4th Generation Toyota Highlander (and Grand Highlander) Thread

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Sulu

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qtb007 said:
The biggest cost for auto ownership in the US is depreciation. Trucks and SUVs tend to hold their value better than cars -- which does tie into the irrational part of it -- but it is a fact that buyers consider. Depreciation isn't very efficiency dependent because gas still just isn't very expensive in the US.

I'm about to sell my 4Runner I've had for 7 years. Going from sticker to today's value, it will have lost around $1700/yr. Fuel for the vehicle has roughly been $1500/yr. Had I chosen a 30mpg sedan like a V6 Avalon instead, I would have spent $1000/yr on fuel but the depreciation would have been closer to $2800/yr. All the fuel savings were eaten up by the depreciation. If gas gets really expensive, all those numbers change. Even at today's elevated gas prices, the operating cost isn't drastically high.
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Trucks, SUVs and crossovers depreciate less because there is demand for them. Sedans depreciate more because there is less demand for them.
 
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Motorsnwheels said:
I couldn’t agree more! I am so frustrated and saddened by the fact that sedans are dead in the U.S. As a kid, my family of 4 comfortably sat in a 4 door midsize sedan on cross country trips, with luggage and a cooler full of lunches, snacks and drinks in the trunk. It’s do-able. I’m not sure why we have to all have big suvs or trucks.
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As a family, we find no need for a high-riding, more-prone-to-tipping crossover; we only drive compact and mid-size sedans. Four years ago, we did a road-trip vacation in my ES Hybrid (battery taking up half the trunk space), with 5 of us inside and luggage for all in the trunk. It was no problem at all; everything fit with room to spare (and fuel efficiency was great!).
 
qtb007

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GoHuskers said:
This is what the great country of the USA is. We, the people, have choices and that's great. If you don't live in America it is hard to understand (I know you said you moved here few months ago but still). Yes, transport 5-6 people in a 3 ton vehicle or driving pickup trucks to get grocery is such a waste. The same can be said for 2 people living a 5000 sq ft home with 8-cars garage. If you CAN afford it then Why not.

This is Do-able but would you turn down the option to travel the country in a $100k Slades, Navigator, GLS, or LX600? I doubt that. The point is - it is GREAT to have options and the freedom to choose it
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At risk of getting into politics, I disagree that the US has lots of choices. If you have means, you have choices. If you aren't a top 20% earner, you are pretty much at the will of the market. Automakers are fleeing the entry level market, so low earners have choice of used vehicles that the new car buyers no longer want. Choosing a small light sports car comes with the consequence that I'm completely hosed if a 9000lb Hummer EV broadsides me. I could probably go into housing, education, health care, how external costs are usually socialized to the public rather than the private individual, etc, but I digress.
 
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qtb007

qtb007

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Sulu said:
Trucks, SUVs and crossovers depreciate less because there is demand for them. Sedans depreciate more because there is less demand for them.
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And what drives that higher demand? Trucks and SUVs are built to be more capable... whether it be payload, ground clearance, towing, or even just being built to be more durable so the impression is that they will last longer. The market has spoken that they are willing to give up a little gas mileage for higher seating and better ingress/egress. My general point is that cars aren't consumable and aren't something we tend to own for life, so they aren't purchased in a vacuum. What is valued by the rest of the car buying market as a whole impacts what a car costs. So, buying an SUV that is technically unnecessary isn't exactly a terrible financial burden if the rest of the market wants that vehicle when you are finished with it.
 
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GoHuskers said:
This is Do-able but would you turn down the option to travel the country in a $100k Slades, Navigator, GLS, or LX600? I doubt that. The point is - it is GREAT to have options and the freedom to choose it
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That is because there are no $100k vans. So finally there are not many options.
 
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LateToLexus

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Levi said:
Best option is a van. If there was a market as there is for CUV/SUV, vans would also have performance versions that on track would be just as fast as SUVs.
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I think it depends. From my vantage point as a 6"5" driver. Van is NOT the best option for long-term road trips having driven some uber-large American SUV disposables.

Front passenger noise, seat comfort, space and ride quality is flat-out significantly better in many super large SUVs. And again, we OWN a Sienna and put about 40k miles/year on it!
 
Will1991

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Can it be?

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Sulu

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I think the Grand Highlander and Highlander will look the same from the front doors forward. So if the Grand Highlander gets a front nose resembling the new Crown, the normal Highlander will get a facelift to match the Grand Highlander.
 
Gor134

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I feel like the Grand Highlander will only be a Highlander in name and still have it's own styling separate from the Highlander? I believe the MY23 updates for the Highlander was "technically" a facelift, so if there's a new gen coming for MY26, the GH will have to be stylistically different to be in the market for a longer period?
 
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Kirk Kreifel YouTube channel has a live chat regarding the grand highlander starting around 8:45 this evening.
 
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