Reader Review of the Week: 2008 Toyota Highlander

“In the past, I have driven a Suburban, a full-size conversion van and a minivan. When we decided that it was time for a new vehicle, we listed a couple of things that we absolutely needed: Seating for seven and four-wheel drive. I also wanted a vehicle that looked somewhat sporty.

“After countless test drives of minvans, SUVs and CUVs, it was really no contest. The Highlander was our pick. It handles well and accelerates nicely. The listed mpg, while not great, was better than some other SUV/CUVs. Toyota’s reputation for reliability also influenced our decision. The interior suits both my husband (6 feet tall) and me (5-foot-2) — that is not the case in many SUV’s.

“There are a couple of things that I would change: It would be nice to have a split third-row seat. There is not much storage behind the third-row seat, but for us that is not a problem because we seldom use the third-row seats. There is also a large blind spot that a person needs to get used to (but we found the same problem on most of the SUV’s we tested).

“I do really like the center console that switches with the seventh seat (although I don’t think an adult could ride on that seventh seat for very long; it is great for grandchildren for short trips). One thing that really pleased us was that we actually get better mileage than was listed. We have taken our Highlander on several long trips, and we both really enjoy driving this vehicle.”