The following is based on a true story, albeit with some embellishments for the sake of entertainment - but not many.

It was early in the morning, but the day's new sunshine poking through the haze was already hinting at yet another 90 degree day with high humidity. Not the best type of weather to be traversing the canyons of car dealerships in search of a new set of wheels.

The ride began ominously quiet. A bird sang a song in the distance as a couple of squirrels danced around a fallen tree. A quiet, somber sight which momentarily distracted him from the duty at hand. Momentarily, until those words were uttered.

"I want a Minivan."

White knuckles upon the steering wheel tightened further to the point of circulation loss at the sound of that word.

Minivan

A four-letter word if ever he heard one. But his reaction was calm, calculated.

"Look, this is going to be your new car." he told his wife. "You can have whatever you like. All I ask is that you keep an open mind, ok?"

"Fine," she responded in earnest. "But I want a Minivan."

With two young kids and a lot of vacation time planned, a minivan made sense to him - to a point. But as a driving enthusiast, with horror dreams of being singled out as a Minivan Dad, the sheer thought of settling in behind the wheel of a 'family car/van' brought a chill to him that could freeze water in July.

Still, he had a plan.

He always had a plan.

"Well, before we go look at Minivans, why don't we swing by a Toyota dealership to check out a few things they have."

Little did she know that he had been researching alternative options to minivans, including smaller-sized SUV's and larger size sports sedans. The Highlander, to him, made sense. A perfect blend of a family sedan with the convenience of an SUV. But would she see through his obvious attempt to steer her away from her dual power-sliding doors and three rows of seating? Only time would tell.

A few minutes later, with her approval, they pulled into a local Toyota dealer. Exiting their vehicle, she took a look around the lot, clearly trying to spot any Minivans among the hundreds of available vehicles.

He had a plan, one with a purpose. He called the dealer the day before and asked how many minivans (Sienna's) they had on the lot.

"Only one, and it's got a down-payment on it already" came the reply from the salesperson on the phone.

"Perfect." he thought to himself.

She looked, but he knew there wasn't a (new) minivan to be had on this vast expanse of Toyota automobiles.

After a few moments, and a sigh, she turned to him and asked, "Well, what do you want me to look at?"

Smiling, he motioned her over to a set of Highlanders of varying colors and options. "Why don't we take a look at those. They look interesting. I wonder what they are...", he lied.

She approached the line of SUVs with initial caution, unsure if she wanted to drive a 'truck'. Sensing her initial concern, he quickly chimed in.

"Oh, these are Highlanders. Yea, I read up on these. They're built on a Camry frame which makes them far more car-like than other SUVs out there." And it was true. Since they were essentially a Camry-SUV, or a cross-over as the industry calls it, it didn't have the rougher, harsher ride of other truck-like SUVs. Instead, it drove and felt like a car - a definite plus for those looking for the versatility of an SUV without wanting the ruggedness of a truck.

He almost sounded like a commercial, but she knew that HE knew cars, so the spewing of factoids didn't phase her...much.

She hovered over one model, a V6 4x4 with a moon roof and other assorted options, that she clearly took a fancy too.

"I don't know," she uttered which, to him, signaled interest.

Cautiously, a minivan-less garage hanging in the balance, he replied "What don't you know about?"

She didn't really have a reply, so he quickly added, "Look, take her for a drive. If you don't like it, we'll leave and move on to the minivans over at Mazda and Honda. If you do like it..."

He ended it there, not ready to push it too far.

A second, perhaps two passed before she answered.

Two of the longest seconds in his life.

Would she test drive the Highlander, or ignore it for her first option - a *gasp!* minivan.

"Ok."

If he could have jumped three feet high without leaving the ground, he would have. Internally, he was. Externally, his calm, cool, demeanor reacted.

"Great. Let me go grab a salesperson and we'll take her for a spin."

He walked, then skipped, to the dealership office, where he was met by a salesperson he had already spoken to the day before.

The salesperson knew the situation, knew what to say and what not to say. He knew it was up to her, so the less amount of 'pressure' he applied, the better this could turn out.

The keys were deposited in her slightly shaking hand. She had never driven anything outside of a small-compact car. To go to a truck was quite a change.

Or so she thought.

