Speaking Vehicles 394: Driving the 2023 Toyota Highlander

Most important theme: A freshened three-row midsized SUV might not be essentially the most thrilling matter, however contemplate this: Greater than 264,000 Toyota Highlanders have been offered within the U.S. in 2021, a 12 months that noticed the influence of the worldwide chip scarcity; it was additionally the most effective gross sales 12 months ever within the U.S. for the Highlander Hybrid. So it’s sort of an enormous deal when this specific mannequin will get some main adjustments, because it did for 2023. Toyota has dropped the long-running 3.5-liter V6 engine from the Highlander and changed it with a brand new 265-hp, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. (The Hybrid powertrain is unchanged.) Contained in the Highlander will get Toyota’s new infotainment system, with a bigger out there touchscreen. We discuss what we like, what we don’t like, and whether or not we’d purchase a Highlander or considered one of its opponents with our personal cash.

Viewers questions: We reply two questions on this week’s episode. The primary is about Prime Tier gasoline, and we cowl misconceptions about it, the place it may be discovered, and the advantages of selecting a model with the Prime Tier certification.

Our second query is about launch management, a function that’s discovered on quite a lot of “sporty” autos, from the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and Porsche 911 as much as hyper-exotic sports activities automobiles from Ferrari, Lamborghini, and others. However launch management can also be discovered on extra mundane sedans and SUVs as properly. We discuss concerning the whys and hows of this function.