All the "nice-that nice-this" is beginning to make the Highlander sound a little pedestrian and perhaps even dull. Not the case. After a stretch of allowing the straightforward competence of the vehicle to expand into admiration something else begins to creep onto the scene: appeal. Though not as instantly endearing as the RAV4, the Highlander nonetheless grows on you. It may not deliver a quick jolt to the brain's pleasure center, but it does gradually blossom there into a sense of general well-being and satisfaction. A smile even forms. Indeed at one point I startled my driving companion with a shouted: "Hey! I like this Highlander."
Our first drive began with city meandering. The Highlander seemed at home amidst the traffic lights and parking seekers, a good size for this work. Rolling into suburbia the Highlander fit right in. It's a natural mall-crawler, maneuverable and quick to nose into a parking slot. Steering effort is very light at low speeds, so it's easy to turn in tight quarters.
Then our touring test began, with multi-lane highways and lesser roads. After determining that dry pavement was a snap for the Highlander whether on gradual climbing curves or twisty descending esses we went searching for more challenge to stretch the willing beastie. We found some sloppy snow melt, a few muddy ruts, icy patches on shadowed curves and even a road meandering upward that was deep with unplowed snow. The Highlander, uncomplaining, dealt with the tasks like an expert speller in the early stages of a championship bee. As it cut upward through eight inches of newly fallen snow like a snowplow on a rescue mission I again startled my companion: "Hey, I like this Highlander, a LOT!"
The Highlander, again, is intended to be primarily a varied-use highway and street vehicle with in-built peace of mind for rough weather and back-roads surefootedness to fishing and ski venues. It is not meant for boulder bashing and serious off-road driving. The absence of a low-low creeper gear makes really steep downhill descents toward cliff rims perhaps more exciting than they need be, but the point is: this platform that the RX 300 and Highlander share is more capable in demanding situations than the marketing managers prefer to publicize. After all, the company has specialists for every SUV use, no need to stretch one to fit all.
We've also driven a front-wheel-drive four-cylinder Highlander with traction control. It makes for a superb station wagon for the city and suburbs. It's far easier to deal with on a daily basis than a truck-based sport-utility. Though you ride a little taller, you look eye to eye at Volvo wagon drivers. Sliding in and out is easy, with no need to climb up or down. This is a quick, sprightly car with the four-cylinder engine, and it's smooth and quiet. It gets better fuel economy (22/27 mpg city/highway vs. 18/22 for the V6). Next Page