Drove friends 2015 Highlander (comparing)

No sir, can't help with that one. That's outside my level of expertise.

 

Very well rounded family vehicle. I couldn't believe they used to put this 3.5 v6 in the rav4s, too much motor for that.

 

From my personal experience I would go with a T4R limited.

 

Really, any particular reason that stands out?

 

Yea, we have a 2015 Rav4 XLE with the 4 cyl and it will jump off the line pretty well.

 

Comfort, ride, 3rd row option, off-road ability.

 

Our garage houses a 2015 Highlander awd, le+, and a 2012 Taco. The Highlander is the most well engineered vehicle we have ever owned. I never realized how well a vehicle could ride until I drive that thing! Makes my Taco feel like a model T.

She claims it is her dream car. Time will tell...
( I'm still glad I got a 4.0L )

 

off-road ability has no bearing in this decision, I have a 1985 Honda Big Red 3 wheeler for my adventure moments.
I will test drive a 4runner and see how it feels. Thanks for the input.

 

If you need a referral let me know. If I recall correctly you're in BC also?

 

Yes, I live in BC. I will let you know if need a referral. I have a pretty good relationship with JH toyota, but hey, it never hurts to see what else is out there right.

 

Good dealer. I bought my limited from them then traded it in at Y for the Pro. The sales manager and my salesman was really good down there. If you go to JH I would recommend Jonathan Phillips.

 

I have 2015 highlander. It is the smoothest riding highway vehicle we own. That being said... I don't enjoy towing my boat with it, and i would never take it off road. I have owned 3 tacoma's and FJ and would rather be in any of those vehicles when doing anything other than pavement driving. Comparing a tacoma to a highlander is apples to oranges. They are two different beasts with two extremely different skill sets. If you are in the market for a highlander, your not in the market for a tacoma because you don't plan on needing a vehicle to do any a hard work. Highlanders are fantastic vehicles for families doing a lot miles miles on the black top. Tacomas all around vehicles that have the flexiblity to work, play or go to the shops on or off road.

I would not buy highlander if your planning on using it like a truck. A new Ridgeline might be a better choice......? Just my 2 cents.

 

Agree. Highlander and 3rd gen truck are different beasts. However, they do share the same engine displacement and six gears in the auto (up to 2017). The powertrain refinement and response of the equivalent Highlander feels better for typical driving.

I'm curious to see how the "new" 3.5 works for the Highlander and van 2017+. I imagine Toyota has refined the ECU logic and smoothed over the rough edges they left in our trucks.

 

I think the point someone made is correct, when driving the Highlander or even the Sienna it just shows they could have done better or given a touch more. Most likely they had some reason not to with my guess cost/profit. We have a 2017 AWD Sienna with the new engine and new transmission. I'm not seeing any issues with either but we are only at about 1300 miles. We had a 2016 exactly the same except for the engine/trans (long story of dealer incompetence) and it really is an upgrade to the old. I doubt that they expect a Tacoma to go to 250k miles so don't push the envelope while only shooting for 100k on the vans. So I just don't buy saying the truck is built for longevity and the others are not.

 

We just traded our 2013 Lexus gs 350 in on a 2016 Blizzard Pearl Highlander Limited. Best of both with my 2014 Taco and her Hoghlander. I take the Highlander whenever I can.

 

I had a '12 Rav4 base AWD with the 2GR... you CAN get used to it lol. It was somewhat of a sleeper, and there was even a supercharger kit avail for that engine (Austrailia?). Snappy for sure.

Frank

 

i can see the appeal of the Highlander, but as far as I know, it's FWD only. I live in the snowbelt, so I dismiss it on that alone.

Plus the ground clearance is less than a Subaru, lesser still for a Tacoma. And there's no manual transmission option for the Highlander.

so yeah, for a suburban put-put in a non-Northern climate, it's a reasonable choice.

 

My wife has a 2016 Highlander Limited AWD. As other have said, the drivetrain is very similar but a million times smoother and more refined. It's also a lot peppier when accelerating. Not sure what accounts for the difference but I sure do wish the truck was as smooth/fast as the Highlander.

 

http://toyotanews.pressroom.toyota.com/releases/2016+toyota+highlander+product+specs.download

Toyota is good about posting the specs to their vehicles. Just google "2016 Toyota Highlander product information." Include year and model. The 2017 highlander is changed.

 

Thanks. My vision was a little blurred last night. If I didn't have to get up for work today I would still be asleep. My Google skills were lacking.