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Overall4.5Out of 5
2024 Highlander Hybrid Platinum In-Depth Review
By 632373e8 | on Sunday, December 31, 2023
5.0
We've now owned our 2024 Highlander Hybrid Platinum for 4 weeks, and, so far, couldn't be happier! I was happy to discover that the regular Highlander Hybrid is still available (the Grand is too big for us).
What we love:
- The quiet all-electric drive under 20 mph
- VERY PLEASED with the additional sound attenuation (acoustic noise-reducing front side windows) Toyota added. The loud acceleration roar of the 2022 I test-drove is largely gone
- The “Car” display option that shows how the energy flows, from the ICE and two electric motors to the batteries and wheels
- The 12.3” main Display and the 12.3” digital instrument panel unique to the Platinum trim – with clear, sharp images that display useful trip, safety and navi information. The main screen menus are reasonably intuitive (even without a Home button)
- The Cloud-based navigation now rivals Google Maps – although ETAs are initially inflated. After the free 12-mo. trial this requires a $15/mo. subscription; we’ll see if it’s worth keeping
- The seamless, wireless switching from Android Auto (for me) and Apple CarPlay (for my wife), based on whose phone is detected
- The improved location of the wireless charging tray in the center dash area (in the 2022 it was in an awkward lift-up tray in the center console). This has enabled removal of a windshield-mounted wireless charger that partially obstructed forward-left view
- The ECO drive mode which emphasizes electric motor usage, most appropriate for our driving style (we’re both retired, drive about 11k miles a year, north and south, and certainly won’t need Trail or Sport modes)
- MPG: The instrument panel showed 33.7 mpg after 800 mostly city miles. But then I drove 100 highway miles, and watched it drop to 32.0 – the opposite of a gas-only car. I estimate a fuel savings of about $3800 over 6 years of expected ownership (at forecasted fuel costs)
- The Head-Up display! Never had this – find it helpful to see the speed limit, car speed, and Eco-indicator reflected at a focal point just beyond the windshield
- Folding side mirrors -- also with blind-spot indicators, defoggers, turn signal lights, and auto backup adjusting. Should save us from unwanted parking lot encounters with people or cars
- The fixed rail mount points shifted rearwards about 8”, making rear-loading of kayaks easier, and our Yakima crossbars still fit (though I did need new landing pads molded to fit the modified flush rails)
- Several USB-C&A charging ports, forward and aft (my wife has wallet on the back of her iPhone, so wireless charging won’t work for her)
- A slide-open, lighted center console storage compartment – easy to get at without lifting the armrest and helpful to find items that tend to get lost in the large space
- The color! The exterior is a steel-blue “Moon Dust” and the interior is the same beige we like. We’re happy that we didn’t have to settle for dark colors in sunny Florida
- A Consumer Reports score of 85 and a reliability rating of 75/100 – both the highest for 3-row midsize SUVs (CR gives you the best unbiased road test, reliability and owner satisfaction scores)
What we’re mixed about:
- Rear-window visibility is diminished by the smaller glass area due to the more streamlined roofline (side view mirrors and the 360-degree display view compensate for this)
- The digital panoramic rear-view lever-activated mirror – while handy when the cargo area is loaded to the gills, the camera-fed display suffers from loss of depth-of-field, glare, and the dizzying constant motion of cars and scenery
- The driver’s seat height adjustment doesn’t go as high – or maybe it’s that the hood is higher due to an extra hood hump on both driver and passenger sides. It was a noticeable when we initially got the car, but even my wife who is only 5’3” seems to be okay with the diminished road visibility
- The HomeLink buttons have been moved to the rear-view mirror, but the new menu-driven programming requires a working remote – which we did not have! (Got a new remote and then it was a snap)
- Automatic Profile switching to auto-adjust driver’s seat settings based on who is driving, doesn’t work (requires entering a passcode). No big deal, we just press our memory seat button on the door
- Hands-free rear hatch opening: Car must be locked and foot must be swung quickly under the sensor on the left side of rear bumper. We probably won’t use this – it’s easier to just press the button under the handle, which works whether car is locked or not.
