Well, my bride has decided that our XC60 is too small to haul her (and her friend's) quilting stuff around.
We have had Volvos for years. Bride's favorite was an XC90 AWD we bought new. Really would like another XC90, but the nearest Volvo dealer is now 5 hours away, so am now looking at alternatives. (To be honest, also am not too interested in writing a check for close to $70k for a new one.)
Recently ran across a 2018 Toyota Highlander LE Hybrid that has low mileage (less than 30k) and the price seems fair. It is a V6, but from what I can tell, it has a CVT - something I have zero experience with.
Any mines in this model I should be aware of? Is the CVT problematic? Other weirdness?
Thanks
Think of the Highlander as a larger version of the Prius running gear. Toyota has been doing this running gear since 2001. It started out as a reliable combination that has been further improved on since then. Currently, Toyota offers a hybrid version of nearly every car they sell. The current hottest selling Toyota (with waiting lists) is the Rav4 Hybrid and the next best seller is the Highlander Hybrid. The Prius is their 3rd best selling hybrid.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.torquenews.com/6626/rav4-hybrid-was-toyota-s-best-selling-hybrid-2020-second-place-may-surprise-you/amp
I think your wife (and you) will love it.
Toyota has a long history of reliable cvt. Nissan and GM have a history of unreliable cvt.
John, current owner of 4 Prius, business fleet
Its really more of a jacked up Camry Hybrid, but the point still stands.
Change the fluids/belts on schedule and drive it.
Decent rig, comfy/quiet, etc. 3rd row in most SUVs of that size is absolutely useless at hauling people, let alone leaving room for any "stuff" but keep it folded and ignore it (there's a reason minivans still exist, but so many care what others think about what they drive or wear, etc but I digress).
The "off-road" aspect generally stops at the way it looks, AWD is through open diffs with no lockers, etc. so have good tires for when things get slippery and treat it like the Camry wagon on stilts it is.
Thanks guys. The chance of this car ever going off road is exactly zero. We live in a rainforest and normally get more than 70" of precipitation. The highway we travel most is 2 lane and very windy.
The AWD is just to deal with slick roads and debris from the trees.
