2016 Toyota Prius Review – More Efficient Than Ever, But Not All About Efficiency

The long Victoria Day weekend annually presents us with a prime opportunity to venture 300 kilometres from Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, to Summerside, Prince Edward Island, and back. This year, that opportunity presented itself in conjunction with our week-long test of the all-new 2016 Toyota Prius, a car we'd already been driving for a few days. 

THE GOOD + Unbelievably economical + Great highway manners + Plenty of space inside + Drive Modes are distinct + Obviously a Prius

THE BAD – Obviously a Prius – Struggles with crosswinds – Some quirky tech difficulties – Doesn't want to handle – Doesn't feel like $28,375

In an urban environment, the new Prius was overachieving, not only in terms of fuel economy but in the way it simply didn't offend my enthusiast sensibilities.

Averaging 3.9 L/100km, or 60.3 mpg on the U.S. scale, through much of the week, we ended our test of the 2016 Prius with more than 1200 kilometres of city and highway driving, 24% of which were completed in EV mode. 

During that period, a stretch in which we put far more mileage on the Prius than is the norm, we pumped fewer than 50 litrs of fuel into its tank, an end result of 4.1 L/100km. 

That's what the Prius accomplished during a week with our growing family. But how did it fare during the process? 

We answer that question by responding to seven more in this GCBC Driven Review of the $28,375 2016 Toyota Prius.

WHAT IS IT?
The dawn of the hybrid craze was crafted by Toyota in 1997, whent he first-generation Prius combined electric and gas power. Originally seen as a niche alternative to the two-seat Honda Insight, the Prius entered the American mainstream in second-gen form. More than 180,000 Prii were sold in the United States in 2007 alone. 

Exterior Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
Interior Photo Source: Toyota Canada

2016 TOYOTA PRIUS Base Price: $27,785 * As-Tested Price: $28,375 * Colour: Blue Crush Metallic Assembly: Japan Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Transmission: continuously variable Engine: 1.8L DOHC 16-valve I-4 Horsepower: 95 @ 5200 rpm Torque: 105 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm Battery: 1.3 kW NiMH Total System Horsepower: 121 Curb Weight: 3065 pounds Length: 178.7 inches Width: 69.3 inches Height: 57.9 inches Wheelbase: 106.3 inches Tires: Bridgestone Ecopia Tire Size: 195/55R15 Passenger Volume: 2636 litres Cargo Volume: 697 litres EPA City: 54 MPG EPA Highway: 50 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 4.4 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 4.6 L/100km Observed: 57.4 mpg Observed: 4.1 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1790 in fees.

In its third iteration, the Toyota Prius gradually became less popular in the U.S., in part because of other Prii, the smaller Prius C and larger Prius V.

Now the fourth Prius – sometimes thought of as the fifth, because the first-generation Prius envelopes two iterations – is more efficient, more refined, and more livable. And so it must be. With fuel prices now consistently low and a broad spectrum full of potential alternatives – including Toyota's own Camry Hybrid – the Prius is unlikely to soon regain the kind of success displayed by the first hybrid a decade ago.

In Canada, there are three versions of the new Prius, though the top-trim Touring is marketed only in Canada's three biggest urban centres: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver. The $30,520 mid-grade Toyota Prius Technology can be upgraded with a $3260 Advanced Package: blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, parking sensors, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats, power driver's seat, auto-dimming rear view mirror. 

Our test specimen is a 2016 Toyota Prius starts at $27,785 but was optioned up with the $590 Upgrade Package: heated front seats, pre-collision, lane departure alert, auto high beams, adaptive cruise control.

HOW BIG IS IT?
Not only is the Prius smaller than the Toyota Camry, America's best-selling car, it's also smaller than the Honda Civic, Canada's best-selling car. Bumper to bumper, the tenth-generation Honda Civic is nearly four inches longer than the fourth-generation Toyota Prius; the Camry is more than a foot longer than the Prius. 

But don't confuse the Prius's tidy exterior dimensions with a cramped interior. By no means is the Prius's rear seat as vast as the Camry's, but there are 697 litres of cargo capacity behind the Prius's second row of seats, 60% more space than you'll find in a Camry's trunk. 

