Toyota Highlander

[Keith]

I am looking at replacing my GMC Acadia. I am leaning heavily toward a Toyota Highlander, maybe a 4Runner. Whatever I get, it will be AWD or 4WD.


The 2019 Toyota Highlander XLE I am considering has a $3000 rebate. The 2020 Highlander will hit the lots in about a month. It is completely redesigned and won't have the rebate. Is a completely redesigned model be worth the extra $3k? The looks do change considerably, it's 2.4" longer, and rides on the new Toyota New Global Architecture. It has more horsepower, adaptive cruise control and other safety features will be available, along with Apple car play and Android auto.


I have also drove the Rav4. It is a more entry level SUV and has fewer bells and whistles, but it is also about $8,000 cheaper.

The 4Runner with a V6 is rated for 17 city and 20 highway. The Highlander with a V6 is 19 city and 26 highway, and the RAV4 with a 4 cylinder is rated 27 and 34mpg.


I did drove a crew cab Tacoma, but the back seat is not big enough for adults to ride behind me comfortably. They are rated 18/22mpg.

I also drove a used Honda Pilot and Nissan Murano. I tend to keep vehicles for at least 10 years, so I think a Toyota may be a better choice for longevity.

If you own any of these vehicles what are your thoughts and comments? Are the fuel mileage numbers pretty close to what you get in the real world? Would you buy again? Is there another brand or model I should look at?

[Dejashoot]

If you keep it 10 years, the 2020 highlander is what I wound go with. Adaptive cruise is awesome too.

[Shane]

My wife has an 2017 Acadia. The newer ones are slightly smaller, so she didn't want one of those. My mom has a Highlander that's a few years old. The Acadia is a lot nicer. The newer Highlanders are probably better though.

We just ordered a Kia Telluride. We got the SX trim (top of the line) with Prestige package (all the bells and whistles). It's AWD. The tech on them is pretty much second to none. It's bigger than the Acadia, smaller than a Yukon. Most of the comparison reviews out there put the Telluride at the top of the list among 3 row SUVs. Just gotta wait a couple months for hers to come in now.

[Mary]

Keith - I got a 4Runner a couple months ago after 11 years in my FJ. Loved that SUV and it was a great car. Because of the great luck I had with it, I decided to stay Toyota.

I am a big fan of my 4Runner. It drives great...and has anything I could want in a vehicle. Lots of room to drag all my gear south and add a deer, or two, on the way back

I did consider, and drive, the Pilot. A friend of mine has a new one. I didn't like the feel of that one as much as the 4Runner.

[dustoffer]

I would avoid the first year model of a new make-over and go with the 2019 myself. Always takes them a while to debug the new stuff and that's a headache I don't want or need.

[lilavidhunter]

I would avoid the first year model of a new make-over and go with the 2019 myself. Always takes them a while to debug the new stuff and that's a headache I don't want or need.

Spot On. Get a 19. My experience with “new makeovers” has not been good.

[Yelladog]

Toyota Highlander

If you liked the pilot check out the mdx. We have a 2016 and it’s crazy nice.
We drive the 2019 highlander and liked it. But liked the mdx more.


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[Keith]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to see if I can find a Telluride to drive today. That's one that wasn't on my radar.

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[Possum Fat]

We recently traded a Highlander for a 4Runner. It was for my wife as a daily driver and our roadtripping vehicle. Didnt take long before we regretted making the trade. The 4R is nice, but as far as comfort and ride, I think the Highlander is much nicer.

[KX500]

It's getting to where there are very few truck based SUVs left. The 4runner is one of them, built on the Tacoma frame. Most SUVs start with the same frame used on a car.

Advantage to a truck based SUV is real 4WD, transfer case & all, even 4 wheel low if you should need it. Disadvantage I guess would be that it'll ride more like a truck than a car.

Car based SUVs, well are normally going to be AWD, no 4 wheel low (not as off road ready) but better on the street.

