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| 2004 Toyota Highlanders |
COMFORT: The standard Toyota Highlander is equipped equivalently to a mid-level Camry, a solidly functional, spacious, and comfortable middle-class suburban-utility vehicle. The front bucket seats offer room and comfort, with perforated leather available. The second-row seat provides first-class comfort and space for the two outboard passengers, with less for the center position, although a flat floor helps. With the third row up, luggage space is limited; with it stowed into the floor, there is plenty of cargo space.
SAFETY: All Toyota Highlander models have four-wheel antilock disc brakes with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution. Dual-stage front airbags are standard, with side and side curtain airbags available. Traction control and vehicle stability control are newly standardized this year.
ROADABILITY: A Toyota Highlander has no inner truck. The suspension is soft, tuned for ride comfort, but the Highlander never feels tippy even though it is higher than a sedan.
PERFORMANCE: V6-equipped 2004 Toyota Highlanders get two significant upgrades. As previously, the engine has Toyota's VVT-i variable valve timing system to improve response and efficiency at all engine and vehicle speeds. It's quiet and refined enough to merit placement in a luxury SUV, and adds to the Highlander Limited's refined character.
The Toyota Highlander’s fender creases are prominent, and fewer features are standard than on the Lexus SUV.Both models may be equipped with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, but the Highlander is available with a four-cylinder or V-6 engine. Nearly 2 inches narrower and 4.6 inches shorter than Toyota’s truck-based 4Runner, the Highlander promises SUV versatility along with car like ride and handling.
Exterior
despite styling differences between the Toyota Highlander and its Lexus companion, the two models share the same basic design. The Highlander rides a 106.9-inch wheelbase and stretches 184.4 inches long overall — that’s 4 inches longer in both dimensions than the original RX 300 but 2 inches shorter than the new RX 330, which has the same wheelbase.
Interior
Seating for five people includes two front bucket seats and a split, folding rear bench that holds three. Under the Hood. Both the 160-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and the 230-hp, 3.3-liter V-6 have gained 5 hp for 2004. The Toyota Highlander is available with front-wheel drive or permanently engaged all-wheel drive, which has no Low range. Options include seat-mounted side-impact airbags and Toyota’s Vehicle Skid Control electronic stability system.
Over at Lexus they bolt it into the freshly renamed ES330 luxury sedan and the slick RX330 crossover SUV, meanwhile at Toyota going into the simply wonderful Sienna minivan, the surprisingly somewhat engaging Solara coupe, and our subject here, the Toyota Highlander. This engine and trans combination has become the backbone of Toyota bread-and-butter products the way the 350/350 combination of the 350-cubic inch small-block V-8 and Turbo Hydromantic 350 three-speed automatic was at the heart of Chevrolet profitable products throughout the Seventies.