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Archive for the ‘Toyota Highlander’ Category

The market trend is quickly shifting from sedans to crossovers and SUVs. However, SUVs have two major cons when compared to their segment counterparts – high retail price and poor fuel economy. Even though they are a practical choice thanks to additional cabin and cargo space, it’s a little difficult for everyone to afford an SUV. So why not go for a used SUV instead? You don’t take the depreciation hit that first owner does, and since SUVs are built to last a lifetime, you can get an almost-new SUV at half the original price.

Now that we’ve planted this seed in your head, let’s have a look at the best used SUVs from 2016 with high fuel efficiency.

Toyota is lending a helping hand to a team of paleontologists from the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis who are surveying an undisclosed site in northern Wyoming. The team of scientists, led by world-renowned paleontologists Dr. Phil Manning and Dr. Victoria Egerton, are in the area looking for fossilized dinosaur bones. Toyota is supporting the expedition by lending a pair of Tundra pickups and a Land Cruiser to help carry the scientists, their gear, and whatever fossils they dig up.

SUVs rose to popularity in the early 2000s, with customers being drawn to their large cabins, higher ride height, and perceived safety. The fact that automakers scored bigger profit margins from them also contributed to the surge. Starting in 2015, sales of SUVs started dominating the auto industry, and carmakers began building them in all shapes and sizes. But, while you can buy everything from compacts to full-size vehicles with taller ride height, three-row SUVs are limited to only midsize and large SUVs.

It’s obviously a matter of practicality here. And, while most haulers aren’t exactly practical, three-row vehicles retain one of the most important features of original SUVs: the ability to carry more than five people. With minivans almost extinct, the three-row SUV is arguably the most practical of its kind. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at the ten best three-row SUVs you can buy today and compare what they offer in terms of features, power, and third-row practicality.

Toyota is bringing a new and “significantly enhanced” version of its Highlander SUV to this New York Auto Show, giving customers yet another choice if they want a high quality utility vehicle. The 2017 Toyota Highlander comes with new and updated equipment and technology plus new trim grades.

As a spacious three-row family SUV, the 2017 Toyota Highlander is mostly about the interior and the level of refinement and equipment you find in there. But we have to say, the exterior design isn’t bad, either. The car features a large and sporty grille and it looks more muscular than most other offerings in this segment. You also get plenty of choice when it comes to trim levels, where in addition to the existing Limited and Platinum you get the sport SE plus LE, LE Plus, and XLE, or if you go Hybrid LE and XLE.

As for the mechanical highlights of the new Outlander, the biggest change is the addition of a new Direct Shift 8AT automatic transmission to the 3.5 liter V6 engine which is mainly designed for enhanced fuel efficiency. All models with the exception of the LE (which gets a 2.7-liter 4-cylinder paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission) also come standard with a new Stop and Start Engine System (S&S), further improving frugality. Hybrid models, meanwhile, continue to receive the electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Other highlights of 2017 Toyota Highlander worth mentioning include new exterior colors such as Celestial Silver Metallic, Toasted Walnut Pearl and Salsa Red, up to five USB ports, 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels and tuned suspension on SE models, and Toyota Safety Sense package as standard.

The post Official: 2017 Toyota Highlander appeared first on Motorward.

The crossover segment is on fire these days and Toyota is not letting its popular Highlander age out of the fight. Debuting at the 2016 New York Auto Show on March 23, the 2017 Highlander will boast several changes and upgrades for its mid-cycle update. The current, third-generation Highlander debuted for the 2013 model year and has done very well in the segment, posting record-setting sales gains in both 2014 and 2015 with 146,127 and 158,915 examples sold, respectively. Toyota is undoubtedly banking on these updates to further accelerate that trend.

Headlining the changes is a refreshed front grille, a new 3.5-liter V-6, an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission, available LE and XLE trims now on the hybrid, the sporty new SE trim level, and a host of safety features now coming standard. The Highlander will continue to offer seating for up to eight, a choice of a four-cylinder, hybrid, or V-6 powertrain, FWD or AWD, and a bevy of optional equipment. For those not smitten with the minivan segment, the Highlander is Toyota’s premiere people-hauler.

Though Toyota has not released all the details ahead of the 2017 Highlander’s launch, we’ve got plenty to talk about until March 23. Stick around and lets have a look.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Toyota Highlander.

Since 2000, the Toyota Highlander has enjoyed a comfortable top spot as a nondescript suburban do-all, adept at hauling families, tackling snow days and offering better road manners than the average SUV thanks to its Camry-based underpinnings. Reliable and useful, but not particularly exciting, was the recipe.

Has that changed, though? The latest Highlander, redesigned in 2013 and tweaked again for 2016, is larger, bolder and more luxurious than its predecessors. The new Highlander has curb presence, and the eye-catching design is just the beginning. The spacious interior would look equally at home in a Lexus product, and Toyota’s added items like an available panoramic glass roof for additional “wow” factor. A longer wheelbase provides additional room for third-row passengers, and the Highlander has grown into a viable minivan alternative.

Though rarely the darlings of enthusiasts, family-sized crossovers like the Highlander are important volume vehicles for manufacturers like Toyota. Not only does the Highlander fill an important midsize niche for the marque, but it also serves as a representative of the brand (and, by extension, Lexus) through which buyers my graduate to other Toyota products in the future. That’s why the Highlander’s upgraded style is significant: it’s not enough to just be a competent vehicle these days. The key to success is to bring ’em back for more.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Toyota Highlander.