Power meets plush comfort in hybrid
Little has changed since the 2014 redesign of the third-generation Toyota Highlander except gas prices.
The 2015 Highlander Hybrid gets 27 mpg city, 28 mpg highway. In Eco mode on a pretty typical Chicago commute, we got 30 mpg. On the highway, averaging 69 mph, it got only 23.2 mpg. At $47,500, it costs $6,200 more than the Highlander Limited (18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway) with all-wheel drive. At current gas prices, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates it would take more than 12 years to recoup that upcharge.
The Highlander hybrid comes with a 3.5-liter V-6 engine mated to a continuously variable transmission. The drive system is supplemented by three motors, one on each axle to help with propulsion and a third to recharge the battery. It’s the most powerful system offered in a Highlander, with 280 horsepower and 215 pound-feet of torque, which might be worth the hybrid upcharge alone for some drivers.
It’s remarkably smooth and quiet around town and on the highway. We logged over 500 miles on a twoday jaunt, and the High- lander Hybrid made it easy.
The adaptive cruise control, even on the shortest distance setting, kept me more than 2 seconds behind the lead car, but better to be safe than to wonder if it’ll work; it can always be overridden by throttle, brake or button.
The sunroof is standard, as is the Driver Easy Speak microphone for the driver to speak to third-row passengers. It was a novelty, not necessity, but it can be fun on a road trip. Heated and ventilated leather seats complement wood grain trim, giving it a soft supple feel that is nice but never ostentatious. The deep center console has a roll- back feature that is more awkward than effective but is one minor misstep in an otherwise comfy cabin.
Though I prefer the sliding doors of a minivan, the Highlander Hybrid has seats that are easy to fold and move from most positions. Side handles let you slide forward the midrow captain’s chairs, while pull straps in the seat backs let you do it from the rear row.
They also tuck headrests and fold the seats down. A collapsible cup holder between the chairs makes an aisle. The same straps can be used from the rear storage area to split the rear row 60/40. All of the seats recline. Since versatility is key, I would’ve appreciated a middle opening in the rear row not only to store long flat items such as skis and snowboards, but also to impart a natural divider between kids on longer trips.
Like most third rows (except for the 2016 Honda Pilot), it fits kids better than adults; the only way an adult can fit is by folding the captain’s chair down to stretch out the legs, making a kind of La-Z-Boy.
The Highlander Hybrid makes sure you get what you pay for. The hybrid upcharge is worth it only to justify a trim level and engine output you might not otherwise get.