<p>Hi all, beginning to think about a new car after hitting the 100,000 mile mark. Would current owners of these models care to tell me about their pros and cons? Non-technicalese only please.</p>
<p>Sorry. I know you are looking for a comparo between two Toyotas but we sure have had good luck with our Xterra. Rock solid.</p>
<p>I have a Highlander and so far am impressed with it - very smooth driving for an SUV and so far no troubles. However, it seems like you are comparing apples to oranges. Wouldn’t the more appropriate comparison be the Highlander to one of its direct competitors such as the Honda Pilot? Likewise the Rav4 should be compared to something like the Honda CR-V.</p>
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<p>Ditto for my Mazda Tribute</p>
<p>I have a Toyota Highlander- bought in 2002 - purchased primarily for carting a very large Labrador. Great family vehicle- have used it for hauling daughter to a multitude of summer camps - handles well in traffic-- not like driving a truck at all. Very smooth. Have only had recommended maintenance, no problems at all with the vehicle. Gas mileage is so-so, but I do mostly city driving on a weekly basis. Lots of cargo room. I am really happy with this car. Interestingly enough, I also thought about purchasing the RAV-4, but it’s too small for our needs (family of 4 plus the dog includes an over 6 foot teenager). Vehicle has lots of headroom, seats easy to adjust, easy vehicle controls to use. I really like my car!</p>
<p>My sister in law has the hybrid highlander and she loves it. The interior is much nicer then my BMW. Before my BMW I had only owned Toyota’s. They make good safe reliable cars.
Friends of ours were considering the highlander and ended up with the Pilot since they felt the standard number of airbags on the Pilot was higher.
Between the Rav and Highlander it probably depends on what your space needs are.</p>
<p>I love my Highlander. Unfortunately, I don’t speak technicalese, so this is just my opinion. At heart, I love sports cars and drove a black Saturn SC2 with a manual transmission until I developed rheumatoid arthritis and couldn’t get in and out anymore. We also had a minivan at the time and it was too heavy for me to manipulate easily without significant pain. So we started looking around.</p>
<p>I was looking for a vehicle I could get into easily (didn’t have a high step up) and wasn’t too heavy and/cumbersome for me to manuever easily. And it had to “feel” right when I drove it. (We did test drive the Rav4 and liked it, but thought we needed more space.) The Highlander fit the bill.</p>
<p>I had never thought I would have a SUV, but I love it. You sit up high enough to see everything. It handles really well, the gas mileage is good. It just turned over 60,000 miles and we have not had to do anything other than the scheduled maintenance and replace the tires.</p>
<p>Last March, I was hit head on by a very large truck. The front end crumbled (as Toyota designed it to do). Air bags deployed, the horn was stuck, yada yada. As it was explained to me Toyota designed it to crumple to protect the passenger cab - and it did nothing was damaged where I was, my legs were not disturbed. The insurance company opted to have the front rebuilt and we took it to a Toyota certified mechanic and it is as good as new. If you didn’t know it had been wrecked you would never be able to tell.</p>
<p>The only complaint we have is that it only seats 5 people, but I think there is now an option for a third seat, but I’m not sure.</p>
<p>I think all people on CC better start thinking about either getting a hybrid car or a diesel vehicle in which they can burn BIODIESEL! The polar bear was just put on the threatened list by the Federal Govt. and the artic is going to be clear sailing in 40-50 year estimate! If any of you care about your kids and grandkids future, DO IT NOW!</p>
<p>I bought a Rav4 in September, giving my 15-year old Previa to my son. He promptly installed fake “spinners” on the hubcaps and is thrilled to drive to school in a beater whilst his peers arrive in BMWs, Mercedes and Hummers.</p>
<p>Let me say right off the bat that I don’t love Toyotas. I had a Honda Accord 20 years ago, I loved that car. Toyotas to me feel a little boring to drive. So why drive them? My back for some reason requires that I sit straight up in cars. And the Previa had the most headroom of the minivans when my kids were little, the Rav4, believe it or not, has the most headroom of anything I can find that also has decent gas mileage and is not going to take me to the repair shop very often.</p>
<p>I bought the most tricked out Rav4 I could, because in my heart I really wanted a Mercedes but none of them are comfortable for me. I have a V6 engine, 8-way power adjustable leather seats, and lots of speakers. Also a pearl metallic white paint job. </p>
