Lexus New York
The Toyota Highlander V-6 and Highlander Hybrid were about to engage in a drag race. The road, deep in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, was straight, empty and dry. If there were witnesses, they were critters.
I was driving the 270-horsepower V-6. Cheryl, my wife (who is also a contributor to these pages), was driving the Hybrid, which has a 209-horsepower 3.3-liter V-6 bolstered by electric motors, bringing its maximum output to 270 horsepower.
Using our two-way radios, I counted down. At zero, off we went — to 30, 40, 50, 60 miles an hour.
The Hybrid didn’t gain on me, but neither could I escape it.
We tried again, with the same result.
Imagine that: power along with moral superiority, so often an elusive combination.
The Hybrid’s acceleration was one of several surprises I received while driving the redesigned 2008 Highlanders around northern New Hampshire. Some of those surprises were good and some not so much.
These are second-generation Highlanders. The original arrived in 2001, with the Hybrid variant appearing in 2005. Unlike Toyota’s truck-based 4Runner S.U.V., the Highlander relies on car components, many of them purloined from the Camry and Avalon sedans.
Prices of two-wheel-drive models begin at $27,985; the Sport is $30,635; and the Limited is $33,385. Add $1,450 for all-wheel drive.
The Hybrid comes in two versions, both of them with all-wheel drive. The least expensive is $34,385 and the fancier Limited is $40,635.
That makes the base Hybrid about $2,300 more than the most comparable regular model, the all-wheel-drive Sport. But, that is an imperfect comparison. A third row is standard on the regular Highlanders.
The base Hybrid does not come with a standard third row. It is available only as part of a $2,800 package. So suddenly the Hybrid is about $5,100 more — if one needs the third row. A third row is standard on the Hybrid Limited.
Once a big part of the Hybrid’s higher cost could have been eased with a $2,600 tax credit available under the 2005 Energy Act. But Congress phased out the credit for automakers that have sold 60,000 hybrids, penalizing Toyota and Honda, which have offered more hybrids than the domestic automakers. Now there are no tax credits for any Toyota hybrid, and those for Honda are reduced. This follows the governmental theme that no good deed goes unpunished if it involves a foreign automaker.
I tried the entry-level Hybrid, which had options including the $2,800 popular package that included goodies ranging from a third-row seat and eight-way power driver’s seat to 19-inch alloy wheels. When it was all tallied, the price was $38,413.
At the same time, I had a Highlander Sport with all-wheel drive. It had a base price of $32,085, but options like a navigation system and fancier stereo ($2,530); dual-zone climate controls ($375) and a sunroof ($850) brought the total to $37,708.
The Highlander is almost 4 inches longer and 3 inches wider than the previous model, resulting in a little more legroom for the first and second rows. The third row is about the same as before. The second row slides fore and aft 4.7 inches. That means four 6-foot adults could be carried without serious complaint, assuming the passengers in the third row are small children or imaginary.
Cargo capacity behind the second row has increased 2.6 cubic feet, to 42.3 cubic feet. The space behind the third row (10.3 cubic feet) is basically unchanged. That’s enough for four or five bags of groceries or a few small soft-sided bags.
That third row on the test vehicles could be easily stowed or raised by the inelegant but effective method of tugging on a strap. But the third seat is not split into two sections, which removes the option of carrying one passenger and a bit more luggage. People or stuff: make your choice.
Toyota says the seats are bigger, designed for larger folks. They are comfortable and have enough thigh support for even a six-footer.
Lexus New York
