i would be disappointed that there is a 4 MPG difference on the highway between the two. How did KIA/Hyundai do so bad against GR engine from 15 years ago?
Or how is Highlander sportier and better handling of two?

Rav4 is also pretty noisy, weight loss try i would guess, and they improved on it for 2020.

 

The KIA/Hyu 3.8 is just as old, if not older. Less power too. Toyota is ahead of the Koreans in the powertrain department

Better platform for driving instead of needless 3 row hauling. The new HL is closer to Mazda for driving experience.

 

The proof is in the sales reports. Telluride actually increased sales in March 2020 vs. 2020 of last year. Highlander went down by 45% vs. last year. Its definitely taken quite a chunk of share.

 

while the highlander and telluride are about the same weight and both .34 CD, the telluride is simply bigger (longer, wider) and so probably loses on fuel economy because of that.

because that's so important in this class of vehicle.

Yeah because no one buys a 3 row crossover for 3 rows.

 

My sister bought a 2020 Highlander Limited AWD this weekend. I haven't been able to talk to her about what kind of a deal she was able to get. She apparently went to get a new 4Runner but didn't like how it drove, so she went with the Highlander.

 

As a testament to this, my neighbor across the street works for Toyota (I'm in a suburb north of Dallas, near the Toyota Plano HQ) and recently moved from California as part of the HQ shift. He says he gets to buy any Toyota/Lexus vehicle for 10% above cost; just before the shelter-in-place took effect in mid-March he was replacing his Highlander Limited and took home a Telluride SX. Said he negotiated for half the day and got it $300 above MSRP; granted he hasn't done much driving with it since but we talked (i.e. shouted across our yards with social distancing) about it yesterday while he was mowing.
PROS - longer warranty, cheaper than a comparable Highlander, actually usable 3rd row, better build, quieter ride
CONS - Powertrain good but tad underpowered, dealership experience

Obviously this is limited to his perspective but the Highlander will sell because it is a Toyota, and the 3rd row seat (which has never been good for any generation of the Highlander) is a good line to add on the glossy brochure. It is, in his perspective, a "disappointing vehicle given this competitive segment" and I think that sums up what the new Highlander means in today's segment. The best-selling vehicle doesn't mean it's the best vehicle. To echo the M/T comparison, he cross-shopped the CX-9 (unusable 3rd row), Explorer (shockingly expensive and flirts in the $60k range), Highlander (the brand got him in the door, the test-drive disqualified it), and Pilot (good....but not great).

I personally will seriously consider one if:
a) mid-cycle refresh brings a new powertrain that has more umph
b) Genesis launches the GV90 to build off the Palisade/Telluride success

 

JDR76 congrats to your sister!

 

Thanks. I hope she enjoys it. She seems pretty happy with it so far.

 

Nice! The highlander is a still a good fit for lots of peoples needs.

 

It's replacing her 2016 Highlander, which she put over 100k miles on, taking road trips and hauling kids and their friends all over. She uses the 3rd row a lot with her teenagers, so this one will see similar use I am sure. She will no doubt appreciate the added cargo room behind the third row on this one.

 

The original HL, the 3rd row was optional. I think Toyota should offer a 2 row version.

The HL does not have to be the best, the outgoing model wasn't the best either. The HL needs to be competitive which it is and the best-selling status indicates Toyota has a good feel of what their owners want in a Highlander. The change in their hybrid offering indicates how Toyota is following what they think their owners want

 

I like companies that try and make the best product they can make, thats part of my issue with modern Toyota. They are content to make a vehicle like the Highlander that never even tries to be the best, it tries to be "competitive" and is made with the understanding that people will buy it because its a Toyota.

Toyota in the 90s for example tried to build the best cars they could, and in every segment they were in they raised the bar. They don't do that anymore, anywhere. Everything is "competitive".

When I look at a Hyundai or Kia, I get a feeling that they are trying to put the best product out there that they can, which appeals to me. When I look at a Toyota, I know they can do so much more and can't be bothered, which is a huge turn off.

 

I don't think Toyota is any worse today than they were in the 90s. The HL is better in some ways to a Palisade and in some ways deficient, just like a Explorer has for better driving feel as well as 400hp. As for 3rd row, to me they are pointless, I don't have little kids at this stage in my life, nor do I ever want to pack up many family (7 people) members into one car, so that makes the new the HL better for me if I were looking at a mid size crossover

 

I totally disagree about Toyota today vs Toyota in the 90s. Toyota does not lead in any area today, where they led all over the place in the 90s. They can build the absolute best put all the compettiors to shame cars in every segment if they wanted to. But, they don't want to. Hyundai does, they just don't have the resources or ability Toyota does...yet. They're getting better and better though.

Then you aren't a consumer for a 3 row crossover, clearly. The whole point is to be able to carry 3 rows of people when you need to.

So, the Highlander is the 3 row crossover of choice for people who don't actually need or want three rows in their crossover. Makes one scratch their head as to why those people are buying a 3 row crossover, but okay lol. Why would you buy a 7 passenger vehicle if you never (your emphasis) want to carry 7 people? Why would you think a 7 passenger vehicle should be designed with people who dont want to carry 7 people in mind?

What you want is a 2 row vehicle. Nothing wrong with that.

Toyota either just really doesn't understand how to make such a vehicle...or they don't care (which is my assumption). The RX-L is a joke, and the Highlander while not a joke is a shadow of what it could be.

 

We use our third row a lot, as does my sister with hers, but if I didn't need a third row, I doubt I'd have a Highlander (or any three row vehicle).