I recently purchased a 2002 Toyota Highlander Limited after extensive comparison shopping, and had several different experiences with Toyota dealers.
In St. Louis, we are a mid size market and I visited six different Toyota dealers. This was out of necessity, as I encountered some real problems with some dealers.
New in 2001, the Highlander is considered a "CUV" rather than an "SUV". This means "Crossover Utility Vehicle". It is based on the frame of a Toyota Camry rather than on a truck frame. This results in less off-road capability, but Toyota has zeroed in on people like me: One kid to tow and an aversion to minivans. So the Highlander is marketed as a minivan alternative with some off-road capability. Which is fine with me, because I'll never be off-road on purpose.
The Highlander comes in two basic packages (with some 2 and AWD), no matter what they tell you. Made in Japan, in the same plant as the Lexus RX300 (and four inches longer), the car is not a made to order kind. They come with either a 4 or 6 cylinder engine, and in either 2 or all wheel drive (AWD). Toyota is betting on most people wanting the 6 cyl. AWD (I did), and from there your options are limited to the "basic" package (cloth seats, basic stereo, etc.) or the "Limited" package (leather, premium CD changer, sunroof, vehicle skid control, auto climate control, towing package, etc.). You may be able to negotiate certain options away, like a auto dimming mirror (privacy glass is standard on the Limited), but the base package will be the same. I found this through painful experience when I tried to build my own.
Back to the dealership. Back in June, we test drove the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, Mazda Tribute, Hyundai Santa Fe and Honda CR-V. They were all blending together until we stopped and drove the Highlander. It was an instant difference in drive. The others were bumpy and rough, like trucks. The Highlander was smooth and even, you know, like a Camry. Having never heard of the Highlander and with Bebby still a few months off, I went to research mode. As a new model, there was no reliability history, but hey-it's a Toyota. Quite a bit a reading and several months later, we headed back to negotiate the somewhat shocking MSPR for a Limited of around $35,000. What I found out floored me.
The Highlander had taken off in sales, and the dealership was backordered. They were now selling vehicles they were SCHEDULED to get from the factory. Add in two months to get it to the US-Midwest, you're talking a serious wait. But that wasn't the kicker. When I asked what the dealership was selling the car for, the salesman looked at me with a straight face and said, "Well, the sticker price." And the implication was clear from his manner; if you don't want it for that, someone else will.
So we moved on to another dealership. The answers were the same pretty much all around. "These are popular, we can get MSRP, so we will. Thanks for stopping by!"
Finally I found a couple that seemed at least somewhat negotiable. So I sat down with a salesman from a dealership about 40 miles from my house, and I played some numbers off him from another dealership. In the end, I got a Limited Highlander loaded, MSRP $35,500 for about $33,600.
I waited four weeks for one that was on a sloowww boat from China (or Japan, if you like). But the wait was worth it.
The car is HUGE inside. The back AND passenger seat lay flat, giving you like 80 feet of inside cargo space. The dash is laid out naturally, with the gear shifter in the bottom center, on top of a nicely re-designed (and new for 2002) standard center console.
The ride is everything I remembered it to be. Quiet and smooth. Handling is crisp with even braking. Road noise is at a minimum and cabin noise is nonexistent. No pops, squeaks or groans (yet).
The car seat is perfect for the height of the car, and we all fit very comfortably. My only option gripe is a manual passenger seat. For that kind of money, I would expect a power seat.
Consumer Reports now gives the Highlander a "Recommended" rating, and I can see why. The quality name like Toyota with Lexus feel makes a nice ride for someone suffering Minivan Aversion. But shop around. The popularity of the car is making some dealers gouge, and people are paying. So take some time and get the best price for the car. And be prepared to wait if they can't do a dealer-trade. It's worth the wait!
Happy driving!
Amount Paid (US$): 33,600
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: Limited package