<p>Do I like it? Well, I do like it. I don’t love it. It does zero for my mid-life identity crisis, or my regrets at the passing of the Pretty Fairy (see Sinner’s Alley). No young men hoot or holler at me when I pass by. However, it’s exceptionally comfortable on my back. The V6 is killer for entering Highway 101 which has infamously short entry ramps and requires that you zip into the lane or die. The sound system is good enough to shock my co-workers when I drive us all to lunch and first turn on the ignition key and hip-hop blasts through the car. It has a lot of space in the backseat for those co-workers. I miss being able to carry furniture, the way I could in my minivan, but now the minivan comes with a son who really ought to learn to help his aging mom out as her strength wanes:).</p>
<p>With 5,000 miles on it, so far no problem. And, let’s be honest, it cost way less than that Mercedes I thought I wanted, it really is fairly luxurious - albeit noiser than a Mercedes - and I don’t have to live up to it when I go out. So I am quite fond of my new car, not wildly in love, but quite fond.</p>
<p>I ruled out the Highlander because of the high cost. At least I could not find one at a reasonable price. The old RAV4 was just too small and uncomfortable. I have not been in the new, larger RAV4. As mentioned, I would also recommend looking at the Honda CRV.</p>
<p>Drive them. Not once, but several times, at various dealerships before you decide. </p>
<p>I drove the Rav-4 twice and thought I was sold; it’s cute, gas-efficient and the v-6 engine has a lot of umph (not a technical term) in the acceleration, which I like. We went to the dealership expecting to buy and I drove it again. With a purchase eminent, I suddenly felt claustrophobic in the car and realized that within a week I would regret the purchase. I pictured the four of us (well three now) driving long distances on winding ski-mountain roads and felt cooped up while I was just going around the block with the salesman. Since there was a big rebate on the Highlander, we decided to get that instead. It’s a good car, nice interior but not that stylish on the outside…I still think of it as a “mom” car because it serves for hauling kids and dogs and the back seats fold down pretty far to fit surfboards and snowboards and stuff from Home Depot. There is a tiny third seat which can fit one additional scrunched up teenager. </p>
<p>It’s not my dream performance car, but I’m pretty happy with it. </p>
<p>Unless you’re locked into Toyotas, I would also look at the newly designed Honda CR-V and the new Mazda (CX-7 or something close), which have cooler styling than the Highlander and are not as small as the Rav-4.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks for all the feedback! With regard to comparing apples to oranges, no argument here; it’s just that I stick with Toyota (despite my guilt pangs at not buying American.) So… I suspect the RAV4 would feel a bit tight after 100,000 miles in a Sienna but I’ll also be shelling out about $90K in tuition next year so the Highlander may be a little rich for my blood. I’m into basic, not “tricked out.” In fact, my hubby finally installed a CD player in my van when it hit 100,000 miles before the holidays :o)</p>
<p>The new Rav-4 is not small anymore! (I actually think that is unfortunate.) I saw one parked next to Honda Odyssey and they looked the same size! Plus I hate the tire on the back. If I was going to look at that car I’d probably buy the Honda CRV instead. I like the brand new restyling on it - they got rid of the spare tire. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t look at the Highlander (too big) but my sister has one and really likes it.</p>
<p>I test drove all these vehicles over the summer. I really liked the driving of the Subaru Forrester - zippier than any of the others. BUT I cheaped out and didn’t buy a new car. Oh well.</p>
<p>I’ve test driven many cars and have found this rating website is usually right on target. Here are links to road tests for both of these:</p>
<p><a href=“HowStuffWorks - Learn How Everything Works!”>http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2007-toyota-highlander-1.htm</a></p>
<p><a href=“HowStuffWorks - Learn How Everything Works!”>HowStuffWorks - Learn How Everything Works!;
<p><a href=“http://www.edmunds.com%5B/url%5D”>www.edmunds.com</a> is another very good source for comparing cars. They have a page where you can compare feature to feature online and a forum where people discuss cars the way people on CC discuss colleges!</p>
<p><a href=“Car Forums - Auto News, Community and Forums | Edmunds”>Car Forums - Auto News, Community and Forums | Edmunds;
<p>Both the RAV4 and the CRV are in new larger designs and great cars…we own an OLD CRV.<br>
However, I couldn’t face my 16 year old son and his six foot three friends and their musical instruments, backpacks and stuff in the RAV4 after all. It was OK with grown guests in the rear, but just too small for four adults in my book. The Pilot is a great car, too.