Unfortunately, I never found the driver's seat stretched back far enough for my lanky frame. This didn't detract from the level of spaciousness enjoyed by other Prius passengers, but after 1200 kilometres, my hips were crying out for replacement. 

DOES IT WORK?
Expecting the Prius's fuel economy focus to create issues in the on-road experience, I was surprised day after day by the fourth-generation Prius's all-around manners. The ride is very compliant. Power, what there is of it, comes on stream early and with sufficient force. Vibration is kept to a minimum – only moments of powertrain changeovers cause some buzzing in the throttle pedal. The cabin always remains quiet. It's all fine and good for the home-to-work, work-to-home commute.

The Prius certainly won't compel you to take the long way back. There's a degree of float, particularly when the rear axle meets uneven pavement mid-corner, not typical in cars of 2016. The Prius therefore never feels comfortable being asked to give a little more, to grip a little tighter, to tuck in its nose with more aggression. Just back off, the Prius says, let's take it easy.

And for the driver seeking out maximum economy, it makes little sense to consistently force the Prius to work harder, thereby minimizing efficiency. There is a Power mode, but the throttle becomes unnaturally jumpy. You might as well skip the Normal drive mode, too, because Eco is what it's all about.

Visibility remains a sore point because of the split rear windshield. Not as obstructive as your eyes tell you it is, the split is nevertheless annoying. The Prius is also slathered with chintzy bits, the kinds of things you'll notice when shutting the clinky rear doors or putting your sunglasses away. The sense you get from the Prius's interior is one of lightness, a boon for fuel economy. But that sense of lightness isn't disingenuous – all the factors which go into making the Prius an aerodynamic featherweight are noticed in the lightest of crosswinds, as the Prius begins to waver about inside its own lane.

As for the technical interface, we don't like the centre-mounted instrument cluster, not only because of its location but because of the constant warnings it throws up which distract the driver from the road ahead, a stupid thing for vehicular warnings to do. Oh, you turned on cruise control? Warning: cruise control should only be used on highways.

Thanks, but no thanks, Prius.

But there were also a handful of technical difficulties. The doors refused to unlock for an extended period one morning last week, and when the driver was finally allowed in, the fob and interior locks still wouldn't unlock the other doors. There were also some moments in which the toushcreen utterly failed to function, as songs being played through Bluetooth audio were skipping about wildly while the screen itself refused to respond to any inputs or display the fact there was even audio playing. 

Technical challenges, uncomfortable seats, and some less than impressive switches, body parts, and trim don't make the Prius feel like a $28,000 car, particularly since it struggles in the wind like the subcompacts of yesteryear. But the right green car buyer may be comfortable assuming that this is price you pay for outrageous efficiency.

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
In Canada, the Prius remains a low-volume Toyota even as, year-over-year, sales jumped 116% over the last two months. Only 679 copies of the Prius were sold in the first four months of 2016 – Toyota Canada sold more than 2000 4Runners during the same period.

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Toyota Prius Sales Figures
2016 Ford C-Max Hybrid SE Driven Review
2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Driven Review
2016 Scion iM Driven Review

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In the United States, where Prius sales over the last decade were 51 times stronger than sales of the Prius in Canada – the market as a whole isn't quite 10 times larger – the new car's volume hasn't taken a turn for the better. Yet.

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SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
Noteworthy fuel efficiency can be had with joyful dynamics in Ford's charming C-Max Hybrid. But the C-Max isn't as spacious, nor does it feature a particularly modern set of features. 

A number of conventional midsize cars are available with hybrid powertrains, from the Toyota Camry to the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima. But none of those cars offer hatchback flexibility. Volkswagen's diesels are hardly in the running now. 

For the buyer who simply wants to save money in the transportation line of the budget, a look at popular compact hatchbacks is the purest route. A Scion iM is the Toyota of choice for the real penny-pinching Toyota hatchback buyer. For the green car enthusiast, however, the fourth-generation 2016 Toyota Prius is more worthy of affection than ever before.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
If you want alloy wheels with some semblance of grippy tires, you'll either live in (or move to) one of Canada's three biggest cities or install a set yourself. Regardless of option packages, the Prius and Prius Technology both look dreadfully cheap on ugly wheel covers with tall tires.

