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Full Test: 2001 Toyota Highlander
Doing It Well
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By Erin Mahoney
Date posted: 06-01-2001
Goodness, Toyota has got it going on these days. As of this model year, we'd be
hard-pressed to think of a more savvy automaker. At the time of this writing,
the Big Three is losing market share in the SUV segment, and when we look at Toyota's
current lineup, it's easy to see why.
Let's start off with such stalwarts as the venerable Land Cruiser, the trailbusting
4Runner and the compact RAV4. These three vehicles successfully establish the
marque as a capable purveyor of off-road vehicles. Of course, statistics show
that many SUV buyers have little or no intention of taking their vehicles into
the wilderness; they simply want a cool-looking, roomy and high-riding alternative
to a station wagon or a minivan. So what does Toyota do? Here's an idea —
why not take a popular, well built vehicle from your luxury division and rework
it as a midsize on-road-favoring Toyota SUV? It worked in reverse when Lexus created
the LX 450 from the Land Cruiser; the question is does it work?
Happily, it's just as successful this way. The 2001 Highlander rounds out Toyota's
current SUV offerings beautifully. The automaker has successfully tapped into
the minds of families everywhere and has come up with a winning fusion of minivan,
station wagon and SUV. And while fusion cuisine has yet to catch on with the general
population (who wants kosher salsa with their sushi?), American consumers positively
salivate over all-in-one types of vehicles.
Based on the Lexus RX 300, which is built on the Toyota Camry platform, the Highlander
could almost fool you into thinking you were driving the overwhelmingly popular
sedan. Riding on a fully independent suspension with MacPherson struts and front
and rear antiroll bars, this SUV exhibits none of the tippiness that we've experienced
in some significantly smaller SUVs. Its relatively flat cornering attitude and
minimal wallow and float encouraged us to drive the Highlander with considerably
more vigor than we would with a truck-based SUV. In fact, while this vehicle is
primarily meant to be a city and highway cruiser, it felt remarkably well planted
and confident even on two-lane curvy roads. The Highlander even made it through
our slalom test course at a brisk 57.5 mph. Furthermore, like its upmarket cousin,
this SUV provides an exceptionally supple ride; the on-road tuned suspension proved
consistently absorbent, keeping occupants peacefully isolated from bumps and dips
in the road.
Regardless of its pavement-biased prowess, the Highlander proved more than competent
on rutted fire roads. In spite of its relatively mediocre 7.3 inches of ground
clearance and unibody construction, our full-time four-wheel-drive tester was
remarkably composed over rock-strewn dirt; the suspension did a commendable job
of quelling minor dips and bumps, thereby keeping the passengers from being tossed
about the cabin. This Toyota's impeccable build quality also became readily apparent
when we ventured off road — interior rattles and creaks were kept to a minimum
as we powered over the bumpy trail. We would've appreciated more sound-deadening
materials in the wheelwells, however, as the impact noise from sand and gravel
was transmitted directly into the otherwise quiet interior.
Similar to the RAV4's and Lexus RX 300's, Highlander's four-wheel-drive system
applies a 50/50 torque split between the front and rear wheels on a full-time
basis. In the event of tire slippage, torque is automatically applied to whichever
wheel needs traction. Rather than serving serious off-road duty, the system is
intended to prove enormously useful in foul weather, as it helps the tires to
maintain grip even on rain-slicked and snow-coated roads. Unfortunately, we didn't
have much opportunity to test its merit during a bone-dry May in Southern California.
Highlander was a piece of cake to pilot both on-road and off thanks to its fluid
and responsive power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. One editor even described
the user-friendly steering as Lexus-like. It was pleasingly effortless while negotiating
parking lots, but offered sufficient feedback and appropriate weighting at highway
speeds.
Our test vehicle came with the 3.0-liter V6 engine (the base engine on Highlander
is an inline four), which produces 220 horsepower at 5,800 rpm with the help of
its Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) system. Peak torque of 222
foot-pounds comes at a mid-range 4,400 rpm. At the test track, 0 to 60 mph was
covered in 8.8 seconds — not at all bad for a midsize SUV. Under most everyday
driving conditions, we found power from the V6 to be more than sufficient. Weighing
in at a relatively modest 3,880 pounds (in the case of our 4WD test vehicle),
the Highlander is light on its feet compared to many midsize SUVs. We were impressed
with the engine's refinement — at idle, it's deceptively silent, but it awakens
with a pleasing, slightly muted roar once you touch the throttle. EPA gas mileage
ratings for the V6 are 18 mpg city/22 mpg highway.
Highlander's electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission with
snow mode displayed similar competence and precision, almost always routing this
sport-ute's go power with seamless ease. Downshifts became only slightly intrusive
if we happened to suddenly hammer the throttle while heading up an incline, while
upshifts went largely unnoticed, so smooth were they.
Standard four-wheel ventilated disc brakes with ABS, electronic brake distribution
(EBD) and brake assist (BA) inspire confidence when it comes time to rein in the
Highlander. Stopping action felt exceptionally authoritative, and the brake pedal
was progressively calibrated for smooth modulation. It took a relatively short
124.2 feet to haul the Highlander to a stop from 60 mph.
Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) with traction control, an $850 option, added to our
peace of mind in the Highlander. VSC is a yaw-control system that works to anticipate
and limit understeer and oversteer conditions by reducing engine output and selectively
applying brakes to whichever wheel(s) needs it. In conjunction with the full-time
four-wheel-drive system, VSC keeps the Highlander on course in the case of a potential
skid and further enhances this SUV's all-weather capability. Additional safety
features that come standard on the Highlander are dual front airbags (side airbags
are optional), side-impact door beams, whiplash injury-lessening front seats,
and three-point seatbelts and headrests for all seating positions.
The cabin of this Lexus-derived Toyota received mixed reviews from our staff.
There were those individuals who denigrated the simulated woodgrain trim and flimsy
plastic stereo and climate controls. At least one driver, however, was impressed
with the dark faux wood trim that glittered in the sunlight, and she asserted
that the use of plasticky switchgear was hardly worth griping about. After all,
this is a Toyota — not a Lexus. If anything, the undue criticism the Highlander
received for its use of chintzy switchgear is testament to the fact that the otherwise
cleanly designed and sumptuous cabin could easily fool you into thinking you were
driving a luxury-badged vehicle.
A $1,015 Leather package graced our tester with perforated leather seats and door
trim (as a result, the vehicle smelled just lovely — like brand-new leather
shoes), while the $3,495 Limited package added important items like fog lamps,
16-inch aluminum wheels, a roof rack, automatic climate control, daytime running
lights, keyless entry, heated side mirrors, a tonneau cover and a power driver
seat (with power lumbar adjustment). Considering the costliness of this package,
we were dismayed to find that Toyota didn't include a power front passenger seat.
We also would have liked to see individual map lights and steering wheel-mounted
audio controls. Both driver and front passenger were blessed with seat heaters,
however — a $440 option.
As in the Lexus RX 300, the Highlander's gearshift lever is mounted on the dash.
This, coupled with the lack of a center console, makes for convenient passage
to the rear seats and a roomy-feeling interior, much like in a minivan. Unfortunately,
the lack of a center console cuts back significantly on storage space. A sunglasses
holder folds down from the ceiling and a handy cell phone compartment pops out
of the dash to the left of the steering wheel, but otherwise occupants are left
to find creative ways of stowing their belongings. We had to resort to storing
our CDs in the front and rear door bins, which are all generously sized. Two cupholders
fold out from the base of the driver seat, but they don't ratchet, and they're
too large to hold small- to medium-sized cups securely. The backseat has two deep
bottle-holders in each door. We were delighted by little niceties like sun visor
extenders, a one-touch open/close sunroof and driver window, driver and front
passenger armrests, a HomeLink transmitter and a nifty digital info center displaying
outside temperature, cabin temperature, average mph, average mpg and current mpg.
A six-disc in-dash CD player was optional on our test vehicle, and the stereo
unit features simple, easy-to-use rotary dials for volume and tuning. The
climate controls are counter-intuitively located above the stereo, but all functions
are high in the stack and fall within easy reach of the driver.
Highlander's wheelbase is 106.9 inches long, 3.9 inches longer than its sister,
the RX 300. Indeed, the Toyota offers a roomy cabin, with a high ceiling and decent
legroom for all passengers. However, the rear seats should be placed higher for
better thigh support, and the lack of a rear seat fold-down armrest is baffling.
Hip and shoulder room are similar to what's found in the RX 300. Cargo capacity
is better than in the Lexus: 38.5 cubic feet with the rear seats up, 81.4 cubes
with the seats folded.
Our test vehicle came in at $35,055 — considerably more than we feel we should
have to pay for a non-luxury-marque midsize SUV. Of course, our tester also came
loaded to the gills with just about every option available. The Limited package
and the Leather package alone added $4,510 to the sticker. Foregoing seat heaters
and a sunroof along with these pricey packages would even bring a V6-equipped
4WD Highlander down below the $30K mark. For those buyers who live in dry climates
and don't foresee the need to venture offroad, a 2WD V6 Highlander with VSC can
be had for $25,945 — or $24,365 with the four-cylinder engine. Obviously,
there are plenty of configuration options for those people who appreciate the
Highlander's refinement and handling capabilities, but can't stomach the thought
of shelling out the ducats for unnecessary frills.
On the whole, we found the Highlander to be an extraordinarily competent station
wagon/sport-utility hybrid. Offering a silken ride, light-duty off-road capability,
luxury content and all-weather security, this Toyota is everything a suburban
family could ask for. Unless, of course, they have more than three kids. There's
the rub: Competitors like the redesigned Ford Explorer, the Suzuki XL-7 and even
the Buick Rendezvous all offer seating for seven. Truth be told, we think the
Highlander has what it takes to dominate the refined midsize SUV market, but not
until Toyota slaps a third row into that bad boy. Until then, Toyota loyalists
have only the new Sequoia and the luxurious Land Cruiser to choose from, both
of which are considerably more expensive than the Highlander.
See all the Ratings: 2001 Toyota Highlander V6 4WD 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A) Road Test Scoreboard
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