42 Comments - Average Rating:2.81Comments:Ok, check this one out. I bought an 08 Highlander Hybrid Limited (smart all wheel drive) just over a month ago. The first tank of gas we received about 25 mpg driving from Lewisville (Toyota of Lewisville) back home to Tulsa, OK. That seemed to be close to the EPA estimates. Cool, maybe we can improve I thought. The next tank of gas was used primarily driving around Tulsa, OK. Gas mileage was worse at 21. I thought you were supposed to get better gas mileage in the city! Over the next 5 or 6 tanks of gas the gas mileage kept going down and hovered around 19-21 for both city and hwy driving. I called the salesman at Lewisville Toyota and he stated that it takes some time for the hybrid to break in but suggested that I take the vehicle in to our local Toyota dealership to make sure everything is ok. So of course after doing this the service dept in Tulsa cleared the vehicle with finding no issues at all. Also the electric motor, when it kicks on always seems to kick back off instantly and doesn't run with any length of time unless idoling or in EV mode. I called Toyota of Lewisville back and spoke to a manager and he asked if I was calculating the gas mileage or going by the display. I told him that i had just filled up the tank and the overall MPG was at 18mpg via the display. The manager then requested that I calculate the next tank of gas using old fashion math. After doing this we found out that the mileage had even gone down more to 16mpg! We have just over 3000 miles on it and i can't get the dealership to take the vehicle back or even trade it in for an equal value vehicle like an Avalon or a Seqouia. If i was to trade it in the manager stated that there was an 18,000 price difference we would be stuck with. Now i am stuck with a vehicle that i paid more than 15-20 thousand dollars more for than a reqular gas powered highlander for the gas mileage, that doesn't even get close to in comparison. Oh and we have tried using "real" gas with no Ethanol and also Premium gasoline, running on Econ mode vs. not, trying to stay on EV mode for traffic driving, not accelerating hard AT ALL, but did not see any differences. Does anyone have any suggestions or would want to go in with to start a class action lawsuit? Please tell me what you would do in my shoes!
via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 1
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We have a 2007 THH, bought new last year. We drive in Chicago suburban traffic - stop and go, some highway, mostly in the 20-45 MPH range every day. Summer mileage is quite good - my current tank, which has 1/8 left, is on 30.2 by the computer. What I've found is 28-30 mpg in the summer, and 24-26 mpg in the winter. That needs to improve, but w have not figured out how to get the battery to charge sooner in Chicago winters. The mileage starts to go down when the temp is under 50F and then dramatically under 40 and then freezing temps.
Anybody have any ideas for how to boost summer and especially winter by a couple of mpgs?
gosail69541 via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 4
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We have a 2006 Highlander Hybird. I too am disappointed in the miles per gallon we get, but the tires are the real issue. Has anyone had any luck with their dealer, Toyota, or Goodyear standing behind the product. My dealer is telling me the car will not pass the next state inspection (October) due to the tire wear. The guy at the dealer is telling me "the tires out of the factory aren't very good".
Any thoughts
via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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My 07 HH AWD can get as much as 29 MPG if I really want to piss off the drivers behind me. This is not really practical during rush hour.... I'd get shot. More likely I can get around 26 MPG being moderately consertive in my driving. But my son can easily run the effeciency down to 17 MPG by driving like a kid. All-in-all I'm dissappointed with the unattainable claimed 29 to 32 MPG. Toyota benefited from the exageration. I feel seriously taken advantage of as a consumer.
via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We recently bought a 2008 HH Limited. We currently have 2400 mile on the car. Our gas mileage has gone from 24 mpg using 10% ethenol gas to 18.2 mpg using 100% gas. Has anyone had any luck with getting this problem fixed? We have noticed that the electric engine only runs for a few seconds at a time then shuts off again. I have seen the EV mode come on a fer times but again only for a few seconds. I have tried to follow all the driving tips but nothing helps, I'm beginning to think I
need to involve the locale news stations to try to get the public aware of this problem. If we had known we would not have bought a HH.
via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 1
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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As always, your milage will vary. I bougth a 2006 used HiHy 6 months ago with about 42,000 on the odometer. I usually drive 4 miles to work at an average of 45 mph with 6 lights along the way...I usually hit half of them red. The biggest impact on my mileage has been when if was cold. Then I was getting 23-23.5 mpg. In the more rececent warm weather with the AC going at a low level, I'm getting 27.5.