But every new Prius is astoundingly efficient and equally powerful, no less of a car than any other aside from the level of kit. If the point of your Prius purchase is to save on fuel, the lightest, least luxurious Prius will be the one to have. It'll also be the way to turn your fuel savings into a real financial benefit, too.

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
Regardless of the sacrifices made to reach extreme levels of efficiency, there comes a point out which the driver of a 2016 Toyota Prius sits back and says, "Wow. 4.1 litres per 100 kilometres." Which doesn't sound nearly as profound out loud as it looks on the Prius's onboard computer.

Fortunately, the fourth-generation Prius is far from full of sacrifices. Serene ride quality, a quiet and roomy cabin, sufficient power, and abundant safety kit are not the kinds of qualities one lists in the "Sacrifice" column. 

Yes, the fourth Prius remains enormously dull to drive. There is no sense of joy, no desire to hustle through a corner, no yearning for better mountain roads or pointless journeys up the coast. 

There is simply accomplishment. 

"Look at that, dear owner of mine," the new Prius seems to say. "The journey is done. With ease and frugally, if I do say so myself."

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The Prius was supplied by Toyota Canada's press office.

2015 Toyota Avalon Limited Review - It's Either A Junior Lexus Or A Camry+, Which Means It An Avalon

Choosing your Avalon will be easy. Toyota Canada offers the car in only three grades. 

The XLE serves as the base trim, but it's still a $40,000 Toyota with leather seats, keyless access, dual zone climate control, and a sunroof. The Avalon Limited requires another $2095 and adds HID headlamps with LED DRLs, blind spot monitoring, nicer leather, heated and cooled seating, and a bunch of other items.

During the middle of May, we spent a week driving around Halifax, Nova Scotia, in a 2015 Toyota Avalon Limited loaned to us by Toyota Canada, but this car was also fitted with the $3100 premium package: JBL 11-speaker audio, heated rear seats, pre-collision, auto high beams, rear seat climate control, radar cruise control, and a power rear window sunshade. 

THE GOOD • Massive rear seat • Easy control layout • Unimpeachable build quality • A hint of junior Lexus • Shocking real-world mileage

THE BAD • Whither the bolstering? • Overall quiet makes tire hum obvious • The Camry+ aura • Not exactly a handler • Poor brake feel

As ever, the fourth-generation Toyota Avalon is related to the Camry, Canada's best-selling midsize car. The Avalon is only 4.4 inches longer and 104 pounds heavier and shares the engine of the 2015 Camry XSE V6 we drove this past winter. The Avalon is also obviously related to the Lexus ES, which offers a cabin that's only 2% smaller and a trunk that's only 5% smaller. As a result of its connections to two popular cars which bear a number of key similarities, the Avalon has always found it difficult to locate its niche. 

Not since 2005 has Toyota Canada sold more than 2000 copies of the Avalon in a single year. Since 2006, Toyota has averaged fewer than 800 annual Canadian sales. After 2013's year-over-year trebling of volume to 1264 sales, 2014 Avalon volume slid 21%. 

Toyota is refreshing the fourth-generation Avalon for the 2016 model year – sales are down 14% through April – so we're taking a look at this outgoing model. Yes, choosing your Avalon will be easy, but finding one? It's never a common car on the lots of Toyota's Canadian dealerships, but don't be surprised if later this year a few remaining 2015s can be had with impressive discounts.  

INNER STRENGTH
Inside, the Avalon is a space at least as special as a $45,000 car ought to be. The design isn't standard midsize-car-plus-more-features, the quality of the workmanship is high, and there are special elements. The broad control structure with the centre touchscreen is intuitive and slightly canted toward the driver. Seams and shutlines and surfaces are elegantly done. And the way the heated/ventilated seat stalks rise out of the centre console, toggle right for heat and left for cool, and then punch back in place is a surprisingly special moment for a sedan from a high-volume automaker.

2015 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED Base Price: $39,938 * As-Tested Price: $45,133 * Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Transmission: 6-speed automatic Engine: 3.5L DOHC 24-valve V6 Horsepower: 268 @ 6200 rpm Torque: 248 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm Curb Weight: 3582 pounds Length: 195.3 inches Width: 72.2 inches Height: 57.5 inches Wheelbase: 111.0 inches Tires: Pirelli Sottozero Tire Size: 225/45R18 Passenger Volume: 2897 litres Cargo Volume: 453 litres EPA City: 21 MPG EPA Highway: 31 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 11.3 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 7.5 L/100km Observed: 31.4 mpg Observed: 7.5 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1753 in fees.

