i wonder about performance... basically same powertrain as in Rav4 but electric hp more? or?

 

The HL hybrid has more power and torque than the RAV4.

 

It has 243hp. It won't be winning any drag races soon

 

I love the new Highlander, but this right here is why I bought a 19. Just can’t go from 306 hp to 243.

 

You could if you wait for the 300hp+ plug in version.

 

Is it supposed to be winning drag races? ​​​​​​​ You are not buying a muscle-car.

 

Drag races? No. But load it up with 7 people and it’ll be super noticeable.

 

Seven people my size would probably put it over its allowable weight-limit LOL.

 

Yeah. Going up a mountain to ski would be pretty crappy in a car with 243 hp. Especially with 7 people. And yeah, I do this quite often.

 

That is why Toyota offers a Sequoia ...for those who truly need to haul 7 up a mountain to ski..

 

This was a joke, but you’re right...which is why I would never select a transverse FWD Toyota vehicle for myself. Too insubstantial.

Sequoia is totally archaic. I wouldn’t even consider one of I were shopping for that sort of SUV.

 

They should offer a performance Hybrid that gets 25-30 mpg with 300-350hp. Much better compromise.

 

I think the new plugin will be just such an offering.

 

but no free lunch... a plugin hybrid will be even heavier, not to mention more expensive.

 

I couldn't care less that the Highlander is a FWD/Transverse layout. That's not something that matters to me in this class of a vehicle, like it does in a sedan. As for the plug-in hybrid, I also believe they will offer it in the Highlander, but not until the 2021 model year, so it was too late for us to consider it. I definitely would have checked it out had it been available now. Before buying our 19, we waited to see what the 2020 Highlander would be like. We both really liked it, but neither of us were willing to downsize the engine so much.

We routinely load up ours with the 4 of us (sometimes 6 people) plus gear and head to the mountains and it performs very, very well there. People like to crap on the AWD system as being weak or insufficient, but that has not been our experience. We drive it in a lot of snow without ever a problem, so it has worked well for us. Definitely not an off-road vehicle, though. And it has great torque and passing power in the mountains during the summer months.

I do love the look of the new Highlander, and the interior seems great. I recently checked out a new Palisade, which was also quite nice. I wasn't as taken back by the interior as many on here seem to be, but it was very nice. The lack of a hybrid option is what makes it a non-starter for us. But we definitely would have waited and purchased the 2020 Highlander Hybrid had they kept a V6 powertrain in it.