Toyota Highlander Test Drive since 2008 SUV

Toyota Highlander. Megacroser

Toyota Highlander. Price: from 1 757 000 rub. On sale: since October 2010

Previously, Toyota Highlander fell to our market exclusively thanks to the gray dealers. Given the interest in this crossover, from October 2010, Toyota decided to bring him to us in white


Test pilot
Oleg Kalaushin, 41 years old, car journalist, driving experience 22 years old, personal car - Renault Logan

MegaCrossover. It is strongly said, isn't it? But nothing else to mind comes when you find yourself next to this car. Of course, it would be possible to call it either just a crossover, or just an SUV, but ... What is a crossover in a philistine understanding? This is such a small disfigure with the drive for all the wheels, a bastard view and clearance is slightly higher than the border. What is an SUV? Right! This is something huge with an impressive spar frame, an incredibly powerful engine, a bunch of any incomprehensible razdocks, locks, downgrades and other nonsense, capable of pulling this mastodont from the most impassive peg. But in what the snag: neither to the first, nor to the second class of Toyota Highlander, relying on these arguments, not so that it is impossible difficult. Judge yourself. On the first it is not suitable exclusively in dimensions. Wow, a crossover, who has six full seats and one podkin, length almost five meters and engine power is 273 liters. from.! But, alas, and it is not attributed to SUVs. In the car of all those attributes, which was mentioned above, no.

Yes, there is nothing from the SUV at all! That is how I want to scream in all the throat when you find yourself in the car. Why in all the throat? Yes, because in such a salon simply can not be echo. He is just huge, and it is first. And secondly, the interior in no way knives that we used to see in an SUV. On the contrary, the feeling is that you ended up in a business class car, though with the body of a wagon. It is possible that this feeling occurs because of the low roof. As a rule, in any SUV can be easily pressed at least in the helmet, and the place above the head will remain. In Highlander, this focus will not pass. No, a cap, of course, does not snew, but something will have to be forgotten anymore. Especially if you decide to get on the third row.

We have nothing to get acquainted with the interior of the car from the third row. As a rule, these places of the uplift can be considered only from the part. Yes, they are equipped with head restraints, they have seat belts, but here few people dare to drive even a couple of stops. In Toyota Highlander, you can quite decide on such a feat, even if the first stop will be in Veliky Novgorod, and the second in Tver. Plus, it will be possible to change places with those who sits in the second row, not even waiting for the stop. How? Very simple. It is enough just to abandon the central place and hide either, or the armrest, who gets up instead of him, in a niche under the front armrest. Wise, isn't it? But the width of the car really allows you to catch an unnecessary element in the compartment under the central armrest of the first row. At the same time, the car from the seven-weemed turns into a six-bed. And what about in this case with luggage? In the sevenstal version, the trunk is small, some 290 liters. But if you fold the rear row, the volume grows up to 1200 liters, and if you also sacrifice the second next, then in general, sleep together in full growth, and even spreading your hands, where.

Now is the time to return to the driver's seat. As mentioned above, the interior of Highlander is completely unlike the interior of the SUV. There is everything that can be in a passenger car, and there is absolutely no time than you can trust on the SUV track. There is even an elementary inter-axis blocking. Maximum, for which you managed to catch a look, this is the SNOW button and the button on which the machine rolls from the mountain. Yes, in a swimming windows in the passing direction of Nissan Qashqai off-road more at times! Although, on the other hand, is it important? Well, there is no such thing here, and what? Do you want to block differentials, join the podayaki, dissolve the suspension? So buy yourself Prado or LC200. Highlander is not for this. Its main task with the maximum comfort and scoring to deliver you from point A to the point C, and if so, I want this, in the point in drivening to the forest lake. Everything!

And we arrived. But before that taught the highway. To say that Toyota Highlander delivered us a lot of pleasure, it means to discuss. However, we did not feel discomfort. Yes, due to the massiveness, the car is characteristic of the inertness that manifests the replacement of reactions, be it a steering or braking system. Yes, the car is noticeably kinned in turns. But all this is manifested if you drive quickly. Very fast. And if you have a little cold and stop in the case and without a case to customize your herd out of 273 liters. s., You can enjoy that grace that comes out on the driver and passengers in the form of a slightly audible rreeze of the V-shaped six and infinitely smoothly shaking on the waves of our, so alien to many cars, asphalt.

And what about off-road? Nothing special. The car copes with him, like any other crossover. The wheelbase, of course, is Velika, and on the beggars the car is about to chirknet the bottom, but, oddly enough, it does not reach it. The clearance of 206 mm is affected. Yes, and electronics quite adequately recking the torque from the wheel to the wheel. In this connection, Highlander crawls on the village is quite confident, almost playfully. The main thing is not to play.

For a long time, Toyota could not offer anything to their customers in our market, which have already grown from RAV4, but did not grow up to Land Cruiser Prado. Highlander is just the option that you can now seriously consider. Especially if you do not have any desire to carry with absolutely unnecessary elements inherent in premium SUVs.


Love not love
The glove box is just huge. Nice

What to put or not to put the second row between the seats only depends on you. Conveniently

The rear view camera does not draw a trajectory that is not very convenient with such dimensions. Weird


Driving
From the point of view of manageability, the car is not a standard. However, it is necessary to make aware that you have no wagon in your hands, but an almost SUV, which imposes a comfacing on the Maneru ride and management.

Salon
From Japanese asceticism not a trace. Solid luxury and respect for the client. Skin is just not much, mostly imitation.

Comfort
At a pretty decent level. Noise insulation is good.

Security
7 airbags, ABS, EBD, VSC, TRC.

Price
At the level.


Advantages and disadvantages
+ Spacious interior. Rich equipment, high level of active and passive security. Dynamic characteristics.
- inertia of the steering and the brake system.
 

Specifications
Brand and model - Toyota Highlander V6 3.5
Dimensions - 4785x1910x1760 mm
Engine - gasoline, 3456 cm3, 273/6200 hp / min-1
Transmission - automatic, 5+-resorted
Dynamics - MAX 180 km / h; 8.2 s to 100 km / h
Competitors - Mercedes-Benz ML, Mazda CX-9.


Our opinion
For a long time, Toyota in our market could not offer to its customers who have already grown out of RAV4, but have not yet grown to Land Cruiser Prado. Highlander An option that can now be viewed if you do not have any desire to carry absolutely unnecessary off-road units.


Author: Oleg Kalaushin
Photo: Igor Kuznetsov



 

A source: Magazine 5 Wheel [December 2010]