The front seats are certainly suited to a bulkier couple, however, and I was never able to find the ideal
driving position. The steering wheel doesn't dive low enough or reach far enough. The seat bottoms are flat and seat backs are poorly bolstered. "Securely ensconced" is not a phrase that comes to mind.

Yet just a few feet behind, rear seat passengers are treated to a lounge suitable for a trio of adults if need be. Toyota didn't skimp on finishes in the back. Rear seat passengers are also treated to their own climate controls. A shade operated by the driver powers up to the rear for added UV protection. 

An expansive rear seat is what separates the Avalon from many midsize cars, but it's worth noting that Toyota's own intermediate Camry offers very impressive rear quarters, as well. Officially, the Avalon's rear leg room is three-tenths of an inch greater, shoulder room is four-tenths of an inch superior, and head room in the Camry is one-tenth of an inch taller.

ON THE MOVE
Yet the driving experience is markedly different. Granted, the most recent Camry we tested was the surprisingly sporting XSE example. And it's also true that the current Avalon rides far more firmly and handles with greater agility than the Avalon of 2005-2012. But unless you're getting out of an old Avalon (or another traditional full-size car) and into the 2015 Avalon, you're more likely to equate the driving experience in this car with Calais than Camaro.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
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It's not that the Avalon floats like a Detroit barge of the 70s, but it's focussed on cosseting in a way few cars are these days. That's not inherently a bad thing, but it's too bad that the Avalon's steering lacks all manner of feel and isn't particularly responsive. The brake pedal also lacks any kind of progressive feel, and the Avalon's braking performance feels like you're bringing an Avalon-and-a-half to a halt.

It's motivated, however. Toyota's venerable 3.5L V6 has been around in 268-horsepower form for a decade, but it continues to feel like its pumping out more than the reported ponies. The 2GR-FE is smooth and refined and builds deliberately to its power peak at 6200 rpm. (So quiet is the running 3.5L and so silenced is the rush of wind passing by that the Pirelli Sottozero winter tire hum was too noticeable inside the Avalon, not because road noise is so bad but because there is no other noise.)

Don't be so surprised that the 3.5L that powers the Camry so easily propels the Avalon, too. This Avalon weighs only 100 pounds more than the Camry XSE V6 we drove earlier this year, which makes the Toyota 558 pounds lighter than the all-wheel-drive Buick LaCrosse we reviewed in March.

RIVALS
That LaCrosse is certainly among the Avalon's most direct rivals. The Buick is marked down for its smaller trunk. The Kia Cadenza may fail the prestige test in comparison with the Lexus ES but lines up nicely against the Avalon. 

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Toyota Avalon Sales Figures
2015 Toyota Camry XSE V6 Driven Review
2015 Buick LaCrosse AWD Driven Review
2014 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid Driven Review
2014 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 Technology Driven Review
2014 Chevrolet Impala LTZ Driven Review

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The Ford Taurus drives nicely but it's cabin feels snug in contrast with the Avalon. A basic Hyundai Genesis comes standard with all-wheel-drive, feels very upmarket, and provides a slightly more athletic driving feel than the Avalon. 

If you can get past its overly light steering, the Chevrolet Impala LTZ's overall package is very enticing. Don't forget about the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Nissan Maxima, or the Lincoln MKZ.

SET APART
Yet for all its similarities with the Camry, the 2015 Toyota Avalon Limited is set apart from its direct rivals by coming across as a Toyota-badged Lexus. Unfortunately for Toyota, the Avalon's legendary reputation for reliability, an exterior that's more handsome than ever, and a dynamic envelope that's satisfying to a greater cross-section of the populace won't likely alter the fact that Canadians will hardly buy any. It's not just the Avalon – Canadians hardly buy any of the Avalon's rivals, either.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid SE Quick Review - Something Different Before Something New

At any one moment, it is both easy and difficult to see why the Toyota Camry is perennially America’s best-selling car.