On the highway, it all depends on speed. At 75 mpg, I get about 25.3 mpg. At 65 mpg, it goes up to 29.3 and at 55 mpg, I get 32-33. If it's extremely hot and the AC is blasting, then knock 2-3 mpg off of those numbers..
However, since a V6 Limited gets about 16 in town and 23 on the highway, I'm very happy. Add to that the fact the the HiHy can smoke most sports cars at the ligtht, which makes it a barrel of fun. It can also trailer 3,500 lbs without straining hard, though I haven't had a chance to measure the effect of that on the mileage.
philip via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 5
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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my wife and i bought a '07 hh 4wd last year, and just passed the 10,000 mi mark.we live in portland (OR) in a very hilly part of town, and we do not get nearly the mileage quoted on the sticker.winter city driving- 18mpg, summer city- 22mpg. i think the hills have a lot to do with our poor mileage. the 10% ethanol blend they sell here probably doesn't help either. our highway mileage is usually better, say 24-26, which is not the norm.
eric via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 3
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I have had my 2008 Highlander Hybrid Limited since 12/07 and have 7K miles on it. At first, it got 25 mpg, but recently it is hovering around 20 mpg. I pay close attention to how I drive and am at a loss as to the decreased performance. It seems like everyone is having the same problem. Does anyone have any tips?
I am waiting to bring it in for the 10K service to ask about the lower mpg.
At one point,I inflated the tires to 42 psi (the tires say max 44) and that increased the mpg but the service manager was worried about them popping and had them deflated to 34 psi. I live in S.California.
I am hugely dissapointed with the exterior body paint. It scratches very easily.
mdpshoe via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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The Toyota Highlander Hybrid is a disappointment on gas mileage. I have been tracking my mileage and I do not get anywhere over 23 miles per gallon. When my lease is up, the vehicle goes back and I make a point of telling everyone I know about the vehicle being hype and delivering on improved mileage.
via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 1
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I purchased a Highlander Hybrid 7/07 and now have 19,000 miles on it. Gas mileage is an acceptable 27.5 overall. It does help to go easy on the gas pedal. My issue is tire wear. At 19,000 miles, my tires will need to be replaced soon even though the Goodyear Integrity is rated at 50K. It seems Goodyear will not warrant OEM tires although other blogs indicate Goodyear may be working with some folks.
I love the Highlander overall and would certainly recommend it.
L Hansen, Denver, CO via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 5
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I have a 2006 highland hybrid... it has averaged about 21-23 mpg around Los Angeles, a far cry from advertised prices. The computer mpg display is also inaccurate, generally 1.5-2mpg off from actual mileage (which is lower). however with heavy city driving and traffic, i'm glad to have a hybrid... gas prices are around $4.50/gallon now, and I'd be willing to guess the non-hybrid gets below 15mpg in the city.
jay via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 3
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I bought a 2007 4WD Highlander in Sept 2006. I now have almost 30,000 on it. I live at 3500 elevation in Bend Oregon and have averaged 26 to 28 mpg consistently according to the computer.(I have not checked that with a manual calculation, but I think I will after reading some of the posts.) My goal is to get better mileage and be as green as possible. So I'm interested in when Toyota may come out with a plug-in conversion kit for the Highlander as they are doing for the Prius. I would like our next new vehicle to be a plug-in from the ground up. My wife drives less than 20 miles per day and that would be perfect for her. Imagine - being FREE OF FOSSIL FUEL!!
keith clinton via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 3
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We ahve had real problems with 2 areas first it seems the mechanics at the lcoal dealer are not too sharp adn will guess at my expense what's wrong and 2nd the origianl tires wore down in less than 24K miles.
