As you likely have heard from the local newsies screaming EXTREE EXTREE READ ALL ABOUT IT! TOYOTA TO MAKE HIGHLANDER AN EV from outside your window, rising above the din of the fishmongers and steam-powered hurdy-gurdy music, yes, Toyota’s mainstream crossover, the Highlander, is now driven by electrons. That’s the big reveal of this Toyota event I’m at, and I have a chance to see it for “content creation” in about an hour. So, is there anything in particular you’d like me to get a good look at?
There’s a few crucial things I know I’ll be checking out: does it have a frunk? I suspect not, but I’m ever-hopeful. Are the rear turn indicators amber or red? Are there any good Easter Eggs hidden in this thing? How do the floormats taste? Can you sleep in it? What’s it smell like? Is it actually interesting?
In full, brutal honesty, the Highlander has never been a vehicle I’ve been that interested in, at least once I realized that these were not the “there can be only one” sort of Highlanders, and, as a result, were free from the torments and joys of The Quickening:
But now that it’s electric, it has a little more in common with The Quickening, which seems to involve a hell of a lot of electricity:
So, I’ll see how much this dramatic byproduct of immortality relates to these new crossovers.
So, what would you like me to find out? Or test or do? I’ll read over the comments and see if I can manage anything you’ve asked for. Unless you want me to slash the tires. Toyota has already told me not to do that. Again.
Top graphic image: Toyota
Can you just run your hand underneath the side of the vehicle, and let us know how it is?
Inquiring minds need to know how it feels down there.
“So, what would you like me to find out?”
Does it have the NACS charge port and access to Tesla’s charging network?
“ Or test or do?”
How many cheeseburgers can you put on the windshield before the wipers aren’t strong enough to wipe them off?
” Unless you want me to slash the tires. “
Nah… don’t do that. Instead… see if there are any easily-removable knobs… and steal them!
But speaking of tires… does it come with a spare tire and jack? And if it has a spare, is it an under-the-floor deal where it’s exposed to the elements or is it inside under the trunk floor?
If it’s now electric did Toyota preserve the core Highlander experience?
I mean, does driving this Highlander still make you feel exactly the same way one feels when contemplating a bucket of wallpaper paste?
How many cup holders?
When will they fix the TTV6
After seeing all of the domestics cancelling and writing down the losses on their EVs, are they actually going to sell this in the US?
How does it compare to Hyundai/Kia? They’re pretty dialed in right now.
As much as I love the Hyundai/Kia twins and own an I5 myself, the Toyota won’t have ICCU issues.
I see a lot of people so put off by Hyundai ICCU failures that they refuse to buy what are otherwise fantastic EVs.
I hope Hyundai gets their act together soon. However, there also seem to be a lot of bots and bad actors on social media making ICCU failures look much more common than they really are.
Does Toyota have any V2H plans? If not, does it do V2L? Are there integrated outlets?
Spare tire?
Is heat pump standard?
I can comfortably answer that without knowing anything about the vehicle: No.
The current Prius hybrid has space for a spare tire and tools, but the car does not come with them. You can buy all the parts from the service department should you so desire. The Prius PHEV has no space for a spare due to the larger battery so you are completely SOL unless you want to carry it in the cargo area. I see no reason why Toyota would give you one on the EV. It’s unlikely to be the deciding factor in whether someone purchases the vehicle. Most people may not even realize it doesn’t have a spare until they need it.
I’d love to know if
1) can it V2H?
2) can the rear seat be fully removed?
3) what’s the battery chemistry?
4) where’s the charge port, I very much dislike trying to NACS charge at a drivers side front port.
Sometimes I feel like I am the only woman in this entire commentariat.
How many cup holders does it have? Are the HVAC controls physical or do I have to risk life and limb looking at a goddamn touch screen? How many granola bars can I fit in the glove box? What’s the charging port situation? Does it have CarPlay? Can it easily switch between my work and personal phones? Is there a built in garbage can (how come no one has these anymore?)? Do the seat warmers automatically turn on when I remote start? Does the kick feature for the power liftgate actually work? IS THERE SPACE IN THE FRONT FOR MY PURSE OR DO I HAVE TO KEEP SHOVING IT UNDER MY LEFT ELBOW??
I’m not a woman, but I am married to one, I do want to learn more about family vehicles, and I do wish there was a little less of this:
from the writers/reviewers.
Like it’s fine if Torch personally isn’t interested in this vehicle, but considering that’s the case, would it be so hard to send someone who *is* interested to review it? I enjoy reading his reviews, but now I’ll likely enjoy this one a little less knowing it’s a begrudging review. All the questions you ask are ones that I hope get answered, and I kind of wish someone who cared about the vehicle a little more was there to write about it.
Kind of reminds me of when Jeremy Clarkson would be annoyed that he had to review “normal” cars.
Please note that I am not in any other way comparing Torch to Clarkson. 🙂
Given that they won’t tell you what you’re going to be looking at beforehand (a big secret reveal!), a little harder to match the likely interest level to a particular writer.
A Highlander is not a vehicle that interests me either, but I’ll read Torch’s review just because I expect to find the write up entertaining.
You’d love my I5. The floor is completely flat, which means there’s space for a normal-sized purse in between the front two seats, and space for a hugeee purse underneath the arm rest.
I did not even consider this until a female friend of mine got on and went “wow-there’s space for my purse!” and put it underneath the armrest.
I then started looking at every other car and had an absolutely epiphany, suddenly wondering HOW HAS NO ONE THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE!?
I remember my mom always having to put her purse in the passenger footwell, which annoyed me when I was sitting in that seat, and also the floor can get kinda dirty in winter!
By the way, a lot of Hyundais, including mine, have this feature where instead of trying to kick underneath the rear hatch, you can just stand there for 3 seconds and it will open. I turned it off, but I have to think that’s a better solution than the kick. I have two friends with Lincolns, and the kick to open works like 20% of the time. I have no idea what it wants me to do to get the trunk to reliably open with a kick.
Good to know! Priuses used to have a big space in front of the center console for a purse. Not sure if the new ones do. I have every aftermarket hook, sling, basket, whatever. Just make space in the front!
The liftgate thing is interesting. The “stand there for 3 seconds” could be great or terrible …
My friend has a 2020 Prius, and it has a traditional center console; definitely not enough room for a purse. Now that I think about it, that’s weird. His is AWD, but there’s no driveshaft because the rear wheels are driven exclusively by an electric motor.
I don’t know about the current gen Priuses.
The nice thing about not needing to kick to open the tailgate is that you aren’t throwing yourself off balance if both arms are full of groceries/kids/dogs, etc., However I am honestly not sure how well the “stand there for 3 seconds” option works. I’d be opening the tailgate all the time by accident in my garage, so I disabled it.
You’re not the only woman.
I too want to know about kick power liftgate.
I also wanna see one of those overlays that shows the difference in dimensions between, say, a 2006 Highlander and this one.
What’s your opinion on the tail lights?
I would like to know why they aren’t releasing a small, electrified truck.
I saw this at exactly an hour after it was posted.