 2007 Toyota Highlander. Click image to enlarge |
By Chris Chase
Toyota’s SUV heritage dates back to the 1984 4Runner, a compact ‘ute that was based on the company’s pickup truck. Ostensibly a competitor for the Jeep Cherokee, the once-basic 4Runner received its share of comfort and convenience upgrades over the years; the current model is quite a posh truck, but it’s still just that – a truck.
As the 4Runner grew, Toyota needed a new SUV to fill the gap between the compact RAV4 and the now-mid-size 4Runner. That new vehicle was the Highlander, a Camry-based mid-sized crossover SUV that first made it to North American showrooms in January 2001, following a debut at the 2000 New York Auto Show.
The first Highlanders were powered either by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder (155 hp; 163 lb-ft) or a 3.0-litre V6 (220 hp; 222 lb-ft), both shared with the new-for-2002 Camry sedan. Both engines were mated to a four-speed automatic transmission; no manual was offered in Canada, but one was available to U.S. customers, at least in early models.
 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
The 2004 model year brought a larger V6 engine: a 3.3-litre good for 230 horsepower and 242 lb-ft of torque – and a new five-speed automatic to go with it. The four-cylinder powertrain lasted through 2005, and was replaced in 2006 by the Highlander Hybrid.
In 2004, stability control was made standard (it had been optional in certain models before), and seven-person seating was added to the option sheet.
Fuel consumption, according to Natural Resources Canada, ranges from 10.7 L/100 km (city) and 7.9 L/100 km (highway) for front-drive, four-cylinder models, but the optional all-wheel drive resulted in significantly higher consumption: 11.8 L/100 km (city) and 9.1 L/100 km (highway). Older V6 models were rated at 13 L/100 km (city) and 9.7 L/100 km (highway), while the larger and more powerful V6 used in 2004 and newer models actually did a little better, with ratings of 12.7 L/100 km (city) and 9 L/100 km (highway). Naturally, the 2006 gas-electric hybrid version trumps them all, with its super-low ratings of 7.5 L/100 km (city) and 8.1 L/100 km (highway).
 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Click image to enlarge |
Many Highlander owners recommend skipping the 3.0-litre V6 that came in 2003 and earlier six-cylinder models; apparently, aside from its less-thirsty nature, the more-potent 3.3-litre engine is also of a superior design and will more forgiving if maintenance has been less-than-perfect.
Apparently, there’s an issue with the conventional battery used in the gas/electric Highlander Hybrid; it can run down over time and generate electrical system errors (like, uh, the vehicle not starting).
I couldn’t find any widespread issues with the Highlander in online forums; talk of any problems in Highlanders is sparse, and Consumer Reports seems to back this up: they give the Highlander an “excellent” used vehicle rating and with no mention of any weak points.
 2006 Toyota Highlander. Click image to enlarge |
Crash safety is good: early versions earned four stars for front-seat occupant protection and five stars for side-impact protection from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), while 2004-2006 models earned five stars all around; all were tested without the optional side airbags. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Highlander a “good” rating in its frontal offset crash test, but didn’t conduct side impact tests. Side airbags were optional on top-end models, but not offered on lesser versions.
The Highlander was hardly a bargain when it was new – 2001 models started at $33,000 – and Toyota’s reputation precedes used versions, keeping resale values high: that 2001 base model is now worth just under $12,000 according to Canadian Red Book. Values only go way up from there, to a high of $33,325 for a loaded 2006 model (hybrid versions command upwards of $37,000, according to Red Book).
Given Toyota’s quality reputation, going for an older version at a lower price shouldn’t present many problems in the longer run, providing it was well-maintained. If I may offer a tip to potential buyers: unless you plan to tow or regularly haul lots of people or stuff, go for a four-cylinder, front-drive model. You’ll pay less, for one thing, and the fuel bills will be much easier to swallow, too. If you look hard, you might be able to find a 2004 version so-equipped for about $20,000. However, if you do plan to tow, then go for a V6 model, preferably a 2004 or newer version; a basic ‘04 V6 model is worth about $23,000.
 2006 Toyota Highlander. Click image to enlarge |
As always, there are less-expensive alternatives. A Hyundai Santa Fe is a little smaller, but roomy for the compact class it belongs to, and it’ll cost much less money to buy used. However, you’ll give up a bit of reliability for that lower price and you’ll lose out a bit in terms of fuel consumption, too. The Kia Sorento is a capable SUV, but is really thirsty and not the most dependable around.
