Taking the high road

IT’S NO MUDLARK, BUT AROUND TOWN THE HIGHLANDER IS TIP- TOP, WRITES DREW THOMPSON

Family SUVs are everywhere. Take my latest review for example. Conveniently I dropped off one large SUV and picked up another, this time the Toyota Highlander GXL.

It has a 3.5- litre V6 petrol engine with all wheel drive – plus 7 seats, creating a range of options for getting your family from point A to point B and on weekends to point C.

Families need to travel and they need to travel in relative comfort. This segment of the market is definitively jampacked with options from every corner of the globe and it seems at every price point, too.

Driven was given the mid spec Highlander GXL to consider for the family get away.

This AWDmodel comes in at a touch over $ 60K, about on par with the prices of other mid- range vehicles in the category.

The top spec Highlander, the “Limited”, is another 21K more than the GXL — a very big jump compared to the other manufacturers’ top of the line models. You can always step down to the entry- level 2WD GXL and you will only part with $ 53,490.

Alternatively, you can go full 4WD and get Toyota’s Fortuner, at essentially the same price but the key difference is comfort. The Fortuner is rugged, sits much higher and is ideal for towing. TOYOTA HIGHLANDER GXL ENGINE: TOWING: PRICE: 3.5L V6 petrol 2000 kg $ 60,490 + ORC All wheel drive helps to offset some of the usual SUV wobble Why is there a brown streak? Therefore if you are just moving your family around town and need the extra space, take the Highlander road — and do it with a bit more comfort. The Highlander GXL is a happy medium between 2WD and 4WD. Its AWDsystem delivers drive to all the wheels as required and it delivers much better control on sharp bends which helps alleviate the extra body roll that all large SUV’s have. If you are interested in this type of “soft SUV”, it’s likely because you have children and you need to transport them soft places where there is tarmac the whole way. Unless you live 10km up a skifield road or are towing large loads, 4WD is not really necessary. Besides, who goes off- road with the kids in the back anyway? Go buy an ATV and you can tow it with the Highlander — although you won’t be able to tow a decentsized boat or anything too heavy. With a diesel SUV or the samesized engine Nissan Pathfinder that boasts 2700kg,