SUV Opinions

The first and second gens were unibody/crossovers. I'm not sure if we're on the third or fourth gen Highlander but unless they changed it to body on frame construction it does NOT have a truck frame. But like I said I am not 100% sure on the newest gen Highlander but I know the first couple for sure we're crossovers, which is a unibody..meaning frame and body is all one part. The first gen Highlander was basically a cross between the sienna minivan and Camry car. It had the Camry running gear and I believe even some similar suspension parts between the two. Not same but similar.

Now the forerunner and Sequoia are body on frame truck construction type builds. Way more robust and both better suited for towing. And like I said I'm a Toyota guy saying this. I own both a First gen Highlander and a first gen Sequoia. Love the Sequoia, roomy (and it's the first gen before they got the larger body) and comfortable. The First gen Highlander is not uncomfortable but not as nice as least in the first gen as you would think as it would be for the more high class ride/class they were going for. Also the Highlander gets way better mpg but again it's a crossover not like a truck and has the engine and trans of a Camry...I'm sure different gear ratios though due to weight difference.

 

I thought a highlander was a unibody. Interesting.

 

The Highlander was on our list as one we would buy and almost did buy a 2 year old one in 2020.

 

You are correct. I was mistaken and told this by an obviously misinformed dealer. However, it is still registered as a truck in WI. This will prompt a few phone calls by me tomorrow.My apologies.

 

Easy head suck under the vehicle or just look through the wheel wells confirms this on any vehicle.

 

Well, I wish that was an option when the vehicle was purchased, but I'll just take your word on it.

 

Would they not let you look at it before you purchased it? Or were you one of the unfortunate ones that had to order the car in the dealer office and then have it delivered after you bought it, cause of the so called "vehicle shortage"?

 

My loaded 5.0 '16 super crew 4x4 lariat f150 gets well over 20 mpg freeway. Nearly 400 hp & tq That's only the 6 spd one too. My best was 22 mpg to Florida and back. Got 21 mpg on a trip to Maine and back as well as California and back last September. It's not just the mpg that is great in comparison to the older f150's, but 0-60 and general acceleration are insane on this newer style truck. It's about the same acceleration as v8 pony cars from 2000.

 

It's kind of like the 4.3 liter gm engines. They either burned oil, and lasted 200-400k, or didn't use any oil and wouldn't go much past 100k before grenading.
Ok, really a bit different, but I'll go back to how some companies handle the issues is what separates good vehicle companies from bad ones.

 

The highlander isn't a truck. Unibody frame derived from the Camry. They've always been based off the Camry, just lifted a little. Surprised it's registered as a truck here. My buddy has a nearly new Highlander and he uses it to tie his supra ski boat. It barely can handle that tow. His is registered as a car licensed as a car in WI.

Oh, the pilot is based off of the Honda Odyssey minivan, as well as the Ridgeline, despite Honda attempting to call the Ridgeline a truck. Honda does this because they don't have a truck to compete with other brands and no truck means they are not a full line manufacturer. That's something they like to tout in their ads, and it's pretty laughable.

 

I hate dealers. They suck, especially when they say totally incorrect information. You'll save yourself some money on registration when you get that thing properly registered as a car, and not a truck. $85 for a car vs $100 annually for most trucks. I'd make your dealer pay that difference if this was a recent transaction.

 

I don't drive like a race car driver. The best I can get on an all highway trip on virtually the same truck just newer and even the 10spd is 20mpg. I know I have said this before, I just can't get in that truck what others claim. And I legit drive pretty MPG conscious. I can get our first gen Sequoia to 18mpg on my daily commute! Anyway my work truck is a 2020 f150 xlt trim. Fx4 , crew cab medium bed...so not the shorty but not a long bed, and 5.0 engine with 50,000 miles, best I get on highway/interstate trip is 20mpg. Before this I had a 2016 Ram1500 4x4 with the 3.7l v6 and on back road highways I could get 24mpg.

 

What gear ratio does yours have again? It shouldn't matter with the 10 spd and it's mega overdrive though.

 

Autozone classifies the Odyssey as a truck...always thought that was odd.

 

Wrong and odd at the same time. Then again... AutoZone...

Even Honda mentioned on how they beefed up the chassis on the Ridgeline. But the terminology used is laughable.

 

It's all good. They are still a fabulous vehicle for people that need more capabilities than a CRV / RAV4 but don't need the full size truck capability. That's where we are at. The Highlander, Honda Passport and Ridgeline were our three picks but I wanted the open bed more than SUV configuration so we went that route. We are very happy with it. We got lucky and got it before the shortages and price hikes. There was also a $3000 incentive off the 2020 models because of the cosmetic redesign for 2021. This incentive wasn't just on the lot units as we put the deposit down on ours and it was still on the car hauler on its way from the production plant. We had already test driven a few so we knew what we wanted.

 

I consider our Ridgeline a truck. Not a traditional truck for sure but it has a bed, a higher payload than many full size short beds and comes standard with a hitch, 7 pin harness and wired for a trailer brake controller. Yes the tow rating is only 5000 pounds but we don't need even that much. Just depends on a person's needs. I don't view a vehicle through the lens of "is it a real xyz or not". We look look at a vehicle based on it meeting our needs, reliability track record and fuel economy. We have gotten 23 mpg towing our 1800 +/- camper and gear in ideal conditions. 27-28 empty is the norm in our mixed driving conditions. It rides and handles like no other traditional / conventional truck. I know modern traditional trucks ride / handle better than the stuff from decades past but they still can't match this vehicle in that department. Having had many big three small, mid and full size trucks, old to modern, I'm coming from personal experience. I remember a time when a full size truck had 5000 pound tow ratings. Funny how things change.

 

My only issue with using pretty much any Honda to tow much is their refusal to make the trans serviceable (well, at least the filter!) just a matter of time until that lil built in filter plugs up, no matter how often you change the ATF!

 

The Ridgeline has an inline filter to the cooler. I watched a guy replace it on a YouTube vid. It also has a transmission pan with filter inside like any automatic. The non serviceable part is there is no dipstick for the owner to check and it requires a special tool and procedure to check it. Like dodge 9 speed automatics do. And others I'm sure. My nephew had a Chevy equinox. Same deal. No way to check or fill the transmission as a home mechanic. It didn't even have a radiator cap either. I don't like this trend but its becoming the norm.

 

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I will have to decode it by the VIN. I don't order them, I just pick them up at a shop when I get a new one. Never have a window sticker.

The exact same trip that I get 20mpg on useing e10 fuel, if I fill up with e85 takes the mpg down to 17 mpg. It's a trip I do for work so I drive the same route same time of day type thing. It's 150ish miles of interstate and highways. No city driving.