08 positive things

[08highlander]

I want to start a thread about the good things the 08 highlander has to offer.
It seems that everyone (reviews) is bashing the "new" highlander. I have an 08 limited and really like it.

I really like the looks of it, and the 19 inch wheels. The JBL stereo seems to be great also. The interior is comfortable and roomy and give my family (2 boys 13 and 15) enough room to stretch out and enjoy the ride. We just traded in a 03 odyssey mini van and wanted something a little bit more stylish that could tow a small boat with ease.

The highlander seem to fit that mold.

[08highlander]

Am I the only one who likes the 08 highlander or what?

[tin-man]

how effortlessly it steers and the small turning radius. and the voice recognition sys

[mwfromva]

Originally Posted by 08highlander

Am I the only one who likes the 08 highlander or what?

Not at all!

My wife and I purchased this vehicle due to an upcoming addition to our family and we could not be happier. I was a little unsure about the firmer suspsension of the Sport model, but I have since grown to love it. The engine is plenty for the vehicle and the overall fuel efficiency so far has been more than acceptable for this size of vehicle. I personally love the amount of room that is in the first and second row seats!

In the past it has been tough for the wife and I to agree on liking one vehicle but this one has won the trophy!

[2k4CamThrilla]

Yeah I like it too.I fell inlove with it when I saw it @ the dealership. Rims look really nice. YOu can easily mistake it for a LEXUS if badges were shaved off.

[MNOutdoorsman]

I'd have to say that the room in the second row (paired with the fact that you can change the center seat out quite easily) is something I like. Being in Minnesota I'm sure I'll love the heated wiper area once the snow starts to fly, and already the heated mirrors have come in hand on a frosty morning or two. The rear glass hatch is certainly nice (coming from an Explorer which had that as well, you get quite accustomed to just opening that instead of the entire rear door.)
The Nav, and associated things it brings, like maintenance reminders, is nice, but I also like the 'mini' screen that provides useful information, like "You left the moonroof cracked open, silly" when you turn off the car.
The one thing that has suprised me how quickly I've adapted to is the Smartkey. Call me goofy, but I just love that I can just walk up to the Highlander, grab the handle, and it's unlocking as I get in. I rarely use the fob/remote functions anymore, I just leave the thing in my pocket. The simple pleasure, I guess!

[08highlander]

I am liking what I am hearing, most of the reviews have been just o.k. I really am glad that other people are enjoying it as much as I am. There are not many on the road yet I have only seen a hand full of them.

I want to put the running boards on mine but the only option right now is the original equipment Toyota ones. They are 400 dollars, the cheapest I found were on e bay I will put them on myself.

[pch316]

I purchased the factory running boards for my 08 Highlander 2 mos. ago and installed myself. It took me couple of hours to install it. It would be much better to have 2 people to do the job. I saw a website that you can purchase the running board for $373.00 at www.trdparts4u.com . Good luck.

[08highlander]

Thanks, but they are 120 dollars to ship them to Connecticut

[PaulW]

The reason we're buying an 08 Highlander is the tow rating, good size without being too big (a CX9 would be tough to fit in our garage), 3rd row delete, pop up rear window, smooth ride and good power and my wife likes how it looks and we can get it for a good price.

We considered a base MDX but even with a good discount, it's more than we want to spend. The CX9 driving position feels too low and the Ford engine doesn't give me confidence. We kind of liked the Subaru Tribeca but it's too small inside and the Pilot is old. The redesign next year will probably be nice but we don't want to wait.

[scdaren]

I agree 100% with everything said above.

The one thing I would add is the POWER and the HANDLING!

The HL is for my wife, I drive a Dodge Ram with a Hemi. The HL is now our exclusive vehicle for long trips... unlike my Ram, I can easily cruise the highways at 85 mph, and still have safe handling and tons of extra power available to pass!

Smartkey is totally cool. I also like the power liftgate... thought it was the silliest add-on when we bought the car, but the first time I was walking toward it carrying a load of groceries I saw the light...

[Fishballs15]

Originally Posted by scdaren

I also like the power liftgate... thought it was the silliest add-on when we bought the car, but the first time I was walking toward it carrying a load of groceries I saw the light...

Amen to that!!!

[summerwind]

On the Limited's the SmartKey option is great
MPG for the V6 is better then the competition
The pop up rear window in the lift gate
Heated seats
BlueTooth
Rear Backup Camera

ITS QUIET!!

