From a performance standpoint, the Highlander Hybrid lives up to much of its hype, delivering 0-to-60 acceleration in just 7.5 seconds, along with 25mpg fuel economy during our tests. In city driving, the electric motors easily power the Highlander forward from stoplights, and the continuously variable transmission gives the entire acceleration band an enjoyably smooth feeling. While holding steady speeds on the freeway, we felt slight power shifts as the hybrid system directed energy flow between the gas engine and the electric motors; however, this affected neither the handling nor the speed.
The Highlander Hybrid gives no ground to its Lexus sibling when it comes to keeping occupants safe. Dual-stage smart air bags and seat-mounted side air bags provide collision security for the driver and the front passenger. Roll-sensing side-curtain air bags are deployed in the front and second row, and all seating positions have three-point seatbelts with pre-tension and force-limiting capability up front.
The Highlander's solid construction, strategic crush zones, and generous complement of air bags work well for passive safety when a collision is unavoidable. Perhaps more important is Toyota's unique combination of vehicle-stability control, antilock brakes with brake assist, and brake-force distribution. Those systems cooperate with each other for precise vehicle control when emergency maneuvers are necessary. A few highly skilled drivers may do as well as the hardware and software combination that Toyota labels Star Safety, but plenty of drivers may avoid a trip to the body shop or worse with this system in place.
The Highlander Hybrid is available in two trim levels: standard and Limited, both available with front-wheel- or four-wheel-drive systems. The non-Limited version does not allow the addition of the pricey navigation system, but it has a long list of standard equipment, the same Hybrid Synergy power train, and Toyota reliability. It comes with a basic warranty of 36 months/36,000 miles plus a warranty of 60 months/60,000 miles on the power train and eight years/100,000 miles on the hybrid power train.
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