Anyone else ahve tire wear issues???
via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I am leasing a 2008 Highlander Hybrid LTD and also am very disappointed with the mileage. The computer says 22.5, but my actual calculations show about 20mpg! This is bogus. For a car that cost 50 percent more than my last 2004 Highlander that got 15-17mpg ( 50% streets/50% freeway) it's seems not worth it. I do like the bluetooth and AUX jack for the iPod, but there is a lot of radio interference with the iPod playing through the system.
Not too happy
dr. steve weihberg via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We live in the South Bay area near LAX and have had the 2008 Highlander Hybrid for about 2 months and 1300 miles. We live in an area that should be about optimum for hybrid performance. The mileage has been disappointing so far, and significantly less than advertised. We're averaging 21.9 (mostly town). At first, we were averaging about 22.5-23, but the last two tanks have dropped, averaging 20.3 in town. with a best tank of 24.7(mostly freeway). This using the "Econ" mode all the time and following all the "mileage tips" in the manual. The last two in town tanks have averaged 20.2, and it doesn't seem to matter how it's driven. The dealer insists nothing is wrong. On top of that, this Highlander Hybrid has failed to start on two ocassions (small starting battery discharged to about 5 volts after sitting in a parking lot for about 2 hours the first time and 2 days in our garage the second). Vehicle was towed to dealer who "found nothing wrong" either time. We have carefully followed the shut down instructions to the letter. Needless to say, the combination of relatively poor gas mileage and the starting issue has shaken our confidence in the vehicle. If the starting problem happens one more time, I'm going to return the vehicle and ask for a full refund. I curious if anyone else has experienced a starting problem...the dealer said "we've never heard of it before". One other note: the premium of about $8K for the Hybrid is a BAD business deal. Hopefully it's better for the environment. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this hybrid over a conventional vehicle. Just not enought advantage.
richard via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We have the 2006 Highlander Hybrid and are very disappointed not so much with the gas mileage we assumed the advertised numbers would not be true but with the tires seems they wear out very fast due to the extra weight of the electric engine. Have any others experienced this problem? Also a minor fender bender has cost us a ton in repairs?
mark curatolo via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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Dear Kernpail: We too bought a 2008 Highlander Hybrid (Limited) 4WD-i. We paid $47k (includes the navigation and DVD player). We are averaging 28 MPG, but sometimes can get upto a 30MPG average if gas is bought from Chevron (we use regular unleaded). I am disappointed that the gas engine comes on every time we start the car, even if we want to coast on our street at 5mph. Equally disappointing is the "EV" mode rarely is available when we manually engage it at low speeds. But overall, the HH Limited is very well appointed and we enjoy it. You're right though, at the pricepoint, we could have bought new BMWs.
shannon via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 4
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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The Highlander Hybrid was a total waste of money in my opinion. We do about a 65/35 mix of city/highway driving, and we barely keep it above 20mpg. Not worth the extra $$$.
via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 1
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We bought a 2007 HH 4wd on new years eve of 2006. First tank we averaged 27.4 using the on-board display. This seemed great compared to the 12-13mpg our '96 Ford Bronco would get.
As time passed, the mileage using the display has decreased to around 22-23 average.
I take the vehicle from Portland to Seattle or Eugene and get 22-23 @ 70-75mph. Did the engineers at Toyota think about an overdrive in these hybrid vehicles??? Our '03 Avalon is most comfortable and gets nearly 27mpg on these same trips.
When the average mileage in the HH was at around 25, I calculated that I could go 425 miles on a tank. At 365 miles, I ran out of gas. At least he vehicle jumped and sputtered but still ran on the battery. Ended up in the Safeway parking lot and all sorts of warning lights came on. Went into the store and did my business. Came out and it started up using the gasoline engine ONLY as the battery was depleated. Drove home 2 miles and called the Toyota dealer who said bring it in. But first, drove to COSTCO to fill-up with reg. unleaded. Mostly downhill but another 2 miles.
After arriving at Toyota, they ran a diagnostic check and told me I had ran out of gas. They reset the warning lights and said don't do that again.
