2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Reviews
The 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid comes in both "base and Limited models," according to ForbesAutos, unlike the standard Toyota Highlander, which offers a mid-range Sport trim. The exterior of the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is smooth and aerodynamic, and Cars.com says the "Toyota 2009 Highlander Hybrid" is "sleeker than its predecessor and features smooth sides." The exterior of the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is no head-turner, but Toyota rarely botches the chance to turn out a stylish interior, and this certainly holds true inside the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
For those seeking more fuel economy from their seven-passenger, mid-size sport-utility vehicle, Toyota offers the "Highlander hybrid". For 2008, the Highlander lineup, including the hybrid, was completely redesigned. The Highlander hybrid can be driven on electric power alone, gasoline power, or any combination of the two. Although the hybrid’s 3.3-liter V-6 makes less horsepower than the standard Highlander’s V-6 (209 horsepower versus 270 horsepower), the hybrid version’s electric motor boosts overall power to match the standard Highlander’s output. Thanks to the responsive torque of the electric motor, the Highlander hybrid has brisk acceleration. Hybrid-SUV competitors to the Toyota Highlander hybrid include the Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid, Dodge Durango hybrid, Ford Escape hybrid, and Lexus RX400h.
Although the Highlander hybrid costs several thousand dollars more than the standard Highlander, the fuel efficiency and ego-inflating nature of the hybrid version might just be worth it to some buyers. The Highlander hybrid is unchanged for 2009.
Fortunately, the Highlander hybrid comes with a lot of amenities and has standard four-wheel drive.
The 2009 Highlander Hybrid Limited is an SUV full of contradictions. Toyota clearly put a lot of thought into the Highlander Hybrid. I love the flexibility of the interior: The center seat can be switched with a storage console, and the third row is not only easy to fold flat but easy to climb into. Driving the HiHy was something of a surprise. That higher price doesn't include the third row, Bluetooth or the very cool Center Stow seat. Exterior
While I really enjoyed driving the Highlander Hybrid, I'm not so enthusiastic about its looks. From the front, the Highlander is assertive-looking.
What I really enjoyed about the "Highlander Hybrid Limited is its interior". In the backseat, all was well thanks to wide, flat seats that accommodated our booster seat and seat belts, which buckled easily. The real show-stealer is the second row's Center Stow seat and console. The center seatback can fold flat to provide two cupholders as well as a surface for climbing into the third row without disturbing child-safety seats or booster seats. Behind the driver's seat, the second-row seat folds and slides out of the way for easy access. It was the preferred seating for my kids. Safety
The Highlander Hybrid gets great marks for safety; all of its safety features - except for the security system - are standard. The Highlander Hybrid's standard safety features include antilock brakes, stability control and traction control. The Highlander Hybrid also comes with front- and side-impact airbags for the front row, and there are also side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats. Nice. No wonder the Highlander Hybrid gets so many stars in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests.
