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Consumer Reviews for the Toyota Highlander Hybrid
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2024 Highlander Hybrid Platinum in-Depth Review
Danno, 12/30/2023
2024 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
We've now owned our 2024 Highlander Hybrid Platinum for 4 weeks, and, so far, couldn't be happier! I was happy to discover that the regular Highlander Hybrid is still available (the Grand is too big for us).
What we love:
- The quiet all-electric drive under 20 mph
- VERY PLEASED with the additional sound attenuation (acoustic noise-reducing front side windows) Toyota added. The loud … acceleration roar of the 2022 I test-drove is largely gone
- The “Car” display option that shows how the energy flows, from the ICE and two electric motors to the batteries and wheels
- The 12.3” main Display and the 12.3” digital instrument panel unique to the Platinum trim – with clear, sharp images that display useful trip, safety and navi information. The main screen menus are reasonably intuitive (even without a Home button)
- The Cloud-based navigation now rivals Google Maps – although ETAs are initially inflated. After the free 12-mo. trial this requires a $15/mo. subscription; we’ll see if it’s worth keeping
- The seamless, wireless switching from Android Auto (for me) and Apple CarPlay (for my wife), based on whose phone is detected
- The improved location of the wireless charging tray in the center dash area (in the 2022 it was in an awkward lift-up tray in the center console). This has enabled removal of a windshield-mounted wireless charger that partially obstructed forward-left view
- The ECO drive mode which emphasizes electric motor usage, most appropriate for our driving style (we’re both retired, drive about 11k miles a year, north and south, and certainly won’t need Trail or Sport modes)
- MPG: The instrument panel showed 33.7 mpg after 800 mostly city miles. But then I drove 100 highway miles, and watched it drop to 32.0 – the opposite of a gas-only car. I estimate a fuel savings of about $3800 over 6 years of expected ownership (at forecasted fuel costs)
- The Head-Up display! Never had this – find it helpful to see the speed limit, car speed, and Eco-indicator reflected at a focal point just beyond the windshield
- Folding side mirrors -- also with blind-spot indicators, defoggers, turn signal lights, and auto backup adjusting. Should save us from unwanted parking lot encounters with people or cars
- The fixed rail mount points shifted rearwards about 8”, making rear-loading of kayaks easier, and our Yakima crossbars still fit (though I did need new landing pads molded to fit the modified flush rails)
- Several USB-C&A charging ports, forward and aft (my wife has wallet on the back of her iPhone, so wireless charging won’t work for her)
- A slide-open, lighted center console storage compartment – easy to get at without lifting the armrest and helpful to find items that tend to get lost in the large space
- The color! The exterior is a steel-blue “Moon Dust” and the interior is the same beige we like. We’re happy that we didn’t have to settle for dark colors in sunny Florida
- A Consumer Reports score of 85 and a reliability rating of 75/100 – both the highest for 3-row midsize SUVs (CR gives you the best unbiased road test, reliability and owner satisfaction scores)
What we’re mixed about:
- Rear-window visibility is diminished by the smaller glass area due to the more streamlined roofline (side view mirrors and the 360-degree display view compensate for this)
- The digital panoramic rear-view lever-activated mirror – while handy when the cargo area is loaded to the gills, the camera-fed display suffers from loss of depth-of-field, glare, and the dizzying constant motion of cars and scenery
- The driver’s seat height adjustment doesn’t go as high – or maybe it’s that the hood is higher due to an extra hood hump on both driver and passenger sides. It was a noticeable when we initially got the car, but even my wife who is only 5’3” seems to be okay with the diminished road visibility
- The HomeLink buttons have been moved to the rear-view mirror, but the new menu-driven programming requires a working remote – which we did not have! (Got a new remote and then it was a snap)
- Automatic Profile switching to auto-adjust driver’s seat settings based on who is driving, doesn’t work (requires entering a passcode). No big deal, we just press our memory seat button on the door
- Hands-free rear hatch opening: Car must be locked and foot must be swung quickly under the sensor on the left side of rear bumper. We probably won’t use this – it’s easier to just press the button under the handle, which works whether car is locked or not.
- AWD: We don’t need this as this car never sees Winter snow. But it also adds a second electric motor in the rear. So, net-net it’s a plus, and as all 2024 Hybrids seem to come with AWD, we really had no choice
- Somewhat higher step-up height and cargo platform (~2”?), to make more room for the hybrid’s batteries stored under the passenger compartment
- The ambient lighting that added $449 to the price. It’s kind of cool and helpful at night, and has a separate app to change the colors, but I’m sure the cool factor will wear off quickly
What we don’t like:
- NO DISCOUNTS! The Hybrid, and especially the Platinum trim, still need to be special-ordered, and thus command MSRP, plus whatever add-ons your local distributor decides to install (we did get the dealer to remove the way over-priced $699 ToyoGuard Platinum (2 oil changes, 4 tire rotations in years 3-5, roadside and rental assistance which we get from AAA). Thankfully, gone is the $$$ upcharge that dealers were adding to MSRP during the post-Covid years
- The pull-up cup holder between the second-row captain seats is replaced by a fixed plastic holder bolted to the chassis, losing the convenience of extra storage / passage space between the seats. I found a video on removing it and fashioned an all-weather cover for the bolt area by carving up the old cargo area matt
- The cheap fabric carpeting that added $499 to the car price. But no worries, these are now covered and better protected with new WeatherTech “HP” mats (softer, more flexible upgrade from the ones in our 2018)
- Gone is the “open rear windshield“ button when you just need to pop something small into an already full cargo area. Oh well, we’ll get used to this
- Incomplete User Manuals: The car documentation comes only with a “short version” of the Owner’s Manual, and is missing the 300-page Mutlimedia Owner’s Manual.
What’s the same as in our 2018:
- The same comfortable, perforated leather, heated and ventilated seats
- The same very handy under-dash storage bins we’ve loved for cellphone, keys, little miscellaneous stuff we want to keep accessible on long drives. Theres also a useful deeper tray forward of the gear shift next to the USB ports for little stuff
- Rain-sensing wipers and auto-high beams (both only on the Platinum trim)
- The same power panoramic moonroof (which we mainly use to let more light into the car or block the hot sun}
- Same great JBL sound (11 speakers, with a woofer installed in a left side cargo area panel, in place of a storage nook). New tweeter speakers on the front dash pillars enhance high frequencies, helpful for hearing voices, both in music and on the phone
- The same accurate dual and 2nd row Climate Control – though new dash controls require some relearning.
All-in-all, we are delighted with our new car and highly recommend it to anyone with space needs similar to ours wanting to take a step toward greener driving.
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