Toyota Highlander wagon looks like a SUV but acts like a car
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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TESUQUE, N. M. -- Front tires on the new hybrid type of sport-utility wagon bite into six inches of fresh snow but maintain a steady grip over the twisty route that courses up Mount Baldy to the Santa Fe Ski Basin, perched more than two miles high in the Sangre de Cristo Range of New Mexico.
Sustaining traction on the treacherous mountain road bolsters confidence for a driver while also demonstrating the agile dexterity of this vehicle that applies the six-pack engine's muscle not to rear wheels like a conventional truck-based sport-utility wagon, but to the rollers up front -- the ones that also steer.
This ability to both steer and pull the vehicle positions the cushy new Highlander wagon by Toyota in an unusual category, which is the way Toyota's product designers planned it.
Its structure and chassis differ from the body-on-frame arrangement used by the typical SUV because Highlander has a unitized framework derived from a sedan oriented with a front-wheel-drive format, plus car-like mechanical components that eliminate hassles associated with SUVs.
The concise structure with an elongated wheelbase but squatty stance sets up a people-friendly interior environment that's as easy to enter as a passenger car, meaning you don't have to hike yourself aboard like you would in a tall truck-based wagon.
Also, the suspension system, independent at all four corners, delivers the uncommonly smooth ride quality of a sedan with rather nimble and easy-to-drive manners.
Because of these car-like structural components, the Highlander amounts to a cross -- or hybrid -- between a rugged sport-ute and a refined sedan, producing in that blended process the best attributes of both vehicles.
It wraps the luxurious ride quality and plush comforts of a refined Toyota passenger sedan in the context of a sleek package cast in the layout of a sport-utility wagon with four passenger doors applied and flexible seating for five inside plus cargo space in the back bay with access through a rear liftgate.
The streamlined exterior design also differs from the usual bulky mass of a sport-utility.
Although the Highlander displays the extended roofline and boxed rear quarters of a four-door wagon, its windswept styling with an abbreviated front hood and raked windshield appears uncommonly sleek. Creased shoulders emphasize the squarish wheelwells, while above a wedge-shaped beltline the blackened B and C pillars meld with dark window glass to de-emphasize vertical elements in favor of elongated horizontal lines that make the Highlander seem low and less massive than the typical wagon.
Closest relative vehicle to the Highlander is the RX 300 by Lexus, the elite offshoot brand from Toyota, which debuted in 1998 as a car-based hybrid wagon.
To describe the Highlander simply as a reworked RX 300 would not be correct, however, because the Toyota wagon, while sharing some mechanical components with the Lexus, has a wheelbase that's four inches longer than the RX 300, more cabin space for passengers, more agile handling traits, more engine choices with four-cylinder and V6 powertrains -- and more affordable price points.
Built in Japan at Toyota's Kyushu plant that also assembles the RX 300 and Lexus ES 300 sedan, the Highlander rolls ashore with three trim designations and options for either front-wheel-drive or a permanently-engaged four-wheel-drive system that distributes traction to all wheels.
Highlander uses various mechanical components derived from Toyota cars, but the unique unibody structure pares weight and eliminates the high step-in arrangement of usual SUV wagons. The package still offers a generous ground clearance and off-road approach/departure angles comparable to many SUVs, but the lower floor height in the cabin permits comfortable entry for passengers.
Many components of the Highlander are new, such as the structure and exterior body stampings and interior fittings with front bucket seats and a rear bench for three.
Elements like the aluminum V6 engine block, steering column and front subframe originally were developed for the Lexus ES 300 sedan and the similar made-in-America Toyota Camry, along with the RX 300 wagon.
The optional all-wheel-drive system compares to the Toyota Celica All-Trac turbo coupe marketed in Europe and is also employed by the RX 300. A viscous center differential coupling disperses engine torque to whichever wheels maintain the best grip.
A four-wheel independent suspension system with MacPherson struts and low-pressure gas-charged shock absorbers produces the agile attitude for Highlander but also blocks road harshness from intruding in the cabin.
Fast-response power rack and pinion steering guides it, and to stop it four large disc brakes link to a computerized anti-lock system with electronic brake distribution.
Optional mechanical gear for safety includes traction control and a lateral vehicle skid control (VSC) device, limited-slip rear differential for four-wheel-drive editions without the VSC equipment, and side-impact air bags.
The 2.4-liter in-line four-cylinder engine, a new Toyota plant developed specifically for Highlander's price-leading edition, produces 155 horsepower at 5600 rpm and torque of 163 lb-ft at 4000 rpm. Variable valve timing for intake and exhaust enables the engine to muster healthy low-end torque for quick acceleration and still earn good economy rates using 87-octane regular unleaded fuel.
It mates with an electronically-controlled four-speed automatic transmission and applies to both two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions.
The 3.0-liter V6 engine produces a robust 220 hp at 5800 rpm, plus as much as 222 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm.
This plant also employs the four-speed automatic transmission but with different gear ratios to manage the increased torque.
Highlander's cabin is an impressive space with generous space for five passengers. Stretching the wheelbase and devising a flat floor by eliminating the drivetrain tunnel set up more than normal legroom for backseat riders. The front passenger's seatback folds down flat, as does the rear bench seatback, which splits in 60/40 sections and reclines.
Standard equipment on all editions includes air conditioning, floor and ceiling consoles, a tilting steering wheel and cruise control, height-adjustable headrests for all five seat positions, and a stereo sound kit with six speakers, AM-FM radio and cassette deck.
For Highlander V6, leather seats are available, along with a premium Limited package that adds deluxe equipment, such as an automatic climate system, remote keyless entry, leather-wrapped steering wheel, interior trim in chrome and chestnut grain, JBL stereo with eight speakers and a CD player, as well as exterior elements like foglamps, alloy wheels and power heated mirrors.
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| 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Mid-size 5-door SUV wagon |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size 5-door SUV wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
106.9 inches |
| Overall Length: |
184.4 inches |
| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.4-L I4, DOHC 3.0-L V6 |
| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front, 4WD |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/EBD opt. TRAC/VSC |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + opt. 2 (side) |
| Towing Capacity: |
I4: 3000 pounds, V6: 3500 pounds |
| Gas Mileage: |
I4 2WD: 22/27 mpg, I4 4WD: 19/24 mpg, V6 2WD: 19/23 mpg, V6 4WD: 18/22 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 26,000 to $ 36,000 |
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