Expecting to have to step up to enter the cabin, she was pleasantly surprised at how little step up there was. Score one for the Highlander. And yet despite the short step-up, she immediately noted how much higher she was positioned in the Highlander. Not at stratospheric heights, but high enough to get a better sense of the road and the immediate surroundings.

Expecting a rather spartan interior and dash, she was smiling at the luxurious feel, fit and finish of the cabin. Score two for the Highlander. In fact, it's as luxurious as the top of the line Camry's with all the options you could dream of, including rich leather and woodwork. However, she opted for a nicely detailed cloth interior which complimented the overall appearance of the SUV.

Expecting a rough, truck like ride, despite knowing it was built on a Camry frame, she clearly felt at ease tooling around a hilly lake-side road. Score three for the Highlander. And not only did it ride like a car, but it reacted like a car - taking hard turns with ease, maneuvering as you would expect a car to maneuver, and sufficiently drowning out bumps and dips as if they weren't there (well, almost).

"This is going to be a slam-dunk!" he whispered to himself from the back seat.

"Did you say something?" she quickly asked.

Cursing the quiet ride of the Highlander, he quickly recovered "Oh, I just saw a grand duck fly by."

A grand duck? Smooth recovery. But the Highlander was quiet. Not only was it smooth as silk, not only was the engine silent, but throaty when it needed to be, the cabin was simply a pleasure, even when driving at highway speeds. This wasn't a truck - this was a refined SUV.

After a 10-mile test drive which allowed her to put the Highlander through its paces, she pulled back into the dealership lot. Sensing we needed some alone time, the salesperson quietly walked away allowing us to discuss what he had hoped would be a favorable situation for all involved.

He remained silent as she stayed in the driver's seat. After a few moments, he decided to add a little sugar to the deal.

Exiting, he moved around to the rear of the SUV and opened up the hatch.

"Wow, there's a LOT of room back here."

Perhaps an obvious comment, but an accurate one nonetheless. With nearly 30 cubic feet of cargo space, this SUV clearly had room for luggage, strollers and groceries - all at the same time.

But it worked. She started to get a little excited as she moved to the back seat and was thrilled at the extensive leg room. More than even the Camry offered or other larger SUVS. And, yes, more leg room than ANY Minivan on the market.

He then worked his way to the front of the car/truck (but not Van) and opened up the hood for the traditional engine check. The V-6 model provided plenty of punch and the All wheel drive system with its traction control, ABS braking and electronic stability control were all pluses - each that he openly compared to a Minivan's shortcomings.

She knew. She knew he was now pushing this SUV. The problem was, she was no longer uttering the curse word.

The M word.

She spent another 10 minutes getting in and out of the Highlander. Examining all of the features, discovering the wealth of cup holders, map holders, safety features and more. And, more so, taking a long, hard look at the overall shape of the 'car'.

She smiled.

He knew her.

He knew what she 'liked' and 'disliked'.

To his utter dismay, she never liked the smooth lines of a Corvette, but that's another story. But he did know that this car-like SUV was something that would appeal to her common good sense as well as her sense of style and fun.

The minivan - man, it's hard to type that word over and over again - was a practical choice, but the Highlander, she was quickly discovering, was an equally practical choice in a far better package.

Still, a looked crossed over her face as she peered at the Highlander from different angles.

A queasy feeling hit his gut as he thought he may actually have to suffer a comparison test drive in a minivan.

Desperate, he whispered a silent prayer and searched for a sign.

And a sign he received.

The loudspeakers at the dealership were playing songs from a local, obscure, rock radio station. He wasn't really paying attention to it - until a tune began that he instantly recognized and was amazed by.

Different Strings by Rush started to play, with its familiar opening line of "Whose come to slay the dragons, come to watch them fall?" becoming the war cry for the day.

Except today, it wasn't dragons he was looking to slay, but the curse of the minivan.

Humming along to the song, taking strength from it, he took in a deep breath...and waited.

A few more moments passed, moments of silence as the Rush song faded away.

The silence didn't last.

It was broken by a single, affirmative word.

"Ok."

What did she say? "Ok." What does that mean? His mind scrambled. Was she saying "Ok" I want this car/truck - BUT NOT VAN - or "Ok" I've seen enough, now lets go buy my minivan.

