Gas to the floor - and forward through the freshly fallen snow! It’s so good that winter came so early this year! Frightened owners of “underdrives” crawl timidly in the right lane, and I enjoy the confident acceleration of the powerful V-shaped six. Yes, it’s not just that they say that a normal engine cannot have less than six “pots”. Eh, I haven't had this much fun driving a big four-wheel drive vehicle in a long time. I deliberately avoid the word “SUV” - that’s not what the Toyota Highlander is about at all. Someone will frown disdainfully: ugh, another SUV. But don’t rush to conclusions – the fact that the Highlander doesn’t look like a Prado or a 200 is its main advantage.
Toyota Highlander 2011
The first generation Toyota Highlander is a frequent visitor on the roads of St. Petersburg. This Japanese crossover has many fans and is rightfully considered one of the most reliable cars in its class. However, it officially debuted in our country quite recently - at the end of summer. And only today the first test cars appeared at official dealers.
Toyota Highlander 2011
Sales of the first generation Highlander model began in 2000. Initially, there were no plans to deliver the car to Europe, and especially to Russia. The main markets for the car were the United States, Australia and Japan - it was from there that many used cars were subsequently brought to us, in the “right-hand drive” version, known under the name Kluger. In total, 1,380,000 Highlanders have been produced to date, having survived the first generation change in 2007.
Toyota Highlander 2011
Toyota Highlander 2011 trunk
The Japanese demonstrated the seriousness of their expectations for the Toyota Highlander in our market back in August, organizing a world presentation of the new (and third) generation at the 2010 Moscow Motor Show. Our compatriots immediately liked the car: impressive appearance, rich equipment, seven seats...
Toyota Highlander 2011
Toyota Highlander 2011
Toyota Highlander 2011 interior
Toyota residents can really be proud of the interior of the “Highlander” (that’s how the name of the model should be translated). It’s spacious here even by overseas standards, and it’s also very high quality and well thought out. I myself witnessed how one buyer of a very serious build, climbing into the driver’s seat, exclaimed with delight: “It’s as if I was born here!” And this is not an exaggeration. Both young and old will find a comfortable fit. At the same time, no one will complain about visibility or lack of comfort. As expected, electric seats have a memory function, so it will be convenient for all family members to use the car.
Toyota Highlander 2011
As for ergonomics, it is the fruit of long and painstaking work. The focus is on conservative values. The dashboard with two wells framed in aluminum is informative and easy to read at any time of the day. The steering wheel with wooden inserts fits comfortably in your hands, and the radio control units located on it make life easier on the go. The center console houses the main controls, as well as two monitors, one of which displays data from the on-board computer and air conditioning system, and the other for the multimedia system and navigation. It’s hard to miss the large keys even when driving over bumps. Everything is clear, strict, convenient - just like the classics!
Toyota Highlander 2011
But you really fall in love with the Highlander's interior when you find yourself in the second row of seats. It seems that you are in a modern cinema hall, two independent leather seats separated by retractable armrests are so comfortable! You have your own climate control and so much space you can stretch your legs and lounge in a relaxed position! The middle part is hidden in order to free up the passage to the gallery - two retractable “seats” of the third row. However, if necessary, this pair of independent seats can be transformed into a full-fledged sofa, and the third row can be hidden in the floor, increasing the luggage compartment. After all, at its core, the third row of seats is a joker, which should be presented only in case of emergency. In normal condition, they rest safely in the trunk floor, the volume of which is an impressive 1200 liters, and with the second row seats folded - almost two cubic meters.
Toyota Highlander 2011
However, despite its solid dimensions, this car is not an SUV in the full sense. In the Toyota lineup, the Highlander is positioned exactly in the middle: between the RAV4 and Land Cruiser. As befits an SUV, it is built on a lightweight chassis and a passenger platform (in this case, from a Toyota Camry). There are no reduction gears or locks in the transmission - the Highlander is equipped with permanent and symmetrical (50:50) all-wheel drive without any frills. No downshifts or lock-ups! Like most modern models, all this is a thing of the distant past. Management is left to the electronics.
