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Toyota's hybrid SUVs: Brothers under the hoodBy JEREMY CATO

Thursday, July 28, 2005 Updated at 11:50 AM EDT

Globe and Mail Update

HIGHLANDER HYBRID

The the latest addition to Toyota's rapidly expanding fleet of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles allows the Japanese auto maker to sell a sport utility vehicle without having to make apologies for wretched fuel efficiency and horribly high emissions.

But it's not cheap. With the Highlander Hybrid, the base model comes in at a hefty $44,205 for the five-passenger version and prices range all the way up to $53,145 for the luxurious seven-passenger model, with leather interior, automatic climate control, anti-theft system, and premium audio.

A regular V-6 Highlander with five-passenger seating goes for $36,900. The seven-passenger model starts at $37,950. All those thousands of extra dollars go to pay for a lot of technology. A hybrid vehicle is powered primarily by an internal combustion engine, but is also equipped with batteries that are recharged while driving and an electric motor to assist with power. A very sophisticated computer control system orchestrates the gas and electric systems so they work together or separately, as need arises.

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To soften the blow of a fat sticker price, Toyota packs the Highlander Hybrid with such premium features as standard air conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry and an advanced stability control system in the five-passenger version. It adds seats for seven, a leather interior, automatic climate control, an anti-theft system and premium audio to help justify the $9,000 jump to the up-level Highlander Hybrid.

Then there is the performance hook. Like its sister vehicle, the Lexus RX 400h launched in late spring, the Highlander Hybrid does not play so much on its fuel-efficient econo-model credentials as it does the raciness of the two SUVs.

The all-wheel-drive Highlander Hybrid (268 hp) launches from 0-100 km/h is about 7.5 seconds, about half a second faster than the AWD V-6 gas model (230 hp). And the Hybrid does it with the fuel economy of a smallish car.

Some of that fuel efficiency has nothing to do with the fancy hybrid system: It comes from the continuously variable transmission (CVT) -- a common feature on hybrids. The CVT keeps the gas engine revving where the computer brain thinks it should to get the best combination of power and economy.

As always with CVTs, I found the lack of gears shifting hard to get used to and the engine would rev randomly, apparently searching for what the computer thinks is the performance sweet spot.

Of course, sometimes the gas motor doesn't work at all. Instead, electric motors power the vehicle at low speeds and when stopped, with the gas engine coming into play as speed and power demands rise. The electric motors, which produce their full torque the instant they begin to turn, make this Hybrid very snappy off the line and quite quick in passing mode.

Because the gas engine shuts down whenever possible in stop-and-go driving, fuel economy in the city is excellent. But highway fuel economy is completely unremarkable. With no gas engine shutdowns on long, high-speed runs, the hybrid gizmos offer almost no fuel economy benefit at all.

As for the rest, the Highlander Hybrid is competent, with a reputation for good build quality, a reasonably comfortable cabin and a fairly bland design due for a remake in the next year or so.

Of all its normal features, the third-row seat is the most disappointing. For adults, getting back to the third row is tricky and once you're there space is very tight. If the third row is in use, you'll not find much cargo space behind it.

There are also limitations on the AWD system. It is meant primarily to help out when the roads are covered in snow or ice. Any really serious off-roading is likely to overheat the rear electric motor.

The safety gear is impressive: In addition to AWD and stability control, traction control is standard, as well as anti-lock braking, dual front air bags and front and rear side curtain air bags in seven-passenger models. The non-hybrid Highlander scores well in crash tests and there's little reason to believe the hybrid model is any less capable.

In a nutshell, then, the Highlander Hybrid is a poster child for this future onslaught of hybrid vehicles. It is practical, sips fuel like a car in city traffic, can tow up to 1,587 kg and looks completely normal, aside its very nice wheels and hybrid badges. Best of all for Toyota, it gives buyers the option of driving an SUV with "green" credentials.

LEXUS RX 400h

Despite their differences in styling and equipment levels, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Lexus RX 400h hybrid are identical where it counts most -- the gasoline-electric power train that delivers 7.5 litres/100 km in city driving and 8.1 highway in both vehicles.

There is a difference in price, though. The least expensive RX 400h Premium model retails for a hefty $62,200, while the Ultra Premium stickers for $69,700. So the priciest RX hybrid lists for $16,555 more than the top-of-the-line version of the Highlander Hybrid.

Sure enough, the Lexus is more luxurious and certainly more interesting to look at, both inside and out. But there is virtually nothing to separate the two in terms of performance. Both scoot to 100 km/h from a standing start in about 7.5 seconds.

Using the latest version of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, the RX and the Highlander are full hybrids capable of running solely on electric motors or the 3.3-litre V-6 or with the electric and internal combustion systems working in tandem. Both also have had their alternators removed and the power steering pumps, water pumps, and A/C compressors are gone, with those functions instead driven electrically. The transmission in each case is an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT) instead of a five-speed automatic transaxle and all-wheel drive is standard.

As with the Highlander Hybrid, aside from the unique drive train, most of the Japanese-made RX 400h carries over intact from the Canadian-built RX330, including all the body panels and most of the interior.

The seats are the same, the door panels are the same and most of the technology from the four-wheel ABS brakes to the on-board DVD system work identically between the two. Stability control, traction control and a range of air bags are also standard.

The differences between the regular RX and its hybrid brother are subtle: the grille is different, as is the front fascia, which scoops in more air and stretches about 25 mm longer, the fog lamps are round, the wheels are good-looking five-spoke 18-inchers and the tail lamps are LEDs (light-emitting diodes). Oh, and there is that "h" at the end of the vehicle's nameplate.

Inside, a "power metre" is in place of the tachometer and a power usage display appears on the same screen as the excellent navigation system. The power usage display allows the driver to track where power is coming from (gas or electric motors) and gauge fuel economy on an ongoing basis.

As for more run-of-the-mill luxury features, the RX 400h Premium has an in-dash six-disc CD (compact disc) changer, power rear door, power tilt sliding moon roof, high intensity discharge headlamps, adaptive front lighting system and illuminated entry.

The Ultra Premium adds a Mark Levinson audio system with 11 speakers, two sets of wireless headphones, rear audio joystick controls, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system;, a seven-inch liquid crystal display rear monitor, audio and DVD remote controls and a DVD-based navigation system.

That's a lot of fancy stuff, but a loaded Highlander Hybrid delivers almost the same driving experience for considerably less.

jcato@globeandmail.ca

Specifications

2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Price range: $44,205-$53,145

2006 Lexus RX 400h

Price range: $62,200-$69,700

Engines: 3.3-litre V-6 DOHC; front and rear permanent magnetic electric motors

Output: 268 hp/212 lb-ft of torque for V-6; 167 hp/247 lb-ft of torque for front electric motor and 68 hp/96 lb-ft of torque for rear electric motor

Transmissions: Continuously variable transmission

Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 7.5 city/8.1 highway

Alternatives: Each other

Like: Sophisticated hybrid system integrated with AWD; comfortable cabin; quick performance without a major fuel economy penalty; solid quality and safety reputation

Don't like: CVT lacks feel and has engine revving oddly at times; third-row seat is tiny and cramped, leaving little room for cargo behind it when the seat is in use; Highlander has a bland and boxy exterior design