Prince Edward Highlander / Days 10 & 11 - Highlander definitley a “passenger first” proposition
August 3 / Taking advantage of some sun and a high of 27 C, we spent the last few days of our Prince Edward Island holiday racking up the klicks in our loaned 2011 Highlander Hybrid. On Monday, we zigzagged from our homestead just east of Cavendish on the north shore, to a 5 km charity run/walk in Seacow Head, near Bedeque on the Northumberland Strait coast. We then returned to an afternoon on Stanhope Beach, on the St. Lawrence Gulf side, finishing up the day up at the Brackley drive-in, taking in a Smurfs/Friends With Benefits evening double-bill (left).
Going into this two-week road test, I had no expectations that our Highlander was going to be a "driver’s car", that is to offer the ride and handling that an enthusiast—who also happens to have a family to lug around—would enjoy. First off, the Highlander (and rivals in its midsize crossover class) has been designed as a passenger-first proposition. On top of that, I’m driving the fuel economy-first Hybrid version. And finally Toyota, seemingly, hasn’t made a fun-to-drive car since the last millennium.
Knowing all that, you more than likely won't be surprised when I say that the Highlander H’s ride quality is relatively smooth and quiet, but definitely mitigates any attempts at spirited driving. The updated-for-2011 version seems much less floatier than the outgoing 2007-2010 models. But you still get too much side-to-side head toss over less-than-perfect pavement. In the FTD Dept., the Mazda CX-9 does a better job overall. Plus the Highlander (like most Toyotas) offers little feedback or off-centre feel when turning its tiller. And it doesn’t help that its cloth driver's seat offer little lateral support.
In regards to handling, you also shouldn't be surprised when I say that the Toyota’s combination of part-time all-wheel-drive, 18-inch all-season rubber, and high-in-the-saddle suspension means permanent understeer at any corners faster than walking speeds. And all the bits that make it sip less fuel than non-hybrid rivals—like the rev-happy CVT and a grabby regenerative braking system—won’t have you looking for your string back gloves when grabbing the keys for this CUV.
Like I said, none of the above should come as surprise.
Total kms: 1,802
Av. L/100 km: 8.2
Older entries:
Days 8 & 9 - Chasing windmills
Day 7 - To Basin Head and back
This is exactly why Wagons are always better than an SUV for drivers.
In addition, because of the lower stance, less weight and smaller frontal area of wagons, they can probably match the hybrid SUV's in fuel economy too without all the high-tech gadgetry.
It certainly doesn't say much about the state of driver training in North America either since the average driver can't even discern the benefits of wagons over SUV's. The automakers are laughing all the way to the bank too. Why sell a wagon at a fraction more than its sedan stablemate when you can charge a $5000 premium for an SUV?
I've driven in Spain, England and France and they are far and away better drivers than the average in North America. Its a sad state of affairs that the driving public's lowest common denominators buy SUV's and the like while the enthusiasts are stuck buying expensive European wagons.
Even VW is dropping the Passat wagon in North America. Leaving the Golf Wagon just about the only affordable decent-sized and decent driving wagon left on our side of the pond. Its a complete and total injustice.
Posted by: RP | August 04, 2011 at 08:01 AM
@RP - I couldn't agree more. I can't stand SUVs, it's heavier, handles worst and uses more gas while not offering any more practicality over a wagon. Volvo has dropped the V70, Subaru has dropped the Legacy Wagon, BMW has dropped the 5 Series wagon.
The other wagon that's similar to the VW Golf Wagon is the Volvo V50. It's roughly the same price and has roughly the same size cargo space as the Golf Wagon. Both the Audi A4 Avant and the BMW 3 Series has much less space. I would love to buy a Subaru Legacy wagon but they're not letting me and don't like the Outback crossover thing. Why is it so hard to get a decent sized practical vehicle that doesn't look like a truck and doesn't handle like a bus in North America?
Posted by: Alan | August 05, 2011 at 06:12 AM
"Why is it so hard to get a decent sized practical vehicle that doesn't look like a truck and doesn't handle like a bus in North America?"
This is because of the abysmal training and skills of NA drivers and the greed of the automakers.
I was really disappointed when Subaru discontinued the Legacy Wagon, especially the turbo model.
Posted by: RP | August 17, 2011 at 07:20 AM