Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 2 of 2.00

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  I am looking forward to years of enjoying driving - 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By mike chinnock - November 22 - 10:23 am

  You can read all the expert reviews, and I pretty much find no fault with most of what is said. To get the most out of the hybrid I think requires learning a different way of driving. I drive down the interstate at 55 mph and I am getting 40 mpg on the straight and level, 30 mpg on the gradual road elevation increase and 325+ mpg as the road elevation decreases. On acceleration I see 6 mpg, on deceleration I see 9999 mpg. The Highlander has normal, ECO and EV modes, with specific conditions under which they function best. I am still learning to use these modes to get the best mpg I can. I pretty much think I can expect 27 mpg combined with 1/3rd highway & 2/3rds city driving if I drive this hybrid the way it is ment to be driven ... no rapid starts (Use EV mode), long gradual slow downs to stop (gotta drive well ahead of the traffic) in ECO mode, and cruise the interstate 55-65 mph.Your mileage may vary, and will based upon your driving habits. This is no Magic cure for poor gas mileage. However I must say I am am really pleased that this big, good looking and comfortable beast can achieve such respectable gas mileage. It does take effort though. Update: I have been driving this Highlander Hybrid 6 weeks now. I still find it a very comfortable and pleasant vehicle to drive. I bought the right vehicle for me. I have learned that unlike most hybrids, and my previous hybrid (2009 Ford Escape) I do not get better gasoline mileage in city driving where I am constantly slowing to a stop, then accelerating to operating speed, then repeating often. During these cycles I am seein 6 ... 9 .. 14 ...19 ... mpg fuel economy. It is with the steady 60 mph highway speed that yield the 30+ mpg fuel economy returns. I have noted that the more highway verse city miles I drive the better my combined fuel economy. I have also concluded I need to be very gentle with the accelerator pedal. If you like to start quick, zoom to the next red light, come to a quick stop and await the green light just to zoom to the next light, I do not think this is the vehicle for you

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  Traded up using my 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid - 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By mykecusa - April 2 - 10:41 am

  I really liked the Ford and was disappointed they did not continue the hybrid line. The Highlander is bigger, which I find more comfortable. It is higher off the ground which gives me better visibility. Since it is bigger and heavier, it does not get the fuel economy I got with the Ford. With the Ford I could rely upon 32 mpg in the Spring and Fall, and 29 mpg in the Winter and Summer. Thus far I am getting a solid 27-28 mpg (Spring/Summer) with the Highlander on mixe city/highway driving without air-conditioning, or heating. Is 4-5 mpg less in order to have twice the cargo capacity worth it ? I think it is, There is so much more to learn and understand about the Highlander Hybride over the Escape Hybrid. The Owners manual is at least 3 times as thick. I like how quiet the Highlander is compared to the Escape (6 cylinder vs 4 cylinder engine might have something to do with that). I like the visibility of the Highlander over the Escape (the 19" wheels on the Highlander vs the 16" wheels on the Escape might account for that). I have a service dog that goes where I go. When my girl friend and her dog and me with my dog need to go someplace the Highlander will earn its price, for the Highlander is after all a Family oriented vehicle. One I think hard to beat. A big point in many professional writeups is the low (relative) price of gasoline does not justify the $6,000 cost increase in the hybrid. I bought the Escape when gasoline went up to $4 a gallon. I expect one day it will be back there. In the mean time I like the lower emissions put out by the hybrid ... just my version of being a Tree hugger.