| New Model Review |
2003 Toyota Highlander
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| ©Toyota |
For 2003, the Toyota Highlander comes in either a 2WD (front-wheel-drive) or a 4WD version. It’s also available with your choice of a V-6 or inline 4-cylinder engine. The V-6 engine is not available with 2WD, so keep that in mind.
The 4-cylinder Highlander 2WD is a socially acceptable way to drive an SUV. You won't be sacrificing the slightest bit in the way of king-of-the-road seating, seating for five adults, and storage for all the junk you care to carry, but neither will you be giving more ammunition than necessary to our good friends in the Middle East... or to the increasingly vocal anti-SUV activists.
Toyota's new 2.4 liter engine is a technological tour de force. It comes with VVT-i (variable valve timing with intelligence) which allows more useable engine power while producing decent fuel economy. While nominally producing only 155 hp and 163 lb-ft of torque, this engine actually feels much more powerful. In normal driving you'll seldom get the impression you need more power. Perhaps if you have to tow a large boat to high altitude lakes, you might want more, but the base engine will provide all the performance you'll normally need.
Okay, your teenage kid will whine, and try to intimidate you into getting the 220 hp V-6 engine but hold out. You'll be glad you did. For one thing, you'll get terrific gas mileage with the four — expect at least 25 mpg in combined highway/city driving. That's about two-and-a-half times what you can expect from a GM Envoy, a Ford Explorer, or a Dodge Durango.
My test vehicle came with cloth seats and the base interior. I found them very comfortable. Frankly, after driving a competitor's leather-equipped version of a similar vehicle, I was happy to get into the plain clothing of the Highlander. Sure, if it's high quality cowhide, I'll take leather over cloth. But if it's so-so quality, I'll take cloth. Especially in cold weather.
Of course, you can get all of the "comfort and luxury" toys with the base vehicle. This includes power-everything, moonroof, leather seats, and a JBL Stereo sound system. But you don't need them to enjoy this vehicle. And for 2003, a full console between the front seats comes standard. It has a myriad of cupholders and storage bins. While it sacrifices an easy passageway from the front seats to the rear (but ingeniously retains a safe, convenient place for women to stash their purses) the new console is a worthwhile addition.
Don't be fooled into thinking that if you're driving the biggest and thirstiest gas hawg on the road, you're driving the safest. You're not. Recent stats show your chances of injury or death are significantly higher in a big, tippy, truck-based SUV than in something that is more car-like. While the Highlander isn't perfect — its height-to-width aspect ratio is still a bit too high, for example — it's safer than most of the truck-based SUVs simply because it's not so prone to rollover. In case it happens, though, the Highlander comes equipped with all manner of passive restraint systems.
Like all Toyota products, the Highlander immediately makes it to everybody’s short list of best-built and best ergonomics in its category. The cloth seats are firm and will prove to be very durable. Even with rough family-type use, they should look good for a long, long time. I also liked the good, high seating positions — particularly in the driver’s seat — and the great visibility all round. Seating in the back seat is theatre-style, which means you can see over the front headrests. And finally on this subject, although the rear seats won’t fold flat into the floor the seat backs easily fold forward, making an almost-flat surface. Still, if you really, really must carry a lot of heavy stuff on a daily basis, the Highlander may not be for you. Best get a minivan or maybe a light truck.
Generally, the Highlander felt quiet and smooth and in all ways perfectly capable — just like a Camry. Which should come as no surprise since the Highlander is based on the new Camry platform and shares many mechanicals. Like all Toyotas since time began, the Highlander should be dead reliable.
Normally, I'm not a great fan of SUVS but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one, especially the base 4-cylinder with 2WD. It's a real bargain and while it has almost all the good points of an SUV, it has few, if any, of the major vices. As my southern colleague said, the Highlander may well be "the perfect mid-priced wagon for the American family." In the long run, only you can decide.
Vancouver-based Colin Hefferon regularly reviews new vehicles. Though an automotive enthusiast by nature, Colin takes the perspective of the average car owner. Which, after all, is most of us.
