Comments by "Stephen Hendricks" (@stephenhendricks103) on "2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid - A hybrid crossover without competition" video.

  1. Toyota has needed a generational update for the Highlander for a number of model years. They ignored that issue as rivals met and passed the Highlander in features, utility, and styling. A new generation comes along shortly for 2020. Unfortunately, it only moves the Highlander from a clear "also ran" to a marginally competitive entry. A couple of inches greater in length compared to the 2019 version but no significant improvements in interior space. Toyota has traditionally classified the Toyota as an "eight passenger" vehicle. But that claim is based solely on the fact that the third row includes three seat belts, not that three human beings of almost any size can actually be crammed into it without being bound and gagged. The 2020 version still offers less third row legroom than the back seat of a Mustang. Ever tried to sit in a Mustang's back seat? The most significant improvements? The interior no longer looks like it was designed for a 2012 vehicle. In the recent past the Highlander has been distinctive in two ways. It has been the sole mainstream midsize crossover with a hybrid power train. Whether that remains an advantage with competition from the Ford Explorer is a question. Otherwise, Toyota sells all of their vehicles based on the brand's reputation for reliability. But while Toyota retains its RANKING year after year its actual advantage over other brands has been shrinking for about two decades. Today, the actual advantage for top brands is minuscule. A new car buyer who purchases a vehicle today ranked anywhere among the top 10 brands can be almost certain that the vehicle will be highly reliable for the length of the buyer's ownership. No doubt Toyota will sell a lot of 2020 Highlanders based on the brand's reputation for reliability and the fact that it no longer appears at first glance to be an also ran in the category. As for the 2019 model, its biggest plus is the likelihood that dealers will offer uncharacteristically generous discounts in a desperate effort to get them off the lot before the 2020 models show up.
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  2.  @minhajsyed9874  That's true. But neither is the new hybrid power train in the 2020 Highlander. It gets the same hybrid system as the new Rav4 and it's significantly different.
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  3.  @minhajsyed9874  It's no longer in production.
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