The Star safety system that integrates the Electronic Power Steering into driving dynamics and cancels out any torque steer when you are going straight and changes the amount of assist based on driving conditions

The Dual Climate control system that uses Artifical Intelligence logic to control the temp. You have to just set it and forget it or it will drive you crazy. (See last page of link)

Dual Zone Technology

The full time variable AC compressor that doesn't use a clutch

The engine mounts that cancel out engine vibration

If you are a DIY oil change guy, the V6 engine is one of the easiest engines to change oil that has come along in a while. Remove the filter housing access cover, remove the canister drain bolt (or not) and use the drain tool to empty the canister housing before you remove it. Replace the O-rings add a new filter and spin on the canister housing, drain the crankcase and refill...a piece of cake

Things that could be improved..

1) Highlander specific..Hood assist pistons ala Camry to raise the hood. The hood works like the RAV4 and you have to lift a heavy hood and stick the rod in it to keep it up.
2) All Toyota products...owner control over the programmable options.
It is a frustrating to have to go to the service department to get customizable settings changed when a lot other cars allow you to scroll through a menu on a display and turn things on or off.

On Toyota's with SmartKey the owner can change the smart key setting to open all doors at once but you still have to have the service department hook up the "Intelligent tester" to change the fob button settings to do the same thing.
The SmartKey and the Remote fob are two different systems.

3) All Toyota products..One feature I really liked when I owned a Grand Cherokee was the ability to select a "Headlights on with wipers" option. I prefer driving in the "winter Pacific Northwest high humidity" with my low beams on and not just DRL's.

4) Blue tooth...Auto discovery of phones that are registered when you get into the car. If two phones are on that are registered, the default should be to ask which phone to select. The dialog required to change phones for different drivers is not user friendly.

[pbsled]

I would have to add that after full month of reading - test driving - and general shoppers anguish, I have no buyers remorse regarding our 08' HiHy purchase. It was an upgrade / replacement for our family car, which was an 02' Passat wagon with the 1.8T and 5sp. The VW was certainly a drivers car that really is not in the same class as the Highlander. However, we needed 3rd row seating with the ability to tow a trailer and we wanted about the same MPG - and I just couldn't do the minivan.

The Highlander is certainly going to meet our needs very well, and appears to have excellent engineering and build quality. I am even finding that I want to drive the new Highlander more than I did the Passat when it was new, which is really saying something I think (to me anyway). It handles well for its size and and is silent as can be on the road. I hope it lasts 20 years like I had hoped our VW should have. However, the 1.8T is a junk motor and regardless of all the preventative maintance I did on the car it was quickly becoming a constant headache. I always wondered if the VW was going to start in the morning or die on you in an intersection.

The most impressive thing so far on the Highlander to me has been the quality of the documentation, particularly on the Toyota TIS site and the overall quality of the Toyota parts and accessories. I have installed the factory hitch, tow harness, and mud guards and each item fits perfectly and the instructions are very good. The Toyota TIS site is the first one I have ever seen that utilized CAD drawings for installation instructions instead of actual photographs, which is certainly an added pass-on benefit from Toyota that I have never seen before.

I was afraid of some of the complexity of the Hybrid system, but after much reading I am certainly very impressed with the elegant simplicity that they have taken with their approach. Their system, especially as used on the Highlander, is very creative. It uses as few moving parts as possible and helps move the automotive industry forward on making an efficient "4WD" Hybrid system mainstream in the next few years. The Hybrid is really a 2WD anyway with ECU assisted 4WD. No transfer case - no drive shaft - and hence fewer rotating parts, but you get the benefit only when you need it. As long as it all works - things will be grand.

I opted for a full 120,000 mile 8-year extended bumper to bumper warranty simply because I don't want to shoe the bill for the ECU or a MG should they die, but I hope that was an extra $ just for piece of mind.

I would buy the same vehicle again ... we will see if that rings true in 10 years.

[OldStyle]

I like my 08 HL but I do have the annoying squeaks when it is cold outside. If, 4 years and 100K miles later, this is my only issue, then I will be a happy camper. Here are the main things I like:

*transmission-smooth as silk, not like the 07 I drove in FL last summer.
*engine
*drivability in snow
*that little LED light that is on at night illuminating the cup holders, this is very cool.
*Camry-like ride (wife has an 04 and she thinks the HL rides better)
*ease of getting in and out (I have a bad back so this was important)

For all those interested in the CX-9, I can only say “beware.” I had a 02 MPV that was a lemon and caused me nothing but aggravation. Mazda’s may like cool and be fun to drive, but reliability is poor. My MPV stared rusting from the inside out after 18 months. It rusted everywhere. And engine problems……don’t get me started….it’s still a sore subject. I traded that worthless MPV for the 08 HL. Oh another thing, Mazda's do not retain their value.