If we ever encountered excessive wheel spin and we needed to cut power we could use the snow button. But that was never the case. On this vehicle it doesn’t do anything but cut power.
I have no idea why, but I absolutely love winter reviews of SUVs. I wish more reviewers would take this type of angle. I'd like to see the vehicle the way I'd use it. Show me video of the vehicle at the gas station. Walking up to it in a mall parking lot. Driving at night to pick up some milk. Let me envision what my life will look like.. not all the tech specs that, after one week, I'll forget about.
Yes!!. Living in a snowy area I always want to see what real life driving in snow is like. I specifically search for the vehicle I’m interested winter driving. I too wish more people made these videos.
I see a lot of people putting down the rear seat saying what’s the point, it makes no sense, might as well get a bigger suv or save with a smaller 4 seater suv since the 3rd row is basically useless. If you try to rationalize the 3rd row like that, no it doesn’t sound right, but in practice it does make a lot of sense. Although we haven’t had a chance to test out the third row on our 2020 yet, we had a 2012 for the last 5 years and the 3rd row seating was very similar in fact a bit worse. We have 3 kids of quite different sizes and we took a lot of trips with that car from skiing to camping and just random trips in-between and I can tell you that having that 3rd row, albeit small, made all the difference in the world; it is often what allowed us to do it. With skis on the roof of course, we had 2 kids in the back seats and one in the 3rd row. It may be cramped for a big person but for the average kid or even a teenager it’s more than perfect, in fact it was often the sought after seat because they could sort of spread out a bit having the bench to themselves. As well, many times with kids, we had to pick up 2 at school and sometimes we would pick up another 2 friends as well that were coming over for the weekend for a sleepover in coordination with their parents. It was nice to be able to just have that 3rd row where in a pinch you could put two preteen kids and make it work. With our oldest kid, there were times that the third row facilitated a multi friend pick up or drop off for a special event, and for a short enough trip, teenagers were more than able to make that 3rd row work. Sure, 95 percent of the time that 3rd row is never used but if it wasn’t there, we would be forced to buy either a minivan or a much larger SUV so that we could make sure we had the space to do these things when they would come up, and that would be unfortunate because we don’t need either of those kinds of vehicles for our average day to day needs. If we went with a smaller SUV with the logic of “what’s the point in even having the 3rd row”, let’s go with a RAV4 or something and save some money, well, that wouldn’t work at all because you’re immediately limiting yourself to very few options in terms of outings with your family. The 3rd row even in its cramped state gives many families that versatility to accommodate special circumstances without having to go with a drastically different kind of vehicle, and I think the designers knew what they were doing when they made it this way.
She does seem to be a good natured sort. Something about her face and smile adds to these video's in my opinion. I also like the idea that she can help him as a spotter and if need be in other ways to make the video's safer. After he's less likely to keep making these video's if he gets to bad stuck or something.
Toyota is definitely taking a bold path with it's styling trends, but this seems like a necessary step forward in terms of technology, features and ability.
Thanks for the yet another awesome video! We're thinking about upgrading from a 2019 Rav4 (without AWD) to a Highlander but probably not the platinum model. Definitely AWD though. I had initially thought the Highlander also used the same "dumb" system in the Rav4 but your video showed me otherwise!
I’m driving 17 years old Toyota with 315k miles that runs flawlessly and reliably without having to worry about car shortage. I spent $60 in car maintenance and repair for this Toyota last year in 2021.
It's a good thing you two stopped where you did. A piece of debris on the freeway sheered the undercarriage on my '17 Highlander which caused about $13k worth of damage. The exhaust, A/C and coolant lines, heat shields and fuel tank were significantly damaged.
There is history with a certain RU-vidr shredding the underside of a 4Runner with ice and causing $10,000 in damage. We didn't want to go there. (No, it wasn't me.)
As a 2016 All wheel Highlander I would never believe my car capable of traversing this type of terrain. We only wanted ours for on pavement snow and ice conditions. You two demonstrated the best qualities of the Highlander including its limitations with ground clearance. Impressive! I’d say the specialized snow tires really performed well as you described early on in the video. And lastly, I recently rode in a 1968 Cadillac Coup DeVille with these BIG Ballon tires on each corner and after a bit began to feel I was in a boat moving over a perfectly glass lake. No car today offers a ride worthy of this old technology from our past. Which makes me wonder, How come NO so called experts in the auto industry see the benefits of luxury touring versus performance tire wheel packages on modern vehicles. Why is it that $105,000 Lexus 550 sedans run on 22 inch wheels having only about one and a half inch of rubber between wheel and pavement? I ask this question to many with NO REAL answers. Its the very same with this Highlander. WHY big metal wheels with so little rubber to absorb pitted pot-holed streets encountered every where we travel? As for performance (Racing Tires) who in hells bells wonderland performance drives anyway people? Oh well... 🤗
Karleena you are a dream.. I've seen some of your stunts and wrestling clips.. you look hard as nails.. bless up.. it would be nice to see you drive more because I think it would represent reality more, seeing how you tackle the controls and terrain.. Great videos
Great review. Like being able to see same roads and same or similar tests for each vehicle reviewed. Liked the interaction between drivers. Seemed more natural. Nice to get to know a little about Karleena.