Taking up residence in a 2014 Camry Hybrid SE for a whole week, I was saddened, but I could see how a Camry owner would feel emboldened when contemplating the future. This is not a happy place, you see, not from a design standpoint; not for a car reviewer who wants material quality to impress and edges to be softened and seat cushions to be lengthy under thigh.

THE GOOD • Reputation • Potential fuel economy • Rides and handles mostly well • Looks better than other Camrys • Overall space

THE BAD • Lacking personality • Real-world fuel economy • Interior is sad • Forgettable design • Sometimes iffy ride quality

And yet, just as an example, I suspect that the ghastly steering wheel buttons will operate effectively for the Camry’s fifth owner, a college sophomore who buys the car in 2024 after it lived a trouble-free, maintained-at-the-dealer, 150,000-mile commuter existence.

I don’t say this because of Toyota’s reputation for quality, as this car lacks the sense of overarching solidity with which you acquainted yourself in a 1997 Lexus ES when you were a college sophomore. Rather, one falls under the spell of perceived durability because, for instance, the interior is ruggedly refined. It’s like my son’s yellow dump trucks. They’re not as cool as his silver Gullwing model, not as nicely painted or equipped with doors as beautifully hinged, but they will outlast whatever his childhood can throw at them. Born less than a year ago, he’s not allowed to touch the Benz yet.

The smoothness of the drivetrain can rarely, if ever, be questioned, from the stop-start system to the delivery of passing power on a two-lane road. It’s not fast, the Camry Hybrid, but it’s not ponderous, either. We were party to very little EV operation, but the Camry is rather quiet regardless. Wind noise is kept to a minimum, though the hum of the Michelin Primacy MXV4s was conspicuous. Rear-seat occupants are blessed with an impressive amount of legroom, but the trunk is 15% smaller than in a conventionally powered Camry.

This is a car we all know well, however. We know it’s lacking personality. (My mother-in-law, always interested to see what’s in our driveway, didn’t notice the previous week’s Legacy had been switched out for the Camry, and she’s a loyal Camry owner.) We know it’s spacious and affordable and provides what may be the planet’s best reputation for durability, ISIS-driven Toyota pickups aside. But in advance of the refreshed 2015 car’s arrival, Toyota began marketing a slightly different Camry. For the first time, they applied the SE's semi-sporting alterations to the hybrid model.

That’s a bit confusing when first pondered. The SE is the Camry that can be driven swiftly through corners, but the Camry Hybrid is the Camry that ought not be driven swiftly if fuel economy numbers are going to live up to the official fuel economy ratings.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
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This Camry can, in fact, be driven quickly on a fun road. The steering is more than decent and would become even better if only the car would turn in with more immediacy. Body roll is toned down. For the most part, ride quality remains comfortable, although interactions between the rear suspension and especially rough pavement send a shudder through the whole car. Pushed hard, the SE never feels less than sorted.

A moaning CVT (even if it’s calibrated nicely with the powerplants) and 156 horsepower aren’t the kinds of attributes one looks for in a car you plan to hustle often. The Camry Hybrid SE, priced in Canada at $31,260 including fees, therefore becomes of interest to buyers who want their Camry to appear more youthful, the buyers who want more bolstering in the front seats and an added dose of agility. 

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• Historical Monthly & Yearly Toyota Camry Sales Figures
• 2014 Ford C-Max Hybrid SEL Driven Review
• 2015 Hyundai Sonata Limited Driven Review
• 2014 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD Driven Review

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Driven quickly too often – not because it was fun but because I wanted to challenge the car – we averaged just 7.5 L/100km over the course of the week. That’s far worse than the official figures: 5.8 L/100km in the city and 6.2 on the highway.

Last winter, we averaged similar mileage in a diesel-powered Passat in an attempt to see whether diesels were hampered by intentionally aggressive acceleration. The Passat TDI exceeded its city rating in spite of the driving style and, in truth, was more pleasant to drive and sit in than the Camry Hybrid SE.

Toyota has already updated this car, however, with an improved interior and, to my eyes, improved exterior design. And if we’re going to discuss vehicles with sterling reliability reputations, perhaps we should be comparing the Camry Hybrid’s real-world efficiency to the fuel economy achieved by the pickups in Mosul. Who wishes to make the necessary inquiries?

2014 Toyota Highlander XLE Review - Lexus-Like Toyotas Are The Best Toyotas

Was that intentional? 

