Vehicle: 2004 Toyota Highlander V6 4WD with pkg B
Price as tested: CDN$47264

Performance: Highlander is powered by 1 of 2 engines, a 2.4L 4-cylinder with 160hp or 3.3L V6 with 230hp as in our tester. This 3.3L is a replacement for the 3.0L version. The extra 3 liter really gives Highlander the power it needed in the V6 soft roader segment that competes with formiddable competitor like Nissan’s sporty Murano and Honda’s competent Pilot. With 230hp and 242 lb/ft of torque, there is no shortage of power. Its also a very balanced engine that combines the best of smoothness, quietness and refinement all in one package. Throttle response is quick and linear. The low revving nature of this powerplant is a true testimony during highway cruising, as it revs at just 2500 rpm at 110 km/h. Its 5-speed auto tranny works exceptionally well as it combines smooth shifting and responsiveness of up/downshfits when needed.

Handling: Considered the fact that Highlander is based on Camry platform, its no doubt this soft roader is more of a cruiser than a handler. The steering feels numb and featherweight, there is no feedback at all. The suspension setting is soft when gives it a comfortable ride that is very Camry. On the other hand, its AWD system has works relatively well as this vehicle is able to move itself as only one wheel. As usual, there are plenty of body rolls and understeers when pushed through corners.

Brakes: The pedal feel is better than average thanks to its 4-wheel discs with ABS. The anti-lock system also doesn’t kick in until absolutely necessary.

Interior: The interior of the Highlander is very well laid-out. With great set of instrumentation gauges. The controls for stereo and climate control are easy to figure out thanks to clearly designed buttons. With the package B as in our tester, you also got leather and powered seats that help a lot when adjusting for driving position. Its also worthwhile to opt for this package simply because of the full-size spare instead of dount.

Conclusion: While the Highlander is a very compentent vehicle, there raise a question considered its price tag. With a few grand more, you can easily go for Lexus RX330 which uses the same platform, same powerplant with nicer interior and more features. Most of all, you got the excellent Lexus service instead of the “lowly” Toyota one. While Toyota thinks Highlander V6 and RX330 are appealing to different kinds of customers, I think they will cannabalize into each others.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 4WD
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Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 1/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.25/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.25/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4.5/5
Value-for-money: 2.25/5

Overall rating: 3.75/5