The 2009 Highlander Hybrid Limited is an SUV full of contradictions. It’s a seven-passenger SUV, but it’s a hybrid. It’s got a new futuristic look, but it’s, well, not pretty. It’s hard to know what to make of the Highlander Hybrid at first, but after a week of hard use by my crack team of vehicular testers – aka my family – all the contradictions boiled down to one irrefutable truth: The HiHy (as we like to call it) is one great family-mobile.
Toyota clearly put a lot of thought into the Highlander Hybrid. For the most part, its space is well-used and there’s plenty of storage. I love the flexibility of the interior: The center seat can be switched with a storage console, and the third row is not only easy to fold flat but easy to climb into. This is an SUV with all the luxury appointments of those fancy carmakers. I dig it.
Driving the HiHy was something of a surprise. The ride is smooth and comfortable. Even when faced with my nemesis – speed bumps in the grocery store parking lot – the HiHy sailed right over them. It’s also really quiet, even at highway speeds. In fact, it’s only when really pushing the HiHy – merging onto the highway or accelerating uphill – that I noticed the V-6 engine at all.
This hybrid has a powerful V-6 engine, so don’t expect to get 40 mpg. The HiHy gets an EPA-estimated 27/25 mpg city/highway, but I never managed to hit those gas mileage numbers. Driving the Highlander up the steep hills in my town every day, I only averaged about 19 mpg.
It’s worth noting that many of the HiHy’s fabulous features are pricey options, including the third row. The gas-powered Highlander starts at just under $26,000, but to get the hybrid engine you have to pay almost $35,000. That higher price doesn’t include the third row, Bluetooth or the very cool Center Stow seat. I don’t know that I’d be nearly as fond of a Highlander without these features.
Exterior
While I really enjoyed driving the Highlander Hybrid, I’m not so enthusiastic about its looks. Toyota went with a rounded, soft sort of exterior, and it just looks kind of squishy to me. I know that sounds weird, but it looks like a Play-Doh model of an SUV, not the real thing. The Highlander has no edges, no hard corners and no lines, which makes it completely non-threatening. I like my SUVs to have a bit of edge and strength, but the Highlander just looks like a pushover.
From the front, the Highlander is assertive-looking. The angled headlights are pushed to the outside of the car. There’s some sculpting to the front bumper, and the small grille sits up high and looks like a snout. While the available 19-inch rims bring some credibility to the HiHy’s profile, the large, bulging door panels make the windows seem really small. In the rear, the Highlander has a large, tinted window that’s a glass hatch, which provides quick access to the cargo area.
As much as I wasn’t into the looks of the Highlander Hybrid, I enjoyed the functionality of it. The doors were easy to open and close, even for my littlest guy. While it was a bit of a climb for my kids, the flat step-in areas in the rear made it easy to get in.
SENSE AND STYLE
Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Excellent
Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Good Times
Interior
What I really enjoyed about the Highlander Hybrid Limited is its interior. From the heated leather seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel to the simulated-wood trim on the doors and shifter knob, it’s soft and smooth to the touch.
A large, color touch-screen brings the navigation, audio and climate systems neatly to hand. There’s so much information collected in the HiHy that I often found myself still in the car playing with all the screens long after my kids had gone into the house. The sunglasses holder on the ceiling wasn’t big enough to hold my glasses, but it has a nifty conversation mirror for checking on those little monkeys in the back. There are cubbies, bins and hidey-holes for all your stuff up front, and there’s more storage in the back for all your kids’ stuff. Because we know there’s a lot of stuff that comes along for the ride.
In the backseat, all was well thanks to wide, flat seats that accommodated our booster seat and seat belts, which buckled easily. Unfortunately, the Latch connectors are buried in the seat. I didn’t need a crowbar to get to them, but it wasn’t exactly easy. The second row is roomy and comfy, even for grown-ups. With the three-zone climate-control system, everyone was happy and comfortable. There are cupholders aplenty and bottle holders in all four doors.
The real show-stealer is the second row’s Center Stow seat and console. The center seatback can fold flat to provide two cupholders as well as a surface for climbing into the third row without disturbing child-safety seats or booster seats. The center seat also pops out and can be replaced with a center console with more cupholders and covered storage. The unit that’s not in use is stored under the front seat’s center console; it just slides in from the back. It’s ridiculously easy to switch the two, and I demonstrated it to the amazement of my mommy-friends again and again. It’s that cool.
Of course, you don’t have to climb over the center seat to get into the third row. Behind the driver’s seat, the second-row seat folds and slides out of the way for easy access. The optional third row isn’t the roomiest, and I found it to be a tight squeeze when I climbed back there. It’s great for kids, though. It was the preferred seating for my kids. Of course, there are cupholders back there, too. The head restraints fold out of the way when no one is sitting there, which is nice because they can really block the rear view.
Cargo space is decent when the third row is in place. There’s room enough for backpacks and sports gear or a midweek grocery run. When you need more space, the third row folds flat, which leaves enough room for anything smaller than a couch.
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT
Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Galore
Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair/Ample
Safety
The Highlander Hybrid gets great marks for safety; all of its safety features – except for the security system – are standard. Apparently, safety is the only area that Toyota doesn’t consider optional. The Highlander Hybrid’s standard safety features include antilock brakes, stability control and traction control. It also has a backup camera and daytime running lights.
The Highlander Hybrid also comes with front- and side-impact airbags for the front row, and there are also side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats. There’s even an airbag to protect the driver’s knees from the steering column. Nice. No wonder the Highlander Hybrid gets so many stars in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests.
FAMILY LIFESTAGE
In Diapers: A smooth ride lets even the littlest ones rest quietly.
In School: Easy access to the second and third rows makes getting into the HiHy easy for little legs.
Teens: There’s lots of legroom in the second row, as well as a rear entertainment system that teens will love, too.
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