08 Toyota Highlander By ALAN GELL Daily Oklahoman Back in the summer,  I was down in the Austin area, looking over and getting a preview test drive of the 2008 Toyota Highlander – both the regular gas model and the hybrid model

Toyota introduced the Highlander SUV back in 2001.  It is commonly called a CROSSOVER because it is built on a car platform.  That allows for a smoother ride and more comfort for the driver and passengers.  Toyota boasts that it now has three SUV’s in their lineup – the 4Runner, which is an SUV built on a truck platform, the Highlander, built on a car platform, and the popular FJ Cruiser, which is a true outdoors adventure 4 wheel drive SUV.

Toyota is also making significance about their having 3 diverse vehicles that are HYBRIDS – the Prius, the Camry, and the Highlander.  Toyota has been making major efforts to bring hybrid technology into mainstream, middle America car buying.

Judy and I joined about 20 other automotive journalists at the press conference and briefings.  Toyota had a number of their chief personnel on hand to answer questions and point out the significant aspects of both the Highlander gas model and the new Highlander Hybrid model.  We paired off and took the cars out for a day of test driving.  We would through San Marcus, Wimberly, Bastrop, Dripping Springs, Buda, Kyle, and several other small towns in the area south of Austin.  There was enough hilly terrain and winding roads to fully appreciate the capabilities of the 2008 Highlanders.

The new models for 2008 will be slightly different on both the inside and outside, so that not only the public, but the Toyota salesmen as well, can distinguish between the gas model and hybrid model.  The grill is different and the dashboard is trimmed differently, among other changes.  For 2008, the Toyota engineers have attempted to move the Highlander into a more upscale image for their core market.  They call it “smart engineering” which is generally just listening to what their customers want and are asking for.  This year, there is more room, more power, and more of a styling statement.  Last year’s gas engine was a 3.3 liter, but this year there is a new 3.5 liter engine.  During the test drive, it certainly felt like there was more power under the hood.  I didn’t have any trouble at all going up the hills or rounding the curves.

The Highlander hybrid model we had for a test drive was not a production model, but a prototype.  The actual production hybrids won’t be available until later this year – about September 2007.  But the hybrids we drove had more than sufficient power.  In fact, most of the time, you didn’t know you were in a hybrid unless you looked at the dashboard and the new power meter dial.  The hybrid engine is sufficiently capable to cruise at a nominal speed without the gas engine kicking in for more power.  Climbing the hills around Austin, the gas engine kicked in fairly frequently, but on the straight and flat stretches, it was easy to allow the battery operation to take over.

In response to customers requests, the Highlanders have had a number of changes for safety purposes this year.  The cabin containment has more rigidity.  There are now seven standard airbags including knee bags and rollover curtain airbags.  There is a newly designed hood that is made with a honeycomb construction, that folds and bends in test crashes and is less likely to cause passenger injury.  And there is increased clearance between the hood and the engine, which is called the “crush area”.  For help in driving, there are speed sensors and more steering controls.