It took one tankfull to get the mileage back over 20mpg after "running out" which I find hard to believe as the hybrid battery indicated flat <2 and I was using the gasoline engine.
Since then, best mileage is 24.8 average. I ask the COSTCO gas person to top it off each time I fill-up. (UNLAWFUL TO PUMP YOUR OWN IN OREGON)
I now have a little over 15,000 miles and am very dissapointed in the mileage. I use the cruise control all the time and do plenty of coasting. Right now, the average mileage reads 23.3.
Still have the Bronco (5.7L V8) and get nearly 15 in town using techniques I've learned with the HH.
Tempted to sell the HH and drive the Bronco. Can turn on a dime and will go everywhere in the snow.
hhneedsoverdrive via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I have been driving my Highland Hybrid for two years and have 20,000 miles on it and I, too, have seen the mileage decrease since I bought it. Currently am getting around 23-24 mpg. Not at all happy about spending $40,000+ for a vehicle that does not meet it stickered claims. Other than the gas mileage, I love the vehicle and would not like going back to a gasoline only powered vehicle. I like the quietness of the vehicle, my husband calls it my golf cart. I just hope they can fix the mileage problem because I would really like to purchase another one.
via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 3
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We bought our 2008 HH in February, 2008. I am extremely disappointed. Avg mgp is 20 - 21 after 2000 miles. Yes, as one of the bloggers points out, that's better than the gas-only version, but it was advertised as 27 mpg. That's a big difference (over 25% lower than advertised). I was expecting to get lower than Toyota advertised, but not this much. I feel really ripped off, having paid almost $45,000. The dealer should know what they're selling and warn you. For that much, I should have just bought a BMW.
kernpail via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 1
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I am a real owner. Just purchased a dealer owned 2007 Toyota Hybrid (4 wd) with 3,500 miles. Have averaged at the best 21.6 mpg for in town and long distance driving. I live in upstate NY and have repeatedly been told that since we are in winter time, have snow tires, and that some gasoline has 10% ethanol, that we are getting "good", expectable mpg and that it would take up to 10,000 miles to get the max mpg. We bought this (very base model) because of the sticker that said 26-30 mpg average. I'm meeting with an "expert" regional rep tomorrow, first time in for this. From the other postings, I don't expect much but an attempt to blind sight us. I didn't really have the money to spend as much as we did for this used TH, and really wish I would have bought a regular one...It hasn't even come close to meeting expectations.
Finally, can some one give me more information on the lemon law in NY state, since we are not even close to the 15,000 miles that some have spoken about. Thanks to all for your input.
via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 1
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I bought a Highlander Hybrid07 in April 07 with 26.7 mpg. Right now I have 9,500 miles and it's 24.4mpg. I hope it will go up but it never does. So I just hope that it doesn't go down. I travel alot with full of suitcases at the back, a baby, a plus size mother in law.
In general, I think it's not that good of mileage but it's also not that bad. I just wonder how long the battery will last and does it worth saving up money from gas to change the battery cell??
Usa via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 3
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We have a 2007 Highlander with four-wheel drive. We have over 3,500 miles in it, and have consistently averaged 31 mpg. We live in Denver, and the milage frequently drops to around 27-28 mpg when we drive up into the mountains, but then climbs back up on the downhill run back into the city. I don't know why others don't get the same results, but you cannot just jump in and drive the same way that you always have, and expect to get the benefits of the hybrid drive. We are both careful about gentle acceleration and gradual deceleration. I think that this vehicle has actually improved my driving - you do have look down the road and "drive ahead" to get the most out of it.
j snyder via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 5
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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You actually can 'downshift' in the highlander by putting the shifter in the B slot. This increases the drag on all 4 wheels by (apparently) allowing the electric motors to provide more resistance (and thus generate more power I suppose). This is a very noticable increase in 'drag.'
