Used 2012 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Consumer Reviews
Traded A Chevy Trailblazer For This
Probably about my 20th car to own, but my first Toyota ever. Wasn't interested in the hybrid model until I saw it on the dealer's lot. Gas mileage averages about 25.5 mixed driving, compared to average of 18 for the 2007 Trailblazer that I traded. I'm impressed with the build quality, and marvel at the hybrid engineering. With some practice I can optimize gas mileage when I want. Very solid, reliable vehicle.
Comfortable, roomy, great on fuel.
After owning my 2012 Highlander Hybrid for 2 months and 2000 miles (from 108k to 110k), I must say I am very pleased with the vehicle so far. My buying experience was pretty terrible as the car had some flaws, but they were due to prior owner negligence rather than Toyota's quality. With that fixed up and past me now, I'm enjoying the excellent gas mileage, superb comfort and unparalleled driving satisfaction of my Highlander Hybrid. The hybrid battery is still strong to this day, and it will most likely remain strong for many years. I bought this vehicle specifically for road trips, and it has been an extremely good road trip vehicle. It's quiet, comfortable, and spacious to make a road trip much more tolerable than your average compact car, and the fuel mileage is not far off either. Averaging 65 MPH yields 28-30 MPG and Averaging 73 MPH yields 25-26 MPG, pretty incredible numbers for such a large, heavy vehicle. City commuting is pretty easy to get over 30 MPG as long you drive sensibly. This shouldn't be too surprising seeing how the Prius routinely gets 50 or 60 MPG. It doesn't take off from a stop very quickly, but once you get going there is no shortage of power or torque. The engine is pretty quiet and when you step on it you hear a muted throaty growl from the V6 engine that actually sounds nice. You do hear the electric motors whirring as you drive, which sounds kind of eerie at first, but you get used to it quickly. The brakes also take some getting used to, they get slightly weaker as you slow down, requiring you to press the brake slightly harder as you slow down, and just before you come to a stop, the brake can be hard to modulate for a perfectly smooth stop, but once you get used to it, it's not too bad. The climate control is fantastic, it does a great job of keeping you cool on hot days and warming you up on cold days. I am very pleased with this vehicle and I would love to keep it for many more years. I do not regret getting the Hybrid. As long as you aren't negligent and do all the preventative maintenance on time, these Toyota Hybrids will go for hundreds of thousands of miles trouble free.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
- Limited 4dr SUVMSRP: $13,995153 mi away
- Limited 4dr SUVMSRP: $13,500156 mi away
- Limited 4dr SUVMSRP: $13,995178 mi away
Not The Best Buy
Unlike a gasoline engine, electric motors have maximum torque the instant you apply power. You can go from 60 to 80 in about three seconds if you punch it. But there is a big problem for the unwary; the Highlander has severe torque-steer and could drag an unsuspecting driver right into another vehicle they are passing. Does not come close to EPA fuel economy ratings. The 28/28 mpg only works at around 40 mph. Otherwise it is 23/26 with a combined mpg of 25 no matter how you drive.
Great SUV - no longer perfect crossover
On the plus side, it gets great mileage (29MPG so far), has AWD, seats 7 and tows a light trailer. For sheer utility nothing else comes close. On the negative side, the HiHy is no longer a crossover. My 2006 HiHy drove like a Camry and had seats and interior comforts like a Camry - except it towed my trailer, seated 7 and could haul a lot of stuff. The 2011 HiHy drives like a truck, has truck seats (particularly in the 2nd row), and is shockingly ugly.
2010 HiHy Limited - As Promised
It's cold in NW Indiana and when the vehicle is warmed up we average easily over 27MPG. We make many short jaunts and sometimes warm the vehicle up which brings the total mileage down to around 22MPG right now. The vehicle has been rock solid so far with absolutely no problems. We're retired and enjoy the comfort and total ride more than any vehicle we've had, including a past DeVille and Pathfinder. The interior has impressed my friends and is luxurious. I docked the reliability even though the HH has not been recalled only because of recent problems and possible future resale value problems.