I love my Prius, but given my 90 mile round trip commute, I wanted to look into something a little bigger. I drove the Escape, the Camry, and the Highlander, and the Highlander had everything I wanted. (The Camry has more legroom for the driver, though--I don't care what Toyota's specs say). Got the 08 Hybrid Limited with Nav, JBL, Rear seat entertainment, sunroof, plus the dealer threw in XM Radio (being installed today) from Ourisman Chantilly Toyota. I wanted to buy it from Miller Toyota where I bought my Prius, but they just didn't want to make a deal. I got a great deal because they were having problems moving the color: Wave Line Pearl (sky blue). I didn't like it either at first, and maybe it's just cognitive dissonance, but I love it now. Deal was $100 over invoice plus free XM. Being a geek, I love all the little features! Consumer Reports dinged the Highlander on the rear seat not being a split, rear seat comfort, and cheap looking headliner. I don't plan on using the third seat all that much, so it doesn't bother me. As for the headliner, it doesn't bother me either. I share the same frustration that everyone else does about the inability to access the NAV when the car is in motion, and I have to say that my Garmin Nuvi has a much more intuitive interface. I love the driver's side seat adjustment with the extra thigh support--that's what put me over the edge (and made me get the Limited model). My first full tank averaged 29 mpg. I get 52 in my Prius so I figure I'll just have to learn how to drive it. Now, the problem...I have to figure out which car to sell!! My 2004 Saturn Vue (with the Honda powertrain) which my wife loves for toting around the baby, or my 07 Prius, which is the best car I have ever owned!!!
Sadly, the cat gets whatever car he wants. I've had to ride my bike because of the stern glare of Dr. Claw.
Congrats on your purchase. We traded in our 04 Prius, that we hunted for back in the wait list days, on the HyHi when our second child was born. Now we are looking for a second car and have decided on a 2008 prius! I wish Toyota made a 100% plug in electric, that got 100 miles to the charge and could go 55 MPH. I would buy one in a second.
Not to be overly critical, but I don't much understand why you bought the HyHi for a 90 mile roundtrip commute? If I were you, I'd keep the Prius for your commute and let the wife use the HyHi. After all, with the baby she arguably has a better case for driving a larger car than you do. Anyway, enjoy the SUV but consider the above for environmental, national security, and personal economic reasons -- not to mention safety for the baby and convenience for your wife hauling all the baby gear.
Today we test drove a HiHy limited like yours! We absoulty love it! During the test drive we were playing with the econo, and the ev buttons. We kept it in ev mode for over 10 minutes! All we have to do now is save a few more pennies so we can make the purchase like you.
It's a really sharp looking vehicle too, I might add. I'm getting 32 mpg at the moment which is better than what I was getting from my Saturn SL1 back in the 90s. One of the benefits of a vehicle this size, I was changing lanes in to the exit lane a few weeks ago, just in time to have one of those $70,000 BMWs swerve from two lanes over and out from behind a semi right up to riding my tail and his royal highness was not amused that I was in his way. We went through the big curve towards the stoplight and that's when I noticed he had his high beams on in an apparent protest to being behind me. Since all that I could see before was the very top of his roof, my first thought at seeing his brights was 'aw, are you flashing your brights at me? Isn't that cute' There are two lanes at the stoplight and he moved immediately in to the right one to glare at me but I ignored him. At the green, he floored it and that's when I saw his cellphone glued to his ear. I got a real kick out of that. In my Prius, his brights would have been shining right in to my car but the auto-dimming mirror would have taken care of that anyway. You're going to love your HiHy more every day
Just got our base Blizzard Pearl HiHy on April 29th and we absolutely love it. It's actually my wife's car since she has to grab the kids. We're driving out to Glendale, AZ to break in the vehicle and we'll report back about what kind of mileage we're getting.
Give me a break! If one of their few complaints is a cheap looking headliner then they're digging hard to find the negatives. Wow. I'd like to say congrats but I won't. I don't think buying an SUV is a particularly good choice.
Toyota is trying hard to cover up there most recent issues on a few of the vehicles they make. Tundra, prius, And the camry. Ford now equals Honda and Toyota in Quality. If you have a use for the SUV or truck then buy it. I do so therefore I own 1.
Sorry if I offended...to me, the following things are important about the choice I make of the kind of car I drive: 1. Investment in new technology that decreases our dependence on fossil fuels 2. Lower emissions 3. Good fuel economy 4. Comfort, convenience, and safety. When I spend so much time in the car everyday, it's important to me that it be comfortable. As much as I love my Prius (which we've kept), it's caused some lower back and leg issues (I'm pretty tall). I've seen a doctor and physical therapist about it, and at the end of the day, it just made sense to get something that fit me better. With the HiHy, I am still doing the stuff that is important to me (see above), albeit with reduced fuel economy. Oh well--I can't have everything. Maybe if Toyota makes the ABAT, I'll be at the front of the line. I can't help it if others choose to be better citizens than I am because I own two hybrids, compost, recycle, use CFLs, don't fertilize, use an electric mower, etc., and flip me off as they pass me. So, while I don't apologize for my choice of automobile, I do regret that I offend anyone.
You've got nothing to apologize for. The sanctimonious diatribes from some Prius owners isn't surprising but it is misguided. I had a brief email conversation with James Kunstler (The Long Emergency) who said that it was always amusing when Prius owners try to score points with him for driving one when the real issue is to drive less. A Prius owner who drives 100 miles each day, for example, is guiltier than a HiHy driver who drives 100 miles only a couple of times per week. Personally, I telecommute most of the work week and the car stays in the garage for the most part. I'm sure that I'll go back and buy another Prius next year if I can find a private owner who will buy my HiHy from me but I don't lose sleep over the fact that there's a Prius driver out there who doesn't like my choice of vehicles. If I can sell my HiHy to someone who's currently driving a hulking Tahoe or a Bummer, then I'll have made another contribution to reducing oil consumption.
My story is almost exactly the same. I bought my 2004 Prius from Miller, but they wouldn't deal on the HiHY, wanted several thousand over. I went to Stafford (Rosner) and got the Cypress Pearl / Grey leather HiHY Ltd, AWD, Nav, all the tricks (XM and IPOD), and got it for 41999. I haven't quite gotten the hang of this yet - it does not drive like the Prius where I could easily do 48-50mpg. Best I've been able to get is about 28mpg. Not sure where to place the tire inflation or the best glide technique, but I hope it gets better. My daughter has a 2004 Red Prius also, so we are pretty green at this point. WHy and SUV? Because I drive 95 to and from DC every day, 85 miles a day, in horrendous traffic, with damn big trucks. The Prius took a beating in that traffic, and the HiHy is just a joy when it comes to comfort. Long term plan is to convert it to a plug in when these kits come down a bit in price. It's not rocket science. ANyone know what site has info on the HiHy that will help with gas mileage and such? Thanks folks - (BTW - my wifes' Lexus GX470 tools along at 16mpg, so I think the HiHy is stellar when it comes to gas mileage). My next challenge is to convert the Lexus to burn Brown's gas and get's its mpg up. Anyone tried it yet? Ciao!
Sounds like a great car. I test drove one when I had my 4Runner, but decided on the Prius. The Hybrid Highlander is a great car, and I think you are right about the sky blue, I didn't care much for it, but a neighbor down the street has one and I have started to like the color from seeing it everyday.
