2009 Toyota Highlander

For this new model of Toyota's Highlander, it is worth the money to get the Hybrid over the gas engine. Both are made for busy families that need lots of room and can conform to any living area, though a little large for city street parking.

Styling of this SUV is great, easily a 4. The exterior is smooth and clean with nicely place lighting and reverse camera. Interior is planned out nicely with controls and cup holders placed in convenient and accessible spots. The seats are a little too firm and the lumbar support is a little too high for my taste, making comfort a 4, but despite that there is an awesome amount of room and even tall adults have plenty of room in the back seats. Also, the rear DVD screen causes a bit of a blind spot. Placement of the rear view screen is convenient though takes some getting used to not having to look over ones shoulder.

This model not being very old has not had much time for all of its problems to surface. Though it seems that Toyota spent a bit more time on the Hybrid over the gas only version. Most of the issues that have come up so far are all with the classic engine's programming. If the battery gets low you will have to read the manual and reset some of the settings such as idle speed and the compass may also need to be re-calibrated. There is a recall on the seat belts in the back seat in both versions but that is so far the only issue with the Hybrid. For now the Highlander get's a 5 for reliability.

Performance on this vehicle is a 4. The only reason I do not give it a 5 is that the steering is very light and touchy. People who jump easily or like to use their hands when they talk will find themselves all over the road if not careful. Otherwise the Highlander drives very smooth, takes curves with ease and has decent power for the engine it has.

Now value is an interesting issue. Again this is an area where Toyota made the Hybrid better then the classic. Oil and tune up will frequently cost $15-20 cheaper on the Hybrid then the classic engine, though neither is expensive for an SUV at all, ranging from $55-$90. Also the Hybrid version can go a little longer without the work being done. The classic engine does get slightly worse MPG then the Hybrid but only by a mile or two a gallon making little difference to the savings from the hybrid, though a dealer said that after a few thousand miles this will become a greater difference, not quite sure what that says about their product though.

Resale value is better on Toyotas then most cars, but as always the price you pat at dealer is not really what the vehicle is worth once it's off the lot so make sure to have gap insurance. As value goes I give this SUV a 4.

Overall I like the Toyota Highlander Hybrid better but rate them both a 4. Still wait for people to hit the higher mileage to see what issues come out.