Oh good . Need this to cheer me up being on lock down in the uk 😢 Always great videos these are 😁 Liking the Toyotas new styling. Not keen on the interior colour tho 🤔
Thank you for the review, I would love to hear your opinion with the pilot 2025 and how it would perform. Obviously, the trailsport because the others have less clearance and would get even more stick in the snow ce ( my guess )
Another great video! These are some of the most relevant off-road tests for the average "adventurous" buyer like me ;) Any plans to test the Ford Explorer on these trails? Would love to see how an RWD based AWD setup performs relatively.
Which family SUV do you think is more capable and recommended for the snow? New Nissan Pathfinder, Hybrid Highlander, Kia Telluride or Genesis GV80? Thanks.
Love the great work you've been doing. Any chance you can get your hands on a Sienna AWD? I know that a lot of folks cross-shop this vs the Sienna. It might not be the torque-vectoring AWD, but I feel like they are similar based on functionality and practicality, etc.
Not all Highlander's have the Torque-Vectering AWD system either, only on the higher end models....the non-torque vectoring systems are the same in the Highlander & Sienna in how they work. I'd like someone to do similar snow testing in the Sienna as well, hope they can get their hands on a Sienna in the near future. Although I'd prefer the Highlander the Sienna is a great 2nd choice.
William Sevier I think it can really depend. My gut feeling is that even though most people would prefer the highlander, if you have 2+ kids, really, the sienna is the better fit for most people. Even for road trips, having that extra space is huge. The highlander is more capable off road for sure and more like a conventional car, but the Sienna is above all, insanely practical.
@@rodneyfung9821 I used to think a mini-van was the dumbest thing ever, who the heck would want to drive one of those, but after having one for a government issued vehicle for a couple years it made sense...they're so versatile. Haul people/cargo, or just cargo with all the seats folding flat into the floor you can haul a lot of stuff in a mini-van, and the floor height is low enough that loading and unloading stuff is very easy compared to trying to load and unload stuff out of one of today's bloated pickup trucks. If you have kids a mini-van is a great idea, but even after they've grown the mini-van is still practical for pretty much everything. For myself I'd go with the Highlander as I don't have a family or kids, and was far from impressed with the underpowered horrible ride quality 4Runner I was stuck with for a week while my Toyota Tundra was in the shop waiting for parts. The Rav4 isn't too bad either, but I'd prefer the larger Highlander with the V6 and the ability to do some towing that the Rav4 really isn't up for. I did have a Highlander loaner for 3 days once and that thing was extremely comfortable and good power and handling, I was getting 26mpg with it on the highway and that was with of course spirited driving. Never got a chance to test in snow/ice, but the AWD system in the Rav4 I had for a couple days did very well with the summer tires it had...we had about 10 inches of snow and the Rav4 had no trouble I was surprised given the lack of traction from those tires LOL.
Ryan! Awesome videos! Very helpful and good fun to watch. Question. I recently totaled my 2021 4R with KDSS in too deep of a river and am looking for a replacement with better MPG as a daily driver with occasional trails of sand, dirt, rock, mud… nothing extreme. I live in Indiana. You have a 4R and much experience in other vehicles I’m considering so I respect your recommendation for a replacement with best off road capability. Ascent? Outback? Highlander AWD? RAV4 Adventure? Passport? Other?
One safety feature and it could be argued about safety or convenience but I like it just the same....... GM has Vibrating steering wheel as well as the audible alert of lane departure, and I believe forward collision warning. My 2018 Explorer had a not totally exclusive but not fully mainstream yet. The only vehicles I have seen this are Explorer and probably Expedition too AND Tahoe/Yukon... About every four hours or after repeated LDW warnings a icon comes up in the instrument cluster with a coffee cup. The O’Connor’s associated with a alert message recommending a driver break. Either pull off at next exit or switch drivers if available. A fairly simple but effective alert message that yes can be disabled or ignored but I consider it a good step in safety.
I've recently put 15k miles on a 2018 XLE in the last 4 months. So far only complaints can be the inferior incandescent lighting everywhere and the cruise control nanny. The remote start stopping the engine when the door is opened is unbelievably bad. The vehicle itself is like a silky Japanese pillow!
