2008 Toyota Highlander

We have been looking at a replacement for my wife's 2004 Acura MDX. She does not like to drive a large suv but needs a third row. There are now many choices in this category and we have looked at them all. All of the vehicles we looked at are priced right at around $41,000
with options/packages we want. My wife wanted a rear camera which basically locks you into getting the navigation package which on any car in my opinion is always a rip-off given the cost of portable units now.
I saw the Highlander came with a rear camera without having to get the nav if you get the sport or limited editions. We did not have this car on the list but decided to go take a look. Setting aside the fact that the ride and build quality of the Toyota would be excellent, we were both very surprised and disappointed at the quality of the interior. Let me say that we looked at the car first on the Toyota web site and the interior looked rich and substantial with nice leather and wood accents. This was not the case in person. The plastics are hard, textureless, and cheap looking. The so called wood grain is not even an applique, it is a terrible looking wood facsimile printed right onto the plastic. The leather seats are thin and without design or substance. The stitching is of poor quality. Interior room is not bad, the third row has decent leg room, totally sufficient for children. The third row does back right up against the rear glass so there is virtually no storage space if the third row is up. Toyota has incorporated a nice feature in that the middle of the second row can be removed and stored under the front center console creating captains chairs with a walk through to the third row. The salesman was unable to re-attach the middle part when my wife asked to see the 2nd row as a bench. I commented on how the Camry parked next to the Highlander had much nicer, beautifully bolstered perforated leather interior with nice glossy wood trim for $33,000 and the Highlander for $42,000 looked like it was thrown together as an after thought. That's basically what it comes down to. All the vehicles we looked at, Mazda CX9, Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, Audi Q7, are all much more substantial vehicles for the same cost. The interior tactile quality is just not there on the Highlander. I think they need to think this one through a little more.
As far as the exterior, it is not anything special. Not great, not terrible, not very interesting.