07grIS350

Has anyone done a comparison between these two? I like both but the Toyota a little more for its roominess and third row seats. On the hand, there are not much toys/gadget available for this car. Are there any major differences in the drive train/hybrid system?

RXSF

The two, while share the same platform, are actually pretty different. Like you said, this new generation highlander goes the 7 passenger route, so it is clearly larger and probably has more usable space. There are the obvious differences like build materials, technology, refinement that you can probably get a good idea about with a test drive of both.

Regarding the hybrid system specifically, the highlander gets 28/28mpg while the RX gets 32/28 and the RX has more total system horsepower. Clearly this was done to give more reason to buy the premium RXh. I dont know what they have done specifically, but Id venture to say that the highlander is missing the exhaust re-circulation system and other fuel saving technologies that have made their way in the new line of toyota/lexus hybrids. Honestly, it would bother me as a highlander perspective buyer to know that toyota purposely made it worse to make the RX better (and also probably for cost reasons)

UCSB

I drove both extensively when shopping for my car. The more I drove the Highlander the less I like it and actually started to dislike it. My advice is to carefully test drive both. The Highlander was just to big for me. I did not like it's handling. The cost vs the relatively low mileage didn't make sense. I really didn't need three rows of seating.

wyau01

Some features you won't find on the Toyota.
IE: HID, auto up/down with jam protection on all windows......

RXSF

^^ lots more than that: real wood trim, LED headlights, HUD, better leather, lexus enform, more speakers, 6 disc changer versus 4, better nav screen resolution,

07grIS350

Thanks all for the feedback. All valid points, especially the tech stuffs like the side cameras, nav, parking sensors are not available for the Toyota at any price.

marcarl

I was considering the Highlander Hybrid vs. the 450h. The cabin specs don't prove it, but the front seat in the 450 seems roomier. I'm tall, 6'5", and my wife"s 2010 350 is quite comfortable for me to drive. A short test drive of the Highlander felt cramped.
Also the Highlander has nowhere near the look of the Lexus.

jeffmust

IMO dealership differences make the Lexus version worth it.
Your mileage may differ.

grt62

I, too, drove both, and extensively researched each before I chose the 450h.
We didn't need another 7 passenger vehicle. I liked the somewhat sportier appearance of the RX, and felt it had a little more "driving feel" than the Highlander. After driving the RX since 4/1, I've enjoyed every aspect of it, except that the ML audio system wasn't available aside from special order. We use the RX as our traveling vehicle; it has a great ride and gets 26-27 MPG on average with mid-grade fuel.

markrivers

You actually answered your question with these statements.
Which is more important to you, the 3rd row seats or the Luxury?

if money is an issue, just go with a regular Highlander.
the Hybrid comes with a price tag that's hard to justify.

if you really want a REAL hybrid.. get the Prius v.

DunWkg

What constitutes a REAL hybrid?

kitlz

^^ I'd like to know the answer to that one too.

wa3cuj

Someone posted a link on the RX board several weeks ago that discussed the Toyota hybrid in detail. It described why the Toyota hybrid is referred to as the a "true hybrid". It then compared it to some of the other hybrid designs out there.

If I remember correctly it has something to do with the fact that Toyota does not use what we consider a "typical" transmission and the lack of a mechanical connection between the engine and the drive wheels.

Brian@Vossen

They are all real hybrids from Toyota/Lexus. Now Honda's IMA system is not a true hybrid. in comparison.

I love the RX 450h but I have to see the refreshed Highlander is really well done!

07grIS350

I wanted all in one package, third row seats, toys and good MPG with decent power. I wish they offered the RXh with third row seats, and problem solved. I would like to stay all Lexus when the IS lease is up, in addition to the LFA due to arrive in 2013.
I can't stand vehicles for DD with bad MPG. The Toyota rep was telling me to expect around 10L/100km for the Highlander Hybrid regardless of the 6.x L/100Km rating. That is still 40% better than my IS's actual milage. So any comparison between non-hybrid to hybrid is not relevant.
Any other constructive suggestions?