Nice, very nice...

My wife and I really wanted an SUV but felt the fuel economy on SUV's was too low from both a environmental perspective and a fuel cost perspective. Another concern we had about buying a hybrid was battery failure and engine power.

Enter the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. It has a claimed fuel efficiency of 27 mpg highway and 31 mpg city. Since this was a hybrid, we spent the extra cash to purchase it for the better fuel efficiency and piece of mind in the harsh northern winters we have to endure. Also, Toyota offered an 8 year warranty on the life of battery so we purchased the vehicle in January and we have loved it since then.

Interior

One note on the interior, my wife and I also spent a bit more and purchased the leather interior, etc. That said, we felt the interior is roomy, luxurious, a smooth and quiet ride, awesome stereo, power (and heated) seats and provides fuel efficiency reports. The fuel efficiency reports are nice as I have found myself adjusting my driving style to maximize the fuel efficiency of the vehicle (which I am guessing was the desired effect :-)).

It does seat seven people but the sixth and seventh seats are quite cramped in the third row. This is actual personal testimony as my wife and I sat in the back while letting my parents take the car for a spin.

As far as space for "larger" objects, the third row of seats do fold down and there is sufficient space to transport large items in the vehicle. We have a large German Shepherd and with it a large transport cage. The transport cage fits into the SUV just fine, though it is a snug fit.

Engine and Fuel Efficiency

The engine is a dual electric combined with a standard V6 gas engine. Every person with whom we discussed the topic of a hybrid vehicle all told us the same thing: "they don't have any power." Contrary to this statement, the Highlander hybrid has a LOT of giddy up. In fact, it has so much power to it I have yet to "floor" it as I am afraid of getting a ticket for "display of power".

The fuel efficiency is also quite good though it is not quite as good as the stated EPA estimates (no car quite makes the city estimates but many tend to come much closer for the highway). We have found in Summer, the fuel efficiency is very good and we get about 26-27 mpg per tank (city/highway mixed). In the winter weather, it gets a bit lower and averages around 22-23 mpg. We have used our 4-cylinder Dodge Stratus as a comparison point which over the same time period averages about 22-23 mpg in the summer and about 17-18 mpg in the winter.

The Cool Factor

The coolest thing about the Hybrid is running in electric only mode. This tends to have a awe value to it both as a driver and an outside observer. I don't think my father truly knew what Hybrid technology was until I flipped a u-turn in his driveway in electric mode. He was simply stunned by the car's silence and commented, "THAT is amazing!"

Bottom Line

The Highlander Hybrid is a great vehicle if you are willing to pay the extra money for the Hybrid technology. My wife and I were willing to do this and we love the car. In fact, my wife and I love our hybrid vehicle so much, we are already scoping out the new Camry hybrid as a replacement for our Dodge Stratus.