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4th Gen Toyota Highlander Hybrid Thread

Discussion in 'Toyota Hybrids and EVs' started by Tideland Prius, Feb 16, 2020.

  1. CamryDriver

    CamryDriver Active Member

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    Down 63 horse power from last year? Yikes!
     
  2. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    They dropped the thirsty V6 for a 4 cylinder. With the motor assist, it should be plenty for how most people use the car.
     
  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    V6 can make some routine maintenance a lot harder. Forget exactly what it was, maybe throttle body cleaning??
     
  4. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    Does anyone know why both the 2WD and 4WD have the exact same total system power rating? Does the front electric motor on the 4WD have less power?
     
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Does it maybe use a physical drive shaft to the rear wheels?
     
  6. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    Nope, It has the same AWD-e set up as previous highlanders.
     
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  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Could be the way Toyota divvies up the power. Note, unlike EVs, the reason hp/tq don’t increase with more motors is because in EVs, the limiting factor is the motor. The battery can provide more power than the 1 motor can provide. In a hybrid, the limiting factor is the battery. Adding more electric motors don’t increase power because the battery is small and the engine power is limited through the Power Split Device.
     
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  8. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    OK thanks, that makes a lot more sense to me now the way you explained it.

    Many of the reviews are saying the new 4 cyl ICE makes noticeable noise in certain situations, and I was wondering if there is any difference in ICE noise between the 2WD and 4WD versions. If the 2WD has all of the available battery power for the front electric motor, does that result in less strain on the ICE and make it run quieter, or is the ICE working equally hard in both versions?
     
    #9 toronado455, May 8, 2020
    Last edited: May 8, 2020
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It shouldn't be. Let's say you request 100hp from the engine. It's gonna put out 100hp and it doesn't matter how the PSD splits the power - whether 100hp goes to the front motor or whether 75hp goes to the front motor and 25hp to the rear motor, or it's 50hp and 50hp.

    The thing that matters is the rpm of max torque and in the case of the 2020 HiHy, that's achieved at 4,400rpm. I can see why it's a bit noisy. The Prius, in contrast, has lowered its max torque to 3,600rpm.
     
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  10. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    Yikes 4400 RPM Max Torque? That seems really high, even for a four cylinder. As far as I can tell, the Camry Hybrid uses the same ICE, but it is not noisy. I wonder what the deal is.
     
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    For a naturally aspirated, yeah a little bit. I’d say any higher than, say 4,200rpm, is high. The Prius’ 3,600rpm is low for a NA engine.
     
  12. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    There is also differences in sound insulation and acoustics to consider. The open cabin of SUVs, hatchs, etc. can amplify noises.
     
  13. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    Nothing aft of the firewall is going to make any difference in ICE noise though, right? I think maybe Toyota sorted the Camry's underhood NVH much better. The RAV4 is super noisy too.
     
  14. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Of course things aft of the fire wall will make a difference. Engine noise doesn't stop at the hood and side fenders. Sound can move around objects.
     
  15. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    I've been watching some YouTube videos which demonstrate how the 2020 Highlander Hybrid sounds (with no talking), and one video in particular that I watched shows it with it parked and presumably the HVAC running, and there is a noise which varies in pitch up and down pretty much constantly. I don't know if it's the engine itself or some sort of radiator or A/C condenser fan cycling up and down.
    (At one point in the video 18:12 when he attempts to engage EV mode there is a message displayed on the dash that the hybrid battery is low and I wonder if that has anything to do with it.)

    In the Prius "car camping" situations, I thought the engine only runs a few minutes every hour. I'm really interested in the "car camping" viability of the Highlander Hybrid, but maybe only the Prius is really good for that. Perhaps the non-Prius Hybrids that use the 2.5 liter engine don't work the same as the Prius with regards to running the HVAC parked.

    Here's a link to the video. At about 0:56 it sounds like the engine kicks on and that's a different sound, so maybe the other noise is not the engine?
     
    #16 toronado455, May 18, 2020
    Last edited: May 18, 2020
  16. toronado455

    toronado455 Member

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    Right. Perhaps I should have said that the amount of noise that makes it past the hood and fenders is a function of whatever acoustic isolation has been engineered in front of the firewall. Once noise is past the firewall, I agree that other factors can contribute.
     
  17. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Only thing I can think off is the compressor if the HVAC is on. It will sound different from the inside.

    The only sound dampening in front of the fire wall is whatever has been done for NVH. Designers are more concerned with noise getting into the cabin than what exits the engine bay. This is why sound insulation is mounted in the floor, doors, and roof. However, it adds weight and cost, and a SUV cabin has more area to cover. So that could be why the RAV4 and Highlander seem noisier. It could also be a function of the higher ground clearance allowing a greater echo of the engine noise.

    There is enough variables to explain differences between models with the exact same engine mounted and running the same.
     
  18. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    #19 Tideland Prius, May 29, 2020
    Last edited: May 29, 2020
  19. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    #20 Tideland Prius, Jul 13, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2020