2014 Toyota Highlander Limited V6 AWD - Test Drive Impression !!!

HEY THERE PRIUS CHAT FOLKS !!!



Had a great opportunity to Test Drive the All New 2014 Toyota Highlander Limited V6 AWD recently !!!



Here is a link to the 2014 Toyota Highlander on the Toyota website for more Technical Information :

Toyota Highlander 2014 | Hybrid & Mid-Size SUVs

I am fortunate to have had many opportunities to Test Drive several of the Hybrid vehicles in the Toyota Lineup. This time I took delivery of the Highlander Limited AWD - Non-Hybrid !!!

I recently featured the Highlander at an Industry Day Event that I host annually. This year I hosted the event at the SEMA Headquarters in Diamond Bar, CA (www.SEMA.org) where the Highlander was on Center Stage !!!

Here are some pictures taken at the SEMA Industry Day Event :

SEMA Headquarters



The 2014 Toyota Highlander Limited V6 AWD



Vehicles on Display




Presenting at the Event !!!



Mike Spagnola (Vice President OEM & Product Development) leading the SEMA Garage Tours !!!



The Industry Day 3.0 Group Photo !!!



After the Industry Day event it was time for the 2014 Toyota Highlander Limited Test Drive !!!

I had taken the vehicle for a trip down to San Diego (about 2 hours south of Diamond Bar) to get a better experience on Performance, Handling, Comfort, Efficiency, Ergonomics, and much more !!!

But before the Evaluation here is a brief walk through after my trip !!!

Thorough cleaning inside and out ...






And we begin !!!

The 2014 Highlander is a Fresh New Design. A bolder more commanding appearance making a new statement. The lines are defined and clean.





Exterior

Projector-beam halogen smoked-chrome-accent headlights with auto on/off feature



LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) with on/off feature with integrated fog lights



Color-keyed heated power outside mirrors with memory function, turn signal and blind spot warning indicators, puddle lights and folding features



Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)








Rear Backup Camera



Flip-up rear hatch window




Color-keyed rear spoiler with LED center high-mount stop light






All-Season steel-belted radials





19-in. 5-spoke Chromtec®alloy wheels with P245/55R19 105S tires



Panoramic moonroof with power sunshade and jam protection




Interior

Front Seating Area







Deep Pile All Weather Floormats



Steering Wheel / Controls




Pre-Collision System (PCS with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC)



Instrument Panel



Front Overhead Lighting / Sunroof & Moonroof Controls





Rear View Additional Mirror



Climate Controls / Storage / Auxillary Connections





Lower Console



Armrest / Storage / 12V 12oW Connection





Driver Left Side Control Panel




Entune™ Premium JBL®Audio with Navigation and App Suite— includes the Entune™ Multimedia Bundle (8-in. high-resolution touch-screen with split-screen display, AM/FM CD player, MP3/WMA playback capability, 12 JBL®GreenEdge™ speakers, auxiliary audio jack, USB 2.0 port with iPod® connectivity and control, advanced voice recognition, hands-free phone capability, phone book access and music streaming via Bluetooth® wireless technology), Entune® App Suite, 16 Intelligent Touch controls, SiriusXM Radio with 90-day complimentary All Access trial, HD Radio™ HD predictive traffic and Doppler weather overlay, AM/FM cache radio, and Gracenote® album cover art






Rear Seating Area (2nd Row)



Armrests



Table and Cupholders



Rear Climate Control / Electrical Outlet




Fold flat seating configuration




Sunshades




Rear Seating Area (3rd Row)




Rear Cargo




Efficiency

The Highlander Limited V6 AWD is rated at 18 City / 24 Highway

Due to my Driving Style, Environmental Aspects, and other considerations I was able to achieve
a 28.5 Highway average. Individual results may vary.



Final Impression

Performance - Coming from a Prius, the V6 AWD was a Powerplant !!! Powerful and Quickly Responsive.

Handling - The handling of this vehicle was tight and non-floaty. In my opinion it handled comparable to our 2013 Lexus RX 350.

Comfort - The comfort of the Limited with all the great upgrades and appointments were well appreciated especially during the long drive. I appreciated the heated seats and the comfort of the cushioning.

Efficiency - With my experience of hypermiling and driving style I was happy to increase efficiency close to 5 more mpgs.

Ergonomics - Everything at the Driver's seat position was well within view and reach. I didn't feel there was any obstruction.

Overall I was very impressed with the 2014 Highlander Limited V6 AWD !!!

Thank you Toyota Motor Sales for another great Toyota Test Drive Opportunity !!!





What's Coming Next ??!!



Rodney