We decided (finally).

"mazda616" (mazda616)
09/12/2019 at 21:30 • Filed to: Toyota, Highlander, Toyota Highlander

Bringing home a 2019 Toyota Highlander Limited AWD next week. The dealer is detailing it for us and we are shopping around for the best auto rate in the meantime.

Please, please, please. Save your hatred for a worthier cause. My wife is happy and I am, too. We are paying off my 6 at the same time we are buying the Highlander. It’s boring but it works for us. In the end, for a daily driver mom car, I wanted something reliable, proven, and able to be serviced locally. I can literally walk to my office from the local Toyota dealer.

Toyota covers our maintenance for the first two years or 25,000 miles. We chose the $3,000.00 customer cash over the cheap financing, because the dealer matched it (giving us just over $6,000.00 off MSRP). We also plan to pay the Highlander off before our financing period is over, just like we are doing with my 6. Both of us have great credit, so finding a good rate won’t be difficult.

I don’t have any pictures of the actual one yet, but here are the stock photos.

We ended up with a Limited model, since it had the same equipment (minus a heated steering wheel) that the Subaru Ascent we fell in love with had.

The Limited has heated/cooled seats, a 10-speaker JBL audio system, reverse sensors, and a bunch of other goodies. We got the 10-year 100,000 mile warranty, too. My wife is a master negotiatior and we walked out the door tonight with a deal written up for us to get the Highlander for just over $1,000.00 under invoice. I worked with the sales manager there in a previous job, so he let me see more of the internal workings of the deal than most customers.

So, TL;DR - We bought a Highlander. It’s not a VW Atlas. It’s not a damn minivan. Sorry I didn’t take a lot of the advice Oppo gave me, but in the end, I think my wife and I did right for our family. The Highlander has a proven track record and good safety scores all around.

I tried to find a certified pre-owned one, but there are zero here locally...and the ones I did find farther away were literally about two grand less than a new one. Toyota resale value, I guess.

It also fits in our garage okay, which is a plus. We verified that with the gray XLE one we drove. Win?

First things first: I need the front two windows tinted to match the back. And, a full professional detail with ceramic coating from my detailer is already in the works.

DISCUSSION (51)

HammerheadFistpunch > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 21:50

eh, its a 300 hp awd wagon. You wont catch any flak from me. They aren’t drivers cars but they have a lot going for them too.

mazda616 > HammerheadFistpunch
09/12/2019 at 21:51

It has a “SNOW” button, which I find amusing.

HammerheadFistpunch > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 21:52

wanna have a guess at what it does? I have a similar button in my 97 and 08 Toyotas

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > HammerheadFistpunch
09/12/2019 at 21:56

Now I’m curious to know if it is similar to the Win(ter) button on my Volvo.

CB > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 21:56

Hey , congrats! You're making the right choice for your family. And it's better to drive a car that you know will be good for the long run, especially if it's a family car. Save the excitement for whatever replaces the 6.

mazda616 > Phyrxes once again has a wagon!
09/12/2019 at 21:57

I figured it would end this incessant Kentucky heatwave and make it snow outside. Am I wrong?

mazda616 > CB
09/12/2019 at 21:57

I also have my 96 horsepower 30-year-old J-body. It’s pretty fun.

HammerheadFistpunch > Phyrxes once again has a wagon!
09/12/2019 at 21:58

could be, volvo and Toyota both used Aisin transmissions.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 21:58

It basically makes your auto short shift even moreso.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 21:59

Congrats, also sounds like you need to get busy filling the remaining three seats...

mazda616 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
09/12/2019 at 22:01

Ha. Negative.

We have one child and we plan to have one more, and then and shall be done. Thankfully, neither of us wants more than two.

These people my age that have 5-6 kids...I don’t know how they do it. Good for them, I guess. But, it’s not for me!

MrSnrub > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 22:01

I think much of the Toyota hate is dogma and not necessarily grounded in reality anymore. The Highlander is very good. Not to mention it’s easily the most reliable big crossover thingy .

mazda616 > MrSnrub
09/12/2019 at 22:04

Exactly. And, it fits in my small-ish garage.

Michael > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 22:06

It’s a good car. In 2004 my mom bought a '05 limited, when she passed my dad used it, when he downsized the fleet he gave it to my wife. I have every confidence in it to carry my pregnant wife and future son around for years to come in comfort.

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 22:07

One bit of parenting advice I was given was “once you have switch from man to zone defense with kids its a whole different ball game.”

I’m glad you guys settled on something that gives a bit more space, enjoy.