The dazed look on his face prompted a quick question. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Who, me? Sure, I'm fine. Um, but what did YOU mean by Ok?"

She smiled.

He sweated.

"Ok, I want the Highlander."

The blackness hit him suddenly. He had never experienced the dreadful delight of fainting...until now.

But a splash of cool water and a wrist slapping moment later and he was up and smiling again.

"Am I dreaming? Did you say you wanted the Highlander?" he asked her timidly.

"Yes, I did silly." she responded. "Now get up and start dealing!"

An hour of price haggling later, we had signed the deal. The new car-prep process was beginning, and we were looking at some of the contents of the owner's manual.

Then, it hit him, so he HAD to ask.

Sheepishly, he turned to her and queried, "Now, you don't want a minivan too, right?"

He was serious - to a point.

"Aren't we going to shop for them next?" she said innocently.

Her smile, a scant moment later, secured both the deal and the assurance that his garage - their garage - would remain sans a minivan.

At least, for now.

Not sure if a Toyota Highlander is for you? Well check out some of the varying options and accessories that comes with this exceptional, non-minivan vehicle. Still not sure? Take a test drive. You'll be sure after that.

Thank you, as always, for reading...

Option Packages

Appearance Package -- includes aluminum alloy wheels with full-size spare tire on aluminum alloy wheel, color-keyed front and rear mudguards, and privacy glass on rear side, quarter and tailgate windows.
Towing Prep Package and converter -- includes upgraded radiator, transmission oil cooler, 130-amp alternator and trailer prewiring; 4-cylinder models add: 3,000-lb. towing capacity,2 engine oil cooler and 120-watt fan coupling; V6 models add: 3,500-lb. towing capacity,2 80-watt fan coupling and power steering oil cooler
Convenience Package -- includes multi-function remote keyless entry system and tonneau cover
Quick Order Package -- includes multi-function remote keyless entry system; privacy glass on rear side, quarter and tailgate windows; and tonneau cover
Preferred Package -- includes driver seat with 8-way adjustment plus lumbar support, engine immobilizer and anti-theft system alarm prewire, illuminated vanity mirrors and HomeLink®5 universal transceiver
Leather Trim Package -- includes leather-trimmed seats and door trim, 8-way adjustable driver’s seat (with power lumbar support), and fore and aft headrest adjustments

Additional Options

* Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
* Heated dual color-keyed power remote outside mirrors
* Privacy glass on rear side, quarter and tailgate windows
* Power tilt/slide moonroof with sunshade
* Roof rack system
* Aluminum alloy wheels -- includes full-size spare tire on aluminum alloy wheel
* Color-keyed front and rear mudguards
* Limited-slip differential
* Vehicle Skid Control (VSC)10 TRAC Traction Control
* Towing receiver hitch
* Power driver's seat with 8-way adjustment, plus power lumbar support
* Driver and front passenger seat-mounted side-impact air bag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
* Anti-theft system alarm prewire
* Driver and front passenger heated seats
* JBL Premium 3-in-1 AM/FM ETR/Cassette/CD with 8 speakers and in-glass FM diversity antenna
* JBL Premium 3-in-1 AM/FM ETR/Cassette/CD with 6-disc in-dash changer, 8 speakers and in-glass FM diversity antenna

Accessories

* Front-end mask
* Gold emblems
* Black pearl emblems
* Hood protector
* Tube steps by Steel Horse Automotive®
* Color-keyed rear spoiler
* Ashtray
* Cargo-Logic cargo mat by Nifty Products
* Color-keyed fender flares by EGR
* Color-keyed running boards
* Towing receiver hitch
* Towing accessories
* Wheel locks
* Premium license plate frames by Grenada
* Simulated burlwood molded dash appliqué by Superior Dash®
* Carpeted floor mats
* All-weather floor mats
* Cargo mat
* Cargo net
* Rear-seat DVD entertainment system
* Vehicle Intrusion Protection (VIP) RS3200 Plus Security System
* Glass Breakage Sensor (GBS)
* Yakima® attachments
* First aid kit
* Auto-dimming mirror

Amount Paid (US$): 27000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: V-6, All Wheel Drive, Traction Control