The Honda Pilot came with a V6-only powertrain, but used versions carry higher resale values than the Highlander, though its reliability is about on par with the Toyota.
If you want Toyota reliability with a lower price, however, I’d suggest the company’s own RAV4. While 2005 and older versions were tiny, the 2006 version grew significantly – nearly matching the Highlander in size and interior space – and you can get a barely-used 2006 version for prices similar to those of a 2005 Highlander. The ‘06 RAV4 still plays in the $25,000-$30,000 ballpark, but it’s a rocket in V6 form and, in my opinion, a stronger value than the Highlander.
Online resources
ToyotaNation.com is my go-to source for Toyota info on the web; I’d recommend you start there too. The Highlander forum at TundraSolutions.com is useful too; both these forums offer lots of info on trailer towing with Highlanders. Check out GreenHybrid.com, HybridCars.com and HybridChat.com for discussions on the Highlander Hybrid.
Related stories on CanadianDriver
- Test Drive: 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited
- Traction 2006: Giant winter traction test
- Test Drive: 2004 Toyota Highlander V6
- Test Drive: 2001 Toyota Highlander
Manufacturer’s Website
Recalls
Transport Canada Recall Number: 2004127; Units affected: 26,987
2001-2004: On certain vehicles, if the rear side doors are closed very hard with the Child Protection Lock (CPL) lever in the lock position, there is a possibility that the lock lever may contact the body panel due to insufficient clearance, causing the CPL lever to move into the unlock position. This condition could allow the doors to be opened with the inside door handles while the operator believes that the child protection lock was activated. Correction: Dealer will shorten the CPL levers.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 2002142; Units affected: 13,423
2001-2002: On certain vehicles, there is a breather hose that attaches to the nozzle of the on-board refueling vapor recovery (ORVR) valve, which is located on the topside of the fuel tank. The breather hose is attached with a clamp, whose “tabs” face in the upward direction. When the vehicle was crashed under the new car assessment program (NCAP) test (i.e., 35 mph frontal barrier crash), the clamp “tabs” contacted the underside of the body due to movement of the fuel tank, causing the nozzle to break. In the worst case, nozzle breakage could result in fuel leakage if the vehicle rolls-over after a high speed frontal crash. Correction: Dealers will rotate the specified clamp.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 2001188; Units affected: 4,153
2001: Certain sport utility vehicles. The reservoir filler cap of the brake master cylinder may induce a vacuum, introducing some air into the brake master cylinder reservoir. This could cause abnormal brake noise and increased pedal stroke when the brakes are applied. The increased pedal stroke will lengthen the stopping distance of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Correction: Dealers will bleed the air from the brake lines and replace the reservoir filler cap.
Transport Canada Recall Number: 2006168; Units affected: 14,509
2004-2006: On certain vehicles, due to the improper installation of the retaining clips for the floor carpet cover located in front of the center console, there is a possibility that the clips may become loose. If both clips separate from the floor carpet cover, the cover may lean toward the accelerator pedal, causing interference with the accelerator pedal rod. In the worst case, the accelerator pedal may become stuck in a partially depressed position when returning to the idle position. Correction: Dealers will install new clips.
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By Chris Chase
Photos by Grant Yoxon
Discuss this story in the forum at CarTalkCanada
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Funny how everything Toyota touches seems to turn to gold. That was certainly the case in 1997 when it launched its first compact SUV, the RAV4. This was the company’s first foray into building the kind of car-based SUV that was emerging as the new popular replacement for the subcompact station wagon that had pretty much all but disappeared by the late 1990s.
One telling sign that the compact car-based ‘ute segment was the next big thing (figuratively, at least) was that the RAV4 was launched the same year as Honda’s CR-V. Many readers may remember that Honda and Toyota hit it big in North America during the gas crisis of the late 1970s, when drivers flocked in droves to smaller, more fuel efficient cars. This time, there was no fuel crisis, but a sense that many drivers would appreciate a truck-like vehicle a little smaller and more efficient than the Ford Explorers and Jeep Cherokees that had become so popular in the mid-90s.
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The success of the first-generation RAV4 proved that Toyota’s decision to get into this segment was a wise one, and it also dictated that Toyota had to follow up with a new model featuring the usual improvements that go along with any new model. And they did that in 2001, with the launch of the redesigned, and slightly larger, second-generation trucklet. Like the outgoing model, the new RAV4 had a 2.0-litre engine under the hood, but with 148-horsepower in place of the 120-hp unit in the old model. For 2001, the two-door model was dropped from the line-up, and all-wheel-drive became a standard feature.
