedans are much more stable. I say this from experience, as I had a friend in high school who’s parents gave him a brand new 4x4 truck when he turned 18. He took it up into the mountains the very next weekend and promptly rolled it down a steep embankment. He ended up severely injured, and was lucky to escape alive.
@GeorgeSanJose makes a great point, many parents give their kids vehicles that they are not ready to handle unfortunately. A family friend was up in the mountains in his parents VW Vanagon Westfalia and went just slightly off the road and tripped the vehicle which went rolling down the hill. He and his friend only had minor bumps and bruises from the incident but the lesson of high center of gravity was learned for a lifetime. Not quite the same as a high riding 4x4 but more driving skill might have prevented the incident.