Wrapper

[SteVTEC]

Hmm...this is a little late but oh well.

My fiance and I have a 2002 Highlander AWD Limited and it's sweet. At only 3880lb it's 500-600 lb lighter than a lot of other SUV's so it feels pretty light on its feet for an SUV and the 1MZ-FE VVT-i engine gives plenty of thrust with not much weight to drag around. It's very comfortable on the highway on long trips, ride is very quiet, and mileage is excellent. On a trip from the DC area to Virginia Beach (4 hour trip each way) we averaged about 23-24 mpg. The transmission is also very smooth and knows what gear it ought to be in. And unlike the Pilot, the HL doesn't have to rely in a ridiculously tall Z E R O power overdrive gear to meet fuel mileage targets. At 80 mph it is turning about 3000rpm which keeps it nice and responsive - you rarely need a downshift to 3rd. All that and 23-24 mpg also.

Here's some pics...



The AWD system proved pretty capable for light duty off road stuff, and it even made it all the way out to the water through the deeper sand at the Outer Banks, NC (near that truck in the far-center of the pic on the right). But that was with going through somebody else's tracks. It couldn't cut a path through the deep stuff by itself. I felt it losing traction and probably about to get stuck and quickly steered it back into some previous ruts. All you'd need are some off-road biased tires. The OEM tires are designed to give a good on-road ride and weren't intended for off-roading.

All in all we love it.