Mommy's Favorite Things: 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid



Saturday, August 24, 2013

2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid



Have you been introduced to a Hybrid and how they work? Well let me introduce you. I had the opportunity to test drive a Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited for one week and here is my overview of this lovely SUV. 


You see a Hybrid allows you to  switch between the battery and the engine. When you stop for a certain period of time the engine turns off and leaves you running on battery power. But when you hit the accelerator again the engine kicks on. It allows you to save gas and save money. 

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid gets 28/28 MPG. We didn't believe it at first, but when we looked on the display it indeed said 27.1. I think that's pretty close! 

The Toyota has a lot of nice features in it.
On top of being a 7 seater. 2 in front, 3 in middle and 2 in back. It has a lovely set up. 
The whole radio is touch screen. It also has navigation and satellite radio.
It has 4 cup holders in the front. 

These definitely came in handy when we drove 3 hours round trip to pick up my daughter from my Grandma's for the week. My husband and I utilized these well!

The leg room in this SUV was impeccable
 A full grown adult can easily fit in the second row.
The third row wasn't the best for leg room, but for young children it wouldn't be an issue at all. But the second row was all the way back for this picture, all the way forward and there would be more room back here.


The trunk space with the 3rd row folded down. 
It has a spoiler in it which is a really nice feature as well as the mesh guard for holding things in place.

One thing I didn't like is to pull up the 3rd row you need to remove the spoiler and unhook the mesh guard as well. It takes a bit of time to get that third row up and in place for passengers.

The dashboard is simple yet elegant. 

I think my overall favorite feature is the visors. They have a pull out on them to block more sun. This came in handy!

This Toyota Highlander Hybrid also had the push start. As long as the keys are in the car you push the brake and then push the button to start the car. I have been loving this feature on a lot of the cars I've test drove. It has quickly become a favorite of mine.

This Toyota Highlander Hybrid features Three Zone Automatic Climate Control. So the driver, passenger and rear can all experience different temperature levels. It has an 8 way power driver's seat with power thigh and lumbar support. 

This vehicle definitely has it all in style and comfort. And also in safety. It is a 4 star rating on Frontal Crash and 5 star on side crash. Also you save $1900 a year in fuel costs by driving this hybrid. The best part is you don't have to charge the battery. It charges itself when you're in motion and let off the accelerator. 

This vehicle that I test drove came in at $49,722. It is a bit pricey, but for saving on gas and having the crash rating it does, I think it's definitely worth it. 


*Disclaimer, I received a Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited for a 1 week test drive. All opinions here are 100% my own and I was not compensated to write this post, other than receiving the vehicle. 



48 comments:


Amanda said...

We looked at these and while they are super nice, the 3rd row and trunk area available when the 3rd row was up was just too small for our needs.


Jennifer Young said...

What an awesome vehicle! This would be absolutely perfect for us and we are currently looking for a bigger car. Unfortunately, we don't have the money for this at the time. It is definitely on my wish list though!


Aline Grigorian said...

We love Toyotas in our family. We have a Rav4 and a Sienna. Love that its a hybrid, but expensive.


Unknown said...

we love toyotas . It is definitely on my wish list !!


Unknown said...

That looks like a really nice car.


Unknown said...

How neat! Looks great and made for the whole family.


Unknown said...

This would be absolutely perfect for us . Thanks for the post !!!


vickie said...

Love this...great size, thats why I love my SUV!


Unknown said...

Nice car!


Unknown said...

Nice car!


ALee said...

Wow this is nice, wish we could get one.


ALee said...

It would make it so much easier to travel kiddies.


ALee said...

Wish you were giving this away. LOL!


ALee said...

Nice


Unknown said...

I love how roomy the car is

knickgirl_3 at yahoo dot com


Heather Swarthout said...

Although I would never own a Toyota, I do like the interior of the car, it's roomy and it looks like it would be nice to drive. :) (lilbittypanda at aol dot com)


GeorgiaBeckman said...

We would love to get a hybrid. We wanted to wait until they had been on the market a while & this one has definitely caught our eye. Thanks for the review.


Nancy said...

This has a lot of unique and interesting features.

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com


Lisa Garner said...

Beautiful SUV with great mileage. The fact that it seat 7 is great for a large family like mine.


courtney hennagir said...

wow,so roomy! i love the overall look of it.we have been thinking about getting a hybrid and this is definitely one we will look at. thank you for all the great info!


Unknown said...

Impressive. It would be a true upgrade from my cavalier. I need one now!


Mommy Time said...

what a nice car! Lots of room for the kids and all their stuff!


Galaki4811 said...

That looks great! I love the space and the touch screen radio.


Starbucks Addict said...

We just test drove one of these over Labor Day weekend! We currently have a Yukon but I've been wanting a Toyota. Love that it hard the 3rd row seating, we're having #4 in October.


Shannau said...

LOVE the cupholders.. and the rubber mats!! I NEED that for my Yukon, my floor is so nasty from 4+ kids!


Unknown said...

Nice car !!


Carolyn said...

Looks nice!


latanya t said...

This car has some nice features. I love the 3rd row and the cup holders.


Unknown said...

Seems like a great car for a growing family like ours. Thanks for the post!


DesiredOne said...

I like hybrid vehicles but my husband works for GM so that is all we buy. I have heard these are good vehicles though.


Tiffany Schmidt said...

Yay for good storage. However, we looked at this, but we need to be able to sit a third carseat/booster in the back and it's just not possible.


Nancy said...

I love the great gas mileage you mentioned. With gasoline prices so high, this is a great bonus feature!

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com


Devon F said...

Good looking car! Thanks for sharing! :)


ALee said...

I really love this SUV. When are you going to start giving these away. Hint, Hint LOL!


Jalapeno Mama said...

Looks like a nice vehicle.. wonder why the back only sits 2 instead of 3?


Unknown said...

This is a really nice vehicle! I love at how much room it seems to have!!


Erica C said...

My mom has a Highlander with way over 100K miles and absolutely loves it and has no intention of giving it up anytime soon!


sparkedcat said...

My neighbor has a Highlander and she loves it! Her Highlander gets over thirty miles to the gallon!


Sandy Cain said...

I love this! The crash test and 3 zone climate control features are winners for me. And the push start is great! scain54(at)aol(dot)com


Unknown said...

I know that Toyota makes great cars. However, I never realized that the Highlander came with so many features and also has great gas mileage. Good combination.


Marcia Lee said...

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is a beautiful vehicle with a lot of truly nice features. I like the driver, passenger and rear seat having separate climate control.


Unknown said...

I feel like the cupholders on this vehicle, alone, make it worth the purchase!


Charlene S. said...

I like the Three Zone Automatic Climate Control. I wish my vehicle had that option :)


Unknown said...

I like the brand Toyota and have owned a Toyota before. I also would rather have an SUV than a car. This looks like a very nice vehicle and a hybrid but it is a bit out of my price range. Thank you for the review.


Brittany Ann said...

We almost bought one, but decided on the Sienna instead! I still love SUVs though! With 3 kids, the van works better right now! haha!


Unknown said...

Very nice vehicle. I would love to have one of these. Thank you for the review.


Amanda's Real World said...

I really would LOVE to have one of these. I have been telling my husband that we need one because of the amazing gas mileage. I am going to show him this review so that he can see how it worked for your family.


Unknown said...

I really like all the room in this one!