Despite the added power, Natural Resources Canada’s fuel consumption ratings for the new truck showed that it actually used less fuel than the 2000 model: 10.6 L/100 km city and 8 L/100 km highway for 2001, compared to 10.9 L/100 km city and 8.6 L/100 km highway for the 2000 RAV4. Fuel economy ratings stayed about the same for 2004, despite Toyota’s dropping a more powerful 2.4-litre engine, borrowed from the Camry, into the RAV4. The base transmission was a five-speed manual, and a four-speed automatic was an option.
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Reliability is a strong point for just about every Toyota that’s ever been built, and the RAV4 is no exception, with no major trouble spots to look out for in well-maintained examples. Not a single recall was issued for the second-generation RAV4. If there is a downside to the RAV4, it’s a small back seat that’s the result of the relatively short wheelbase. The CR-V has a little more room between the front and rear wheels and offers a little more space in back.
Crash safety is a major plus: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the RAV4 four stars each for driver and front passenger protection in frontal impacts, and five stars for front and rear seat occupant protection in side impacts. In the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) tougher frontal offset crash test, the RAV4 from 2001 to early 2004 earned an “average” rating. Structural changes made to models built after December 2003 earned later 2004 and 2005 models the IIHS’s “good” rating in the frontal offset test. In the IIHS’s side impact tests, the RAV4 scored poorly, however (side airbags offered in the U.S., but not in Canada, improved results significantly).
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Good reliability is typical for Toyotas, and so are high resale values. For sure, you’ll pay more for a used RAV4 than you would for, say, a Ford Escape – also a capable small SUV, though it can’t match the Toyota’s reliability. You’ll pay a little less, too, for a Suzuki Grand Vitara, though its truck-based body-on-frame construction can’t provide the refinement that the RAV4’s car-based structure does. Honda’s CR-V will be priced similarly to the RAV4, and will offer similar dependability and a little more interior space.
Starting at the low end, a 2001 RAV4 is worth $14,400, while a top-end 2005 model is worth $23,150, according to the Canadian Red Book. Over the five years the second-gen RAV4 was produced, its base M.S.R.P. increased by about $1,200 – no doubt a tactic employed to keep the RAV4 competitive in a market that continues to be lucrative for those automakers who have a player in it. Unfortunately, used RAV4 prices probably won’t be affected by the introduction of the newer, much bigger 2006 model that was recently introduced.
There are other sport utilities that would be better suited to serious off-roading – the RAV4’s set-up is best suited to snowy side streets – but few will offer the combination of refinement and reliability in a compact package that the RAV4 has on its side.
Online Resources
www.toyotanation.com – this is a great Canadian-run site that caters to owners of all Toyota models. The main page features Toyota-related news items and links to many other sections of the site, including a busy forum. The RAV4 gets its own forum section, but it’s fairly new, so there hasn’t been a lot of activity yet. Give it time, though, and this section should gain attention, especially with the recent launch of the all-new 2006 RAV4.
www.rav4world.com – In short, this site is a must-visit for all second-generation RAV4 owners. There’s an excellent FAQ, and the forums are reasonably busy for a site with just over 1,300 members. Those members seem to be well-informed and helpful, too. The forums are split up into those for first-gen models (1997-2000), second-gen (2001-2005) and third-gen (2006 and newer) RAV4s. While Toyota Nation is a great Toyota site, RAV4World.com is a terrific RAV4 site that’s definitely worth a look for both present and potential RAV4 owners.
 2005 Toyota Sequoia; photo courtesy Toyota. Click image to enlarge |
By Chris Chase
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Photo Gallery:
2001-2007 Toyota Sequoia
The Sequoia is one of the largest trees on Earth, some standing more than 115 metres high. I think it’s clear, then, where Toyota got the inspiration for the name of its largest SUV. At a little less than two metres tall, the Toyota Sequoia’s got nothing on that massive tree, but it is still the largest vehicle that Toyota affixes its name to on this continent.
In the U.S., the Sequoia is slotted in between the 4Runner and Land Cruiser price-wise, but in Canada where the Land Cruiser hasn’t been sold for some time, the Sequoia is the priciest truck in the company’s lineup.
In 2001, the Sequoia was based on the Toyota Tundra pickup, and shared its platform, front-end styling and 4.7-litre V8, originally rated at 240 horsepower and mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. In 2005, power increased to 282 horsepower thanks to the addition of Toyota’s VVT-i variable valve timing system, and the transmission was upgraded to a five-speed. A revised method of calculating horsepower meant a nine-horsepower drop (to 273) in 2007.