Glad I'm not the only one that bothers. Our trailer tower is a F350 and it's auto start keeps going even if you open the door. Wonder if there is a hack to stop the Toyota from turning off.
Great review! I was all ready to shortlist the Highlander until I read that on the Limited and Limited Platinum you can't get a hitch receiver installed as it interferes with the sensor for hands free tailgate lift. Major oversight IMO by Toyota. Back to looking elsewhere.
Thank you for an interesting review! In terms of ride quality, soaking up bumps and dips, just to confirm, how would you describe it, also in comparison the RAV4 and 4Runner?
Incredible amount of work to take all those exterior shots of the car going up the hill. You guys must be constantly running to grab the camera and place it in the next corner up the hill !!
I hope that was a loaner for testing.....the Ash interior probably doesn’t fare well in the winter especially long term with dirt, snow, and especially snow which no matter how well you think you brushed off seems to stick to clothing and of course seats. I recommend removing outer jackets while inside the vehicle to reduce the risk. Yes time consuming but so is detailing the interior especially Leather seats at the end of the winter.
Interesting that you thought this accelerated more slowly than the 4Runner. I just sold my 2019 4Runner Limited because it couldn’t get out of its own way with a miserable 7.7 0 to 60 time. This; I test drove in January, was much quicker to 60 by nearly a full second and rides quieter and has way more bells and whistles than the 4Runner like Apple Car Play, BSM, RCTA, Adaptive Cruise, wireless charging, and way bigger display. Now let’s talk storage...none in the 4 Runner Limited other than the nets behind the driver’s seat and front passenger seat and the glove box and center console. Looks like this has a bit more storage although the view from the rear view mirror in the Highlander is utterly pathetic and the only thing that save this, is the rear view mirror camera which if I bought would be on all of the time. I also hate that the 4Runner Limited rims are 7” wide, there are NO tires other than the Geolandar tires that fit on those narrow rims and no tire places will mount anything above a 265mm width on that rim. Also aesthetically speaking the 20” wheels look overpowering on the 4Runner. The Highlander you are driving with the Blizzaks looks great and living in Everett, WA, I would probably buy Goodyear Wranglers as my standard tire. Expensive but if properly rotated every 5K miles, last 80,000 miles. Here in Everett we get a bit of snow and streets are hilly and can be icy. The Highlander was much more pleasurable to drive and the mileage made the experience all the better. The 4Runner mpg’s are horrible as well as I think you pointed out. I put 309 miles on my 4Runner and with Covid, it took 8 months to sell but I got nearly all of my investment back out.
For that reason (among others) we're going to start using hardware to measure future 0-60 perfromance. Note that we already have a few reviews in the pipeline, so proper timed testing will start with episode dropping around October.
4 runner is honestly a gas guzzling vehicle which consumes more gas than a highlander does even though it isn't the best atleast you have a little better fuel economy and a better ride, Comfort and more technology included in it.
Very nice clip. Thanks for testing another amazing car. Would you test any time soon Mercedes GLE or Glb? Also do you have any ranking list for SUV, cross overs etc? It will help people choose the right car. I'm looking for something decent modern and with solid off roads capabilities. I like Range Rovers but they are not reliable cars. Perhaps this Toyota or Rav 4.
We've been trying to get the GLE for a while, but Mercedes has frozen their fleet vehicles during state lock-downs. Hopefully when things open up we'll finally get the GLE!
How does the off-road/snow handling compare between the Hybrid and Torque Vectoring rears? It seems like the Hybrid drivetrain did really well based on your previous video.
Scraping on the ice like we were could cause significant damage to the undercarriage. We were also really hoping for more challenging circumstances, that wouldn't cause real damage. Not shown, we did venture out to the reservoir afterwards, but it was closed off with a road block.
@@drivingsports thank you very much for bringing us the best you could. if possible please consider doing part 2 like "Highlander limited AWD tested to its limit".. :)
I see that the width is measured at 76" - does this include the mirrors in the measurement or just the body width? Strange question I know but I have a community garage with cement support columns that kinda limit the width of vehicles I can park.
@@vanessamaniago1914 it does make a difference, but not that much unless you're on very slippery road surfaces. The V6 has true torque vectoring, which allows it to drive all 4 wheels. The hybrid system is very close, but isn't as competent.
Interesting video. I test drove a used 2018 Limited, 2020 Platinum hybrid and 2020 XLE gas this week. Did you say in this video that AWD doesn't come with torque vectoring so it's an option I'd have to order? I had hoped that it was just part of the AWD system. Thanks.