Toyota Highlander 2011
Toyota Highlander 2011
Toyota Highlander 2011
Cross-country ability Toyota Highlander 2011
Of course, this doesn’t make the car more passable – but that’s not what it was made for. Due to the fact that the Highlander is free of “off-road ballast”, it handles significantly easier than its purely off-road counterparts and is much better suited for driving in urban conditions. Let's not forget about excess weight - once you get rid of it, a large car becomes much more economical!
Toyota Highlander 2011
However, the ground clearance of 206 mm allows you not only to move on asphalt, but also to move onto a country road. Yes, it’s not tempting to storm a ford or a swamp in such a car, but there are no problems driving through freshly fallen snow or parking on a curb. To help the permanent all-wheel drive there are various auxiliary systems: traction control TRC, directional stability VSC+, hill assist HAC2, hill descent assist DAC. Well, if it snows, there is a special Snow mode for extra confidence.
Toyota Highlander 2011
Toyota Highlander 2011
Technical part
This is all very interesting, but it’s time to highlight the technical characteristics, as well as my opinion about them. As I wrote above, there is a 2GR engine with 6 cylinders. The documents say that it produces 268 horsepower. And the official website says that 273. The mystery of the disappearance of 5 horses has not been solved. I'll be brief - the engine is good, I really liked it. For a 2-ton giant, this is what you need. The dynamics are like those of a passenger car, the reserve is felt even at high speeds. The sound of acceleration is pleasing. There is no point in comparing the engine with the Tuareg unit; in the Toyota Highlander 2011, the emphasis is primarily on power. So these are different things. As for fuel consumption, the average is 16-19 liters. in city mode. I'm rarely on the highway, but it takes 13-15 liters. I run 95.
Now a few words about the transmission in the Toyota Highlander. It ruins everything: all the engine's power literally melts in this 5-speed automatic transmission. You press the gas to accelerate, about 1.5 seconds pass, and the engine begins to increase speed and only after these actions a jerk appears. It took a long time to get used to the automation; this was not the case in the manual Tuareg. There is no “Power” button on the transmission, only “Snow”.
Officially, the box must adapt to the owner's style, which is why there is no start button. Perhaps there is some problem with me, but I still don’t see any adaptation. Although it also took me quite a long time to adapt to my wife... But from a standstill, the Toyota Highlander starts normally, there are no delays observed. As for the all-wheel drive, I tested it only a couple of times, it seems to feel off-road. I'm not a fan of these things, so I don't have any special impressions of fighting in the wild. What can you tell me? There was a time when I drove into the mud, quite deep. The Toyota Highlander passed through the mud normally, although TRC was indignant, but still continued to move. And you don’t need more from the Toyota Highlander in terms of cross-country ability, so that’s enough.
Test drive Toyota Highlander 2011
By the way, I had the opportunity to test this entire arsenal in action - on the day of the test drive there was a real snowfall - the first one this year. Half a month's worth of snow fell in one night. As a result, the roads were practically at a standstill, but the ring road was empty. Of course, in such a powerful car it’s difficult not to grab it with all your might. And there were no problems with this.
Toyota Highlander 2011
With a volume of 3.5 liters, the engine produces a good 273 horsepower and 337 Nm of torque. This is enough to not only move a two-ton car from a standstill, but also to experience the beauty of the acceleration of a V-shaped “six”. The Highlander reaches the first hundred in 8.2 seconds. after the start, and with increasing speed the thrust becomes more and more. The 5-speed automatic shifts gears evenly and smoothly, only adding to the sensation. To be honest, when you look at the massive Highlander, you don’t expect such agility!
Toyota Highlander 2011
However, when it was time to turn off, it turned out that all the exits were covered with snow. I went a little too fast and ended up in the bump stop. Even 50 km/h in such conditions is too high a speed at which losing a car is easy. And he is lost. A couple of instinctive movements of the steering wheel change the whole thing - the car is instantly caught. Thanks to the electric booster, which works in tandem with ESP, turning the car into a single system.