Michael > HammerheadFistpunch
09/12/2019 at 22:07

Starts in 2nd to help with wheel spin, as I recall

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 22:13

Highlanders are near bulletproof, very practical for moving a lot of people around, and c an be bea t on without worry. That 3.5l is no slouch either you can easily spin tires flooring it off the line.

I will never fault someone for buying one as a Highlander likely saved my wife’s life in a head on collision.

Despite the diverse options of the people on here I trust that they’ll all respect your choice. What makes Oppo is people enjoying the cars they have. There’s a guy on here posting about modifying his Cavalier, he’d get laughed off nearly any other car forum. You yourself and the Sunbird come to mind. There’s more than one way to be a car enthusiast.

Enjoy your purchase, you earned it, and I hope it serves you well with many trouble free miles on all your future adventures.

wafflesnfalafel > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 22:20

Borla cat back that sucker

HammerheadFistpunch > Michael
09/12/2019 at 22:45

thats it. Starts in 2nd

CompactLuxuryFan > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 23:10

Is that the highest trim? I’d daily that in a heartbeat! The NA V6 probably makes decent noise

mazda616 > CompactLuxuryFan
09/12/2019 at 23:16

Yes and no . It goes LE, LE Plus, XLE, SE, Limited, and Limited Platinum. The Limited Platinum adds heated second row seats and a panoramic sunroof.

vicali > mazda616
09/12/2019 at 23:18

Sweet! That a great choice. This Oppo says any family rig that works well and fits everyone is the right one..

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Phyrxes once again has a wagon!
09/12/2019 at 23:46

Two of my favorite human beings currently have three kids under the age of 5. Never be outnumbered they say, and littlest even isn’t really mobile yet.

Chariotoflove > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 00:01

Pal, nobody is gonna give you grief for this car. It’s a good, solid choice. It takes all kinds of cars for all kinds of drivers.

Congrats on finding something that makes you both happy.

Deal Killer - Powered by Focus > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 00:32

No hate from me. My wife drives a 16 year old Explorer and loves the damn thing. If I could snap my fingers and afford a new car/truck, a Toyota would be very high on the list. The new Rav-4 looks like a very good car. Congrats on the new ride. Sorry for any typos, I’m pretty drunk right now.

Roybig > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 02:19

I have the same car, '16 version. No problems, no criticisms. Congratulations!

Captain of the Enterprise > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 04:44

Solid choice! Should give you many, many years of service. The highlander is known as one of the longest lasting and most reliable models in the Toyota lineup. It’s what I would have bought for you’re intended purpose for it!

Sovande > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 05:20

Nice! I think you'll be happy. Nice, solid car with all the creature comforts.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 05:54

Good to hear you settled on something, hope you enjoy it!

Kaz > MrSnrub
09/13/2019 at 06:13

I have the Platinum Hybrid. Mostly just cav ed to the kids wanting second row heating, though the panoramic roof can be nice o n nice days.

I like the car. A bit noisier than I might like, but decent power and feels nice and comfortable inside. I think you will be happy.

shop-teacher > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 07:08

I had a feeling you’d end up with a Highlander. That’s the one that seemed to make the most sense to me, given your needs/wants.

Phyrxes once again has a wagon! > HammerheadFistpunch
09/13/2019 at 07:18

I felt compelled to g oogle it after you commented on the use of the same transmission manufacturer, I now have more brain sludge of transmission manufacturers than I ever really wanted to know.

TorqueToYield > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 08:05

Nice.

I’m looking at 3 row SUVs and both the Highlander and Ascent are high on my list so your whole car shopping story has been very interesting to me.

HoustonRunner > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 09:03

Careful being specific on numbers....twins didn’t run in my family until we had them...now they do.

HoustonRunner > Phyrxes once again has a wagon!
09/13/2019 at 09:04

I’ll amend that - it is usually a hybrid man-zone. Many times one kids needs individual attention so the rest fall into zone coverage . 4 kids - twin boys 9, girls 11 and 13.

HoustonRunner > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 09:08

You make the best decision for you. I don’t like my wife’s Pathfinder, somehow I can never get comfortable in the driver’s seat. But she likes it so much we have had three, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard her complain about it.

(The exception being with the latest one I got a door ding on it during a Home Depot run THE FIRST DAY despite parking nowhere near anyone . That was mostly complaining about me, not the car though...)

mazda616 > TorqueToYield
09/13/2019 at 09:12

We both fell in love with the Ascent but in the end, the $6,000 off MSRP on the Highlander coupled with the promise of Toyota reliability and the ability to have it serviced locally won out. If the Subaru dealer was more local to me, we might have considered the Ascent more.