As for snowy conditions, our '07 HHL did fantastic this past winter in a variety of winter/snowy conditions, and in some where other 4wd vehicles were getting stuck. Highly recommended.
semper via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 5
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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In July '06 we bought a Highlander Hybrid-I. We were told by the dealership that we could expect to get 30 mpg. For the first 15k miles, we averaged a consistent 26-28mpg.. not bad for an SUV. I attributed the difference between what the dealership said regarding MPG and our actual mileage as "salesman hipe".
However, after the 15k mile service the fuel milage dropped by almost 20%. I am now averaging 21-23 mpg! As I read this forum, it seems to be the "common thread" to the postings on this blog.
I took the vehicle back to Toyota to report the drastic drop in mileage. They "checked" the vehicle and could find nothing wrong.. not surprisingly! The service writer at the dealership suggested that it could be the air filter. I had it changed. The mileage remains the same.. 21-23 mpg.
I get the same answer from our Toyota dealership (Santa Clarita, CA)that everyone else is getting.. that there is no problem with the car. I TOTALLY DISAGREE.. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG WHEN THE MILEAGE SUDDENLY DROPS!.. AND BASED ON THE COMMENTS LEFT ON THIS BLOG, IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES.
This vehicle was my first Toyota.. and it wil be my last! Unless Toyota can diagnose and correct what appears to be a common problem, they will get the car back at the end of the lease.
Anybody up for a "class-action" law suit??
AJH
Castaic, CA via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 1
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We purchased an 06 Highlander hybrid. I did not expect to get the posted gas mileage, however I did expect to get somewhere between the two numbers. Our first trip was to California from Utah. We averages 28.5 miles for the duration of the trip there and back. This continued until winter when I dropped to 25 mpg then to 20-21mpg. I took the car to the dealership multiple times only to have them me that there was nothing wrong. Finally they had the service rep look at it who said my software that causes the motors to come on was disabled. The re-enabled it and my MPG went up to 26mpg. when the weather warmed up I was back to 28.5 again until about three months ago. I smelled an electronic burning smell and my MPG has dropped again to between 24-25 mpg. I took it back to the dealership again who again says there is nothing wrong. I am extremely disappointed in the car I could have saved 10K and purchased the regular gas model. I am averaging about 350 miles per tank.
JD via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 1
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We got 28.4 mpg on our first tank on the Highlander Hybrid. We expect to get over 30 soon. I am surprised at how many people don't know how to drive hybrids. Read about Pulse and Glide! Here are some ideas:
1: Try NOT to use the electrics. This sounds odd, but energy conversion is inefficient and hte Atkinson engine is very efficient.
2: Accelerate Briskly, at about 50kw. Do NOT accelerate "slowly" like every says. The Atkinson engine is less efficient at "partial throttle."
3. Finally, try to get the engine to go off. This is the glide part. You accelerate to say 55, then lift the throttle to turn off the engine, then apply a little throttle to keep from recharging the batteries.
Don't beleive me? Read about the guys who got over 100mpg in the Prius using this technique.
Soon...I plan to try higher octane gas, take off the roof rack crossbars, use higher tire pressures, use N when going downhill (unless I need to recharge or slow down). 30mpg is doeable, and you do NOT need to accelerate slowly. Although going 40-50 would give you better mileage than 45-55.
Rating: 5
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I bought my front wheel drive 2007 Highlander Hybrid Limited about Thanksgiving 2006. I love it. With careful, but not too slow, driving, I get about 25 mpg around town. People have to realize that this Highlander Hybrid is not merely an economy car; it is a performance car in an SUV package.
Robert F.
Charlottesville, VA via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 5
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I too am a quite dissapointed in my HiHY mgp. I get better gas mileage on the fwy than in the city - which is completely opposite to what is advertised and from what I understood to be the science behind the hybrid synergy system. I am lucky to get 23mpg -- I live in Los Angeles where the temp is ideal and the driving conditions are supposed to be "perfect" for the hybrid vehicle. I am at mile 650 just having bought it two weeks ago and 650 miles has taken over a tank and 1/2 of gas. I have driven it various ways - slow, coasting a great deal, breaking blah blah blah -- it seems to make no difference to when I just drive it like i would drive any other car. Very frustrating considering we spend about 10 grand more to get it this way. My only hope is that they are not lying about the emissions. When I contacted the dealereship about the issue -- I was told that the EPA was going to release a new statement next
year indicating that they overestimated the average by 30%/ Feeling a bit like a fool right now. If any of you have any suggestions please let me know - I would love to see this improve.
chris via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I'm a brand new Highlander 4WD Hybrid owner and I absolutely love it. I loved my 2000 Xterra too, but it never got over 19.5 MPG in the 145,000 miles I drove it - - and it had horrible acceleration power. (My average was usually around 18 MPG.)
