Headed in the right direction

2018 Toyota Highlander is comfortable and family oriented

The Highlander is clearly focused on the direction towards which almost all crossovers seem to be going. It still looks like a sport ute, but is as comfortable and controllable as a car.

For 2018 it doesn’t change from the 2017 because it received amidcycle refresh then. This third-generation model remains a, eightpassenger, three-rowfamily crossover.

The model lineup doesn’t change either. That means the Highlander Hybrid is available in LE, XLE, Limited and Limited Platinum grades. The gas model is offered in LE, LE Plus, SE, XLE, Limited and Limited Platinum, all available in either front- or allwheel drive.

A big part of that upgrade was to make sure active safety features were built into the Highlander. Most important of these is that Toyota’s Safety Sense P. This driver-assist technology uses millimeter-wave radar and a camera to detect a pedestrian or vehicle in front of the Highlander.

It can even apply the brakes in many circumstances to help avoid or limit collisions. This system also includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert that can assist with steering, adaptive cruise control and automatic high beams. All Highlanders include a standard backup camera. Highermodels get a standard blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. Frankly most of these should be deal-breakers if they aren’t on a vehicle.

The gasoline versions are still powered by the 3.5-liter V6 introduced last year 2017. This new engine produces 295-hp. and 263 lb.ft. of peak torque. That’s 25 hp. and 15 lb.-ft. more than the previous engine. The engine uses start/stop technology to save fuel by turning the engine off at stoplights and when standing unless needed.

The power flows through an eight-speed automatic transmission and the EPA-estimate for fuel efficiency is 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, also a bit better than the previous engine.

The Highland Hybrid uses the same direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 and a high-torque electric drive motor-generator to produce 306 total system horsepower. This makes the Hybrid quite lively while still earning an EPA-estimated 29 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

The base model is still powered by a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine sending 185-hp. and 184 lb.-ft. of peak torque through a six-speed automatic transmission to only the front wheels. Its mileage rating is 20-mpg city and 24-mpg highway

While the Highlander comes in both front- and all-wheel drive, most buyers tend to favor the latter, deeming it “safer.” While that’s really only true if the driver is safer, it is universally believed, so most crossovers power all four wheels. With the Highlander, power goes to the front-wheels for better fuel consumption. Should wheel slip recommend it, power shifts proportionally to the rear wheels. For off-roading the AWDLOCK switch holds the 50:50 torque split up to 25-mph.

Driving it is easy, that’s what came to my mind as I drove it. For a fairly big vehicle it drove almost as smoothly and freely as a car. That’s partly thanks to a very rigid structure. This allows engineers to bemore precise in setting up the suspension. Thismeans the car both drives better and reacts less abruptly to road impact. This makes for a smoother ride.

This tuning is to the front MacPherson strut suspension and double-wishbone style multi-link in back. These are the types of suspensions foundinmost cars, andit shows in how it dives. More than that it is quiet thanks to features such as hydraulic engine mounts, acoustic windshield glass, a dash silencer and extensive body sealing

hile it drives well, it still carries plenty. Although only a few inches longer than a midsize sedan, this is a true three-row hauler, providing 158.7-cu. ft. total cabin volume. Second-rowsliding seat operate with a single button for easy third-row access. The third-row seats even recline.

Even with all seats up there’s still 13.8 cu. ft. behind the third row. With only two rows up that expands the to 42.3 cu. ft., and then to 83.7 cu. ft. both rows down.

My favorite feature is theDriver Easy Speak. Since these vehicles are all about children this lets you yell at one in the third rowwithout raising your voice thanks to a microphone that expresses your sentiment through the vehicle’s rear speakers. This is standard on the XLE and higher models.

The Highlander is one of the crossovers that does a very good job of seeming to be still a truck without riding or driving like one. For families that only occasionally use the third row, this works perfectly. There isn’t asmuch roomas there would be in a larger, truckbased sport ute such as a Tahoe or Suburban, but for a third row that’s used occasionally, it works.

More importantly, the Highlander comes with the features it should for a mid-level crossover. Families will be comfortable here, the Highlander is a pleasant vehicle to look at, and keeps its value nicely. One might say it’s the Toyota of mid-priced three-row crossovers.

Starting prices for the Highlander are $31,030 for the $40,090 for the SE $38,920 for the XLE and $40,090 for the Limited.

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For 2018it doesn’t change from the 2017because it received a mid-cycle refresh then. This third-generation model remains a, eight-passenger, three-row family crossover.