And, a quick Google search pulled up a lot of engine and transmission issues in the Ascent. The only thing I can find online about the Highlander, problem wise, is that the navigation system sucks. Which I don’t care about.

Michael Woyahn > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 09:58

Congrats on the purchase! I have become quite the Toyota fanboy, but I think you’ll be very happy with the Highlander! My dad’s RX350 has the older version of the 3.5 V6 and that thing moves with that engine.

M y fancy Highlander has 270,000 miles on it and is still kicking, so I can personally vouch for Toyota’s reliability!

DuckHunter71 > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 10:43

I know you’ve decided and that I’m late to the game, but I just wanted to give a good review of the Honda Pilot in case you this one falls through. We bought a 2019 Pilot Touring AWD in January and have been 200% pleased with it. It gets 26-27 mpg consistently (we’ve seen tanks over 28 mpg a few times) and is very comfortable. We took it on a 4800 mile road trip this summer pulling a 2750-ish lb camper through Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. It handled everything we threw at it like a champ and we averaged 16 mpg for the whole trip. We felt it had a much better interior than the Highlander, but I do concede that the Toyotas are solid choices, as well. Just my $.02. Good luck with whichever you end up buying!

Kinja'd!!!

mazda616 > DuckHunter71
09/13/2019 at 11:05

I wanted to look at the Pilot, but the screaming deal we got on the Highlander sold me. I want a pop-up camper someday, so we’ll be pulling that with the Highlander.

pminmd > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 11:34

I think we are going to be looking at getting one of these this weekend. The highlander has a bit more clearance than the pilot which is somewhat important for us. What's the invoice for the limited trim?

loki03xlh > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 12:09

Congrats on the new whip.

functionoverfashion > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 12:27

Congrats, you definitely won’t get a hard time from anyone for making a sensible purchase that meets your needs and makes your family happy and safe.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 13:16

Haven’t read the responses but I’d be surprised if you are getting much hate here. It was your own post yesterday or whenever that was talking about how boring the Highlander was - my reaction to that honestly was that this is the wife’s car, if she likes it and is the best financial decision/deal then go for it.Not every car is a Miata, and that is OK.

My wife drives an Outback. It bores me entirely, but as a family vehicle it works absolutely fine, we got a great deal, and it gives my wife peace of mind. So for that use, it was the best option for us. The Highlander will be absolutely bullet proof in that same regard for you, and you have a great warranty to back you up too - now you can go ahead and have a completely worry-free experience and focus your efforts on living life.

p.s. the only complaint I would have on the Highlander is on the infotainment front - I don’t think it STILL has android auto/apple carplay? That’s a pretty big deal breaker for us at this point, but if it’s something you (and most importantly) your wife don’t care about then that’s a moot point in your case.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 13:33

A highlander, I think is a great choice. There is a reason toyota sells a shit ton of Highlanders, they are actually good cars!

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 14:12

Don’t feel guilty. It’s a great crossover, and it’s your money and your choice.

Enjoy your purchase!

M.T. Blake > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 17:40

Excellent choice! Now... never wash it, don’t change the oil, run it into fixed objects, and continue this behavior for 7 years. You’ll be amazed, someone will turn up and still purchase it from you for a bucket full of dollar bills!

Computer Forensics Expert > MrSnrub
09/13/2019 at 20:19

I got mine in February, and I love it! I just wish the passenger side had the six-way seats.

Computer Forensics Expert > mazda616
09/13/2019 at 20:21

I got mine in February, and I love it! I just wish the passenger side had the six-way seats. The seat needs to be adjusted for passenger height!

Nibby > mazda616
09/14/2019 at 08:37

nice nice the highlander limited ones are pretty well equipped!

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > mazda616
10/16/2019 at 16:14

We just test drove a Limited Platinum and it has one additional killer feature that isn’t on the Limited : Bird’s Eye View Camera

This feature alone might be worth the entire premium of the option . It’s definitely helpful for parking such a huge thing, comes on as you’re coming to a stop to show you how far you are from things, etc. It gives you a virtual feeling of driving a smaller car as you can see in front of the hood and you can see adjacent cars when pulling into parking spots (my wife jammed it into a spot that was so tight we could barely get out without any difficulty) ... It might not be such a killer feature in the country, but in a city where you’re often trying to shoehorn your car into some tight space, I can envision it being very handy.