My first two tankfuls with my Highlander have been 28.6 MPG and 28.4 MPG. That's almost 60% better than my Xterra. And - - the power is amazing! Push on the accelerator and feel yourself being pushed back into your seat! Extremely fast pick-up for an SUV.
paulw via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 5
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I bought a used 2006 HH with 18000 miles and have 21000 now and my overall city/light highway mileage is 23 -24 mpg. There are no hills in Florida. We recently completed a 185 mile highway trip 65 - 75 mph with cruise control on and got a disappointing 21 miles per gallon. Are any of you owners keeping the tire pressure at 36 psi vs 32? Is there a downside to keeping the pressure at 35ps?
kevin via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 3
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We bought our Highlander hybrid about a year ago and have already 17000 miles on it. We are pretty happy with our mileage - about 28 mpg in Summer and 27 mpg in Winter (we live in Minneapolis). It all depends on how you drive. I drive it regularly and know how to improve the mileage (be light on your gas pedal and accelerate slowly). When someone else drives it, I often notice mileage going down.
soumitri via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 4
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I like our Highlander Hybrid but we too get about 22 mpg overall in the Portland & Vancouver area. I have found that Consumer Reports offers an honest assessment of real gas mileage on most models. I hope Toyota is paying attention to these comments, both these blogs and other sources. I have checked with Toyota several times and, just like the other comments I have read, they offer no solution or reasonable solution that I have not already tried. I drive our Highlander very carefully to conserve as much fuel as possible. I am aware that some loss in mileage has to do with the winter gas fuel formulation that is added in OR and WA. We have also had a Toyota Prius nearly two years now. We are all hybrid and we certainly did not buy them with the idea that it was going to be a money saver but we do want to lower our overall CO2 emissions. I hope car manufactures and the EPA can get together to offer us an honest assessment of performance. There are many of us that do want to make a difference.
Barry and Denise via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 3
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I have about 7000 miles on my 4WD-i HH (Highlander Hybrid) and, using regular gas, average between 25 and 26 mpg. That's about 430 miles of driving with the 17.2 gallon tank. It's supposed to average 26-36 mpg for city and 22-32 mpg for highway driving.
There's an interesting note in the Toyota owner's manual: "For improved vehicle performance, the use of premium unleaded gasoline with an octane Rating of 91 or higher is recommended." I plan to fill up with the higher octane and check the mileage.
marcel via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 3
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We bought our HH Ltd. in September. I am disappointed in the mpg. On average we get 25 mpg or less. On the highway it averages about 26 mpg but in the city we get only about 20 mpg. When I took it in to see if something was wrong with the HH, the service manager said,"It may take 10,000 miles for the HH to break in." This seems a bit high since many people do not drive 10,000 in 2 years. When I talked to the mechanic, he said that the HH are still in experimental mode, and really don't know how many mpg it will get due to the higher power. He said he has only seen 2 HH so far.
I also do not see the battery mode kick in very often in city driving. If it does, it stays on for only a few seconds.
ggluvna via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I purchased one about 2 months ago.. I now have 4000 miles on it.
I got about 28-30 on the atlanta highways in rush hour traffic in bumper to bumper traffic. I go on electric alot of the time by being easy on the gas.
I found out 60 is the sweet spot for highway mileage. Above 60 I found that it did not use the electric at all. I had to go on a trip 800 miles each way and I got about 25 MPG going 70 most of the time.
If you drive under 60 using the cruise control and do not have a hilly road you will use the electric occasionally while on the cruise control only. I was rarely able to get the electric at highway speeds except at cruise.
