Number one question: What kind of off-road driving do you do or plan to do? The more specific the better.

BTW, welcome to Toyota Nation! :hi:

 

Number one question: What kind of off-road driving do you do or plan to do? The more specific the better.

BTW, welcome to Toyota Nation!

Thanks!

I am a big fun of outdoors and winter so I usually go exploring hiking trails, lakes to kayak, backcountry to ski, and so on. Usually I get away with a relatively ok dirt / gravel road. But in my quest for less crowded trails I've also been on very bad dirt roads (think big up and downs, holes in the ground, mud, random rocks and roots, etc). All of this I was able to do on Corolla so far, although some of it was done very very slowly and carefully and by a slim margin.

I've never been to Washington / Oregon so I don't really know what to expect but my intention is to explore it to the fullest (so, definitely more than "official" popular trails with nice smooth drive ins and parking lots).

 

Do you have a choice of a Four Runner? If so, that will be better for rough terrain.

 

If you can drive your Corolla every place you plan on going, then the Highlander will take you there even easier. But if your in to hard core off roading then it may not do what yo want. Ours has taken us everywhere we want to go and then some. I used to drive a Honda Prelude on some 4x4 roads and people were amazed that I could do it without bashing the car. If you take it easy and keep your head about you you can go a lot of places, and by the sound of it, you already know that.

 

Get a 4 wheel drive vehicle

Eugene....I've no experience using my HL off road. Way u describe what/where u go, get a "real 4 wheel drive" vehicle, not a 3rd Gen HL. Never had 4 wheel dr. SUV, just my trucks. Good luck!

 

as long as all 4 wheels stay connected to the ground at all times you should be fine... if you are going through holes big enought to cause any of your tires to lift you need to go 4runner with real 4x4 and locking diffs. HL is made for the streets, 4runner is made for offroad (4runner is probably the best offroad vehicle made today).

 

I've never been a big fan of taking a unibody vehicle off-road. Light off-roading on dirt trails is fine as long as you don't do it too often.


If you want to go off roading on a regular basis then get a body-on-frame vehicle (4 runner to name one). They handle it a lot better.

 

Welcome to the forum!

If you do a search, you will find an old post of a video that a Russian automotive review company takes the HL off road. You will also see how the body tweaks when on top of uneven terrain, and how this might concern you.

 

The Highlander can barely handle moderately covered snowy roads .... I have found it's 'All Wheel Drive' to be very lacking, and not very confidence inspiring. AWD is DEFINITELY NOT 4 Wheel Drive. Subaru arguably has the best AWD system around.... all of their cars come equipped with it, and they have the system down from what I read online.

If you are going to be going offroad - even on a moderate trail - I wouldn't recommend the Toyota Highlander.... it's like taking a mini van off the pavement.

I just bought one of these the other day..... Trail Rated and a legitimate offroad vehicle. Doesn't ride as smooth as the Highlander by a long shot..... but I would say they are about equal in terms of rattles and squeeks over somewhat rough road surfaces....

Plus - the Wrangler is WAAAAAAAAAAY more fun to drive.

 

The Highlander can barely handle moderately covered snowy roads .... I have found it's 'All Wheel Drive' to be very lacking, and not very confidence inspiring. AWD is DEFINITELY NOT 4 Wheel Drive.

I have no problem with the AWD system of the Highlander once I got better all-season tires that are snow rated.


The HL is more then capable of handling New England winters - even when we go skiing in the White Mountains. No problem with the several lake-effect storms I've encountered when visiting relatives in upstate NY. I was there a month two winters ago where that month alone they had over 100" of snow. Was driving all over the place without any issues.




The term AWD and 4wd have become blurred over the years. I've owned many 4wd systems, and this is my first AWD system. It's more then capable.

 

Hey Phil - - notice the lack of 'chrome' on my new Wrangler? I've been converted..... love the military/stealthy look.

 

lol...I see that....Glad you're enjoying!
(Looks great, and yes, FUN!)

 

If you want to do dirt in a Toyota, buy a 4-Runner. I use my Wrangler.

 

As someone who has off-roaded vehicles over 35 years now and has owned an operated all kinds of AWD and 4x4, I think the important point to make is that most off-roading really requires high ground clearance with some traction elements thrown in. I can and have taken my 2nd Gen AWD Highlander to about 90% of the off-road locations I've ever wanted to go, and for the remaining ten percent I need a true 4x4. I'll add that IMO, 80% of off-roading can be done with a 2WD SUV or pickup as long as it has adequate ground clearance. It's the technical off-roading, such as rock crawling, that is the realm of the true 4x4.

For my 2nd Gen at least (I won't/can't speak for the 3rd Gen due to its different AWD system), its Kryptonite is anything like rocky terrain or rutted terrain that gets even one wheel off the ground or otherwise loses traction, and most often you'll stop dead in your tracks. The best of the Highlander is taking it into sand, where I've witnessed and personally experienced the Highlander roaming through sand while 4x4s in high-range bogged down in the exact same location. That's why many lifeguard services across America use Highlanders for their beach patrols.

For the type of "off-roading" most users would choose to do, which is graded and non-graded dirt roads, handling some mud, snow, or slick boat ramps, the Highlander will do just fine. If you intend on technical off-road excursions, then get a 4x4. That's why I have the Samurai as you can see in my sig.

 

For the type of "off-roading" most users would choose to do, which is graded and non-graded dirt roads, handling some mud, snow, or slick boat ramps, the Highlander will do just fine.