Toyota Highlander 2011
Needless to say, “Highlander” feels great in the metropolis? There is always plenty of traction under the foot to perform sharp maneuvers, and huge mirrors coupled with a rear view camera allow you to fully control the road situation. In addition, the electric booster is tuned specifically for Russia, thanks to which the steering wheel has a clear zero, and decent effort, which does not evaporate even with sharp deviations of the steering wheel at large angles, and, most importantly, constant feedback from the wheels, which most people lack models made for America. Thanks to these settings adapted for us, the huge crossover feels maneuverable like a sedan, and the feeling of control does not leave you on the highway.
Toyota Highlander 2011
Going on a long journey in a Highlander is a pleasure. Smooth highway driving suits this solid crossover perfectly. Well, for our own safety, the maximum speed is electronically limited to 180 km/h - it’s not good to drive faster in a tall car! It is worth noting another feature of the “Russian” Highlanders - stiffer shock absorbers, which allow you to more accurately handle unevenness and confidently, without swaying, stay on course.
Toyota Highlander 2011
Is everything really that good? Not really: short suspension travel can be unpleasantly surprising. Indeed, if you happen to fall into a snow-covered hole, a surprise awaits you - a blow to the entire body, echoing even into the steering wheel. This really doesn’t happen on Prado! But you have to pay for everything - the feedback between the wheels and the steering wheel is better here than most of its classmates. Thanks to this more “passenger-like” setting, the feeling of control over the car on the track increases, but comfort decreases.
Toyota Highlander 2011
Inside the car
The Tuareg is inferior to the Hay in terms of comfort. When you sit in the Toyota Highlander 2011, an atmosphere of some kind of home comfort appears. That's a plus. This is probably due to the velor trim. Pleased with the amount of space for rear passengers. The previous crossover loses in this regard. In addition, the rear seats can move back and forth by 15 centimeters. The luggage compartment is even too large; I haven’t fully loaded it with anything yet. And this is after 3 years of operation. Of course, with the second row folded. There is enough space for everything, I was pleased with the trunk.
The issue of ergonomics completely satisfied me: the necessary buttons are at hand, the elements are not “smeared” on the central panel. There is a Japanese balance here. Probably the Toyota Highlander manufacturers think that Europeans love to drink. And drink everywhere and in huge quantities. 14 cup holders! For what? The noise insulation is satisfactory; I didn’t seem to notice any difference between the Toyota Highlander and the Touareg in this regard. The technical characteristics in this regard are good, the reviews that I read report the same. I hear the noise of the wheels only at 90 km per hour. The engine begins to growl only during intense acceleration. At first I didn’t understand why the rear view camera in the mini-display was needed. But now I’m used to it, without her it would be worse.
The Toyota Highlander is full of pros, but it also has its share of cons. How many wonderful words come to mind when I remember plastic. It's better in a Lada, strange, hard. And this is only a small part of the impressions. Reviews also say that versions before restyling also had this problem. But to no avail, nothing has changed. But I decided to dig deeper, because I felt it was unfair - why an expensive car has such bad plastic. I learned an interesting detail: the plastic consists of a special composition, which, upon a strong impact, crumbles into small pieces so as not to injure passengers. Fortunately, I haven't had a chance to check it yet.
The leather steering wheel of the Toyota Highlander is quite satisfactory, only in terms of tactile sensations it is inferior to the steering wheel of the previous car. There is a compass in the mirror. This is in continuation of the 14 cup holders. The on-board computer menu can be changed with a single button on the steering wheel - it’s inconvenient. The back row accommodates two passengers in a big way. Three will already be uncomfortable - checked. Another detail of the Toyota Highlander: in automatic mode, only the driver’s window goes up and down, the rest with the help of a button - everything is fine. Visibility here is excellent, I have no complaints. The racks are large, it took me a long time to get used to this after the small Tuareg. I usually don’t even look back, fortunately the developers of the 2011 Toyota Highlander equipped the car with a rear view camera, which is included in the topic here. After 3 years of operation, nothing cracks or sticks together - everything is done conscientiously.
