New 2017 HL owners, please post your impressions - the good, bad, and ugly
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Good thing you posted a thread about this because I would not have wanted to find this info in the "Refreshed 2017...." thread.
Sorry that the topic does not meet with your approval. Since the "Refreshed HL thread" began back in March and contains of hodgepodge of issues, speculation, and opinions, I wanted to see if I could isolate real owner thoughts in a separate thread.
2017 XLE first impressions
Got our new 2017 XLE highlander yesterday. We traded in our 2011 Highlander V-6 base with tech package so the XLE is definitely an upgrade! Here are my first impressions:
Ride-the 17' is even more quiet than the 11'
Fit & finish-hands down the 17' feels more plush and upscale
Handling-I noticed a big difference in how much I need to push on the accelerator. With the 11' you could punch on the accelerator very easily. The 17' seems like it needs a little more pressure to get going but the extra horsepower is definitely there. The steering is more responsive and feels like the turning radius is improved
Cargo area-the cargo area even with the third row up is improved
Comfort-seats are great, love the driver side seat lengthening feature, lots of leg room in first & second row
Radio-love the display and the bluetooth speaker is definitely better quality than the 11'
Exterior-Love the new look. We think the front grill looks very sporty
All in all, we love our new vehicle. Looking forward to years of driving enjoyment!:smile:
Got our new 2017 XLE highlander yesterday. We traded in our 2011 Highlander V-6 base with tech package so the XLE is definitely an upgrade! Here are my first impressions:
Ride-the 17' is even more quiet than the 11'
Fit & finish-hands down the 17' feels more plush and upscale
Handling-I noticed a big difference in how much I need to push on the accelerator. With the 11' you could punch on the accelerator very easily. The 17' seems like it needs a little more pressure to get going but the extra horsepower is definitely there. The steering is more responsive and feels like the turning radius is improved
Cargo area-the cargo area even with the third row up is improved
Comfort-seats are great, love the driver side seat lengthening feature, lots of leg room in first & second row
Radio-love the display and the bluetooth speaker is definitely better quality than the 11'
Exterior-Love the new look. We think the front grill looks very sporty
All in all, we love our new vehicle. Looking forward to years of driving enjoyment!:smile:
Tks. for update. When I test drive 2017 I'll answer my own q, but till then........
I understand u manually have to activate power mode. So....
If u start off in ECO mode can u switch to Power Mode on the road or have to start off in pmode? Comparing ECO mode to power mode. When in ECO mode & u need more power to go faster etc, does tranny downshift & pick up speed rather fast or ? Good luck & enjoy your new ride. Tnx.
You can switch to power mode at any time but not when the vehicle is moving. I don't play with it enough to see what it's really doing. What I would really want to know is 0-60 comparison with the accelerator floored to see how much of a difference it makes. I do think that you have to have the accelerator pushed down more if you want more power which I have no problem with.
The change between the modes is possible at any speed.
I compared engine RPM's at 65mph by toggling between eco and power and found zero difference as long as I was driving on level pavement. But any degree of incline caused the tranny to downshift in the power mode which resulted in an increase of about 200/300 RPM .
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took delivery of a 2017 xle awd nearly 3 weeks ago. so far have found the ride quiet, smooth, and stable. love it!
Got a limited before Christmas and really like it. The start/stop feature I am hoping somebody comes out with a way to by pass it so it stays off permanently. I'm sorry just because there doing it for the corporate fuel economy ratings I feel the gas saved will not pay for the additional battery's and starters. I find it annoying and just because they install it doesn't mean I have to use it. You have to turn it off every time you start the vehicle. Sorry first post I'll get off my soap box now.
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Just going to echo what everyone else has mentioned so far. Very quiet and smooth ride with a sometimes annoying on/off feature. A minor gripe - my rear license plate cover constantly rattles and it is very audible on local roads
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I put a few of those round, stick-on felt pads under the license plate. I attached them to the HL instead of the back of the plate so nothing would bounce around and rub against the car.
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I agree. It is One of the reasons I bought a 2016....
Without a frame the car washes tend to bend the plate. Keep an eye on it.
I find the start/stop system is pretty seamless. Other than monitoring the vibration and watching the instrument panel, I don't think I would notice it. I've even set it to extended pauses to see whether the climate control really becomes more problematic or not. My understanding is that the batteries and starter are "beefed up" to handle all of the extra cycles so we'll see what the experience is going forward.
If you try to defeat it by turning it off all the time then it just gets more annoying. For me, increased fuel economy is a kind of performance that you keep track of knowing that it really doesn't matter that much - just like the extra HP I was getting out of my V8 previously but hardly ever needed.
If you try to defeat it by turning it off all the time then it just gets more annoying. For me, increased fuel economy is a kind of performance that you keep track of knowing that it really doesn't matter that much - just like the extra HP I was getting out of my V8 previously but hardly ever needed.
My '17 has the same size/capacity battery (24F) as my old '14.
The '17 starter does turn the engine over faster.
Vanity lights are dim
Hi,
Has anyone else noticed that the 2017 Highlander vanity mirrors are very dim? The ones in our 2011 were much much brighter...I know its kind of minor, but they lights are so dim, they are pretty useless. Wondering if anyone else noticed:think:
Hi,
Has anyone else noticed that the 2017 Highlander vanity mirrors are very dim? The ones in our 2011 were much much brighter...I know its kind of minor, but they lights are so dim, they are pretty useless. Wondering if anyone else noticed:think:
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