Back on March 12 of this 12 months, we were on our way to Denver for our initially seem and drive with the new Highlander at Toyota’s Denver office environment. We have been about fifty percent way there when it seemed that the entire earth fell aside mainly because of the coronavirus.
We got a connect with from Toyota indicating that they could not get there as their flights had all been canceled, yet they have been ready to allow us to have a test generate and go to lunch with the Toyota folks out in Denver.
We experienced previously planned where to keep and what we were being executing, so we ongoing on, not figuring out that it would be our very last excursion for what would establish to be a much extended period.
Because that time in mid-March, we have experienced a week with the new Highlander Hybrid edition and ended up thrilled to get a likelihood with the all-fuel SUV. This yr, the Highlander — now in its fourth era — has been redesigned from the ground up.
What that actually intended was we were in for a deal with and grew to really like the bolder, distinct new looks that arrived with this structure.
Back again in 2013, when the third era was released and as the Highlander advanced, it seemed to converse more to the female side of the market place. This new variation, on the other hand, has crossed the divide to cater to the opposing facet with a a lot more masculine attraction.
Even within, there is now much more technologies and distinctive structure elements that we sense have created this extra of a household SUV that will hold the two mom and father happy, no subject who is driving.
Following contemplating Toyota’s new “Go Highlander” marketing campaign, which begun with a Tremendous Bowl ad displaying that the Highlander is completely ready and willing to go wherever ever it is essential, we determined on an odd Saturday in September to give the Highlander a check operate, heading to Joe’s Valley in Emery County for an adventure.
Inside, the new Highlander is loaded with luxurious and technology, specially in the platinum trim that we been given to travel for the week. The new, class-primary, 12.3-inch infotainment display screen is particularly valuable with Apple CarPlay, as it allowed us to retain additional than just CarPlay lively in the monitor.
In point, with a screen this lengthy, we were equipped to run a few purposes at the similar time, which proved to be pretty beneficial on a lengthier journey this sort of as this. Weather regulate, navigation and leisure put in most of the working day entrance and centre.
Joe’s Valley is positioned about 14 miles east of Orangeville. With Siri major the way, the push down from Springville was wonderful and as cozy as could be in the leather-clad seats that ended up both equally heated and cooled.
By the end of the day, we were being equipped to make use of each.
The Highlander comes normal with Toyota’s Security Sense 2., which incorporates pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection, higher beam support and a quite interesting road indication guide purpose. The latter allowed us to constantly know what the speed limit was no subject where by we were being on our journey.
With most of that journey consisting of back roadways, this was a wonderful addition to assistance us maintain the pace within the regulation, a conventional addition that gets Toyota a large kudos from us.
Joe’s Valley turned out to be a beautiful locale to pay a visit to, with a attractive reservoir and mountains encompassing it. The fall hues were just beginning to appear on, and it was the ideal working day to be there.
We only wished we would have allowed far more time for exploring and observing the surrounding regions.
Right after a wonderful afternoon, we were still left with the choice as to how to get household. Checking the onboard navigation indicated that there was a dirt highway up and over the mountain cresting on best of the Skyline Generate in Sanpete County and ultimately top into Ephraim.
Having the new Highlander mantra to coronary heart, that it goes anywhere it is desired, we headed up the dirt highway. It turned out the road was really fantastic, with only a few precarious sites as we bought closer to the leading.
We switched the travel terrain to dirt and rock for this aspect of the travel, and the Highlander tackled it with simplicity, acquiring us where we wanted to go to get properly house.
The included wise cellular phone cost positioned in the arm rest was also a fantastic addition, trying to keep our navigation assistant pleased and complete with energy all day.
On the platinum trim, a comprehensive-coloration, heads-up display was also included that built this 2nd leg of our journey even much better. This was a excellent addition as the onboard navigation was however working by the mountains, even just after Siri experienced permit us down right after we dropped mobile phone signal.
Recognizing all the twists and turns of the grime street forward of time instilled extra self-confidence in us acquiring more than a highway that we had never been on and did not know how the SUV would deal with the differing conditions.
The new Highlander will come with a 295 horsepower, V-6 electric power plant with 263 kilos-ft of torque that is funneled by way of a Immediate Change 8-Pace transmission. We have been quite impressed with the simplicity of modifying driving dynamics as we went by way of the working day of backway, to dirt, to freeway — ending with a extend of freeway driving. We finished with an over-all 24 miles per gallon score for our week with the Highlander.
With the 3rd row of seating in the back the new Highlander would be the great addition to any family or even empty nesters like ourselves.
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