Characteristics of Toyota Highlander 2011
The buyer of the Highlander crossover in Russia will not have to choose for long: one engine, one transmission and, in general, one luxury package. However, formally there are still two, and both of them can safely be called maximum. It has everything: seven seats, seven airbags, leather trim, and three-zone climate control. The only difference between the “Prestige” and “Lux” versions is that the more expensive version has a seven-inch monitor with a hard drive and navigation. The minimum cost of a Toyota Highlander is 1,757,000 rubles, and a fully equipped Highlander will cost 58,000 rubles more.
Toyota Highlander 2011
The equipment of this car is “Lux”, the cost is 1,813,000 rubles.
- Audio system with MP3
- Rear View Camera
- Three-zone climate control
- Navigation system in Russian
- Electric rear door
- Alloy wheels
- Ascent and descent assistance systems
Car appearance
Of course, I can’t do without comparisons, since before that I was driving a Tuareg. Apart from the Touareg, I have not owned any other crossovers or SUVs, so reviews and comparisons of the Toyota Highlander will be related to it. From the outside, Hai looks good, the front bumper even evokes admiration: it looks like a purebred Asian with an original eye shape. Of course, 19-inch wheels are not suitable for us, but without them the car would not look so good, so let’s leave this topic. What's a little frustrating about the overall design of the Toyota Highlander is the rear end. Why this fog light sticks out there is unclear. And it looks somehow inharmonious - it feels like after assembly some migrant workers are sitting there and using a cheap Chinese screwdriver to rivet this lantern.
The thresholds are covered with doors - this is pleasing. When entering/exiting, the pants do not get dirty. While reading reviews from owners of the previous generation Toyota Highlander, I learned about a problem with the front doors: they are not covered from the front wheels by mud flaps. Why? But there are no mudguards there. Not only that, but nothing has changed with the 2011 Toyota Highlander, so I'm trying to force myself to order the official mud flaps. Another oddity is the back door. It opens without any problems, but in order to close it properly, I need to pull on some kind of rope. They could have installed a simple handle. But owners of the optimal assembly do not have to worry about this - there is an electronic drive for the rear door. You just have to wait a long time.
Options and prices Toyota Highlander 2011
| Equipment | Prestige | Lux |
| Cost, rub. | 1.757.000 | 1.813.000 |
| Alloy wheels | + | + |
| Leather interior | + | + |
| Engine start button | + | + |
| Third row of seats | + | + |
| Rear View Camera | + | + |
| Automatic transmission | + | + |
| Navigation system | – | + |
| Hard drive with file recording capability | – | + |
| Audio system with MP3 | + | + |
| Three-zone climate control | + | + |
| 7 airbags | – | + |
Toyota Highlander 2011 Competitors
All the main competitors of the Toyota Highlander come from the East.
Nissan Murano 2011
Nissan Murano is an already established brand, which, alas, has lost a fair amount of fans after the change of generations. We have already written that the new Murano simply kills with its design. At the same time, the car is not bad at all. The base price for Nissan Murano (V6 3.5, 249 hp) is from 1,675,000 rubles, and the top-end configuration will cost 1,850,000 rubles. However, don’t expect to find 2 extra seats in the trunk. Nissan Murano is a five-seater car.
Honda Pilot
Another worthy opponent of Toyota is the Honda Pilot. Like the Highlander, this car was made specifically for America. It doesn't lack for power - the high-revving V6 3.5 engine produces 257 hp. An interesting feature is that the Pilot is equipped with a function that allows you to temporarily turn off unused “cylinders”, saving fuel. In addition, like the Highlander, the Pilot has an additional row of seats underground, designed for up to three people. The base price of the car is 1,732,000 rubles.
Hyundai ix55
Finally, the Korean Hyundai ix55 (V6 3.8, 268 hp) may well compete with the Highlander. This car is clearly overpriced - the base price is 1,919,900 rubles. Of course, it is quite richly equipped and has a third row of seats, but overall, it is hardly better than Toyota.
Kia Mohave
However, there is also a more affordable analogue on the market - Kia Mohave (V6 3.8, 275 hp, the same 7 seats). Its price in petrol version starts at 1,459,900 rubles. Diesel is significantly more expensive – from 1,779,900 rubles. And this is quite natural: the petrol Mohave is equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission, which the Koreans themselves consider outdated. Hence the discount.