That's half the roads in my town. A good portion are NOT paved. Can be a devil to drive in the winter without an awd/4wd system. My wife won't drive many of them during the winter with her Lexus.

 

I live in the PNW and work with different utilities around the region. I've been to both public and private National Forest Service roads and unless you go through them everyday, and you don't tow anything, the Highlander with good tires is more than adequate. Most public trailheads have accessible roads with gravel if they're not paved. Some area has dustless gravel which is awesome, but more often they're the dusty gravels.

I'd say run the Highlander with winter tires in the winter, and beefy off road tires for the spring summer fall, something like the BFG All-Terrain T/A KO2's - in that case you can run it all year round since it has the snow-rated capability. I have them on my work F-150 truck and they're pretty quiet on the highway, which probably important since you'll spend most of the time in the highway anyway, and maybe only 20% on those trail roads.

Looks like the KO2's can be had in 255/55R18 or 265/60R18, which are pretty close to OEM size w/ 18".

 

There is a sandy road in the deserts in Cali to see the wildflowers bloom after an unusual rainy season in Anzo Borego, I think its called....
There is a dirt trail that gets sanding and loose. Its mostly even with some softer areas in parts than others. Not very challenging looking, but I saw a few cars stuck in it that needed a "tow" out(4x4 used a tow belt and got them out). There were a few times I felt it could be me in the HLander. Driving skills, luck and the variable ground condition are all in the mix to get you out or stuck. If you do it often, I would recommend a 4x4, as it sounds like you would enjoy it, and you'd eventually want to do some uneven grounds....then break a transaxel or something instead of worrying about getting tires suck.

 

If you know Anza Borrego well, you might be shocked that I got an Acura Integra out to Font's Point....twice. It was off-road skill and some luck that got me out there. I deflated the tires to 15 PSI, put the car in 2nd gear, and kept my speed up through the deeper sand. It was a challenge, but I did it. I had a friend with a Jeep Wrangler available to tow me out just in case.

 

That might be it...Font's Point/?
Its a path that you can drive through with a slight incline...not far from the tin metal scorpion and camel sculptures.
I have been there a couple times at least...regardless I am shocked that you got an ACURA through it! :surprise:

 

A HL will be more than adequate to handle the PNW. Unless you are trying to do some serious Trail riding an AWD vehicle will surely get you there. I grew up in Oregon and lived in Alaska for a few years. I owned a 14 Outback previously and that thing was a monster through the snow. My bother also uses one regularly to enjoy the Mt. Hood National forest. Most trails you will encounter to find good hiking are going to be logging roads that are pretty well maintained. Plus it's pretty much what everyone does so there is usually parking at the start of any trails lol.

 

A couple great spots for Highlander and Corolla off-roading: >

 

What you can do and what you should do are different things. I would never take a Corrola off road because the risk of damage is too high. Same with the Highlander, If you want an adventure vehicle there are better tools for the job. Buy a beater jeep or Tacoma 4x4 or something else. The Highlander is a nice road car that enjoys enhanced safety on road with its all wheel drive. I can make a submarine from beers cans, but I probably shouldn't.

 

 

 

Anyone foolish enough to go off-roading with a unibody vehicle gets what they deserve. I've seen unibody vehicles after a road trip. Rear hatch wouldn't shut at all. The two rear doors would shut, but extremely difficult. Had to take it to a body shop to get the truck straightened at a cost of over $1000. Unibody vehicles do NOT like to be twisted.

 

VW disagrees, with the Touareg. I doubt expect any Highlander to tackle trails like the TFL guys been pushing their used Touareg.

Get the car to a trailhead for hiking or mountain biking, that's something I expect a Highlander to do.

 

My Jeep XJ was a unibody vehicle. It was an offroad monsta'. RIP... miss my Jeeps.

Must only use 'framed' vehicles... like a pickup truck

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I'll take you on trails in the NH White Mountains with my 4runner. You can follow behind in an XJ. I'd be surprised if the XJ gets out of there without some good body twist. I'm sure the XJ and Highlander can do well in many off-road trails. Just be careful of trails that'll cause body twist.

The SUV that got completely twisted I reported on earlier was a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

 

I don’t think the difficulty was ever defined for “off-road” any vehicle can break down on pavement or dirt. But the driver is ultimately responsible for his/her own vehicle. What you do with your vehicle is up to you so long you are following local/state/federal laws and being respectful on the trails. I believe that as long as all wheels stay connected and you don’t stress the unibody to the point of “totaling” the vehicle, it’s quite capable. Note how “crawling” “Jeep trails” and “4x4 trails” where not used in this thread so any reference to them while talking “off-road” would seem quite out of scope.

 

FWIW, most vehicles have more off road capability in the hands of a skilled driver than you might expect. Also, you can go any where in your highlander that you went in your Corolla, and probably farther because of increased ground clearance.

 

FWIW, most vehicles have more off road capability in the hands of a skilled driver than you might expect.

Just because it's capable doesn't mean there won't be damage. There are several trails I know of in NH that I'm sure the HL can handle. But it'll cause significant body twist - I'd never take the chance. And just because all 4 wheels are on the ground doesn't mean there won't be body twist.

 

Also amazed the Touareg has a 7700 lbs towing capacity with a 3.6 liter V6.

 

The BMW X5 6 cylinder has 7k of towing capacity with just under 3 liters, although it’s turbocharged. A V8 is also an option.