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Highlander 2013 vs Buick Enclave 2013

Discussion in 'Toyota Hybrids and EVs' started by ecoprius, Jul 1, 2013.

  1. ecoprius

    ecoprius Junior Member

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    First the 2014 Highlander looks great, but its not on the lots yet. Think we will need a new car this summer. SUV is a must for our family. Narrowed it down to enclave or Highlander hybrid. Hate gas mileage for enclave! But otherwise nice SUV. Im dissapointed with interior and some saftey features on Highlander hybrid. No blind spot indicator as an option. Cant fit stroller in back without lowering third row seats.

    Im curious how much the price of 2013 hihy might go down with the 2014 so close to release. I worry about the value of the 2013 hihy as well.

    Would you buy a 2013 hihy? Sales person said we could add blind side indicators as an option...I cant find that on Toyota website. He said 2014 comes out in Aug 13, but I called another dealer that said to expect it March 2014. Not trusting first sales guy much.
    I drive the prius, not as comfortable with larger cars hence the desire for blind side indicators.
     
  2. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Both dealers might be right about the release date. It could be arriving in August, but not get to your region until March. Some dealers, do to sales history, size, connections, etc., can get models before others.

    As a general rule, used hybrids hold their value well. As for possible incentives on the out going 2013, it depends on how much a dealer has on a lot. The HiHy isn't a high volume model, so I don't see dealers lowering the price on a 2013 in their inventory until the fall or later.

    It would be after market. Dealer told me they could install heated seats on the Sonic LT and they're only available on the LTZ.
     
  3. ecoprius

    ecoprius Junior Member

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    Thanks! I think we are going to hold out for the 2014. Im still confused about release date. My husband called another dealer and got a date indicating December. 3 dealers all local, 3 different dates. So...maybe they all have different connections with some dealers in different zones. Normally would not care but we need to have an idea as we want to buy now, but are willing to wait since we like the 2014 better. Prius does ok with all my baby stuff, but to travel with her out of town....thats a very full car! Would love to visit family with a less packed car.
     
  4. ewxlt66

    ewxlt66 Active Member

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    I would absolutely NEVER buy a Buick or any GM product.
     
  5. CPSDarren

    CPSDarren CPS Technician

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    I've reviewed most of the midsize SUVs on the market and really appreciate almost everything about our 2011 Highlander Hybrid, except for the styling. I've reviewed the Enclave and similar Traverse as well. They are definitely bigger, but you'll get about half the fuel economy around town. Plus, the transmissions are noisy and don't always shift as expected, even in the 2013 model that was supposedly revised. We have a couple in our neighborhood and I can always identify them coming down the road before I see them.

    I like the 2014 Highlander in terms of styling better than the current generation hybrid. That assumes they don't uglify Hybrid for 2014 with something distinctive, like they did in 2011. I'd consider a trade in a few years if they don't mess up anything else about it. Usually around the third or fourth model year, they do a minor refresh to update some of the quirks, as they did with the 2011 model. By then all the crash testing is done and any major problems are resolved, too. On the other hand, we bought a 2010 Prius in the first year of its generation and it's been trouble free. The biggest quirk for us is the awful rear visibility.

    If you just need a little extra room, have you considered a Prius V as an alternative? Not only is it roomier, but the rear visibility is improved, too. You do sacrifice some fuel economy, but it's still considerably better than the Highlander Hybrid. I really enjoyed the C-Max as well. It's a bit roomier than Prius, though didn't seem quite as roomy as Prius V. I thought the hatch opening with a wave/kick of the foot was a gimmick at first, but it was surprisingly handy. Especially if you have baby in one hand and stroller in the other!

     
  6. ecoprius

    ecoprius Junior Member

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    Thanks. We are replacing my husbands car its old (2000YR small SUV) Its no longer safe for long drives out of town, so we are stuck with my small car until we replace it. His suv had a good run with us, lots of cross country trips. We have decided to wait for 2014 highlander. We like the 2013 except for the size, really want our stroller to fit behind 3rd row seats. Gas milage is important, but we do need more space. I also have 3 large dogs, would be nice to take everyone in the same car. Right now we cant transport the dogs all in the same car, and thats before we had the baby. We plan to hold out and test drive the 2014 before we fully decide. Im not in charge of picking the car this time. Hubby gets to pick this one. I just get to make suggestions.