2009 Toyota Highlander FWD four-cylinder
Last winter, Toyota added a four-cylinder, front-wheel drive basemodel to its Highlander line. The engine is a 2.7-litre unit that makes187 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque; fuel consumption is rated at 10.4/7.3L/100 km (city/highway). As in 2008, V6 models are rated at 12.3/8.8L/100 km.
2009 Toyota Highlander base four-cylinder. Click image to enlarge |
The Highlander four-cylinder, curiously, is the only one to use anew six-speed automatic transmission; V6 models carry on with lastyear’s five speed auto. The new six-speed auto is the same one used inthe Camry four-cylinder, while the 2.7-litre engine is shared with theVenza crossover.
Credit for the lower consumption goes partly to the smaller engineand new six-speed transmission, but can also be attributed to the lackof 4WD hardware, whose extra weight and drag on the engine have anoticeable effect on efficiency. While all-wheel drive is a great assetin a Canadian winter, a good set of winter tires, along with theHighlander’s standard stability and traction control, will make thefront-drive model a perfectly reasonable proposition when the snowflies.
With two people on board, the Highlander four-cylinder performedadmirably, with strong acceleration and smooth shifting from the newtransmission. For most of our drive in the Highlander, we were on therelatively flat Thousand Islands Parkway in south-eastern Ontario. Isuspect that in hillier terrain, or with all seven seats occupied (orboth), the engine might be overwhelmed. The four-cylinder Highlanderhas a 3,500 lb (1,588 kg) towing capacity, a respectable amount for alarge vehicle with less than 200 horsepower.
I’d suggest that if you frequently have a large number of people onboard, or regularly a large trailer or boat, that the V6 would be thebetter choice. If most of your driving consists of transporting familyand friends around town the four-cylinder model will fit the bill justfine.
With the four-cylinder model being the new base model Highlander for2009, last year’s Base V6 trim is gone, and the SR5 model becomes thenew entry-level V6 model. That model gets new standard equipment for2009, including a power rear hatch, flip-up rear hatch glass, aneight-way power driver’s seat and upgraded cloth upholstery, in-dashsix-CD changer and fog lamps.
2009 Highlander pricing starts at $32,600 for the four-cylindermodel, which is $4,300 less than the 2008 Base V6 model. The newentry-level V6 4WD trim is priced at $37,570, compared to $39,150 forthe 2008 SR5 model. |
發表於 2009-7-22 05:28 AM
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