learn me Toyota Highlander

Wife has started dropping hints that her 03 Honda Pilot is in need of replacement. She started out with saying how much she likes the new Volvo xc90. I quickly killed that idea with ease but then she said how much she likes the new Toyota and how much cheaper it is! I had this feeling That I just got played ? This all started out when I started looking for a newer dd as at the time I was driving 80+ miles a day. I now have a new job 5 miles from the house so I kinda stopped looking. I hate buying new vehicles and I hate dealing with Toyota because they have never been willing to come off there prices much. So does anyone have a new Highlander or know how to get them to down on there prices?

Buy an older one? A lease return is a good deal, IMO. Don't be afraid of miles.

Our 01 base is nearing 200K and is still rock solid. The V6 models had engine issues, but the 4 seems like it avoided those for the most part.

Bought a new 04 and put 100k very much NOT trouble free miles on it. My advice. Run, run away fast, keep running and don't look back. The worst mistake of my automotive life. Steeming pile of sh it any way you look at it.

SWMBO's mother has an 05 Highlander hybrid. Not sure on miles, but I know they've never had any issues with it.

There can be only one.

Quoting myself from last time:

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Toyota Highlanders

This seems random. Story?

Worst automotive mistake of my life. Spousal unit needed a new car. I was pushing for an E46, B6 Audi or C class Wagon. We were close, but she decided she wanted an SUV. I favored a Honda Pilot or Explorer, but she want a Toyota coz you know Toyota are reliable!!! I loathed and hated that POS from the moment we got it until the moment it was gone. Reliability and quality! Ha, non existent. • The headlights melted, yes really. They tried to accuse us of fitting higher output bulbs (no we hadn’t). • steering intermediate shaft failed • Brake master cyl leaked • Rear wheel bearing failed • Heater control unit in the dash failed (that was going to be $1k for parts and a nightmare to change, managed to trade it with the busted one) • Drive shaft center bearing failed. Needed to change that, but the whole drive shaft and bearing come as a unit at some astronomical cost, so I thought I’d get a used one. I called numerous junk yards who claimed to have one, but when I asked them to check the center bearing, they were all worn/loose. I finally found a local place that had 3 and claimed they were all good. Drove out there and sure enough, all on their way out so I picked the best and put that on to trade it. There was also a ton of less serious stuff. • The floor mats were so thin and E36 M3ty they wore through in less than a year. • The crappy (sorry quality) soft touch trim started wearing though within a year so you could see the base plastic underneath in a different color. • The paint!!! The paint was so thin I think it had a negative thickness. I’ve never had a car with paint that scratched and faded so quickly, if you sat down in a chair and watched it you could see it deteriorate in front of your eyes. I’ve never see paint age so quickly or scratch so easily in my life, even when I was a teen and painting cars with lacquer paint. Now, if the car had had some redeeming characters in its driving dynamics I might have been able to stomach the worst quality and reliability of any car I’ve ever known, but no it was so bland boring dull, dumbed down that I developed a serious caffeine habit trying to stay awake while driving it further than my driveway. I got confused unloading grocery’s sometimes and start putting them back in the car mistaking it for the fridge as a dull appliance. Only listing the Highlander (or Turdbota Scumlander as I not so affectionately refer to them) is a move in the right direction. I’m trying had to leave my hatred of all things Toyota behind and remind myself of the amazing vehicles they’ve produced in the past, and give them credit for the Toybaru twins now, which really are cool.

I've got a 2008 (next gen from Adrian's) that's got about 93k miles on it.

Only problem I have were the front wheel bearing that went out around 60k miles. Otherwise just routine maintenance.

Mine is at least as mind-numbingly boring as Adrian's, though.

We had an rx330 (same platform) and it was perfect for 100k then i sold it for is a co worker of Swmbo's and 40k later,it's still doing fine. Ive had 20 toyotas and have put literally millions of pretty abusive miles on them with an astoundingly small amount of failures, best cars available imho.

If youre shopping toyotas, always shop the comparable lexus, oftentimes theyre similar money and Way nicer and Way less prone to rust.

What's wrong with the Volvo XC90?

We have a 2008 with 140,000 miles. Bought it with 112,000 from friends who took good care of it, but trade every 5 years. They sold it to us at near wholesale. It's a great appliance, safe for wife and kids, very reliable, and as Basil Exposition pointed out, mind- numbingly boring to drive.

My mother-in-law has a 2007 V6 AWD model. Aside from an issue with a transfer case leak, it's been solid for them. I think it has about 150k on it now.

all i know about them is that the resale values are absurd

We were shopping them also buy I'm leaning towards the Acadia/Traverse. Similar fit and finish, larger interior, pretty good reliability reputation and a whole bunch less money. Also, able to tow 5200#s.

My wife drove a 2007 Sport V6 AWD for several years. We put 70k miles on it over seven years before we traded it in on a minivan. We initially bought it in 2008 with 34k on the clock, it was a former rental and I'm sure was rode hard & put up wet. I spent $800 on an 8/80 platinum extended warranty but never once needed it.

It was a pretty comfortable ride, decent acceleration / handling, no maintenance issues to speak of and moderate mileage (18 city, 24 highway.) On the down side, even though it was a Sport trim, it had a pretty bare-bones interior... cloth seats, sunroof, marginal stereo, manual seats, etc. Generally I thought it was a good SUV. I never towed with it, wasn't even equipped with a hitch.

I'd look at one again if I was shopping for a mid-size V6 SUV, although truthfully the latest body style looks like every other SUV on earth... at least the 2013 & earlier had a bit more uniqueness to it. Good luck!

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Bought a new 04 and put 100k very much NOT trouble free miles on it. My advice. Run, run away fast, keep running and don't look back. The worst mistake of my automotive life. Steeming pile of sh it any way you look at it.

Helpful, since 2004 Highlander is exactly the same as the 2015... Might have been relevant if the OP was looking for a 2004.

Just to be clear we are looking for a new or near new suv. The Honda has been trouble free yet boring vehicle. It's got 170k on it and where it not for the transmission time bomb issue I would feel incline to keep it forever. The Volvo is a nice vehicle but the new ones are not yet out and are well above my price range. We are not in a hurry so we may look at the new Pilot when it comes out. The Toyota is nice and seems to be flying off the lots so not much of a price break on them. Wife wants leather and 2nd row captain's seats. I'd take a nice wagon but that's out of the question.

So, you like the Honda, its paid for, currently trouble free and you want to ditch it because it may eventually break? How much is a Honda reman trans installed? (Comes with a warranty) might be worth throwing 3-4 grand or so at it and running it another 100k. Unless you're set on getting rid of if because you're sick of it.

Sine_Qua_Non wrote: What's wrong with the Volvo XC90?

<cite When i was at volvo, we had a customer with an xc90, i totaled her recipts since it went out of warranty (to 125,000ish?) and compared them with my total cost of ownership with my rx330 and found it would would have been cheaper for her to buy the rx330 at the time of purchasing the 90 and burn the 90. Aside from that, great cars.

I have a 2004 sienna minivan. It's fairly good, but do believe that 2004 was some sort of "growing pains" year for toyota. By fairly good I mean 190k miles with no major mechanicals needed yet. Through they will be needed soonish.