- AWD: We don’t need this as this car never sees Winter snow. But it also adds a second electric motor in the rear. So, net-net it’s a plus, and as all 2024 Hybrids seem to come with AWD, we really had no choice
- Somewhat higher step-up height and cargo platform (~2”?), to make more room for the hybrid’s batteries stored under the passenger compartment
- The ambient lighting that added $449 to the price. It’s kind of cool and helpful at night, and has a separate app to change the colors, but I’m sure the cool factor will wear off quickly
What we don’t like:
- NO DISCOUNTS! The Hybrid, and especially the Platinum trim, still need to be special-ordered, and thus command MSRP, plus whatever add-ons your local distributor decides to install (we did get the dealer to remove the way over-priced $699 ToyoGuard Platinum (2 oil changes, 4 tire rotations in years 3-5, roadside and rental assistance which we get from AAA). Thankfully, gone is the $$$ upcharge that dealers were adding to MSRP during the post-Covid years
- The pull-up cup holder between the second-row captain seats is replaced by a fixed plastic holder bolted to the chassis, losing the convenience of extra storage / passage space between the seats. I found a video on removing it and fashioned an all-weather cover for the bolt area by carving up the old cargo area matt
- The cheap fabric carpeting that added $499 to the car price. But no worries, these are now covered and better protected with new WeatherTech “HP” mats (softer, more flexible upgrade from the ones in our 2018)
- Gone is the “open rear windshield“ button when you just need to pop something small into an already full cargo area. Oh well, we’ll get used to this
- Incomplete User Manuals: The car documentation comes only with a “short version” of the Owner’s Manual, and is missing the 300-page Mutlimedia Owner’s Manual.
What’s the same as in our 2018:
- The same comfortable, perforated leather, heated and ventilated seats
- The same very handy under-dash storage bins we’ve loved for cellphone, keys, little miscellaneous stuff we want to keep accessible on long drives. Theres also a useful deeper tray forward of the gear shift next to the USB ports for little stuff
- Rain-sensing wipers and auto-high beams (both only on the Platinum trim)
- The same power panoramic moonroof (which we mainly use to let more light into the car or block the hot sun}
- Same great JBL sound (11 speakers, with a woofer installed in a left side cargo area panel, in place of a storage nook). New tweeter speakers on the front dash pillars enhance high frequencies, helpful for hearing voices, both in music and on the phone
- The same accurate dual and 2nd row Climate Control – though new dash controls require some relearning.
All-in-all, we are delighted with our new car and highly recommend it to anyone with space needs similar to ours wanting to take a step toward greener driving.…
Overall excellent choice for commuting or cruising
By Scott | on Tuesday, March 02, 2021
5.0
I chose this vehicle with retirement road trips in mind. I have the Limited trim level. The mileage is as claimed in the low to mid-thirties. Build quality is excellent as is the ride and road noise isolation. Several pro reviews comment on the noisy, unrefined 4 cylinder engine when the vehicle is pushed hard. It is annoying but not a deal buster for me. I found out the engine noise is from the secondary high pressure direct fuel injection system which activates when the accelerator is pressed hard. At cruising speeds, the primary fuel injection system is supplying most of the fuel into the intake manifold before the intake valves. Much quieter. The tech all works well and the vehicle has had zero defects or problems in the 3 months I've owned it.…
First Hybrid Owned
By SilverBullet | on Saturday, February 27, 2021
5.0
I bought this Toyota Highlander Hybrid Platinum to replace a F150 since all I haul is sand bags for traction now. I believe gas mileage obviously based on terrain is close and I’ve got 31.6-34.7 just driving back and forth to work. The power is not like my 2019 Ford Explorer Platinum but I’m not a race car driver anyways. I find the seating and ride more comfortable than the Explorer, the quality seems excellent so far, the styling is sleek with quality leather throughout, reliability hopefully based on Toyota history, performance is good enough for American roads, and cheaper by $10,000 than my Ford Platinum...so I believe this to be an economically sound vehicle. Might buy another one so oil companies and politicians don’t get Rich!…
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