Suburban Dad: 2008 Toyota Highlander

When the first Highlander debuted, I was confused about what it was supposed to be. There were few crossovers to compete with back then, and the Honda Pilot — its closest rival — looked way more like an SUV than the Highlander did.

Now in its second generation, the Highlander looks sharper all the way around — like Toyota has figured out what its mission is. My wife noticed that the Highlander seemed longer than its previous generation, and she was happy with its butched-up appearance. “This one’s very sharp looking — a lot less bland,” she said. “From the back end it has a nice look to it.” I couldn’t agree more; I’m especially happy with the way Toyota has plastered the name “Highlander” in all caps across the back.

One drawback for families is getting into the Highlander’s third row.

Yes, Toyota built a nifty put-away center console in the second row, opening up a pass-through to the third row. Kids being kids, they’ll often fill up the car’s second row before anyone can get into the third. In addition, that third row is largely for kids, though my 13-year-old daughter was happy with the legroom and support she found back there.

I did like the captain’s chair approach with the second row, though, because it keeps the kids separate; they’re not right on top of each other. That’s really important on long trips when nerves are easily frayed. There was enough room in that second row for my 10-year-old to sit comfortably in full gear for football practice.

The dash controls were easy to use, and I liked the mileage charts that rotate on a screen above the navigation system screen. I was averaging nearly 17 mpg in heavy traffic, and I suspect if I’d driven it in more open-road settings my mileage would have reached the low- to mid-20s. Speaking of the navigation system, by and large it was OK, but if you miss a button you may tell it you want to go somewhere you don’t, and it took me a while to figure out how to get rid of my “phantom” destination. That being said, I like touch-screen nav systems and applaud Toyota for hanging on to its while others are turning to joystick versions – or worse (you know who we mean, BMW). Of course, my wife also applauded the backup camera, for the usual reasons.

I think the Highlander’s new, more truck-like look — plus the usual complement of Toyota’s family-friendly features — makes it a winner. It’s now likely to increase the pressure on Honda’s popular Pilot.