We bought two Highlanders…one 2005 used, and one brand new Hybrid. The minivan was sold. The 1990 Ford was sold. I gotta tell you that the Hybrid drives like a dream and my husband and I fight over driving it. No shifting gears, totally smooth, love it…better mileage a bit than the gas version and we got a decent rebate at the time of purchase.<br>
Both Highlanders handle like small cars…beautifully but two adults can feel spaciousness in the back. I wish we could have skipped the whole folding disappearing rear seat for munchkins but we got them too but not intentionally.
I really can’t recommend the Highlander Hybrid enough. It takes just a bit of experience to drive it in battery mode until second gear as the Quiet is scary at first, but you will save gas in large towns where there are traffic jams and you stop and go towards lights. It is more fun to drive than our gas version and we have to be careful not to speed. Downhill we downshift as the hybrid likes to fly. That is about it re difference. Our next car will also be a Hybrid.</p>
<p>I have never been a big fan of American cars but a friend recently replaced her Volvo SUV with a Ford Escape hybrid. She is loving it.
I also had a Sienna minivan and a Previa before it. I actually liked the Previa better. When my son wreaked the minivan I had an Escape as my rental car. I loved the size, the ease in parking. The minivan has such a open front seat area that it is hard to adjust at first to the closed in area of an SUV. I felt like I was in my compartment. The Escape I drove lacked power but it was a rental. When I replaced the van I looked at all the small SUV’s. I would have gone with a CR-V or the Rav except after never having drove a minivan for 20 yrs I really wanted to treat myself to a nicer car and ended up with the x3.</p>
<p>I like having a smaller car. You can park anywhere. The drawback you might find with the Rav is that you can’t fit the kids and all there junk in the car.</p>
<p>If you’re willing to consider non-Toyota, you might also want to check out the Hyundai Santa Fe and compare it on price, safety, warranty, quality, size, and performance with the Toyotas. It’s a brand new design and is built in America. Hyundai is actively trying to pass Toyota on quality and safety aspects.</p>
<p>I’ve read that Toyota’s actually in a bit of a quandary due to all of the SUVs they now offer including some fairly overlapping ones like the Highlander and Rav4. Since the Rav4 has grown with the current design, it’s moved somewhat into Highlander territory hence your quandary. </p>
<p>If it matters to you, it’s fairly universal that there’s little ‘wow’ factor to a Highlander although it’s no doubt a solid and reliable vehicle.</p>
<p>Thanks, Roshke! Ucla, I’ll try to keep an open mind and check it out.</p>
<p>worrywart:</p>
<p>Note that I don’t own a Santa Fe although I looked at them. I do own a Tucson mostly for my D to drive (I drive an old car) and never thought I would have owned a Hyundai but when I did all of the comparisons, for me it turned out to be the winner for that particular need.</p>
<p>OT: How come I am listed as a “junior member” beneath my screen name? How can I change that to reflect my advanced years?</p>