So it's a matter of what you want.

I drive an older 4Runner (2005). It will get 20 mpg on the highway if you baby it. It does have a truck feel to it, but it works for me. I've had it in places that I think an AWD would have been stranded. I'll be sticking with 4wd.

Wife drives a Nissan Rouge. Just FWD, but drives much nicer. But, basically it is a car.

[Keith]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to see if I can find a Telluride to drive today. That's one that wasn't on my radar.

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I just went to a Kia dealer and they had 2 Tellurides in stock. I looked at it for a couple of minutes and told the salesman "let's take it for a spin". He said unless you are ready to buy now, we can't take it for a test drive. I said, "OK, I'll go buy somewhere else." That beats all I've ever seen. I'm not about to buy a vehicle I can't drive first.

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[DKirk]

Following my wife’s due for a new car. She’s been driving an 08 Sequoia. Interested in a lot of the same models. We have 3 kids though so not sure if we are going to be able to downsize. The Telluride was one that just started looking at, can’t believe they wouldn’t let you test drive, crazy.

[Shane]

I just went to a Kia dealer and they had 2 Tellurides in stock. I looked at it for a couple of minutes and told the salesman "let's take it for a spin". He said unless you are ready to buy now, we can't take it for a test drive. I said, "OK, I'll go buy somewhere else." That beats all I've ever seen. I'm not about to buy a vehicle I can't drive first.

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Yeah, it's crazy. They are selling as fast as they can unload them off the trucks. Most don't last more than a day or two on the lot. Some dealers are asking MORE than sticker and getting it. Crazy. Some dealers are not doing that to people though. That's why I had to order one. We wanted a specific trim and option package and specific color and interior, which happens to be the hardest to find color and interior combination. The local dealership owner is my nephew's father-in-law, so that helped. The dealers that are ripping people off aren't even willing to take orders. They are just waiting for what comes in and then marking them up above sticker. You gotta find a more honest dealer.

We were able to test drive one that our dealer had in stock before we ordered one with the specifics that we wanted. My dealer's sales manager told me that he was at an auction recently and saw a used Telluride sell for a little above sticker at auction. Nuts. But for what they have on them, they are $10-25K cheaper than any comparable vehicle out there, so some people are willing to pay stupid prices, I guess.

[Keith]

Yeah, it's crazy. They are selling as fast as they can unload them off the trucks. Most don't last more than a day or two on the lot. Some dealers are asking MORE than sticker and getting it. Crazy. Some dealers are not doing that to people though. That's why I had to order one. We wanted a specific trim and option package and specific color and interior, which happens to be the hardest to find color and interior combination. The local dealership owner is my nephew's father-in-law, so that helped. The dealers that are ripping people off aren't even willing to take orders. They are just waiting for what comes in and then marking them up above sticker. You gotta find a more honest dealer.

We were able to test drive one that our dealer had in stock before we ordered one with the specifics that we wanted. My dealer's sales manager told me that he was at an auction recently and saw a used Telluride sell for a little above sticker at auction. Nuts. But for what they have on them, they are $10-25K cheaper than any comparable vehicle out there, so some people are willing to pay stupid prices, I guess.

They had one base model and the other one was the top line, fully loaded version. This was at Nationwide Kia. I never got to the point of asking the sales price, but the sticker on the loaded one was over $48k. I know I can buy a Toyota Highlander XLE for $36k.

[Shane]

I did a lot of online research on them, since they are hard to find in my neck of the woods. Lots of reviews and comparisons on YouTube, car websites, etc.... I never thought I'd have any interest in a Kia, but the Telluride is pretty dang nice. Definitely a big step up from anything I've ever seen from Kia. I'm taking a chance buying the 1st year model, but they have a 10yr/100K mile warranty, and the dealer here in Abilene is the #1 Kia dealer in the nation for customer service. Maybe I'll be OK. Can always trade it if we don't like it. They're pretty easy to sell for big money right now.