Toyota Canada timed the on-sale date of their new eight-seat crossover with Valentine's Day 2014. Initially, one would assume that Toyota would expect to find a Valentine's Day-derived passion-filled response for a sports car like their Scion FR-S, or perhaps the future Supra production version of their FT-1 Concept from Detroit's auto show. 

Family cars, even neoteric ones like these jacked-up wagons, are about much more than jaw-dropping first impressions. Maybe a singularly focused sports car like the FR-S would woo you with nothing more than dinner at a loud restaurant; maybe the FT-1 needs nothing more than a hot body to seduce you. (After all, the concept didn't even have an engine.)

THE GOOD Feeling of quality pervades Rides like a big crossover Handles like a small crossover More assertive design Seats eight if you must Easy Speak

THE BAD Power tailgate got stuck for an hour Some buttons are a long ways off Intrusive highway wind noise Engine/trans working for economy Third row awfully snug for three Bit of a guzzler

This Valentine's Day, Toyota wants you to find a vehicle that's appropriate for the life you actually lead, a car that can do more than haul legless children in the back seat or reside in a collector's garage. The 2014 Toyota Highlander is not the car for your mid-life crisis. It is not the junior supercar you buy in early retirement.

Toyota wants this all-new, third-generation Highlander to be the vehicle you buy this Valentine's Day knowing it will still be a faithful companion a decade from now.

That sounds dangerously similar to Toyota's prototypical approach, but they've rarely executed this well.

No positive characteristic is more obvious in this 2014 Highlander XLE than the sensation of quality, not just in the materials used but in the way parts are assembled. Perceived quality isn't exclusive to the driver's quarters. 

It's seen in the stitching of the shelf that stretches across to the passenger door, the way the second row's seat levers move solidly so access can be granted to the third row, the way the floor's nasty bits are covered by carpet and plastic panels even in the back of the car. 

2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER XLE AWD Base Price * (CDN): $33,370 As-Tested Price * (CDN): $41,590 Engine: 3.5L DOHC 24-valve V6 Transmission: 6-speed automatic Horsepower: 270 @ 6200 rpm Torque: 248 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm Curb Weight: 3926 pounds Drive Type: all-wheel-drive Length: 191.1 inches Width:  75.8 inches Height: 68.1 inches Wheelbase: 109.8 inches Passenger Volume: 4041 litres Cargo Volume: 391 litres CV Behind 2nd Row: 1198 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 2356 litres Centre Console: 32 tennis balls Glove Compartment: 92 tennis balls EPA City: 18 mpg = 13.1 L/100km EPA Highway: 24 mpg = 9.8 L/100km Observed: 18.5 mpg Observed: 12.7 L/100km * includes destination/delivery.  GCBC was first to access this test vehicle, and mileage was below 2000 kilometres, which, combined with sub-zero temperatures all week, surely had an impact on fuel economy.

Our week with this new Highlander wasn't glitch-free. Wind noise around the A and B-pillars and especially around the sunroof was excessive on the highway. But worse, when the Highlander first arrived on the coldest of nights, upon carrying a load of groceries into the house, the power tailgate refused to close. 

When it finally did - of its own accord, after I read the manual for half an hour - the Highlander refused to lock its doors, apparently not convinced the tailgate was closed. At this point the tailgate refused to open - until it did, of its own accord, half an hour later. 

Cause for alarm? I originally thought so, but after testing the power tailgate numerous times on a daily basis over the remainder of the week I didn't find a single issue.

Besides, the greater frustration felt by the driver won't be a one-time issue with the tailgate but with the distance he or she must reach in order to access buttons on the far side of the dashboard control panel. The vast width of the eight-inch touch screen is partly to blame, no bad thing. Fortunately, voice commands are intuitive and always understood by the lady who lives inside the car. 

Although a handful of buttons aren't traditional buttons at all but just touch capacitive pads, they do offer feeling through little dots which make all the difference. And the pads do respond, unlike the touch capacitive heated seats "buttons" in the Buick Regal.

