Toyota Highlander test drive since 2008 SUV
Test drive Toyota Highlander: With a new highlander!
Test? For the New Year? When do people already dress up a Christmas tree and rush about in search of gifts? Yes, you are crazy! But no!!! Moreover, Toyota Highlander as Santa Claus: appeared at the end of the year, brought many, many joy to both customers and sellers of Toyota and as a real grandfather for all those who wanted him did not have enough gifts will bring someone else, but also with a beard and in a robe . The European premiere of Highlander took place at MMAS-2010. Marketers guessed: in Russia this car was loved. Moreover, long before the official sales began: the first highlanders (as Highlander translated into Russian) arrived in gray. And if not for the duties, the demand for them would have remained high: in the coming year, Toyota plans to allocate only 3,000 cars throughout the country. We are sure: this is not enough for everyone: already in December 2010 orders were accepted for March 2011.
Inside Highlander is cozy and stylish. A leather salon with wood inserts and a dark execution of the front panel corresponds to the requested price and status. The front panel with the central console looks like a single organism (not like Land Cruiser Prado with its square-toy-torture execution of the console). Only now plastic to the touch seems cheaper than it looks.
Highlander seven -seater in all (two) trim levels. Places in the back row is natural, less than on average, but additional places are not superfluous. Moreover, the rear and middle rows fold, forming a perfectly even floor; And taking into account the wide opening of the rear door in Highlander, you can immerse a refrigerator or even a cabinet for clothing.
The driver will feel in Toyota at home. In the soft but practically devoid of lateral support, the back does not get tired of the back, but in a steep turn it seems that you can fly out of the saddle. However, this car is not for racing
A gasoline 3.5-liter engine burden and fast with a response to the gas pedal. In addition, he manages to accelerate a two -ton crossover up to 100 km/h in 8 seconds. But the character of the motor is more suitable for smooth accelerations than for constant driving with the pedal in the floor. The engine is a couple of a 5-speed automatic checkpoint with the possibility of manual switching, as well as winter and sports modes. The tandem is perfectly suitable for the imposing character of Highlander, which is also created by a comfortable suspension that allows the rolls during sharp restructuring. However, specially for Russia, the highlander was adapted with a more rigid suspension. Now he does not squat so much at start/inhibition, but reports on each joint of the asphalt. To the honor of the car, he copes with larger pits.
But do not overestimate the off -road abilities of Toyota Highlander, although from the outside it looks like a real SUV. In the country for which it was originally intended, the roads are better, there are fewer swamps. The 206 mm clearance should be enough for calm movement along the unpee of outbreaks from the snow by suburban paths (and even races on the sidewalk), but the transmission is not intended for exploits. Despite all -wheel drive, Highlander does not have neither a handout nor locks. Our only attempt to move out of the road to the snow virgin land ended very quickly: as soon as all the wheels left the firmament, Toyota simply stalled and refused to go further well that we did not sit on the belly and calmly drove back to the hard coating. Standard Highlander for 1,757,000 rubles is equipped with envy: a three-zone climate control, a leather salon, 7 seats and the same number of airbags, a parking sensor, a rear view camera, heating and electric seats, a radio with a cd changer, only a navigator from 7 -Day display, which is in the top version, which costs 56,000 rubles more.
We liked Toyota Highlander
Spacious and stylishly looking interior, interior transformation, powerful engine, equipment level
We didn't like Toyota Highlander
Cross -country ability, front panel plastic, pseudo -driven inserts
Competitors Toyota Highlander in the Russian market
Honda Pilot
Nissan Murano
The car is provided by Toyota Primorsky, the official Toyota dealer.
Author: Alexander Korobchenko
Photo: Roman Ostanin
Source: Wheel magazine [December 2010]
