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2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
- Roomy interior with third-row seats
- 20 percent better fuel economy than non-hybrid
- Quiet and smooth
- Top crash ratings
- Premium price for hybrid
- No more Toyota tax credits
- No two-wheel-drive model
- Steering feel, soft suspension
Free Price Quote for 2009 Toyota Highlander HybridThe mid-size 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid was redesigned for 2008 and carries into 2009 with no changes. Reviewers say the current, larger Highlander benefits from a host of 2008 improvements that contribute to better overall drivability. Based on the Camry sedan platform, it's a spacious, comfortable hybrid crossover SUV that offers room for seven, although the third row is rather cramped, critics point out. The 270-horsepower powertrain combines a strong 3.3-liter V6 engine and three electric motor/generators. The V6 only drives the front wheels, while one of the electric motors provides power to the rear wheels, making the Highlander Hybrid an all-wheel-drive vehicle. Reviews say this unconventional all-wheel-drive arrangement is functional but not ideal for maximum performance in slippery winter conditions. A full hybrid SUV, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid can be driven at low speeds on purely electric power before the gasoline engine automatically starts to provide additional power. Most reviews say the hybrid system operates smoothly and almost imperceptibly.
The 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is rated at 27/25 mpg city/highway, notably better than the 17/24 mpg of the standard V6 2009 Toyota Highlander (Base MSRP: $27,600 to $34,520). Many reviewers say that the premium price for the Highlander Hybrid will be very hard to recover in fuel savings, however, especially with the expiration of federal tax credits for all Toyota hybrids. Overall, reviews say the Toyota Highlander Hybrid offers the same virtues as the standard model -- namely comfort, versatility and practicality -- with the added advantage of the best fuel economy of any seven-passenger vehicle in 2009. For hybrid fans who need a larger vehicle or more towing capacity, reviews suggest the 2009 Chevy Tahoe Hybrid (Base MSRP: $50,455 to $53,260) or 2009 GMC Yukon Hybrid (Base MSRP: $50,920 to $53,730). For better fuel economy at a lower price, reviews recommend the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid (Base MSRP: $29,305 to $33,385) or similar 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid (Base MSRP: $29,750 to $31,500), although these smaller SUVs do not come with a third row of seats.
We utilized several reviews that evaluate the 2008 Highlander Hybrid because the 2009 model has no significant changes. One of the best reviews comes from Cars.com, with a good discussion of how the gas mileage and price compares with the competition. Other well-written road test reviews can be found at CNET, Edmunds.com and Automobile.com. Car and Driver gives a brief summary of the 2009 model. ConsumerReports.org also tests the hybrid version of the Highlander. ConsumerGuide.com gives the Highlander its Recommended rating for 2009 and provides a summary report. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the 2009 Highlander its Top Safety Pick honor for crash-test results.
Our Sources
1. Cars.com
Cars.com staff writer Joe Wiesenfelder questions the cost-benefit issues of the Highlander Hybrid, noting that it offers few advantages over a non-hybrid model at a significantly higher price. He discusses the fuel economy compared with competitors and non-hybrid Highlanders and offers a useful price comparison as well.
Review: 2009 Toyota Highland Hybrid, Joe Wiesenfelder, Nov. 21, 2008
2. CNET
CNET usually emphasizes the technological features of its test vehicles, but the Toyota Highlander Hybrid was only equipped with the base stereo system, which has "some of the poorest audio quality we've heard in a car," according to Wayne Cunningham. He adds, "We failed to find much that was special" on the Highlander other than the hybrid powertrain, called the vehicle's "best feature."
Review: 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Wayne Cunningham, Nov. 20, 2007
3. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Editors of ConsumerReports.org have a good summary review of the Toyota Highlander, with hybrid-specific test-drive impressions and a reliability history, as compiled in large owner surveys. You must be a subscriber to read this report.
Review: 2009 Toyota Highlander review, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
4. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The 2009 Toyota Highlander is one of a handful of midsize SUVs to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award. Each of the winning vehicles must earn "Good" ratings in frontal and side-impact crash tests, as well as in evaluations of head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. In addition, each winning vehicle must offer electronic stability control.
Review: Top Safety Picks, Editors of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
5. Edmunds.com
Editors call the Highlander "easily the most practical hybrid SUV on the market." They comment that the unconventional gas-electric four-wheel-drive system "isn't suited for serious wintertime duty."
Review: 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Review, Editors of Edmunds.com
6. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
Car and Driver report "brisk acceleration" thanks to the "responsive torque of the electric motor," and they compliment the Highlander's "carlike refinement." One complaint is "a slightly touchy brake pedal that results from the regenerative braking function."
Review: 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid -- Review, Editors of Car and Driver, August 2008
7. Edmunds Inside Line
The new Highlander Hybrid "drives a little more like an SUV and less like a car," test driver Kelly Toepke comments. After averaging 23.8 mpg during the test drive, Toepke says, "Maximum fuel economy takes maximum effort to achieve." This detailed road test also links to a second opinion and stereo evaluation.
Review: Full Test: 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Kelly Toepke, June 24, 2007
Writer Justin Couture reports an impressive average of 30 mpg after a week of test driving. He says the interior has a pleasant, upscale look, although the test car had a "couple of rattles, made all the more obvious by the general absence of noise" in the vehicle.
Review: 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Road Test, Justin Couture, June 2, 2008
ConsumerGuide.com gives the Toyota Highlander a Recommended rating rather than its top Best Buy honor. A general 2009 Highlander review includes an evaluation of the hybrid variant, which test drivers say "is prone to subtle but annoying surging and bogging in cruising conditions." They comment that "the Hybrid models' higher prices may take years to offset in fuel savings."
Review: 2009 Toyota Highlander, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com, Nov. 12, 2008
Written shortly after the introduction of the redesigned 2008 Highlander, ABG's Sam Abuelsamid compliments the revised styling and general drivability. He mentions the "tight squeeze" in the third row, and says the interior quality is "not what you might expect in a $48,000 vehicle."
Review: In the AutoblogGreen Garage: 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid, Sam Abuelsamid, Dec. 24, 2007
Three staffers give opinions of the Highlander Hybrid in the J.D. Power blog. Christian Wardlaw is pleasantly surprised with the SUV's satisfying performance and handling, although he is disappointed in the fuel economy average of only 22.6 mpg. Overall, he says, "The price is too high, the mileage is too low," and suggests the Ford Escape Hybrid is a better alternative.
Review: 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Christian Wardlaw, Dan Shapiro, Jessica Migdol, April 15, 2008
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