Despite meeting the Highlander on a rain-soaked Texas launch last year, and helping several people purchase or lease one in my full-time role of auto broker, last week was my first long-term exposure to the Highlander.

First impressions confirmed: great engine and tranny combo: fast beyond its power rating, thrifty beyond the EPA’s. I saw an average of 22mpg in mixed usage, and frequently did 26mpg or better on highway runs, thanks to lots of little things like more efficient electric power steering. But this also creates the Highlander’s greatest dynamic shortcoming; not only is it artificial, it’s so vague it is hard to maintain an accurate path on the road at times. Aside from that, the ride/handling balance seems well resolved for family usage, and there’s always the Sport model for those who want something more overtly athletic.

My own feeling of late is that Toyota is the most American car company there is these days. It sure seems better able to figure out what our fellow countrymen and -women want than the domestic players, if sales figures are anything to go by. But more than that, it nails the middle-of-the-road thing so well. Inoffensive yet attractive styling, thoughtful and practical functionality (though I do still maintain that both sides of the middle row should slide forward for ingress/egress and that the 3rd row show be split), and everyday durability are winning virtues here. Oh, and without a doubt, Toyota builds the world’s best air conditioning systems—quiet, and with great throughput and effectiveness that makes a mockery of many more expensive players.

Toyota is also making some very American-style mistakes in cutting corners on areas of perceived quality. The cheapness of many of the Highlander’s interior surfaces is almost sinful, especially coming from a firm that used to seem to spare no expense in such areas. The Limited’s leather is course and plasticky; dash and door moldings flimsy and easily scratched. I for one hope this is just a passing fad for the company, and that they don’t plumb the depths the domestics did before realizing how savvy buyers really are.

Nits aside, a week in the Highlander reinforces my feeling that Toyota has a lock on what works for families here in the land of fast food and wide-open spaces.

PRICE AS TESTED: $42,059.00

Send article as PDF to