Highlander Hybrid - not a 2008

niccig · Apr 7, 2008

We're looking at options to replace my car, a Subaru Tribeca. DH is interested in the Highlander Hybrid. We have a Prius that he loves, and I was in a taxi Prius in Vancouver that had done 1 million miles in 4 years.

Anyone know anything about the Highlander Hybrid safety/reliability. We will get an older model and it will be kept for as long as possible.

Thanks.

aisraeltax · Apr 7, 2008

we looked at this about a month ago when we were in the mkt. for a new car that would seat at least 6. I did find that it shook a little when going into hybrid mode. I also didn't like the fact that the back seats (3d row) didnt have LATCH.

Our MAJOR concern was gas mileage. We did look at a 2008 though b/c we couldnt find a 2007 in our area...they aren't being traded in very often.

Good luck...post if you find one.

niccig · Apr 7, 2008

Thanks. I'll check out the shaking you describe. Our Prius doesn't do that. We'll probably test drive a 2008 to check it out, and then hunt around. There's a few 2006 models in our area. We fine with seating 5, don't need a 3rd row as we've use the Subaru's 3rd row 2 or 3 times in 3 years, not enough to warrant one. As long as 2 people can sit beside DS, we're fine.

Peony · Apr 7, 2008

We had an 06 Highlander Hybrid, we really liked it. The only reason we got rid of it was because the 3rd is a major PIA if you are using it on a daily/frequent basis and when DD2 was born, her health issues required someone to sit with her hence the reason DD1 was in the 3rd row. We did not have a shaking issue at all, it was a very nice, very well made SUV. We took several trips in it, I am still sad that we couldn't keep it.

niccig · Apr 7, 2008

Thanks Peony. We've barely used our 3rd row, so I don't see the 3rd row being an issue for us. Mostly we just need 2 people beside DS in the 2nd row. When we have used the 3rd row, it's been me as I'm the shortest/smallest and only for short trips - under 30mins.

DILLIGAFF · Apr 7, 2008

Sorry to burst your bubble, those cars as is right now are a waste of money. You will not get your money back since you pay more for them. You are shifting the saving cost to a higher car payment. That makes NO financial sense whatsoever.

Yes, it will drink less gas but no much less than another SUV. To regaing your money, you have to own the vehicle for several years, before pass the point when you consider another purchase.

As is right now, is just a fad, the technology is not quiet there yet for cars. Is been used for ages (almost 100 years) on Submarines, Trains and Ships.

natysr · Apr 7, 2008

I don't know anything about the Hylander Hybrid, but I wanted to say WOW to 1 millions miles in 4 years on the Prius!

And I thought the 98,000 miles on my Civic Hybrid which is 22 months old was alot!

twokidstwodogs · Apr 7, 2008

DILLIGAFF said:
Sorry to burst your bubble, those cars as is right now are a waste of money. You will not get your money back since you pay more for them. You are shifting the saving cost to a higher car payment. That makes NO financial sense whatsoever.

Of course, lots of people buy hybrids for environmental reasons alone, even if it doesn't end up saving money in the end. If I bought one, that would be why. (And I will, as soon as someone makes a hybrid small station wagon!)

natysr · Apr 7, 2008

DILLIGAFF said:
Sorry to burst your bubble, those cars as is right now are a waste of money. You will not get your money back since you pay more for them. You are shifting the saving cost to a higher car payment. That makes NO financial sense whatsoever.

Yes, it will drink less gas but no much less than another SUV. To regaing your money, you have to own the vehicle for several years, before pass the point when you consider another purchase.

As is right now, is just a fad, the technology is not quiet there yet for cars. Is been used for ages (almost 100 years) on Submarines, Trains and Ships.

This is a blanket statement that simply isn't true in all cases.

We were lucky enough to purchase our hybrid through the costco program. We bought in the summer of 2006 and got our car w/ Navigation for only $1,600 more than the MSRP of a standard civic (and for only a couple hundred dollars over the dealer invoice on the hybrid). Also, for that year we received a tax credit of $2,100 on our income taxes for purchasing the car. So, we actually ended up spending less on the civic hybrid than we would have if we purchased a standard Civic.

TXAggieTech · Apr 7, 2008

Check the center install with your car seat first. I can't remember for sure but I think it was an 08 Highlander that I couldn't get a good fit. It had a tumble seat for the center. The seat was either a Companion or a Roundabout. Sorry, very bad memory.

brightredmtn · Apr 8, 2008

One of my best friends has a 06 Hi Hy. I have installed a Roundabout and a Blvd rear facing drivers outboard position by LATCH and it's a beautiful install!

The biggest benefit to the Hi Hy is that you have super low emissions, the gas mileage doesn't improve that much as hybrids get bigger (so you won't experience the same difference that a regular Civic would have to a Civic Hybrid.) A RAV-4 has better gas mileage than even the Hi Hy and if you really want a 3rd row the RAV-4 has that as an option (although I don't think a grown up would fit very well in it.)

brightredmtn · Apr 8, 2008

TXAggieTech said:
Check the center install with your car seat first. I can't remember for sure but I think it was an 08 Highlander that I couldn't get a good fit. It had a tumble seat for the center. The seat was either a Companion or a Roundabout. Sorry, very bad memory.

Yes I remember seeing a commercial that the 08s had a redesigned center 2nd row seat to made exiting the 3rd row easier. I could see how that could effect an installation.

niccig · Apr 8, 2008

Thanks everyone. We're looking at an 06 model, which doesn't have the tumble seat and is cheaper than the 2008 by out 10,000. We plan to keep it for years. DH also wants the 4x4 which is really just AWD, which is fine, but harder to come by in the hybrid. So, we'll have to see what's available.

As for the Prius taxi I was in. The guy said it was the first Prius taxi ever apparently, and they put about 200 miles on it every day. In that time, he's had to replace the transmission 3x, each time that was $800 and the 12volt battery in the trunk. He said he's never had a problem with the electric battery, which is the most expensive component. We've had our Prius for the same amount of time but only 45,000 miles, and we have a carpool sticker on it. This car will be driven for ever.

SafeDad · Apr 10, 2008

DILLIGAFF said:
Sorry to burst your bubble, those cars as is right now are a waste of money. You will not get your money back since you pay more for them. You are shifting the saving cost to a higher car payment. That makes NO financial sense whatsoever.

Yes, it will drink less gas but no much less than another SUV. To regaing your money, you have to own the vehicle for several years, before pass the point when you consider another purchase.

As is right now, is just a fad, the technology is not quiet there yet for cars. Is been used for ages (almost 100 years) on Submarines, Trains and Ships.

While hybrids don't improve fuel economy as much on the highway (where aerodynamics are the main factor), they are a significant improvement around town. You can go to www.fueleconomy.gov to see the differences and they can be substantial.

At $3.50 a gallon and increasing, it is definitely possible to save enough on fuel costs to offset the added cost of a hybrid model over its non-hybrid counterpart. This is especially true if you put a lot of miles on the vehicle and keep it for many years. There are a number of calculators for this on the web that allow you to see if a hybrid makes economic sense for each person's situation.

Cost savings is not the only reason to buy a hybrid. Lower greenhouse and particulate emissions is another reason that may be worth any added cost to many people.

Highlander Hybrid - not a 2008

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