Whenever you start it the motor has to run to warm up the engine to operating temperature. so if you do alot of short trips it will constantly use the gas motor.
I am pretty happy since atlanta traffic is pretty bad. It is a roomy car that gets 4 cylinder mileage with a v6 with lots of power.
emil via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 4
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We just bought a HH a week ago, after 250 miles I am getting 27.4mpg, I was very careful to maximize this by coasting a lot up to redlights and not accerating up hills, but then I mostly drive that way except in my Boxster. MY wife and I are amazed at how quiet the car is going down the highway. I also noticed the battery is not fully charging, but that probably would be hard to do with the electric motor coming on as much as it does going up hills.
tom via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 4
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I, too, am disappointed with my Highlander mileage (24), mostly because the sticker said 28-32. QUESTION: Does anyone know how to get the maint. required light to go off? Last oil change, the mechanic showed me and I can't remember or get it to do it. Hold in the button on odo. while starting? thanks.
lcb via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I bought my 2006 Highlander 4x4 (base model with package #1) in late September '05 on eBay from a dealer in Lockport, NY. At that time I felt like I got a good deal, at $2,000 below MSRP. I flew from my home (near Burlington, Vermont) to Buffalo (thanks to Jet Blue's $69 1-way fare) to get the car and then drove it home. I paid close attention to my driving technique and stayed on secondary roads, avoiding interstates. That 500-mile trip in cool, dry weather yielded almost 31 mpg. I have never been able to duplicate that economy. Car now has 2,500 miles and has averaged 23-25 mpg. Vermont is hilly, so I am often going up and down grades more than long distances on flat roads. Mileage seems to vary a lot with colder temps, use of A/C, heat, lights, etc. As others have remarked, the V-6 seems to run more frequently, no matter how lightly I use the accelerator. As of today (2/3/06) we have escaped our normal winter in NW Vermont this year: little snow and no below-zero temps. Wonder what effect those would have on economy? Perhaps the HiHy's mileage will improve in the spring. I am proud to own and drive such a vehicle, but would not recommend it to anyone whose budget can't easily afford the premium price over a gas-only 4-cyl or V-6 Highlander.
glen gurwitt via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 4
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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We bought our Hybrid Highlander in July 05'. In the beginning we were getting about 27mpg. These last couple months it has taken a turn for the worse. My driving conditions haven't changed (mostly city driving). The last 5 fill ups we have averaged about 20mpg. I have noticed the gas comes on almost immediately now, unlike before when the electricity was used up to about 30mph (on the flat). We took it into the Toyota dealer and they insisted there was nothing wrong or the lights would've come on. There is something wrong when you spend the extra money to purchase a vehicle that is supposed to be better for the environment and it ends up not being the case. We didn't buy this thinking we would get our money back in the gas money we saved. We bought this thinking it polluted less and didn't consume as much gas. It is frustrating being mislead.
By the way Darrell the battery is rarely ever charged all way. I don't think that makes a difference unless it's really low. I'm not sure though.
tricia via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 2
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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I bought a 4-wheel drive Highlander Hybrid one week ago. I have only put 165 miles on it thus far, mostly short drives (less than 8 miles at a time in town), so I am still learning how to best maximize the fuel efficiency. I am being very gentle with the gas pedal and coasting downhill without my foot on the pedal at all. I am only getting 22.5 mpg according to the computer, which is disappointing, and am eager to make the calculation myself with my first fillup. A major concern is that the battery has yet to fully charge. It has not charged more than 6 bars out of the 8 maximum. I am hoping that a fully charged batter will result in the electric motor contributing to power more frequently. I am sold on the electronic power steering and the transmission combination which allows the vechicle to truly coast when going downhill without the tranmission slowing the vehicle. The interior, exterior, amenities etc. are all great, I'm disappointed in the fuel efficiency thus far. I would gladly give up some power for more fuel efficiency.
Darrell Powledge, Roanoke, Virgnia via www.hybridcarblog.com
Rating: 3
Date Posted: October 4th, 2008
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