Reader Review of the Week: 2008 Toyota Highlander

“I shopped for months, but nothing really struck my fancy, not even the Saturn Vue (the new one is ugly) or the Toyota RAV4 (too small). When I glanced across the Toyota showroom last November and saw the new Highlander, I had to have it. I think it is gorgeous. It is the most comfortable car, front seat or second row, that I have ever owned. It handles nicely and is rocket-fast. I’ve had mine for six months and had no mechanical problems.

“And even though I definitely highly recommend the Highlander, this is not to say I have no problems with the vehicle. I actually have a number of issues with my FWD Sport version. I am disappointed with the lack of what I thought were routine ‘luxury’ items on the vehicle. The radio does not display the feed from the station showing the name of the song and the performer. I am not talking about satellite or even HD radio (although I think at least HD should have been included), just regular radio.

“It does not have the built-in garage door opener/home alarm feature. It does not have a steering-wheel-accessible trip computer that processes anything except for about a dozen ways to calculate gas mileage (how about travel time and distance?). I get about 19.5 mpg in mostly city driving, which I guess is not bad for a vehicle of its size. My research shows that the 245/55/19 tires it needs are currently available in only one make and model (Bridgestone) and only the dealer carries this particular tire.

“And my No. 1 gripe: The rear bumper is for show only. I have damaged it twice in simple, very-low-speed parking incidents. Of course, now that I have become accustomed to the backup camera, that will not happen again.”