Toyota's new Driver Easy Speak is one of the best car features I've encountered in years. It must be switched on before every drive, but after doing so, the driver's voice will be projected into the rear of the Highlander (at the volume of your choice) through the speakers. It's possible to speak just above a whisper and still be easily heard by children in the third row. It's wonderful, and it can be turned off when the conversation turns to more adult-oriented Valentine's Day subject matter.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
Click Any Image For A Larger View - (iPhone 4 Through Tadaa's Shoreditch Filter)

Complaints regarding the Highlander's interior are nitpicky in nature and few in number. The third row is supposedly fit for three now, but it's still snug for two. It's mostly suitable for small children who, these days, must sit in child seats that won't work back there. There's also 34% more space behind the third row than there was in the second-generation Highlander. 

The second row is capacious and expandable. The centre console storage compartment is mammoth. Seats-folded cargo capacity of 2356 litres will make you a believer in the Highlander's expanded width and length: it's now just 14 inches shorter than a Sequoia, bumper-to-bumper. That cargo area is accessible through the glass portion of the tailgate, a glass portion that's shaped to allow greater visibility out the back.

In XLE trim, the Highlander's interior feels like something out of a de-stylized Lexus. Better yet, "de-stylized" means de-complicated, and in many ways the Highlander's simplistic approach, because the car is so well built, generates a greater sense of luxury.

As positive an experience as you'll have inside the 2014 Highlander, the driving experience does a superior job of setting this crossover apart. At nearly 16-feet long, the Highlander, like other family utility vehicles, ought to be roomy inside. But a Toyota with this much emphasis on comfort and ride quality and road isolation shouldn't be able to feel this agile; it shouldn't provoke the use of the word "nimble." 

Don't read me wrong. The 2014 Toyota Highlander isn't sporty. Yet to drive it quickly with a blindfold on - most likely an illegal activity in your jurisdiction - is to believe that this is a RAV4-sized vehicle. The Highlander's steering feel isn't completely unnatural. Brake feel is firm and consistent. Suspension movements are kept in check: there's very little see-sawing effect at the nose and tail and body roll is much less of an issue than it was in the previous Highlander. No, it's not sporty, so it's not fun to drive aggressively. But it's not at all painful to drive quickly, and the same can't be said of many Highlander rivals which seem overweight, ponderous, and truckish.

It's 270-horsepower 3.5L is certainly punchy, even in this slightly heavier all-wheel-drive Highlander XLE. But the 6-speed automatic is geared for economy, so the driver must do more than inquire through the throttle pedal about the possibility of finding more power. Your right foot must command it, and in so doing, you won't find the Highlander to be a rival for the exuberant Ford Explorer Sport or even the surprisingly swift V6-engined Hyundai Santa Fe XL. Regardless, Highlanders bound for Canada won't be made available with 4-cylinder engines. 

In a few months, when 2014 Highlanders become common, the new version's design won't seem controversial. (It's not as though the design is stirring up heated debate on the interwebs, but it has grabbed attention, both positive and negative, since debuting at last year's New York auto show.) The RAV4-like shelf-creating taillamps are unfortunate, and some may feel the front end is more brash than bold. 

GCBC Has Instituted ISTBTP, AKA Interior Storage Tennis Ball Test Protocol.
You Can See More On The ISTBTP In Last Month's Accord Hybrid Review, In This Tweet,
And At Jalopnik's Opposite Lock. The Highlander's ISTBTP Results Are In The Spec Chart Above.

A week with the new Highlander, admittedly in advance of its on-sale data and thus a first sight for most onlookers, did garner more second glances from fellow Halifax drivers than the red Beetle Convertible I drove in the dense fog last fall. Besides the fact that the new Highlander drives so much better than the outgoing Highlander and ignoring its superior perceived quality and easily understood infotainment unit, the 2014 Toyota Highlander's sense of style stands out as the means by which Toyota will continue to grow Highlander sales. 

Now the Highlander is more than just an obvious crossover choice for Toyota loyalists - it's a utility vehicle that will actually get noticed. 

I could take or leave the design, but I was nevertheless very disappointed to see the new Highlander depart GCBC Towers' driveway last weekend. Normally, I'm anxious to see vehicles go, even the good ones, because they're always replaced by something new to try. Yet one week later, our little family still misses the Highlander. Loathe though I am to pop the question, given the Highlander's status as a practical everyday family car and not, you know, a Camaro ZL1, I must ask: Is that true love? 

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